Zorro in The Land That Time Forgot #4

Zorro in The Land That Time Forgot #4

American Mythology Productions 2020

Written by Mike Wolfer

Illustrated by Alessandro Ranaldi

Coloured by Arthur Hesli

Lettered by Natalie Jane

The most astounding crossover event of the year comes to a thunderous conclusion! As they battle for their lives against the prehistoric horrors of the lost world of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Caprona, Zorro, Captain Caproni, and Marina must use all of their wits and survival skills if they hope to escape the savage continent, because not only does Caprona want to kill them, so does the evil Captain Quintada and his troops, who seek their deaths in order to claim the lost world for the Spanish Empire. Rampaging dinosaurs and swashbuckling thrills abound in this incredible mini-series event that fans have demanded for decades!

Talk about an action packed finale folks this one starts off on a high note and ends just as much on one. I love that we’re seeing more and more of these characters in these new worlds with new interactions as it keeps the mood, tone and feel of the ERB worlds but it keeps things feeling fresh, new and original at the same time.

I am huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. Captain Quintada and his unfailing desire to be a big important man regardless of the consequences is a staple in the world of Zorro and it’s men like him who have nothing but blind ambition that always comes with a price. The character development that we see here is extremely well rendered. From the dialogue, how the characters interact with one another and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter we know exactly the kind of people we’re seeing here. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the fun simply exudes off the pages.

I am a fan of how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue onward. That Marina of all of them might have found a man she could love is a bittersweet moment but it demonstrates the way the layers work throughout beautifully. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is well achieved.

The interiors here really are a great classic comic book style and it compliments the story. The linework that we see with its varying weights and techniques utilised to create the detail work is wonderful to see. This story because of its setting means that backgrounds are integral and become a part or character in and of itself in the book. They also bring us this great depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The creativity and imagination in bringing the creatures of the island to life is sensational stuff. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is sensational. The way that the various hues and tones within the colours are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a really superb eye for how colour works.

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I have to say that I like the way that this ends. I mean they all know the island exists and it is somewhat accessible but they aren’t going to share this with the rest of the world. Man would raid the island kill off species and enslave the local population because that’s just what they do so it’s better this way. It also means that another visit to the island isn’t outside the realm of possibility either and that thought alone is marvellous. This is a fun story and one that would make ERB proud.