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Review: Belle – Beast Hunter #1 (of 6)

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

Zenescope have come a long way in the way that they re-interpret existing fairy tales and fables, morphing them into a recognisable and consistent universe.  Now, they turn their focus on one of the classics, Beauty and the Beast.  Of course, this being Zenescope, it is definitely not the Disney version on show; instead, taking a leaf out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to some extent, we are presented with Belle the Beast Hunter.

With this being the first of six issues there is some catch up to do.  As with a lot of Grimm books, there is a committee of creators on the story, with Dave Franchini being credited as writer.  From the outset we get to see Belle in action as well as hearing her talk to her “Oracle” of sorts in  Candlestick.  Franchini gives the reader a spotty background into Belle and her family, maybe channelling a little bit of Batman Begins (always be mindful of your surroundings), before having the rug pulled out from under Belle’s version of normal.  The dialogue is snappy, as you’d probably expect, with story elements set in place to come around later to bite Belle in the ass.  The monologue through the panels is a tad annoying; I am not sure to whom Belle is talking.  It seems that she is talking directly to the reader, being as Candlestick is aware of her past.

Bong Dazo provides the art for the book, with a strong nod to a cartoon element.  This fits the book well, given Belle’s propensity for chatting whilst fighting. Dazo also seems to have a minor John Romita Jr influence on show, before falling into the cartoon rabbit hole.  Dazo has strong lines on show, with consistent facial elements, after the initial splash maybe.  With this issue being action based, there is a sense of chaos, mirrored in panel structure and camera angles, with the former needing a firmer hand to avoid confusing the eye.  Zenescope books always have a great color scheme, with Juan Manuel Rodriguez certainly not bucking that trend.

As mentioned above, Zenescope have worked hard to create their cohesive universe, almost plateauing out with their recent books.  Now is the time for Zenescope to drive forward, to make hay from having top writers like Chuck Dixon providing stories for them.

Writing- 3.5 Stars
Art -3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Written by, Dave Franchini
Art by; Bong Dazo
Colors by; Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Published by; Zenescope Entertainment

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes
I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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