| Da Bud's Art Books (nota fumetteria americana) sono arrivati gli ultimi fumetti della Epicenter Comics e il titolare li ha letti e apprezzati. The Return of the Spaghetti Western CITAZIONE Comanches, Texas Rangers, Comancheros… And a legend of the lost gold mine in the Wichita Mountains. This introduces U.S. readers to Zagor, a long-running western hero with nearly superhero abilities, widely popular in Italian comics. This stands alone or is a prequel to Tex & Zagor: Bandera! Zagor’s real name is Patrick Wilding and he is a western-Tarzanesque character living in a deep, wild forest in Pennsylvania in the 1830s.
His name Zagor comes from his Indian name “Za-Gor Te-Nay”, whose fictional meaning is “The Spirit with the Hatchet”. Though the writers do not mention exact dates, Zagor is supposed to be active during the first half of the 19th century, or around 1825–1830. Zagor fights to maintain peace all over his territory, protecting the Indian tribes and hunting down criminals regardless of their skin color. Son of an army official retiring to live as a pioneer and trapper in the forests of the north-east, Patrick Wilding sees his parents die at the hands of a band of Abenaki Indians. The boy grows up with only one thought on his mind: revenge. He learns how to make a deadly weapon out of a hatchet, and when he is old enough to fulfill his vengeance, Patrick goes on to track down and mercilessly slay his family’s assailants. As he is about to enact his revenge on defeated Kinsky, Patrick is presented with the evidence of his father’s dark past. Lieutenant Mike Wilding was a ruthless leader of the force which massacred the Abenaki community on the banks of Silver Lake, an event which saw him dishonorably discharged from the army.
The attack on the Patrick’s home on the shore of Clear Water river was, in fact, a rightful retribution for commander Wilding’s wrongdoings.
To atone for his father’s sins, as well as his own, Patrick is compelled to transform himself (with his accomplices the Sullivans, a family of acrobats who are his image makers) into Za-Gor-Te-Nay, shortened to Zagor. He is a kind of avenger always ready to side with the weak and the oppressed, whether red, white or black, whoever they may be. Zagor is not a typical western character, as his stories mix horror and science fiction with a bit of humour coming mostly from his sidekick Chico, his short, fat best friend.
Zagor’s abilities include incredible strength, agility and endurance. His fighting prowess is extraordinary whether he finds himself in a gunfight or plain brawl. If needed, Zagor is more than capable of dealing with multiple opponents and is basically invincible in a one-on-one bout. On many occasions, he is also seen fighting North American wildlife (such as cougars, alligators and even bears) with nothing more than his hatchet or knife. He is infallible with his oval bladed hatchet, whether he uses it as a melee weapon or as a projectile. Zagor is also shown possessing an unbelievable speed that, paired with his almost catlike reflexes, often allows him to catch a traveling spear or even an arrow, a feats which usually leave Indians in awe, further solidifying Zagor’s status as an emissary of the Great Spirit (a superstition that Zagor uses to his advantage).
Zagor can quickly cover great distances using his trademark branch-to-branch way of traveling. His war cry seems to be a roar of an unidentifiable (and presumably horrific) creature. This is one of Zagor’s calling cards, the one which usually leaves wrongdoers in a frantic state of mind.
Throughout the series, it is strongly suggested that Zagor, although not the demi-god that he claims to be, is indeed in Manitou’s good graces and on more than few occasions he has served as a champion of heavens against the forces of evil.  CITAZIONE In the wilderness of Texas Hill Country, the bloody conflict between Comancheros, Comanches and Texas Rangers is looming… The time is right for the two legends, Tex and Zagor to finally meet! Two long-time Italian stars of western comics meet in a beautifully drawn story. Piccinelli really reminds me of Russ Heath; lots of detail, excellent faces with character, good action. The art is so good it just now hit me it’s in black and white. It good enough it doesn’t need color! This guy is an all-around outstanding artist. Plus a gritty fast-paced story.
The tale begins with a group of nasty villains who shoot up an innocent Indian village, murdering men, women and children. One of the survivors makes it out to meet up with Tex; next thing we know Tex and Zagor meet. Zagor is a nearly mythic figure, with extraordinary strength and endurance. He could be compared to DC’s Tomahawk or DC’s Nighthawk–he dresses in a sleeveless vest, sports a revolver AND a hatchet when he goes to battle. He’s been the subject of numerous Italian albums, much like Tex, but this is the first time I’ve seen his work translated to English. Tex only just recently made it to the U.S. market also, this being his second collection (along with a Free Comic Book Day issue).
If you like westerns, gun battles, and realistic stories where the Indian are mostly good and the white men are mostly bad…this is for you. The Russ Heath-style artwork makes it irresistible to me; as a fan of good art and good storytelling, this is win-win. I’ve really enjoyed getting introduced to Tex. – Bud |
