{"id":34475,"date":"2025-12-12T12:06:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T12:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=34475"},"modified":"2025-12-12T12:06:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T12:06:07","slug":"zorro-matanzas-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/12\/12\/zorro-matanzas-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Zorro: Matanzas"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Don McGregor<\/strong>, Mike Mayhew<\/strong>, Sam Parsons<\/strong> & John Costanza<\/strong> (Dynamite Entertainment)
\nISBN: 978-1-60690-147-2 (TPB\/digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times. This book also includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> included for dramatic and literary effect. <\/em><\/p>\n

Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: A Hero Romp in the classic Tradition\u2026 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

One the earliest masked heroes and still phenomenally popular all over the world, \u201cEl Zorro, The Fox<\/strong>\u201d was originally devised by jobbing writer Johnston McCulley in 1919 for a 5-part prose serial entitled \u2018The Curse of Capistrano\u2019<\/em>. The bold enigma debuted in All-Story Weekly<\/strong> for August 6th<\/sup>, running until 6th<\/sup> September. The part-work was subsequently published by Grossett & Dunlap in 1924 as novel The Mark of Zorro<\/strong> and further reissued in 1959 and 1998 by MacDonald & Co. and Tor respectively. Famously, Hollywood glitterati Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford read the serial in All-Story<\/strong> – while on honeymoon! – and immediately optioned the romp\u2019s first film release from their new production company\/studio United Artists.<\/p>\n

In 1920 and for years after The Mark of Zorro<\/strong> was a global movie sensation, and New York-based McCulley subsequently re-tailored his creation to match the so-different filmic incarnation. This Caped Crusader aptly fitted a burgeoning genre that would soon be peopled by the likes of The Shadow<\/strong>, Doc Savage<\/strong> and The Spider<\/strong>. Rouben Mamoulian\u2019s 1940 filmic remake of The Mark of Zorro<\/strong> (yes, the one with Tyrone Power & Basil Rathbone) further ingrained the Fox into the world\u2019s psyche and, as prose exploits continued in a variety of publications, Dell began a comic book version in 1949.<\/p>\n

When Walt Disney Studios began a hugely popular Zorro <\/strong>TV show in 1957 (78 half-hour episodes and four 60 minute specials before cancellation in 1961), the ongoing comic book series was swiftly redesigned to capitalise on it. The mega-media corporation thus began a decades-long strip incarnation of \u201ctheir\u201d version of the character in various quarters of the world. This series and later iterations also resulted in comics and strips all over Europe from Disney, and Marvel in the USA.<\/p>\n

During the 1990s, Topps Comics spearheaded Zorro\u2019s return courtesy of Don McGregor & Mike Mayhew. It led to a short-lived newspaper strip (illustrated by Thomas Yeates) and also incidentally and memorably introducing a salacious \u201cbad-girl\u201d sidekick in the unwisely inappropriate and inadequately clad form of Lady Rawhide<\/em>.<\/p>\n

… And there were more movies, this time with an actual Hispanic (albeit a Spaniard) playing the lead role: Antonio Banderas, in case you were wondering…<\/p>\n

In 2008 Dynamite Entertainment reintroduced the Fox courtesy of new yarns by Matt Wagner (patience, por favor<\/em>, they\u2019re coming soon…) and as part of the package excavated this lost yarn from the Topps iteration: an unpublished adventure by McGregor & Mayhew with colours by Sam Parsons and letters by industry veteran John Costanza.<\/p>\n

Zorro: Mantanzas<\/strong> has a chequered history. Part of a longer storyline begun during the Topps Comic era of the 1990s, it was only completed in 2010 for the Dynamite run and released as 4-issue miniseries before being collected as a trade paperback\/eBook. For all that, however, the lost episode offers a passionate, sophisticated portrayal of the quintessential champion risking his own security and happiness to thwart a macabre and complex villain: a struggle rendered even more appealing by the magnificent illustration of Mayhew & Parsons.<\/p>\n

However:<\/strong> this is also an uncompromising view of a far different time and ethos. Some scenes of \u201cman vs beast\u201d interaction are explicit and arguably little more than beautifully executed animal cruelty. If such uncompromising scenes are likely to upset, please leave his book alone.<\/em><\/p>\n

For the uninitiated<\/em><\/strong>: Don Diego de la Vega<\/em> is the foppish son of a grand house in old California back when it was a Spanish Possession. He used the masked persona of se\u00f1or Zorro<\/em> to right wrongs, defend the weak and liberate the oppressed – particularly the pitifully maltreated natives and Indians. He thwarted the get-rich-quick schemes of a succession of military leaders and a colonial Governor determined to milk the populace of growing township Los Angeles<\/em> for all they had.<\/p>\n

Whenever Zorro struck he left his mark – a character-defining letter \u201cZ\u201d carved into walls, doors, faces and\/or other body parts…
\n\"\"
\nDiego has an entire support structure in place. Although in this iteration his stiff-necked Hildalgo father is unaware of his double life, the secret saviour has numerous assistants who do. The most important is \u201cdeaf-mute manservant\u201d Bernardo<\/em> and Jose of the Cocopahs<\/em> – a native Indio chieftain who often acts as stableman, decoy and body double for the Masked Avenger. Diego also occasionally employs retired, reformed one-eyed pirate Bardoso<\/em> to act as his spy amongst townsfolk and outlaws…<\/p>\n

The generally-beleaguered settlement is basking in unaccustomed liberty after recent Zorro\u2019s overthrow of the military governor, unaware that their new Regency Administrator Lucien Machete<\/em> is a sadistic fiend with a nasty line in prosthetic weapons nursing a rabid grudge against Zorro… the man who made his replacement limb necessary.<\/p>\n

The villain has struck up a friendship with Diego\u2019s father Don Alejandro<\/em>: an increasingly frustrated grandee who finds his son\u2019s unseemly, unmanly behaviour more and more inexplicable and intolerable. Infuriatingly, Machete is not taking advantage of the familial rift as a ploy; he just likes the old man and despises his foppish son, blithely oblivious that the soft poltroon is the black-clad avenger who thwarted his previous malevolent depredations.<\/p>\n

Zorro knows – but cannot prove – Machete\u2019s credentials are forged and his claims to act as the Spanish King\u2019s official representative are false. The Fox urgently seeks to expose the impostor before whatever vile plot he fosters can be completed. Thus he cannot let anything distract him…
\n\"\"
\nThe drama unfolds after Don Alejandro and Lucien attend the Matanza: an annual festival where young men show off their strength and manhood by ceremonially butchering cattle and other livestock in a gory display of horsemanship and bloodletting. Diego has naturally declined to participate or even attend, preferring to surreptitiously watch Machete. He is wise to do so, for the maniac has malicious plans to sabotage the event with a new addition to his arm\u2019s arsenal…<\/p>\n

Taking up position above the killing grounds, Zorro & Bernardo are in perfect position to observe proceedings but their keen surveillance is disrupted by a huge bear attracted to the site by the smell of blood. Its attack is devastating and leaves the secret champions battling for their lives. By the time they can again turn their attention to the Matanza, Lucien has done his dirty work: good men are dead or maimed and an horrific stampede is underway… Moreover, in the chaos, personal tragedy has struck the De La Vega household and Machete seems to be getting away with murder again, whilst El Zorro is painted as the blackest of monsters…
\n\"\"
\nA simple tell well-told and lavishly illustrated, Zorro:<\/strong> Matanzas<\/strong> is packed with spectacular action and diabolical intrigue in the grand manner and incidentally offers a potted origin and discreet peek at the fabulous subterranean citadel covertly crafted by Diego & Bernardo to facilitate the Fox\u2019s war on injustice.<\/p>\n

Although more incident than main feature, this is a blistering romp every lover of human-scaled adventure will adore.
\nZorro\u00ae: Matanzas, Volume One \u00a9 2014 Zorro Productions, Inc. All rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1897 Rudolph Dirks\u2019<\/strong> strip the Katzenjammer Kids<\/strong> began. It is right now the oldest comic strip still in syndication. In 1919, cartoon comedy superstar Dan<\/strong> (Archie<\/strong>, Sabrina the Teenaged Witch<\/strong>) DeCarlo<\/strong> was born, and one year later Airboy<\/strong>, Heap<\/strong> & Captain Britain<\/em> illuminator Fred Kida<\/strong> turned up. So did western strip wonder Warren Tufts<\/strong> in 1925. He\u2019s someone you really should see. Perhaps checking out Casey Ruggles: The Marchioness of Grofnek<\/a><\/strong> might start something?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Don McGregor, Mike Mayhew, Sam Parsons & John Costanza (Dynamite Entertainment) ISBN: 978-1-60690-147-2 (TPB\/digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. This book also includes Discriminatory Content included for dramatic and literary effect. Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: A Hero Romp in the classic Tradition\u2026 8\/10 One the earliest masked heroes … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Zorro: Matanzas”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,239,105,225,127,242,99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-drama","category-mature-reading","category-mystery","category-nostalgia","category-pirates","category-westerns"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8Y3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34475"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34480,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34475\/revisions\/34480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}