ZAGOR:
TERROR FROM THE SEA (Epicenter, First Printing, 2015; Softcover)
Collects
Zagor
#386-388 (cover dates September- November, 1997)
Writer:
Mauro Boselli
Artist:
Stefano Andreucci
Colorist:
(Originally published in black and white) Not listed
Epicenter
has been bringing European fan favorites to the English-speaking
world over the past few years, and we are all better off for it.
Zagor has been published in Europe for over 50 years but is
essentially unknown to North American audiences.
Zagor
is a pretty cool concept that borrows from so many places that it
comes off as an original enough work. `There is a definite H.P
Lovecraft influence with Dagon and it's respective cult. Andrew Cain,
a puritan on a quest to kill all evil just like his ancestor, is a
wafer thin doppelganger for Solomon Kane. There are other bits and
pieces lovingly borrowed from other sources, and it all works when
blended together.
I'm
not sure when this series takes place. There are swords and firearms
as well as blowtorches, although there is no electricity or
telephones. There are no automobiles, as everything is horse and
buggy, so my best guess would be the 19th century. It does
take place in Darkwood, USA, so we know that it is after 1776 at
least.
Since
the series had been published for over 35 years when these issues (or
albums, as the European comics are sometimes referred to) were originally published, there is
little to no introduction to these characters. You are just thrust
into the story and left to try and figure out who is who along the
way. While all of the characters are given motives, ironically it is
Zagor who seems to be the one without any real motive or explanation
as to how he got to where he is.
 |
| Andrew Cain, not Solomon Kane. |
Zagor
is a fast paced, action packed read that is light on dialogue and
heavy on fun. My friend gave me this book, and while I recommend it
as a read please refer to binding issues which I've addressed in the
OCD zone below.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.
The
OCD zone-
This book is published in the GN-TPB size, meaning that it's trim
size is the same as a Dark Horse Omnibus. The size has a lot of
detractors, but I am not one of them. I enjoy books this size, as
they are easy to handle and the material is not shrunk down so small
that you cannot read it.
Linework
and Color restoration: No comment on the linework, as I have
no source material to compare it to. The computer recoloring of
material that was originally presented in black and white is
tasteful, using effects sparingly.
There
are numerous typos and grammatical errors throughout this book.
Paper
stock: Glossy coated stock.
 |
| It didn't look like that when I started reading it... |
Binding:
Sewn binding, which doesn't mean squat on a softcover. The signatures
became separated from the glue piece and, as you can see here, this
book was falling apart on the first read. I imagine that this is
easily fixed with acid free library glue, but it is certainly a cause
for concern.
Cardstock
cover notes:
Matte finish, resistant to scuffs.
