Zorro's Secret Passage

 

The second and final story in Four Color #882 (February 1958) is--not surprisingly--an adaptation of the second episode of Disney's Zorro.

I mentioned last week that an Indexer Note on the Grand Comics Database said that, in addition to the art, Alex Toth did some unauthorized editing to the first story. There's no such note for this particular story, but I wonder if Toth had the same concerns about pacing and too much dialogue.

Because the first 4 pages of this 14 page story (29% of the entire tale) is given over to exposition, with Diego showing  Bernardo a hidden tunnel from his dad's house that leads to a huge cavern with a concealed second exit leading to the countryside. It's all necessary to setting up future stories and is enlivened by Toth's superb art. But it does slow the pacing down considerably.

The tale finally does get started. Captain Monastario stops by with a copy of Zorro's costume and a plan to have various vasqueros try it on. He's convinced he can identify Zorro by his bearing and his sword fighting style. Diego tries to convince him this plan is flawed, pointing out that he (Diego) would look like Zorro with the costume on. He then throws a sword fight with Monastario to prove he can't be Zorro. 

Monastario soon arrests some poor slob who fits into the costume and can't provide an alibi for Zorro's last appearance. This is because he won't admit he was with a girl and wants to protect her honor.

This obligates the real Zorro to make a standard nick-of-time appearance, show off enough brilliant swordsmanship to prove he is indeed the real thing, then use the the old "jump a crevasse with the only horse cool enough to do so" to escape pursuers. He ducks back home through the secret entrance and is ready to greet the soldiers as Diego, telling them he hasn't seen hide nor hair of that dastardly Zorro.

It's a good story and, as I already said, Toth's art is superb. There is an issue with pacing over the first few pages, but the story is short enough--and Toth's art fantastic enough--to get us past that and into the meat of the plot without us getting bored. Overall, Four Color #882 is a great adaptation of the TV series and a strong introduction to the character. 

Next week, Batman and Robin investigate a murder and fight robot monsters.