Zenescope Entertainment 2017
Written by Pat Shand
Illustrated by Marc Rosete
Coloured by Walter Pereyra
Flashback Artwork by Roberta Ingranata
Flashback Colours by Fran Gamboa & J.C. Ruiz
Lettered by Jim Campbell
After facing a devastating personal loss, Liesel Van Helsing wages war against the supernatural threat in New York City with a new level of fury. However, an enemy from Liesel’s past is back with power unlike any enemy the vampire hunter has ever faced. To defeat this new foe, Liesel must grapple both with her horrific past and her dismal future if she hopes to emerge from this battle alive.
Alright so once again we have the start of a new Liesel story from Pat that screams action/adventure thrillride! I mean c’mon this mixes those feelings of the Mummy Movie with Tomb Raider with the craziness that comes with a Van Helsing! With Marc laying down the interiors here I have to say this debut makes me want a freakin animated movie based on the story already.
The opening here does its job extremely well. It has everything we want from the witty banter between the guards to the story starting off with a bang! Plus when the reveal about who is doing what we see well yeah loving that it was awesome. The story structure, development and execution here seems to get stronger and stronger with each new arc.
When we get to Liesel it’s three months later so we don’t know what the opening was all about instead we see a very determined hunter doing her thing. I like the feeling we get from this because we can feel the anger and frustration coming off Liesel. From the body language that Marc provides to the dialogue or inner monologue from Pat it’s really easy to tell something isn’t quite right with her. Whatever has happened since the end of the last mini is really taking it’s toll on her. So I can’t wait to see what’s going to unfold as she gets caught up in this one.
Also kudos to Pat for using the phrase “pull a Locksley” and making it a real verb with a definition. That was a great touch and that she does exactly what the Commissioner knew she was going to do well it’s all part of her life, the story and how things work now in the City. Also I do like her intruding on the police work that ends up furthering the story in ways we really both expected and took completely by surprise by.
Love the interiors here and Marc’s eye for storytelling is fantastic. His attention to detail is impeccable and the use of page layouts with their angles, perspective and use of backgrounds continue to flesh out the story and thrill readers. Also the Flashback well yeah that’s just as intriguing. I mean it takes place in Egypt and introduces the history we need, plus seeing the tattoo work on the legs through the stockings yeah that’s good stuff.
Speaking of the Flashback how is it Liesel is alive then? How long lived is she at this point and how much longer will she live if not killed while hunting? More questions to have explored as her thrilling adventures continue to grow to epic proportions.