Running Off The Rails

Zorro Rides Again 7-12
Dynamite Entertainment
Matt Wagner, writer
John K. Snyder III, artist

I reviewed the first half of this 12-issue series here and gave it high praise indeed. This was a wonderfully written narrative that served to weave together elements from many of the previous film, television and comic versions of the Spanish hero of Alta California, while still feeling like a natural progression from Wagner's earlier Zorro series for Dynamite. And the writing was beautifully complemented by the art team -- penciler, inker and colorist. This series was truly a joy to read and enjoy!

Was.

I don't know why a switch was made in the art team for the second half of the series, but there was, and the new artist does not compare favorably with Esteve Polls. Most of the figures are still recognizable, but the art is nowhere near as clean and polished as it was in the first half.

The coloring, too, pales by comparison. Where the first half of the series was lavishly colored in desert tones, many of these pages are colored monochromatically.

I'm afraid I can't lay all of the blame for the drop in quality at the artist's feet. Wagner's writing seems a bit off for the second half of this narrative. Diego de la Vega seemed to have a definite plan of action he was pursuing as Zorro in the first half of this series, and many of his actions stemmed from events depicted in Wagner's earlier Zorro series. But in the second half, there no longer seems to be a definite end game in mind. Worst of all, the story does not seem finished at the conclusion of the 12th issue. Now maybe that was by design as this is not intended to be the final Zorro story ever written, but with the number of characters who did meet a final end or resolution to their stories in the first half, it seems quite a letdown to have so many characters left in limbo at the end of this second half.

There was such promise at the beginning, that this final failure seems all the more painful to read.

Pulling It All Together

Zorro Rides Again 1-6
Dynamite Entertainment
Matt Wagner, writer
Esteve Polls, artist

I've always liked Zorro, so picking up Dynamite's first Zorro series penned by Matt Wagner was a no-brainer. That series lasted for 20 issues and served to re-tell the origins of the character in details that, if not completely original, were certainly new to me. Diego de la Vega received much of his training at the hands of a secret society of masked vigilantes in Spain. His adopting the identity of el Zorro, the fox, is in keeping with the traditions of this secret society, as all of the adventurers in the society have similar names and spirit animals.

After a marvelous 20-issue run, Wagner took a short break, but promised to return to the series. In the interim, Dynamite published a pair of limited series centered on the character. First was a four-issue tale by Don MacGregor, no stranger to Zorro tales. The second served to link the legends of Zorro and the Lone Ranger.

Now Wagner has returned for Zorro Rides Again, which has been billed as only a 12-issue run. These first six issues make it clear that Zorro has had many adventures since the origin tale Wagner first told and that this may well prove to be the hero of California's final outing. Already in just the first six issues, several characters long-associated with the legend of Zorro have either met a final fate or been changed in quite drastic ways. In the hands of a lesser writer, that might make this seem like less a Zorro tale than one featuring some other hero masquerading as the true Zorro. But in Wagner's hands, the story unfolds in a manner that seems quite natural for the characters, and gives the events a weight that makes the reader feel for these characters as though they were flesh and blood individuals.

The artwork in these issues is also top-notch. Polls brings a fluidity to the characters' movements that evokes the swordplay they are known for, and his California countryside backgrounds look spectacular. Adding to the feel of the artwork is the wonderful use of colors, so thanks and praise must also be extended to colorist Oscar Manuel Martin.