American Mythology Productions 2020
Written by Pat Shand
Illustrated by Vincenzo Carratù
Coloured by Beezzz Studio
Lettered by Natalie Jane
Interior Layout Assists by Larry Watts & Mike Wolfer
Who is Lady Zorro? Like an avenging phantom, Lady Zorro haunts the arid wastes of the southern California desert, defiantly fighting against the tyrannical forces of the Spanish Empire, but how did she come to be a revered, legendary figure in Native American folklore? In an all-new take on the Zorro mythos, we'll learn those answers and more in this special, one-shot tale of supernatural adventure that introduces you to a Lady Zorro we have never before seen! A secret cabal of Spanish Army soldiers who call themselves "The Pr digo" are using stolen, Native American magic to power their reign of terror over the native inhabitants of Alta California, and no one but Lady Zorro stands in their way. But will her incredible, acrobatic and sword skills be enough to stem the slaughter, led by the hideous, transformed Father Serra, who wields dark magic and commands an army of monstrous, demon coyotes? It's an all-new Lady Zorro for an all-new generation of readers!
I liked this story a lot. I think that it spins out of a previous arc makes a lot of sense considering what it was we saw there. Then to have her take up the mantle in his name and carry on a tradition of helping those who need it gives her life new meaning and that is quite evident as we see throughout these pages. The way that this is being told is great because it's not just a gender swap it's done with purpose and as an homage which if you've followed the latest arcs you'll understand why. Pat does this with some really great respect and I am thoroughly enjoying how we see the introduction of her as she moves through the pages.
The way this is being told is really extremely thoughtful and well rendered. The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold and how the reader learns information is presented beautifully. The opening is dramatic, intense and thoroughly entertaining while it seems more than a tad bit confusing. Odd and supposedly ceremonial in a way well you'll have to see it really engages the reader in strong way. This leads me into the character development we see here. I really like the way that we get to know these people. While the situations and circumstances find them revealing more about them by how they act and react there are also some very quiet times where we get the opportunity for those little things that say volumes. The pacing is great and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way it helps to create the books ebb & flow.
The interiors here are really to see. The linework is strong and interesting and how the varying weights are utilised to bring out the attention to detail is extremely well done. Our Friar or Padre or whatever he's supposed to be has this really nice hairy body which is something we don't see a lot of any more and I wish we would. The way we see backgrounds being utilised and how the work within the composition in the panels bring us a nice sense of scale, depth perception, the utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show this really good, solid and strong eye for storytelling. I am also really appreciating the way that we see the colour work here as well. The various hues and tones we see within the colours utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is rendered extremely well.
This is the start of something exciting. The way that this has about is so organic and so natural that it just feels right. We've barely begun and while she may have found a new identity to hide behind she's still that same frightened young woman who lost her brother and saw things that should have been impossible. So I will be interested in seeing how her personal growth and development works alongside her new persona. Shops will not be closed forever so you are going to want to contact your store and let them know you'll want this when it comes out.