Zorro: Man of the Dead

Batman series regular Murphy delivers a fun, flamboyant update to the legend of Zorro. In modern-day La Vega, drug cartel kingpin El Rojo publicly murders Antonio de la Vega—who happens to be cosplaying as Zorro at a Day of the Dead festival—despite having forbidden such a killing for fear it might inspire locals to stop growing heroin for him. The murder is witnessed by Antonio’s young son, Diego, who is named after Zorro’s civilian identity. Flash forward 20 years, and a traumatized Diego has come to believe he is, in fact, the original Zorro, much to the annoyance of his wisecracking sister, Rosa. Charming and fearless, this nuevo Zorro gets confused by modern machine guns and cars, but the townspeople rally around him to form a “Fighting Legion.” The whip-fast, action-packed narrative leads to a climatic duel between El Rojo and Zorro (aka Diego), with the latter’s old-fashioned creed resounding: one man can inspire many to stand up against injustice. Murphy draws his dashing tale with cinematic flair and bold splash pages. This is swashbuckling adventure at its sharpest. (July)