I really enjoyed reading the graphic novel Zorro. This book was an action packed book with a great story and even better illustrations. This was my first intimate look at a graphic novel and i must say it was impressive. Graphic novel or "comic books" render memories of square superheros fighting crime in overly tight spandex suits;cheesy. Zorro is a much more complex character and the story line in this graphic novel shows much more depth, both literally and metaphorically. They make Zorro a great hero, and really developed his character by showing parallel stories from his youth and one of his adventures as Zorro. This makes the reader get to know Zorro on a deeper level and learn his thought processes and motivations. Unlike many other heroes, Zorro does not fight for revenge or vendetta, but rather for justice. These principles put Zorro on a higher pedal stool, they also mix in the Robin Hood idea of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
The other thing that makes Zorro a great read is how the authors laid out the illustrations. These drawings were vivid and did a great job telling the story all by themselves. The artist has so much control over how the story comes across. They did a great job of using various lighting in the slide to show a flashback, time of day, good and evil, or even joy or sadness. Then by manipulating the gutter the illustrator can show the action from different speeds and views which also makes the story almost come to life right on the page. This gives some advantages and challenges for authors of graphic novels. There has to be a perfect hybrid of text, pictures, action,and storyline to keep the reader interested. In my opinion Zorro did a fantastic job in mixing these together to produce a great graphic novel.
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