Nothing is impossible … especially when Hellchild is involved.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Ralph Tedesco
Artwork: Butch Mapa
Colors: Dijjo
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
After Angelica and Jenny are taken hostage by the hosts of the creepy masquerade party, they wonder what’s in store for them next. But nothing could prepare them for the sadistic auction that is about to take place. With little time and up against insurmountable odds, Angelica must figure out a way of her impossible situation before it’s too late.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
It was supposed to be a simple rescue mission to save her friend Jenny and luckily since Vera knew the woman running the event it should have been all the easier, however as they explored these confines to find the girl this event revealed a disturbing secret – Tor was behind everything. Not wanting to leave anyone behind in the clutches of Joan for who knows what, Hellchild endeavored to save everyone – only to find themselves soon surrounded and easily captured to await what was to come. With these new acquisitions now secured and Angelica finding herself restrained within specially reinforced bindings, they had no choice but to stand by and see what was in store. There was curiosity about the festivities which brought such a large gathering to this isolated mansion and so with themselves bound to push carts there was nothing to do until Joan began the anticipated event with an unwelcomed flair … she announced the auction was about to begin.
An ominous crowd of hidden faces had been drawn to a line of elegantly dressed men and women as Joan began the treacherous proceedings, the merchandise frightened beyond belief as to what destiny may wait them after they were sold, but with Tor’s reputation it cannot be good. The price for a human life began in the tens of thousands of dollars, with their vital statistics callously being listed as if they were nothing more than any other piece of artwork being sold to select collectors. However as the first sale was complete and the purchaser approached to gather his prize, the mask hiding his face was revealed to show this patron what not what he appeared to be – in fact he was not even human. As the stunned prisoners gasped in shocked amazement and Angelica voiced her disgusted complaints, the next person on the block was wheeled before the crowd and it was none other than the one who caused their plan to collapse into their current predicament, Jake was the next one to be sold. With one of her charges now in danger and her strength effectively bound so she is no longer a threat … what can the Hellchild to so save anyone let alone herself from this troublesome dilemma?
In Summary:
As we close this chapter of Hellchild’s latest adventure, I cannot understand why writer Ralph Tedesco would restrain our favorite vampiric demi-goddess to a confining role such as bodyguard within a series which essentially seems to be a reboot of the character. Ever since she was introduced readers have known Angelica as a wild child, not caring if she was fitting in with normal societal limits and unleashing her pent up rage and anger against any who attacked her or threatened humanity as a whole, that is until we reached this turning point in her saga. While we did receive a plausible explanation within in the last issue as to her not being as strong since the passing of Hades and also not wanting to consume blood in order to access her vampire side, there is still the question as to what happened after she drank at the conclusion of the series; we now have a return to the Hellchild we have so desperately missed but at the same time there are godlike powers which we never shown in the previous series, even if they seem within character for a child of the underworld. However if this is truly a new start for Angelica, then what will happen to the future for this vicious woman if she can only become what she was by relying on the supposedly weaker powers of Dracula? After all she is a child of a human and god and only infected by a vampire, but it seems Tedesco is linking most her powers entirely to the blood soaked side of her being. Angelica was born a demi-goddess, daughter of Hades and a human so shouldn’t those powers be bonded to her body permanently and not be a temporary side effect of her birth like a magic spell? It almost seems as if Hellchild has been domesticated and turned into someone with only a bad attitude with nothing to back up her temper unless she takes a drink, and if that is the case then what can we look forward to with the franchise aside from tame stories which can only create excitement at the very end with trite clichés of swallowing her pride to save those under her protection.
As we remember the lackluster story within this title, one cannot deny it was Butch Mapa’s stirring renditions of the Beverly Hills lifestyle which kept us interested and Dijjo’s energetic colors that allowed us to immerse within the more genteel civilization. However even within this refined atmosphere it appeared Mapa depicted our favorite demi-goddess with a bored countenance since she had to tolerate the spoiled brat of a client, all as we knew she wished too many times to unleash her inner anger. Then to emphasize this enlightened environment, it was Dijjo’s questionable choice of brighter tones to depict these surroundings which made Angelica’s deeply tanned skin, crimson hair with black highlights and black leather clothes stand out against the sophistication of manicured lawns and white mansions. It was only within the darkness of violence with its suitable shading and vibrant actions lines did Hellchild appear to be comfortable, with Mapa giving her the swiftness and angular momentum which we are used to seeing, watching her unleash her ferocity and sparking the viciousness which we adore seeing within this character. This is a waste for this artistic team since within these rare moments it is only then do we watch the series come alive, with all other events seeming static and plodding as the audience watches our actors wonder what will happen next.
Hellchild: Blood Money attempts to return the vivacity of character we remembered but within this reboot it seems as if Angelica has been tamed and replaced with someone who wants to fit into high society instead of fighting lowlifes. Even after introducing a suitable villain by the name of Tor, there was nothing which served to drive the narrative forward aside from her client causing more headaches for this protector and being dragged along as she attempts to clean up his mess. Sadly the artwork itself suffered with a lack of the signature darkness which surrounds Hellchild and instead replaced with an atmosphere made her look out of place, making both Angelica and readers feel uncomfortable with this new depiction. While I can understand this is a new start for the vampiric demi-goddess it appears this introduction has not cleared all the rocks from the path, leaving the series with dubious choices which could have been a grand launching point for the Hellchild.
Grade: B
Series Grade: B
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: July 17, 2019
MSRP: $3.99
