Azteca #1

My last review from the South Coast Toy and Comic Show. Writer Enrica Jang was one of the guests at the show and I got a chance to pick up the first issue of her comic, Azteca.

Title: Azteca
Issue: #1
Date: November 2010
Publisher: Red Stylo Media
Writer: Enrica Jang
Penciler: Jhazmine Ruiz
Inker: Andre Frattino
Colorist: Andre Frattino
Letterer: Andre Frattino

Crime story set in Mexico. A vigilante is hacking up gang members in a small Mexican tourist town, and the local politicians scramble to use the situation for their own gain.

I liked the backdrop of political intrigue in this story. The mayor, police chief, gang leader, and councilwoman are all pursuing their own agendas, which are nicely intertwined with the mysterious vigilante killings. The character of Councilwoman Pilar particularly stands for her complex motivations and some Machiavellian maneuvering behind the political scene in the town.

I would have liked to see similar complexity in more of the characters, and especially some breaking away from the stereotypes of corrupt politician, snobbish ignorant American tourist, and animalistic thug.

This story has a ton of potential to rise about the cliches and present a truly three-dimensional Mexico while still telling an intense crime story, and I hope that that it reaches that potential as it continues to unfold.

Rating: 7/10