“Care to skip right to the ass-kicking?” – Julie
One thing I love about Zenescope is their consistency. The level of artwork and storytelling are usually top-notch and yet they have their own distinct style, different from the other companies out there. Van Helsing has always been my favorite Zenescope character with Robyn Hood a close second. This title is shaping up to be one of my favorites from this company. This issue begins with Julie Kenzie Jekyll describing how the protagonist found her, saved her, then recruited her as a vampire hunter. Then we go on several adventures with her before hooking up with the main character.
The Creative Team:
Raven Gregory makes Liesel a secondary character in her own title as Julie takes center stage. She’s a scientist conducting experiments with mice. What makes this issue so compelling is that as soon as she conducts a successful test on mice she goes right into testing on humans…herself! What makes it even more compelling is that we’re not even sure what the test results are or what she did to herself. But apparently, the experiment worked because as soon as she catches up to Liesel the have to take on hundreds of these demons of the night. this issue is a pulse-pounding tale of vengeance bringing the tensions to the surface great stuff includes the first appearance of Liesel this issue and the results of the experiment on the mouse.
Allan Otero brings his usual dark and moody style to good use as Julie’s plight is incredibly illustrated with shadows and contrast as only Van Helsing can deliver. The flashback splash with Julie and Liesel in action is top-notch and other highlights include the scene with the mouse and snake as well as the splash where the hordes of the undead appear.
In Conclusion:
Telling the story from Julie’s perspective gives this issue a unique perspective and highlights a lot of Van Helsing’s strengths as a no-nonsense vampire hunting warrior. Her recruiting techniques are on display and pay a pivotal role in this story. Dracula nor his daughter plays a strong role but the revelation of what they’ve done to the dark prince is a big reveal that compels us to get the next issue. It’s a great tale that just took a turn for the dramatic. To be continued!
SCORE: 4/5
(W) Raven Gregory (A) Allan Otero (CA) Derlis Santacruz
Author Profile
- Kevin Given has studied with “ Longridge Writers Group †and “ Writer’s Boot Camp †a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the “ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter †franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of “ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter †# 1 and “ Files of Karl Vincent †# 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series “ Dracula Rising †(working title) and developing “ Foul Blood †into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given
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