Never turn your back on a fox.
Creative Staff:
Story and Letters: Alex de Campi
Art: Rey Villegas
Color: Morgan Hickman
What They Say:
It’s war. In the smoking ruins of what was a thriving Spanish village only a few days before, the Spanish patriots and Chumash Warriors prepare to fight a well-trained, well-equipped army of German mercenaries. As the battle begins, Lady Zorro and Hugo gallop off on a last-ditch effort to avert the full-on massacre of the defenders. But the evil German general sees through Lady Zorro’s plan, and has a bullet for all her troubles. This is the end for Alta California as we know it… and Lady Zorro.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
While I’ve enjoyed this series from the very beginning, there have been times when the plot felt a bit rushed. Events occurred almost too quickly, taking me out of the story. It was never enough to ruin my enjoyment, but it felt like there was either some missing element or some tweak that needed to be made to the pacing to really bring the story into its own. I have to say, though, that this issue starts off strong and stays strong. There’s a definite rhythm to it and a playfulness that was hinted at before, but not fully realized.
It’s entirely possible that this is what de Campi and Villegas intended from the start, that the plot would mirror Esperanza’s choppy, difficult journey from hatred to love, from survivor’s guilt to an acceptance of her life. It’s also entirely possible that if I read all of these issues in one sitting, these problems might not exist anymore. That’s always the problem with reading comics in single issues: each issue is designed to be a chapter, so it has to stand as a more-or-less complete story that propels the larger narrative. This means that seeds have to be planted for the finale and cliffhanger moments included to entice the reader to return for the next issue. Sometimes it works better than others, and more often than not, it’s more a case of a weakness in the medium than a weakness in the creative team. Regardless of the reason, this is a pitch-perfect issue that satisfyingly and entertainingly ends what has been an overall solid mini-series.
de Campi, Villegas, and Hickman are definitely firing on all cylinders in this issue. The story moves along at such a clip that you feel pulled along with it, and that makes the little moments of humor work very well. One particular sequence I loved was a full page of the mercenaries firing and priming a cannon. Villegas shows us every step of the process and the only dialogue is orders from the commander, so panel one is “Fire!” panel two is “Sponge!” panel three is “Load!” and so on. The only panel shown that doesn’t belong to the sequence is a Chumash flaming arrow striking a chest of gunpowder. It’s immediately followed by the commander screaming “Run!” My description really doesn’t do the scene justice, but the timing on it is perfect and made it a hilarious scene.
This finale manages to find a perfect balance. The writing and art work in sync to the point where I became so immersed in the story that I no longer thought about the medium or how the de Campi, Vellegas, and Hickman were telling their story. To me, that’s the mark of a great tale no matter what the medium: when you become so lost in it that you forget that you’re reading/watching/listening/etc. They also strike the right balance between drama and comedy, making this a fun and meaningful adventure. Finally, they wrap up Esperanza’s story very well, and leave her as a different, stronger, healthier person than how she began.
In Summary:
While I’ve enjoyed the entire miniseries, this final issue is definitely the strongest. The pacing, the action, the humor, and the character arc Lady Zorro undergoes comes together wonderfully here and I’m sad to see Esperanza and Hugo go, but happy that they found each other. Recommended.
Grade: A+
Age Rating: Teen +
Released By: Dynamite Comics
Release Date: October 2, 2014
MSRP: $3.99
