‘Lady Rawhide/Lady Zorro #1’ Comic Review

Lady Rawhide/Lady Zorro #1 is the first issue of an upcoming four-issue miniseries, published by Dynamite Entertainment, with the first issue due for release in March of 2015. Lady Rawhide is a masked vigilante created in 1994 by writer Don McGregor and artist Mike Mayhew, and is initially introduced into the Zorro mythos as an antagonist of the hero who gradually morphs into one of his closest supporters. Driven to avenge the sadistic treatment of her brother by corrupt government officials, she is a master of both the gun and the blade, along with her rawhide whip from which she takes her name.

Driven to avenge her husband’s death, Lady Zorro is a more recent addition to Zorro’s universe, created in 2012 by writer Matt Wagner and artist John K. Snyder III. Since her debut, she has come to be one of Zorro’s confidantes and a regular member of his supporting cast. The current miniseries is written by Shannon Eric Denton, with art by Rey Villegas, while Lady Rawhide co-creator Mike Mayhew handles the cover art.

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The story begins with Zorro being absent from his usual haunts, called away by a mission of extreme urgency. Receiving word that a number of the Chumash tribe have been taken hostage by guardsmen, Zorro manages to send a message to our two titular heroines informing them of their dire plight. There’s only one problem… If Zorro doesn’t turn himself over to the soldiers, they’ve vowed to kill one hostage per hour until he shows his face! With Zorro too far away to meet their demands, the fate of the Chumash are in the hands of Lady Zorro and Lady Rawhide, and only quick-thinking and equally quick action will manage to save their lives.

Denton’s story starts out with a quick burst of action, which initially operates in a vacuum but is then quickly tied into the nascent story. The cold opening, along with the juxtaposition of action and exposition, are a bit of a rough go. My main problem is with the characterization of the two leads and the initial tactics they use against the soldiers who have taken the Chumash hostage–which echoes Zorro’s approach to matters and the utterly graphic violence that is their response to a later (trying to stay away from spoilers, so I’m not spelling it out) threat in the comic.

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The two leads took a great amount of time and planning to respond to the initial threat (mirroring Zorro’s own modus operandi). Then they descend into berserker levels of violence in the later stages of the issue. I’m neither for or against either approach, but a consistent depiction of the characters would be appreciated. As this is a first issue, the writer may be struggling to find his ‘voice,’ but a more streamlined approach to the characters is called for. Thinking their way through the travails of the initial problem and then resorting to hack-and-slash violence in the second act (and almost being killed by low-level villains), sends mixed messages about their competence. I’d appreciate clearer depictions Lady Rawhide and Lady Zorro–not a slap-dash, amalgamated approach. The characters deserve better.

Rey’s art was admittedly off-putting at first glance, but repeated viewing won me over; his unique style is a standout of this release. His linework can be both heavy-handed and finely rendered, with heavy use of black when finishing his character work. He has a definitive talent for depicting action sequences as his dynamic approach pulls the narrative along, and his work with close-in depictions of the character’s features is also first rate. Whether showing the beauty and valor of the two leads, the hopelessness of the victims, or the wanton lust and rage of the villains, Villegas does an outstanding job. The one detriment in his visual approach is, he tends to lose detail with his background work. This is an occasional occurrence, though, and doesn’t detract from the overall appreciation of his visual style. Quite good and appreciated.

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When it comes down to it, this initial issue is mainly carried by the art. The plot is fractured and lacks a definitive portrayal of the two leads, presenting them in a half-formed fashion. The initial storyline presented is intriguing, but the follow-through is lacking; the writer struggles to get a handle on his two main characters. Despite this, the cliffhanger ending is interesting enough to draw in readers, and the art is (primarily) a wonderful reason to ignore any flaws contained within the plot. Hopefully, the flaws are addressed in future issues, the handling of the main characters is presented in a more focused light, and the art continues to impress. This release contains a number of well done parts that help to offset its flaws. Lady Rawhide has the potential to improve into a solid miniseries.

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