The enemy of my friend is … my enemy?
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Eman Casallos & Julius Abrera
Colors: Jorge Cortes
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Lately, reports of horrific tales of a being who feeds on children in s small Russian town have been on the rise. Skye ventures to this haunted location to not only stop the nightmare but also to hopefully find the answers to the mysterious secrets she seeks from the only person who has them, Baba Yaga!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
In a rural village buried within the wintery wastes of Russia, two children run through the frosty wilderness in search of a common goal, laughing and playing until they finally arrive within a warm refuge which houses their quarry – the drunken pair they call fathers. But as the inebriated men continue to down liquid nutrition, the son and daughter are not surprised as to this usual state of defiance, delivering a message that their mothers sent the offspring to fetch these useless mates for dinner, and if they do not come now, they will be spending the night outside with the livestock. Although both are aware of this not being an idle threat, the intoxicated miscreants do not take kindly to these messengers interrupting their impromptu party and retaliate in kind, punishing the harbingers with a fitting retaliation of rowdy horseplay and brutish tickling before sending them home. However as Tiana and Adrian attempt to make their way through the quickly enveloping night, the ominous advance of shadows and sounds of its nocturnal inhabitants make the journey all that more troublesome, even as both try to prove their bravery and dispel the chills of Grandmother Witch coming to take them away. Laughing in the face of impending danger, the foolish children boldly made their way forward through the barren woods, but each step amplifying the echo of cracking branches and crisp snow until their courage finally surrenders to an inhuman sound, resulting in the pair running from hidden dangers, only to be cornered by the thing which they feared the most.
A few days later the intrepid Skye and Jasmine find themselves within the same disturbing location, with the former djinn revelling in the freedom to explore a new world while recalling her days of imprisonment, even as she mocks the Guardian of her latest unsettling excursion within a similarly forested setting. And yet as her raven haired friend attempts to garner more unwelcomed anxiety due to constant provocation, it is the uncomfortable truth as to why they are here which ends the jovial nature of their conversation: to track down rumors of a child-eating witch. With somber reality interrupting the lighthearted teasing, Mathers unexpectedly dashes forward to find an unpleasant clue hidden beneath a blanket of newly fallen snow – a ragged woolen scarf which matches the one a little girl was wearing before she was reported missing. However as Jasmine attempts to dismiss this discarded clothing as perhaps a coincidence, it is the unnerving voice of a woman which erases any doubt, with her obvious indifference only lending credence to the incident, along with her enchanting beauty in the form of Baba Yaga. As this defiant sorceress stands before them with her chicken-legged house perched silently in the background, it is the so-called heroes who make the first move, their fury enraged due to the false assumption she is guilty of an unproven crime, even as the white haired temptress smugly claims she is not at fault. And yet this off-handed remark goes unheard, these fearless vigilantes now only wanting answers they are willing to believe, and while both sides make their best showing to intimidate their foes, it is the Guardian who strikes the first and only decisive blow, disarming the callous witch and leaving her shocked as to the power this savior now possesses, even as she warily watches from a point of disadvantage, waiting for Skye’s next defiant move.
In Summary:
I have always enjoyed Zenescope’s version of Baba Yaga, a mainstay of Slavic folklore, with a name which fittingly means wicked grandmother, and yet while this publisher may be influenced by tales of a helpful old woman or cannibalistic child-eater, one cannot deny her first appearance in Grimm Fairy Tales #42 tantalizingly adapted this villainess into a translation which deliciously suits the demographic of the title, with writer Dave Franchini continuing this tempestuous tradition with his previous works revitalizing her for a new generation, in all her seductive glory. While her objectives usually aligned with darkness, there were occasions when she would help protectors as she supposedly does with Skye, and yet it is a harkening back to her origin which is touched on within this issue as we learn who may be the author of the mysterious journal – Allexa, the Guardian who surrendered her stewardship of the Book to Sela, but was also the jailor along with Shang who imprisoned the white haired witch within the Dark Book. Due to this past injustice, one cannot but wonder if Baba will honestly assist Skye since she does have a standing grudge against Guardians: hunting them down as she did Allexa, sending hindrances in the form of Belinda to teach Sela and cause her to stray from a righteous path and finally indirectly, it was that red headed pretender who raised Skye and eventually turned her against Sela. While this cycle of betrayals has plagued the Mathers family, it also can eventually be traced back to the hatred Baba has toward champions, and by that consequence it makes one wonder if this foul woman can be fully trusted if Skye ever knew how much she has befouled her life. It is this delicious irony which makes loyal readers cringe in thinking they may have to rely upon each other, even in this issue where we see Mathers is consequentially responsible for restoring her powers, all while knowing as she and Jasmine helplessly watch the sorceress vanish, it is her knowledge about the Dark Book that they will have to rely upon to free Shang from its confines. I just hope this return of Baba Yaga to the main title will be more as an imposing enchantress instead of a subservient commander as she was to Merlin, with the former being more fitting to the woman who was the bane to heroes instead of someone who follows the foolish wishes of another.
And yet while this enticing narrative may encourage us forward into the return of a malevolent Baba Yaga, one cannot deny it is the stunning graphical splendor which is marvelously constructed by talented illustrators Eman Casallos and Julius Abrera that urges readers to delve deeper in order to learn what happens within this fantastic extravaganza of visual delights. The manner by which their similarly evocative linework merges into one seamless transitional display for maximum mesmeric effect is a gripping treat for the audience, allowing the artists to concentrate in presenting a story which builds upon the emotional ambiance from the beginning due to an intricately detailed atmosphere and tangible feelings etched upon the faces of the actors, made all the more pronounced due to Jorge Cortes’ limited tonal palette, communicating a sense of loneliness within the snowy and barren wasteland with stark colors made all the more morose due to his effective usage of shading to enhance the creepy effect of isolation. One cannot but feel the joy upon the children’s chilled faces as they chase each through the wintery night, the artificial seriousness upon their fathers’ faces which breaks into raucous laughter as they dismiss their messengers, only to slowly devolve into an almost clichéd tension as we approach what is expected – something hunting the foolish who would dare to stray into Grandmother Witch’s woods. This formulaic kidnapping is a wondrous foundation for our heroines, and while it may be difficult to tell the difference between Jasmine and Skye due to a lack of darker skin tone for the former, one cannot deny this absence is of little consequence once the epic battle between djinn, Guardian and Baba Yaga erupts – a trio of beautiful adversaries clashing in sub-zero temperatures with the minimum of covering, exposing as much luscious skin as possible so that we will not forget women can be formidable foes, even while they are risking the chance of freezing. The dark bleakness of an approaching savage storm terrifyingly frames the sorceress, with her ominous chicken-footed house looming in the background, glowing red eyes signals she is not someone to be taken on lightly, all as we notice our saviors primed for a fight on their hands, with all of us excited for the outcome.
This fantastic issue encompasses a fabulous explosion of terror to remind us how intimidating Baba Yaga can truly be, and while we may recall her recent escapades of lesser evil, this is how loyal fans remember the once formidable white haired witch. Thanks to a stunning foundation of illustrative excellence and colors which serve to enhanced the horror contained therein, we cannot but reforge our impressions of a woman who is as conniving in temperament as she is beautifully seductive, all fitting into an impressive package who is not to be underestimated. And yet as we want for more of her participation in the search for Shang, one cannot but shudder to what she may ask for in return, making the proposition all the more risky than it is worthwhile.
Grade: A+
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: November 04, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
