Zorro: Man of the Dead

Almost 200 years ago Don Diego De La Vega saved the people of his town from Spanish tyranny and began the legend of Zorro in the process.  The townspeople of La Vega still remember what he did and still honor his memory after all this time.  At least, they did until the cartel lord El Rojo put a stop to it by shooting the current performer, orphaning his son and daughter.  Now the daughter, Rosa, works for El Rojo, resigned to the idea that it’s better to work for the bad guys than to get a bullet from them.  Her brother, Diego, however, has been raised by the man who trained his father to be the legendary swordsman; and now, after decades of silence, he’s ready to make the legend live again!

Creator Sean Murphy is such a big fan of “Zorro” that he secured the comics license himself to make this story.  I admire the passion that implies, and it’s borne out in his detailed and energetic art, which is easily the most memorable part of this story.  It sure isn’t the writing which is bog-standard in nearly every aspect of its storytelling.  “Man of the Dead” is a thoroughly predictable affair that doesn’t do anything new with the character besides place him in a modern setting.  Given that this comes from the same man who took a sledgehammer to the “Batman” mythos in his “White Knight” saga, this is really disappointing.  Enough to make me hope that Murphy got his fanboyism out of his system and can get back to giving us more inventive projects in the future.