The past always has a way to stir up bad memories … even those best left behind.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Pat Shand
Artwork: Marc Rosete & Roberta Ingranata
Colors: Walter Pereyra
Letters: Jim Campbell
What They Say:
As her battle against the Mummy intensifies, Liesel Van Helsing finds herself on the run from a host of enemies. With no one on her side and people in danger, the famed vampire hunter must think of something quickly, or she will find herself on the losing end of a deadly battle.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Liesel’s raid on Matthews Tower was a thorough fiasco and she ended up feeling like a complete amateur. The kidnappers managed to abduct both Roger Matthews and Sheldon Welch, which wasn’t bad enough, but when the thugs ditched the latter in a vampire hangout, that was embarrassing beyond all words. But at least the police were able to safely secure the successful if not questionable politician at headquarters, or so they thought; it was only when Commissioner Gengrich was about to call it a night that a squad of mercenaries dressed in Egyptian motif stormed the location, coming to reclaim their prize. Although Julia was barely able to repel the assault, they still managed to get away with Matthews. It is not until the next morning does she consult with her resident vampire to learn more about the attackers … and it is not good news – especially when they stir more of Van Helsing’s tormented memories.
The inhabitant of the cursed pyramid had killed Gertrude and now its cold and clammy hand was fastened around Liesel’s fragile neck. However no matter how many times she managed to destroy the mummy, the creature still rose to wreck more havoc, until its anguished mind captured the consciousness of Valencia. The native guide was all it needed to ensure its safe passage for the inhuman monster knew the explorer would not harm her friends. Of course that could not be equally said for the shambling form which now hunted the last of the team, wanting release from the tomb which has served as a prison for countless millennium. For even now as Van Helsing prepared for a final clash with her undead foe, the rogue pair escaped to the frigid confines of the desert … never to be seen again, or so she had hoped. How could Liesel know that the adventure from almost two centuries ago could come back to haunt her again in the most unexpected of places?
In Summary:
While this issue really hits home with the amazing story, the sequence which I was so emotionally invested with was that opening display. Pat Shand has always been able to craft such enduring characters due to the fact that he treats them as realistic individuals, not just words on a page or a two dimensional actor which will fade after the book is closed. Liesel Van Helsing has been through so much in her prolonged life and when she finally found someone to share it with, that man was snatched away in a heroic act of sacrifice. Hades knew of her suffering, he accepted Liesel for what she was, and even if she was mortal, in the ultimate act of irony, the timeless span of a god was eclipsed by Death itself. It is only now within those few brief words that Shand presents us the isolation which our heroine now feels for that loss. The woman who we always thought of as forthright with a signature British sense of fortitude now reflects on her own torment, with the only man she ever truly loved. The relationship between the two was so deeply ingrained, but now that she has to cope with the depth of depression of not having that chain smoking rogue greet her, the sadness really hit home for someone who does not show her true heart to anyone aside from her closest companions. The stoic visage which she presents to the world is now revealed within this touching sentiment of loss by which only those select few who have suffered such equivalence can know that gripping anguish which our beloved Liesel now forces herself to face alone. A beautiful sense of tenderness within a battlement of projected strength.
But of course, we cannot forget the path in which the past and the present now begin to merge through the majesty of Marc Rosete and Walter Pereyra expanding that world with his amazing colors. That starkness which we see Liesel in the opening is so stunning; her barren loneliness dressed in black reflected against the gritty background of New York City helps to build up her self imposed isolation, the day dragging on, as we see its close – staring out into space, laying alone in a bed next to a cold and empty depression. That single page is so effective in its bluntness that its effect barely resonates within the rest of the issue, that is until we get to the flashback illustrated by Roberta Ingranata, the similarity of that sense of death echoes throughout her piece. The haunting abruptness in which she materializes the stench of death, it is as if you can smell that arid decay of Frankincense purveying the air as we read those pages. The coldness of those glowing red eyes like ghoulish rubies sends chills down my spine, and then it all connects as Van Helsing is introduced to the God-Queen as she strides defiantly into the room. Now everything begins to make sense, and it was only through this talented group of artists by which the fullness of the narrative begins to take shape.
The God-Queen comes to the forefront, and it is through deviousness by which everything has been molded according to her vile designs. Shand, Rosete, Ingranata and Pereyra have been able to bend their will to create this mesmerizing story and it has only been made better by the introduction of Liesel’s personal connection. The legacy of her father started this journey and now the loss of Hades was the catalyst from which her adventure now flourishes toward completion. But now that all of the introductions have been made, we can only hope that the tension won’t stop and all will make sense as we continue delving into the depths of the mummy’s despicable plot.
Grade: A+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: March 29, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
