A Dark Shadow Appears

Isabel Allende had me drooling for more with her rendition of Zorro.
No fancy swordplay for this masked caballero - at least not as much as you would expect.
Her story actually starts before the birth of Diego de la Vega and his milk brother Bernardo.
The passion between Alejandro, the soldier, and his soon-to-be wife Toypurna, the indian, literally ignites the pages., But more than that, the story does not take on a totally supernatural side, even with the spirit walks and shamanic intrigue of it all. After a Huck Finn worthy childhood, both Diego and Bernardo are sent to Spain to learn about the more civilized side of society. Needless to say that the encounters with brigands and lowlifes (highborn as they may be) could not have been more exemplary for the simple life they have led so far in Alta California. His first love, unanswered as with any romantic. His first real swordplay, flamboyant as expected. And his first encounter with injustice, outraged as any upstanding man would be. To protect his patron and his daughters, they cross Spain and the Atlantic, crossing paths with gypsies and pirates.
The return to his homestead can only be bitter sweet, as nothing is as he left it. As any great hero, the confrontation with his childhood adversary, as well as the man who wronged him in his ascendance to manhood, will lead to the climax of said story. The circle is complete, the boy has become the hero and although all is not well with the world, at least a glimmer of hope shines for any that need.
Allende's story is reminiscent of many hero tales, but also delves deeper in the psyche of said hero. Questioning his motives and his behavior where appropriate.

Heroes and Villains
The second thing that had me salivating was the latest doujinshi by OpenMinded. If you thought that their work in Bedtime Stories was mind blowing, then you will certainly appreciate what they have done with their latest brain child. All stories are set in the fictitious city of Samaritan, where all is not as well as it seems.
The entire setting is rife with moral ambiguity, as heroes employ shady tactics and villians might actually have a code to live up to. Through the use of printed media, YouTube virals and posters and city guide information in the book itself, they have made a setting that transcends what is presented. Though some characters are more likeable than others, all leave you with a sense of kinship and a wish to see more of them.
OpenMinded has proven, without a doubt, that they have transcended mere adaptation of the 'manga vibe' and have come into a style that is entirely their own. The drawings may appear to some more European than one would like, but it is exactly this style and the typical grand Japanese method of storytelling that defines that this is truly is a mesh of the best one could want: accessible art with great story.

I read and read, but it's never enough

A couple of books have been read in the meantime.

God's Other Son - Jon Imus

Quite the story. The premise of the story is a misguided boy turned televangelist and every sordid little detail in his life. It read a lot like the Giphart, Grunberg and Campert novels I read for Dutch class.

The Nymphos of Rocky Flats - Mario Acevedo

Starting out with vampires and nymphomania, the story quickly devolves in the pulpy novella I picked it up for. Acevedo tries to put his spin on the vampire genre and I must say that I quite like his ideas. Unfortunately, the involvement of aliens did tone down my impression a bit.

A Metropolitan Murder - Lee Jackson

This failed to impress me. Victorian London is one of my favourite settings, but the characters, the mystery and the deductions were less than impressive. Thank the deities I only borrowed it from the library.

Pokemon is getting along nicely. The league has been defeated and the first steps have been made towards IV and EV perfection. Only one trade to go before I can finally finish my team.