With every battle there are casualties … whether they be friend or foe.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artwork: Allan Otero
Colors: Robby Bevard
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Martial arts mayhem meets demon-fueled horror as Liesel and her new allies battle a horde of the undead in the bowels of an ancient mountain! The heir to the Van Helsing legacy is on her deadliest vampire hunt yet as this epic story reaches its blood-soaked conclusion. She must fight alongside a young Buddhist monk, a Chinese secret agent and a werewolf to bring to an end centuries-long reign of terror of a clan of Asian bloodsuckers.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
It has been some time since the former sherpa once known as Chandresh stalked his prey into this cave system, and now he has two pursuers on his tail – namely Liesel and Shen Hao. However this lupine hunter does now slow in his sniffing out his quarry, namely the pack of blood suckers who murdered his family so many years ago. As this odd trio delve deeper into the labyrinthine lair, they all have forgotten poor Tshering who was left behind to fend for himself, surprisingly quite adequately for someone inexperienced in the ways of the world. But once their goal has been reached, the lycanthrope does not stop to admire the grotesqueries which decorate the vast caverns and is instead more interested in revenge. However the two heroines’ curiosity peaks their interest and a cursory exploration uncovers many abominations: a foul idol of worship, bone laden pantry, prisons filled with kidnapped villagers and most of intriguing of all – a treasury packed with centuries of plunder, no doubt looted from the former homes of past victims.
Now is not the time to admire this new found horde, as Van Helsing and Agent Wu armor themselves with ancient finery, the two know there is a primary target – the leader of this clan. They both know once he is struck down, the rest of the creatures will disperse and the threat will be easily vanquished. But as they leave behind the golden confines, an unearthly howl with vicious screams of pain and agony echo through the depths, leading the way to their furry ally. From an elevated advantage the two women spot the sherpa engaged in mortal combat, tooth and claw versus fangs and talons, with neither side willing to surrender. However it is apparent the werewolf is slowly giving ground, his numerous old and fresh wounds finally taking its toll on even his muscular frame. Without any thought to their own safety, Liesel and Shen Hao leap into the fray, crossbow unleashing oaken shafts and steel blade of a well honed Shaolin sword cleaving the path clear. It is only then do see an ancient figure reclined passively upon a stone throne, his face that of amusement as he watches passively the drama unfolding before him. This is no doubt the head of this clan, their leader who has any dignity left to take on human form, as his chiropteran brethren slake their thirst, he finds pleasure as to this farce of defiance. With his death the plague of vampires will end within the snowy heights of the Himalayas, but it is as simple as this straight forward solution?
In Summary:
With the lengthy build up to this finale, it feels like writer Chuck Dixon has left us with a story that has elements missing. While we of course had the confrontation of the title two characters and the lead up to the grand conclusion, there seems to be pieces of this puzzle which are missing or left to fall by the wayside in lieu of a more exciting ending. It all began with Liesel’s hunt for the Sword of Heaven, the ultimate weapon against demons and of course lead to this jaunt through the Himalayas. But somewhere along the way the tale became sidetracked for a more interesting adventure, hunting the creatures the Van Helsing family are known for – vampires. I can understand the need to replace the focus of the title for this obligatory purge, but at the same time, the first half of the narrative felt labored and it was not until toward the end do we finally see her nemesis in full view. It is understandable to stretch out a story to build up tension and keep the audience’s attention, but at the same time, the need to unduly expound on internal problems which were not the creature’s fault seemed incongruous with the title, after all it is Van Helsing vs. the Werewolf, not vampires.
Even as we try to ignore this minor fault, the second half tumbled downhill like a snowball building into a massive boulder at the bottom of a dizzying mountain. Now that the creature has been lured out, the action was non-stop, with crimson decorating the purity of unpacked powder for all to see in his bestial ferocity. Although the chase through the white tundra was enticing, once we reached the bloodsuckers’ lair, the pace picked up like a unstoppable locomotive, headlong without any chance to stop until we reached the final station. While this might have seemed like a plausible method to conclude the title, there was no time for exposition, all we saw was a savage rush to tear everything to pieces and no attempt to expound on the hows or whys. I would have liked to read more of why Chandresh felt the need to slaughter innocents, such as the campers in the initial issue and the monks from Temple of Llasa Rama; though this might have been explained as bloodlust, there was no sadness for these losses as we learned of his own emptiness with the murder of his family. Was his humanity too far gone to feel any sympathy?
Then on the opposite side of the spectrum, when we finally meet the final sanguine foe, what happened to the obligatory villain monologue lengthened to expound his motivations and disgust as to how low humanity has sunk to allow them free reign over the valley? Dixon had five issues previous to attempt a plausible background for this leader, but all we get was a generic overly ambitious vampire who is done in by seven pages from a twenty-two page issue? This is disappointing to say the least, for all his bluster the only memorable words were some Zen Buddhist kōans and clichéd taunts … leading to a somewhat satisfying death. Although the end of the series was unfulfilling, the open narrative does leave Dixon with a story that allows for expansion of the idea, but it does not placate readers as to a finale of the title.
This series would have not have been as epically thrilling and visually satisfying if not for the wondrous artistry of Allan Otero and the subtly (or lack thereof) of colorist Robby Bevard to envelop the reader within the chilling underworld of bloodthirsty demons. You can almost feel the passion of each character – be it fear, anger, or determination and yet the seriousness of the story comes through with the audacity of Bevard’s control over shadows and tones. To cloak the entirety of this issue within darkness helps to communicate that this story is nearing an end, but the other meaning of this gloomy tint allows for an almost intangible hopelessness to fall as we explore the lair. With every page we can see how oppressive the surroundings are, Otero giving us organic environments which emanate the power of the vampire, illustrations which graphically interpret their presence even if we cannot see it. And yet with each panel our raven haired beauties forge forward, steadfast in their courage to conquer whatever they may face, no matter how many fangs or claws they may possess. But it is not until the second half whereby the full effect of both colors and drawings take advantage of the terror which this story pulsates from each panel, bathing everything within sickening hues of blood red. This choice of colors reflects the ominous state of affairs, total control the vampires have over their subterranean world, even when faced by such powerful foes. Through everything they have faced, nothing is as impressive or awe inspiring as the battle between the leader and Agent Wu; his body may be frail from age, but his tenacity and raw strength show through, even as he is shown in such sanguine hues, almost as if everything has been illuminated by crimson spotlights to heighten the horrifying struggle between good and evil. However even in the end, we all know who has won and who have failed … but with such phenomenal combination of art and colors, it is the audience who has the best time with this title.
Now that the series has come to a fitting close, I can finally come to this inevitable conclusion – the entirety of the title felt rushed, especially the final two issues. Van Helsing vs. The Werewolf had all of this promise with an award winning writer and magnificent artwork, but there was too much time spent on creating the mythos for this new title that there was no time left to elaborate on the final goal. I would have liked to see some explanation as to how the vampire lord created his clan, or at least even a name, but we were lacking in both points. At least it would have been nice to have some hint as to the whereabouts of the Sword of Heaven for a parting gift. After all that what started Liesel on this adventure, and all she left with was an unfulfilled quest and shattered memories.
Grade: A
Series Grade: A
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: December 13, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
