Never underestimate Van Helsing … that is when she is most dangerous.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artwork: Julius Abrera
Colors: Maxflan Araujo
Letters: Saida Temofonte
What They Say:
Trapped in a palace of the dead, the immortal and malignant Prince Sawar thinks he’ll hold Liesel captive for the rest of her life, but nobody puts the legendary vampire killer in the corner. With the help of an unlikely ally, Liesel Van Helsing must escape this madhouse of horror before she loses her mind or even her life!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Liesel has seized victory from the baital’s rotting hands by going where she thinks he cannot follow and yet it seems the hunter has forgotten the true nature of this creature – it can only exist within the bodies of the dead. But as Prince Sawar briefly mourns the lost of his plaything, the ultimate prize now awaits within his grasp, possession of his most formidable prey will now become a new vessel, or so it would seem. However as this foul spectre leaves his host and prepares to claim the prize, he suddenly finds a barrier blocking access and the sultry blue eyes of our heroine smiling in response, the only acknowledgment he needs to know his plan has failed. The Englishwoman has lured the abomination into a trap … now that he is out of his receptacle he must re-inhabit another or he is without a physical body, but will Van Helsing allow it?
With a lunging punch, Liesel quickly disarms one of the bodyguards and responds with an equally swift strike to decapitate the Prince’s corpse, leaving the baital with no physical venue. However in her overly zealous determination to pacify any opposition, she forgets with each body left behind the baital has a new vessel to inhabit, which he takes great pleasure in reminding his benefactor. While Van Helsing tries to restrain herself from creating problems as she journeys deeper in the catacombs of the Palace of Kishangarh, the foul spirit cannot but taunt this valiant hero as he tries to bar the way by animating more of the ancient remains littering the ruins. Although she tries her best to avoid such encounters, as Liesel draws closer to what she seeks the phantasm has one last ruse … using the body of her friend Dara to tempt Van Helsing into abandoning this fruitless quest. Will she succumb to this thinly veiled trick or is there another way to find the Sword of Heaven through all of these rotting memories?
In Summary:
While the premise for Van Helsing: Sword of Heaven was interesting in the beginning, at many times over the run of this title it appears as if writer Chuck Dixon took many liberties by creating a familiar story from his previous Zenescope work, Van Helsing vs. The Werewolf, and unfortunately it is prevalent until the very end. Although knowledge of the prior work is not required to fully enjoy this series, and it would help if you did not know of it, if you compare the plots of the two titles they have varied story points by which ultimately the narrative sadly becomes derivative. However even with this information recognition, there are moments by which Dixon does create an exhilarating story by interweaving vampire lore and mythology derived the subcontinent which many may not be aware, thus allowing readers insight to a culture which is as fascinating due to it being foreign. By watching Liesel bring her skills to bear upon India you have a sincere sense of being submerged within the environment, especially when she uses local phrases and customs and we receive responses by the same, even if most will have forgotten the meaning once the page has been turned. But in the end even with this enrichment from a strange land, the telegraphic tale has a formulaic mood throughout the foundation, and yet if you can overlook this minor flaw and recognize the story for its base value as a Van Helsing series with our British beauty risking her life to save humanity, the monotony of repetition shows its true value long after the title has concluded.
And yet while we may lose ourselves to indifference at times, you cannot deny it was the spectacularly ghastly images which kept us captivated all while becoming enthralled by the beautiful Liesel due to amazing illustrations from Julius Abrera, and then propelled into the darkness of the dead due to Maxflan Araujo’s supremely mesmerizing palette for this title. You cannot but be taken aback by the sensational detailing Abrera puts into his work, especially within the facets he slips in backgrounds to acknowledge Indian influences – from architectural nuances, costumes and mystical creatures which menace Van Helsing, all of these elements contribute to the flavor of the region. But within this menagerie of fascination, it is Araujo’s colors which arouse the imagination, bringing the visual components together with a tonal foundation that ties together the subcontinental surroundings, allowing for the rural and colonial influences to bring the face of India to the uninitiated. Even within this finale the grandeur of this fantastic artistic team does not allow the excitement to become stagnant, creating a horrifying display that projects us into the scene of a gloomy room with the ghastly form of a half rotting Prince greeting the reader, allowing us to know what we should prepare for the worst; and the scenario becomes ever more hesitant as the nightmarish form of the baital finally reveals itself in all his domineering horror within a stunning splash page, enhanced by mystically ethereal blue and dead glowing coals for eyes, but the chill of this unveiling becomes rewarding once we see the charming smile and sultry eyes of the beautiful Liesel. This is how you create an opening for the end, by not going out with a whimper … but gripping the audience around the throat and disarming the villain with the wit of a beguiling heroine.
Van Helsing: Sword of Heaven may have begun as an ambitious excursion into the world of Liesel Van Helsing, but as we traveled within this fascinating world of India, it seemed to lose its way due to a predictable story, only to be re-focused upon its goal due to fantastic artwork and a stunning array of colors. And while the adventure does tie in with the previous series, it stands alone due to a distinctness of characters and the tantalizing allure of our heroine always confronting the worst in any given situation, all while showing us her wit, charm and overwhelming determination. This is how Liesel has become the success she is and reinforces the franchise for future incarnations against those who would dare to stand against our beautifully clever hunter.
Grade: B+
Series Grade: B+
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: April 3rd, 2019
MSRP: $3.99
