Fourthman Reviews: Zorro/Amazing Spider-Man/Hulk

By Lee Newman

Zorro #1
Published by Dynamite
Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Francesco Francavilla
Zorro is one of those vague memories from my childhood. I remember digging a couple of movies and a television show, but not much more. I know the mask, the hat, the cape, the sword and his trademark, but origin? Yeah, not so much. So unlike The Lone Ranger, I was excited about this book, but had very little preconception.

Wagner takes a very pulpy approach to the story. It is a discussion on the nature of a legend, not too dissimilar from Ditko’s similar discussion in Mysterious Suspense. This is interweaved into an origin story as well as soldiers account of the first activity of a vigilante. It is an exemplary work, almost immediately you have real concern for Diego and Bernado. There is also a clever twist in the origin which takes you down a somewhat unexpected path.

With the moral play (again referencing Ditko) that is presented, Wagner is a perfect fit for the book. What is most notable about this particular work is that he does not fall into the trap of just writing Hunter Rose in a different costume. This is the problem which has plagued his work on Batman.

Francavilla...I’m gonna have to punch that name into Wikipedia or Google. Before Left On Mission, I had never heard the name, but now I need more. His layouts are amazing with a variety that gives an added energy to his already lively pages. His detail work is just as impressive. When the boys are in the cave, the torchlight seems to actually flicker on the page. This achieved by painstaking attention to the shadows and the use of a heat glare effect. Wagner is credited as the art director on the book, but I don’t see how this art is different from Left On Mission. It makes me wonder what the title means.

I was excited by this book the second I heard about it and I was not let down in the least. With this and his new Grendel book, I think Wagner, a noted master comic writer, may be at the top of his game.

"Ultimate Comics, we have more comics then your shop has!"

Amazing Spider-Man #551
Published by Marvel
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Salvador Larroca

Spider-Man has not been this good in a very long time. Dan Slott knocked the first three issues of “Brand New Day” out of the park and while Guggenheim’s run was not as good, it somehow manages to finish stronger. Part of this lies in the mystery re-established in the last three pages. Most of it has to do with the mistake that Jackpot makes in the issue. It is one of those perfect Spidey moments that harkens back to the death of the Stacys or the Goblin saga. I will be honest: I am not spending much time trying to figure out the mysteries. I am going to let the answers come in their own time. There is still much that doesn’t make sense from the “One More Day” fallout, but, as long as the stories remain on this level, I will hang around.

There are other inspired moments. The fact that Peter seems to be constantly out of fluid is a nice touch. The new publisher of the renamed “DB” is a winner and shows his heart in this issue. With the revelation of the identity of Mr. Negative, you have to wonder if this guy doesn’t have some ulterior motive.

The problems that I had with the coloring in issue 549 seem to be resolved her. Spidey seems to reside in his surroundings now. There are a couple of issues with some faces particularly with Jackpot and Mr. Bennet, but overall the art is very nice. You do have to wonder if Larroca felt a little rushed though as there is a distinct lack of backgrounds in much of the book.

"Ultimate Comics, we have more comics then your shop has!"

HULK #2
Published by Marvel
Written by Jeph Loeb
Pencils by Ed McGuinness

THIS WEEK IN CSI: S.H.I.E.L.D....

I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist, especially after page 6.

Alright, here’s the deal: this is not, by any strech of the imagination, a GREAT comic book. Loeb has written a couple of those. They star Batman. There is one with Superman. I hear there is a good one with Spider-Man. This comic is fun, though. A heckuva lot of fun. It really doesn’t make one lick of sense, but a team of Iron Men carrying a golden helicarrier will make up for a lot of stupid. That AND Tony contemplating the wisdom of staying dry are worth the price of admission alone. There are a few twists here. Some people are wrong about identities and the last page was STUPID with a ten story tall capital S.

McGuinness is McGuinness. Either you love him or you hate him. I fall closer to the former, but this is not his best work. The spread on pages two and three is five different kinds of fugly, but at least She-Hulk doesn’t look like a passenger on the short bus any more.

This book makes me laugh. That will keep me reading, even if it is pretty dumb.