Love can make you do crazy things … for all the right or wrong reasons.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Pat Shand
Artwork: Leonardo Colapietro
Colors: Slamet Mujiono
Letters: Jim Campbell
What They Say:
Last year Liesel Van Helsing waged a war against Dracula, a monster that terrorized her family for centuries. She triumphed, slaying Dracula and thus becoming the name that vampires fear the most. She has also found love in the strangest of places, with Hades, the former Greek god of Hell. Now, as Liesel continues to rid the streets of New York of the supernatural threats that lurk in the darkness, a new and powerful foe will rise in hopes to take down the legendary hunter.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
They were all joking about the Mothman just a few hours ago, and now here they are in a life and death struggle with the monster, one in which is quickly going downhill. The stench of its fetid breath, the numerous tendrils of disgusting mucous and the horrific screeches of the monstrous beast echoing in her ears, none of these seem real to Liesel now that she is fighting to survive. The only thing that sinking into reality is that the cryptid is overwhelming her friends: Taylor is trapped within the webs and only a few feet away her husband Franklin is slowly dying, choking on his own blood. The vampire hunter is all alone attempting to free her compatriots with no real effect at all, none of her attacks are causing any damage and time is quickly running out. She must find a way to free them before it is too late to save Shelley, but this leviathan will not release them that easily.
When Liesel finally does manage to stun the abomination, it is readily apparent that Taylor’s husband has already passed, but she does not want to admit the truth. The creature’s saliva has started to incorporate itself into Franklin’s body and as such, begins to crystallize the surrounding tissue. This brief glimmer of hope is all that keeps his wife sane as to the tragedy to her mate and desperately begs her friend to help bring him home. Taylor is determined not to admit defeat, valiantly chiding Van Helsing that she knows more about the Mothman physiology than anyone else and thus, she is the only one who can save him. Liesel has no choice but to concede to her wishes, leaving the grieving woman alone to her own irrational hysteria. Once she comes to her senses, hopefully Taylor will reach out for help, and Liesel will wait for that call, not matter how long it will take. After all, what can she do on her own?
In Summary:
The last issue seemed like a traditional set up for a classic Van Helsing story, however, with the death of a friend, writer Pat Shand manages to slip in a stunning, but at the same time familiar twist. With a title like Van Helsing vs. Frankenstein, we knew the iconic monster would be making an appearance, but not in this surprising manner. By using Liesel’s intimate monologue to draw us into the story, we are now emotionally invested, making it all the more tender and wrenching when final curtain comes to a close. Of course one never knows what they would do with the unexpected loss of a loved one, and then add the dangerous knowledge and obsession which Taylor possesses, therefore expanding on the possibilities. But even with that potential, most of us probably wouldn’t go to such lengths, no matter how much we might wish to say goodbye. However, this scene and the follow-up does mirror from the movies when the friend has a heated argument with the Doctor about the repercussions of heretical thoughts … or in this case, what would happen if Taylor/Liesel did carry out her wild plans. I love this equivalency which Shand makes with his interpretation and the classic story, drawing his into the Shelley form and solidifying it even more. But even with this admiration, it doesn’t make the conclusion any less distressing, no matter how well executed.
But can this epic story be complete without Leonardo Colapietro’s stupendous artwork and Slamet Mujiono’s powerful use of colors? Not bloody likely! To open the issue with a stormy spectacle and progress from there builds the impending tension, every panel escalating the action and the palette of explosive overtones only expands the event, until it becomes an overwhelming expanse of pain and grief. The way this landscape is constructed only magnifies what Liesel’s monologue portrays, a sorrow filled battlefield of death and helplessness. You can almost feel the tears as our favorite vampire hunter knows she must do something, but can’t in the face of this monster. The horror then determination etched on her face draws us into the story, enveloping us in a way which we would normally not feel such a connection to the characters; this expansive artistry makes the whole all the more meaningful when we are forced to face Taylor’s despair and infatuation, bring this impressive work to a close, until next time. Colapietro and Mujiono overshadow their work with each issue, and make us want more, until the very end.
This story may just begun, but the magnificence projected upon the page makes us want even more. Liesel must now face the result of one person’s obsession, but can it really be wrong if it was done out of love? With Shand, Colapietro and Mujiono presenting us this literary brilliance, we want to see this end justifiably, but is even that possible now? With the hours painfully ticking by, we must wait patiently for the next installment, hoping beyond hope that civility can find a solution to this conundrum or that his suffering can come to a heartfelt end.
Grade: A+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 14th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
