My only exposure to Schultz's work has been on Superman, where I wasn't all that crazy about his work, but I kept hearing great things about Xenozoic Tales (a.k.a. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs), and the premise intrigued me, so I was glad to see Dark Horse reprinting them. After reading this first volume, I'm even more glad, because this is terrific stuff, post-apocalyptic/high adventure stuff in an EC-comics vein, and it's yet more evidence for me that the quality of the Superbooks over the last few years is down to editorial direction and not the creators at the helm. Schultz's work here is gorgeous to look at, full of interesting characters and surprising in the depth of exploration of its setting.
It is so easy to do post-apocalyptic fiction badly. Post-nuclear war stories and evil robot stories have become cliches, and while the occasional story can stand out from these cliches (Terminator, Matrix, Fallout), it's all too easy fof readers to let a post-apocalyptic tale pass them by, writing them off as more of the same. Xenozoic Tales is a different kind of apocalypse, based more on ecological catastrophe than man-made, and it's also interesting in that Schultz doesn't focus on a "hell on Earth" kind of world in the wake of these catastrophes. The world of Xenozoic Tales is rugged and dangerous, but it also has a sense of excitement and adventure to it.
The lead characters in Xenozoic Tales are Jack "Cadillac" Tenrac, one of the only remaining mechanics and something of a scientific adventurer, and Hannah Dundee, ambassador from another nation whose strong suits are her capability and her compassion. Tenrac and Dundee fit into any number of archetypal modes; call them Tarzan and Jane, Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood, Han Solo and Princess Leia, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, whatever. At any rate, there's a fun combination of rivalry and romance, adventurous spirit and scientific curiosity, brawn and brains. And no one character gets an unfair share of either. Jack's ecological shamanism sometimes makes him the voice of reason, just as Hannah's ambassadorial job makes her the equivalent when dealing with forces of civilization. Likewise, Jack has a bit of the practical, even ruthless, tough guy about him, and Hannah has more than a little steel in her character as well.
The story format of Xenozoic Tales is short stories, for the most part. There's an over-arcing story developing the relationship of Hannah and Jack and the mysterious Grith who seem to have some knowledge of the cataclysm, but for the most part the stories are short and used to explore different aspects of the world. One story might be a political story, another a murder mystery, another a survival story, but Schultz uses the vast potential of this rich setting to great effect. By the end of this trade, the reader knows a lot about the world, but is also left with plenty of questions about where it came from and where it's going.
Schultz brings this strange mix of horror, wonder and adventure to life in his detailed and beautiful black and white artwork. It's artwork reminiscent of adventure strips like Prince Valiant, Terry and the Pirates, Steve Canyon and the like, and has particularly strong work in the area of believable dinosaurs and people. Really, though, I have no complaints about any of the artwork, as Schultz paints a picture of a fairly savage world without a lot of technology left, but still makes the technology like cars, guns and buildings feel like it fits in.
