Zenescope Entertainment 2021
Written by Joe Brusha
Illustrated by Rodrigo Xavier
Coloured by Robby Bevard
Lettered by Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios
Van Helsing has dealt with it all, from cursed creatures and undead beings, to interdimensional travel and the underworld itself. But when a new threat arises in the form of the Hellfire club, a cult of demon worshipers determined to tear our world down, Liesel must rely on every skill she has at her disposal, as well as her highly inventive intellect if she hopes to survive what is coming her way!
Don’t miss this monumental issue that features the goddess of death herself, Keres!
I am actually pretty impressed with this issue. The opening here is great and intriguing as it depicts a nondescript mansion that no one knows anything about who lives there. In this day and age that’s all too true as knowing your neighbours is a thing of the past. Which in reality is a shame and I’ve always tried to get to know my neighbours as its the polite thing to do and it makes seeing them around and saying hello a more comfortable world. I will say this if you are going to make the women, Blood Countess and Bone Queen wearing such revealing outfits then there is no reason that is acceptable why the Prince of Flesh isn’t as exposed. NO REASON WHATSOEVER
I am appreciative of the way that we see Liesel having a date with Rick as it continues a prior layer of the story. While I may be rooting for Hades to come back into her life maybe what she does need is a normal, regular and everyday man. Either way it’s a nice subplot that continues to make a difference in how we see her. This might actually be the best guest star Liesel has ever had and I say this because she introduces her to the Hellfire Club and we get to see it’s origins and how it’s become what it is today. It is actually impressive and Joe kind of proves he has some talent and ability here.
The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented nicely. The character development is on point and it is nice to see Liesel being herself and not so angst ridden about her life and at the same time getting to know Keres a lot better is an added bonus. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story it gives us a full look at the possibilities for future stores.
The interiors here are rather well done. This is pure comic book style artwork and the way we see the linework and through its varying weights the detail work that’s presented is beautifully done. The creativity and imagination that we see is rendered extremely well but I wish, I wish with all my might that we’d see backgrounds being utilised more! The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a nice talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is beautifully rendered here as well. How we see the various techniques utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work utilising the many hues and tones within the colours is sensational.
I love Liesel and wI want to see her be able to go through a few years without losing those close to her. That we see a lot more potential for future story arcs and not knowing where or when the Hellfire Club will return is the best way to go. Also when they do encounter them again I hope that Liesel can rely upon her friends, meaning every other character or group in the Zenescope Universe on an as needed basis. I am looking forward to seeing what’s next for Liesel that’s for sure.