Is it a little early for CrossGen to be presenting an El Cazador spinoff book? To be honest, I'd have to say that yes, it is, that it seems like the publisher is trying to capitalize on one of its few successes far too early. But after reading the story within, I found it difficult to begrudge CrossGen the move. Chuck Dixon offers up a thoroughly entertaining origin for an El Cazador villain makes his corruption and evil easy to understand but doesn't too far when it comes to making the character sympathetic. The art here is a delight as well, eliciting easy comparisons to the works of a legendary talent who is sadly no longer with us.
Blackjack Tom may have been the most feared pirate and villain in the Caribbean in the late 1600s, but such was not always the case. There was a time when many would have described him as a good man. Born Thomas Cartwright, he dedicated his life to Christianity, and the pastor and his young wife came to the Caribbean to perform missionary work. Welcomed by those he has pledged to enlighten, Thomas and his wife soon begin a family... a rather large one, actually. But when his familial life comes into contact with his spiritual charges, Thomas Cartwright soon finds his life falling apart, the victim of his hatred and that of others.
Sergio Cariello's work here reminds me a great deal of the late John Buscema's art, especially his classic contributions to the comic-book incarnation of Conan. I'm also reminded of Joe (Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place) Kubert's penchant for bringing history to life with sketchy but effective linework. Cariello's work here is fantastic. It's appropriately gritty, and I love the look of madness and malevolence in the title character's eyes on the page two-three splash. My favorite visual in the book, though, is the look on Cartwright's wife's face as we see her family growing exponentially around her. It's a delicious moment of comedy in an otherwise harsh story.
The plot here boasts a sense of classic legend. As a result, it's more than a little on the predictable side, but it's engaging nonetheless. I suppose the resurgence of the pirate genre is still so new in today's pop culture that this book doesn't come off as derivative.
What I love most about the story, though, is that it's not the tale of a good man corrupted by tragedy and misfortune. There's no doubt that there's an anger and harshness in Thomas Cartwright from the start. The one consistent thing about him is how he seems to revel in power. There's an ugliness in him that's apparent even when he thinks he's dedicated his life to a divine cause. At the same time, though, one can't help but admire the character's strength. He's not afraid of hard work, and his ambition isn't so overwhelming as to be a negative force in his life.
