The living are not the only ones to beware of … especially when you’re in New Orleans.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Ralph Tedesco & Dan Wickline
Artwork: Andrea Camerini & Jason Muhr
Colors: Fran Gambia & J.C. Ruiz
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
New Orleans has long been synonymous with voodoo and black magic. Ghosts are often seen haunting the graveyards and streets without doing anyone harm but now for some reason they’ve turned deadly. The Spirit Hunter’s team has been called in to find out why and they soon learn that the dead of spirit realm are most dangerous when they are controlled by the living.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
The Big Easy, Crescent City, The City that Care Forgot … New Orleans has been called many things, but if you mention that name, first things people usually think of are voodoo, parties and a wild night life. But when an old friend of Michael’s calls and relates an odd story, he is hesitant to have the team investigate, however rationalizes if this doesn’t pan out, they can always look into other strange happenings in the area. And while he is happy to reunite with the sisters, a skeptical Simone apologizes for Monica’s panic in summoning him to hear an unbelievable tale. After Monica finished a set at the local jazz club, she prepared to leave alone, even under the insistence of her band mates wanting to escort the singer to the car. It was not until they heard her screaming were they alerted something was wrong, and entered the alleyway to see the poor girl floating in mid-air as if some invisible thing was choking her. If it wasn’t for their interference, she was sure she would now be dead. Although Ellen tries to determine if there are any spirit traces, the search turns up nothing, leaving Dr. Chase and Ferg to question the only people who saw the crime.
Although their conversation uncovers nothing new, the duo learn Monica’s recently divorced husband Duncan did manage their record label, and asked Vera to look into his past. She confirms a troubled past and also adds he also is having some financial troubles, so killing his wife could solve those problems, but uncharacteristically astute nephew Curtis asks how this ties to a supernatural killer. With no other clues to follow, Ferg and Michael confront the ex-spouse to see if he can reveal anything new about the situation. Though he does admit they are trying to work out their problems, Dupree is surprised anyone would want to kill her, let alone himself. After more interrogating, he soon admits after they separated, he started seeing someone else, but the woman was very possessive, and soon broke it off. However this did not stop her obsessive chase and she soon threatened to kill herself, him and even Monica; when he didn’t return her calls, she unfortunately phoned again and warned if Duncan didn’t return to her, his ex would soon be dead. Could this all be a coincidence or is this invisible killer all connect to this other woman?
In Summary:
New Orleans … how can you mention that city and not think of voodoo? Auspiciously, since it is the primary premise of this story, writers Ralph Tedesco and Dan Wickline fall into the conventional routine of taking advantage of the situation, but instead reinforce it as a solid foundation. Although they do not use the usual aspects from this religion, such as zombies or curse effigies, the dark mysticism which pervades the tradition does play a unique part of the story and thus ties it to the basis of the title. This is where it departs from the usual tone for the narrative and morphs into something else by introducing a new element to expand Ellen’s understanding. This is where what could have become standard fare for an average story becomes transformed all thanks to consideration of expanding the spirit walker ability of our brunette beauty and showing the audience she is not the only one with that power. The sense of competition, morality of using the same gift for opposing ethical views and therefore profiting or not is where we finally get a enlightening glimpse into her personality; while we knew from the beginning she was influenced by Dr. Chase and his teachings, there is also the hint of some other dark secret called Morgan who seems to have some kind of underpinning in forming her principles. It is these teases which make her such an underused character which has so much potential, but at the same time, you also don’t want to know everything about her since it would spoil the story.
However what sets up the atmosphere of the story are the graphic nuances created by the artistic team, with Andrea Camerini eerily establishing the mood with those creepy opening panels. His normal illustrations tell a dynamic range of the human condition, but once he crosses over to the other side with voodoo, those same drawings take on a primal ferocity which makes them ever more savage, almost bestial in a way by which they overcome anything else on the page. The strength of a single image is such a pronouncement, it is what makes his first half of the issue so gripping. However what solidifies the veracity of the story is the seamless transition – they picked the best time to switch artists when the narrative confronts the main suspect; it is only then when the normalcy of everyday life shifts into the bleak panic of crossing over, that is when the mood changes. This makes the move unnoticeable until it happens, thereby magnifying the terror of the scene, an almost blink and you’ll miss it instance, but by that same fashion, it is that twist which made a stereotypical dark magic story into something which you’ll remember. However what refines the narrative even more is Jason Muhr’s crisp and refined artistry, one in which he combines the sinister beauty of a pivotal scene, Ellen versus the creature pursuing Monica, and turns it into something which is a delight to view. From the unwavering tenacity of investigating within a reliable police drama and then transforming into the climax of an unforgettable psychological horror movie, this issue has it all. But what crystallizes the moment within the tale is how Muhr gives us a classic Beauty versus the Beast, Ellen against her fellow spirit walker, the confrontation we have been waiting for since the realization, and yet he manages to do it all without any gore … just with a simple stare down. And while the talent of these artists did indeed project the two sides of this story, if not for the skill of colorists Fran Gambia and J.C. Ruiz, all of their effort would hollow without enveloping us within the vibrancy of such a varied palette. As we leapt from the real world into one of the spirits, the temperature of the colors also reflected the emotion of each scene: brighter red tones and lighter backgrounds for the security of New Orleans and then darkness and shades of cold blues and chilling greens as we cross over to the other side. All of these differences balanced the two worlds, allowing us to trespass in relative safety, all while enjoying the panic of the actors as they tell this riveting tale.
What could have been a mediocre story using voodoo to commit a crime has turned into something sinister and original, all thanks to incorporation into the main Spirit Hunters storyline. While it may have started off a bit slow and does not develop until after the narrative’s shift, thanks to fantastic artwork and an imaginative plot, this issue works on all levels. I would like to see more of this plot into developing Ellen’s character, but at the same time, it is a shame to ignore the rest of the actors in lieu of just one person. However with only three issues left in the series, it appears something might have to be sacrificed to see the truest fulfillment of this underlying story, otherwise we may just be left in the dark.
Grade: A
Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: August 09, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
