The Scarlet Pimpernel was written by Baroness Orczy in 1905; like Robin Hood, he has a core group of trusted companions. He is, however, a rich nobleman- Sir Percy Blakeney- who hides in plain sight, disguising his activities with a mask of dull-witted inanity. Zorro is, as previously discussed, actually Don Diego Vega- like Sir Percy, a wealthy aristocrat. Also like Sir Percy, Don Diego hides behind a facade which makes people underestimate- and often dismiss- him. In his case, it's as a weak-spirited man who is squeamish about violence and dislikes exerting himself in any way. Unlike The Scarlet Pimpernel, who is a master of many disguises, Zorro has a signature look- the mask (in the book it covers his whole face: they changed it for the 1920 movie for obvious reasons), cape, and hat which are so distinctive and instantly recognisable. This of course calls to mind Batman; incidentally, his creators named the movie The Mark of Zorro (1920) as one of their influences when developing the Bruce Wayne/Batman character in 1939.
One scene I particularly like is the one where Lolita is alone at Diego's house, her parents gone out for the evening. She peruses Diego's shelves of books, hoping to learn something about him from his choice of reading material. This resonated with me... apparently (so I've heard) some check out other people's medicine cabinets; I always beeline to their bookcases, to see what books they value. Lolita examines the books which Diego owns and finds tomes on swordplay, epic tales of adventure and romance, and even poetry. She wonders how a man who is so limp, listless, and dull can have this taste in reading material. It is the first hint she has that perhaps there is more to Diego than what she sees on the surface.
So that's about all I have to say about The Curse of Capistrano... it's a lot of fun, and Zorro is a great character which is why stories of him have been so often told in books, shows, and movies. He captures the imagination. I purchased the e book of this novel for myself, but have now purchased a hard copy to give to one of my nephews on his birthday- I think he'll really enjoy it.