Sometimes some things are best left … forgotten.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Renzo Rodriguez
Colors: Fran Gamboa & J.C. Ruiz
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
After a terrifying encounter with Morgan, the dead girl that has been antagonizing Ellen, Dr. Michael Chase helps Ellen delve into the secrets of her past in hopes to uncover answers. However, what she finds will reveal a horrific truth about the death of Michael’s wife. The penultimate issue of Spirit Hunters is here!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
The strain of venturing into the Spirit World is taking a toll on Ellen, and it is slowly beginning to show much so that Dr. Chase can notice it outwardly. While she wishes to help others by knowing how to tap into that realm more deeply, her lack of knowledge is frustrating. But when Michael volunteers in exploring those possibilities, Ellen is of course more than anxious to know why he held back this information, until he begins to elaborate. His late wife Jenny also wanted assistance in delving into her own powers, but that adventure did not end well. As they enter the doctor’s office, he still warns Ellen that the technique may seem a bit strange, but sometimes old methods work the best … like hypnotism. Although she may scoff as to her teacher’s methodology, the response is immediate and quite effective, once she falls under the spell.
However what is revealed to her is something which seems gleamed from a nightmare, with floors dotted by pools of blood and corridors composed to faces contorted in pain and fear. The disorienting maze of chaos is almost too much to bear, the grim reality of a world created from horrors given form, and when one of those enforcers begins to give chase, it is only then does she remember Michael’s advice: Just let it go and don’t fight. While her rational brain may contradict such preposterous counsel in the face of terror, it is calm logic which guides her past the panic and towards what she seeks – the Spirit World. It is only then does Ellen emerge into a fond memory of childhood, one where she remembers the person who has been haunting her previous escapades into that realm, a best friend who has tried to help, Morgan. But this girl who she now meets is not the same as the monster which has been taunting her as of present … so what happened and is she willing to accept the responsibility of the truth?
In Summary:
In this penultimate issue we are presented with the best of the series so far, but too bad we had to wait so long to have writer Dave Franchini give us a narrative which delves into the darkest horror of all – Ellen’s mind. While we have always known she would be the center of this title, who would have guessed her story would be the focus of the strangest mystery of all? Morgan, the little girl who has been wandering around the book in her red hoodie has been mercurial, at times seemingly helpful with subtle hints but then at the turn of the page, she is almost as frightening or more so than the creature they are currently hunting. It has always bothered me that such an essential character in our young spiritualist’s life has been neglected, and the teasing clues scattered around has made it even worse to be on the verge of solving her history, and then to have it plucked away until the next issue. But now that we are on the precipice of unveiling how the two are connected, it has to be enrobed within the recesses of Ellen’s mind, making it all the more painful when her background is revealed. The human mind, the depths from with few dare to venture, and yet is one of the few unsolved puzzles which humanity has yet to conquer; it is this premise which makes the story all the more alluring and as such, shows us that it can be cloaked within many layers of pain, suffering and memories which we may not wish to see … if only to bring back all of that unpleasantness.
But even with such an effective story, what we first notice is not the distress of our heroine, but the surroundings which press her into a corner, all magnificently portrayed by Renzo Rodriguez’s hauntingly gruesome artistry, invoking memories of Cenobites from the Hellraiser franchise … but taken to the next level! If you gaze longingly into each panel, the nuances of his illustrations become clear, as if they were ripped from some gory body bag and then stitched together in such a rush that they seemed mismatched, and yet, the convolution makes sense in some warped way. However to make matters even worse, colorists Fran Gamboa and J.C. Ruiz dip their hands into the nearby pot of parts, draping every scene within this nightmarish world with a haze of shadows and crimsons, extenuating every detail within this horror which is Ellen’s mind. The influences of her jaunts into the Spirit World have left scars, each wall has faces embedded with looks of fear and desperation, moving about with silent screams, until we reach that memorable splash page with the enforcer; once you see it, you will not forget that abomination, a Frankenstein conglomeration of the past, gruesomely malformed into a creature of terrifying simplicity and yet, the combination of ghastly details makes you wonder if the artistic team had delusions of seeing it in the real world once it was finished.
Even with after this wondrous opening scene, the flashback to how it all happens has a profound sorrow which is comparable to the previous setup, making it all the more effective. To see Ellen discuss her concerns with Michael and the recognition of his former insight, knowing her problems are remarkable is striking, especially when you see her eyes reflect that amazement. However what makes this narrative all the more engrossing are the flip back to the nightmare world, showing the reader what happens after opening her mind to the possibilities from curiosity. All of this is enlightened by an array of brighter colors as opposed to the darkness of her sequestered world, and it makes the contrast worth it to be created by such a powerful palette. But what makes the jump back into that darkness all the more striking are the comical looks which Ellen and Michael exchange beforehand, thinking this will all end in failure, not knowing that the success will lead into what will be the phenomenal finale of the series.
Ellen is no exception to the horrors of the Spirit World, and it from her past which come the most sinister mystery for the group to solve. The wait of exposing Morgan’s past in hindsight now makes sense, allowing the reader to know the character through her actions before exposing her history. But even as we await the end with bated breath, you cannot but wonder how they will conclude all of the lose plot threads within one issue, or will this lead into an expanded story and a new series? Either way … I can’t wait!
Grade: A+
Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: November 08, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
