The icy hand of death grips all … some more harshly than others.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Julius Abrera
Colors: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
What They Say:
A sinister winter storm is descending upon Philadelphia. Will Belle be ready to weather what is coming her way, or will the icy grip of death add one more to its ever-growing ranks?
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Within a secluded alleyway of Philadelphia, three well dressed men were running for their lives from an unseen pursuer, however as one fell behind begged to be saved, the leader ignored the desperate pleas and urged his partner forward before they ran into a dead end, just before they saw the intended fate of their foul intentions as the fallen was rapidly transformed into a terrified statue of ice. However as this frightening incident was happening across town, Belle and her roommate were attempting to have a casual conversation, but as Mel began to poke fun at this homeless person’s situation, DiMarco turned the discussion in a serious one by stating she was looking for a new place to live – with the sole intention of this new outlook to remove her friend from the danger of a monster hunting life. Although as they joked about the uncomfortable nature of the couch, the television news sparked a new interest to the comical exchange, with the reporter telling of a nearly decapitate body found in the northeastern part of the city. While Mel tried to remind her companion that not every death involved foul creatures, Belle grimly quipped that not every corpse found was in the sickening position of losing its head, leaving her with the judgment to investigate this new crime scene.
But as Belle arrives at the backstreet in question and waits for the police to clear out, it does not take long for Mel to pester her via earpiece for more information, only to find this verbal annoyance had the added benefit of distracting DiMarco into arriving too early. As she inspects the supposedly abandoned crime scene, a startled woman begins questioning why a strangely dressed woman is in this alley, quickly stumbling over her own feet and desperately asking for this intruder not to hurt her and to let her go. However as the panicked witness begins to ramble on asking if Belle is here to clean up her mess, it does not take long before the Beast Hunter loses her temper and shouts for this hysterical girl to shut up, causing the regretful brunette to quickly apologize before stating both need to calm down. And yet this sincere attempt does nothing to stop more wild accusations, but as her temper once again begins to flare, a sudden chill and the sound of inhumane groans cause both to turn around and see what should be impossible – frozen zombies are slowly plodding their way toward the pair, with every intention of silencing this nonsensical conversation by any means necessary.
In Summary:
With the temperature dropping outside and nights becoming longer, it seems only appropriate to have a story which takes advantage of this colder and darker season, and thus writer Dave Franchini has managed to masterfully craft a chilling tale of vengeance, plus the one thing which was missing from all other Beast Hunter titles – zombies. To think these essential undead monsters were never shown before seems implausible, and yet now it seems fitting to include them since most of us feel like a walking cadaver during these trying and depressing times of frigid delirium. However even if these icy mindless creatures may be the main attackers, it would not be fair of take advantage of these shambling mounds of inhumanity, especially when we have such a fittingly frosty femme fatale waiting to take center stage at the most inopportune time. And while Franchini does not deem to give our captivating protagonist a name within this one-shot, that small oversight is of little consequence when her glacial actions speak louder than any pointless title for this forceful woman. However when loyal Zenescope fans first see her, as I know my reaction was so, they may think this brisk temptress could have been the Snow Queen from the original series, and yet since this was a transformed Belinda and she sacrificed herself at the end of that volume, that insight is not viable. Therefore this leaves us with new and exciting possibilities, particularly for someone who is a supreme challenge for Belle considering her first encounter with these frozen mindless minions leaves her at an impasse, with their frigid touch leaving DiMarco weaponless. While our dynamic heroine has faced other imposing enemies who have gotten the better of her, this is the first time when lowly henchmen (or should that be henchcorpses) have become a challenge, thus leading us to the assumption that someone more remarkable is waiting in the wings to show her that their control over these helpless victims is only a glimpse of her power. It is only when she finally makes a brief appearance at the end of the one-shot does that supposition begins to materialize as the bitter truth, showing an assertive beauty with a chilly persona which is undeniably suitable to the no nonsense attitude of quickly finishing foes with little resistance. Even when Belle must face her, our heroic brunette is quickly subdued with overwhelming force and seemingly little effort, which places her in the unlikely scenario of nearly being defeated, which is unsettling for our headstrong heroine. It is this uncertainty against an unfeeling goddess which makes the narrative so thrilling and refreshing, placing our Beast Hunter in the position of facing an end to her career even as she seeks relative safety for Mel and Hershey within an uncertain world of monsters, shady organizations and her family who wish to wish to end her unwelcomed interference.
Even within a surprising story that has a shocking yet hectic start, it is the straightforward method of constructing a restrictive visual narrative within an alleyway that compels the reader to become engrossed with each purposefully detailed panel, allowing for the dynamic illustrations of Julius Abrera to thrust us into this hopeless dilemma. Striking desperation within the man’s widened eyes establishes the panic, made all the more focused thanks to raised eyebrows and heavily lined creases surrounding this center point, and yet is the provocatively dark selection of somber colors from Juan Manuel Rodriguez which amplifies the desperate atmosphere, grounding the situation through this narrowing dead end, until they are cornered. The white panel framing helps to make each scene all the more isolated, with the smooth transition serving to magnify the approach the hunter, allowing for the effective sound effect text of cracking ice to serve as a haunting acoustic approach, signaling their doom from a beautiful yet heartless goddess, with her elegantly teasing gown made all the more chilling thanks to a vivid cerulean used to materialized the coldness of her icy exterior and interior, even with a tease of luscious pink skin. But it is when we first see Belle and Mel where Abrera wonderfully expresses how he is able to communicate a wide range of emotions within his characters with simplistic alterations to the face, to see the friends argue we immediately know it is not serious, even as the tone changes to the same back street. While it is comical to see a chalk outline at the crime scene, one cannot but marvel at the lithe form of DiMarco as she leaps down the walls, to see the toned muscles flexing within a form fitting costume, knowing she can react to any surprise, even if it is not the enemy. However as the two unsure women confront each other, it is the same hauntingly effective sound text which once again makes readers know something is coming, even if it is painfully slow in its approach, allowing the readers to anticipate something more savage will soon break through upon these supposedly helpless victims.
Belle: Dead of Winter One-Shot is a gripping story which introduces a new source of wintry goodness for the season, even as we are fascinated by this chilly beauty though we may be are repulsed by her heartless actions. With a forceful narrative delightfully based on Slavic folklore as we learn from the conclusion, with Ded Moroz or Grandfather Frost being the focus of our icy villainess who we conclude is his granddaughter the Snow Maiden Nastenka, it makes the possibilities for her return all the more exciting. And thanks to an outstanding diorama of striking illustrations and fittingly effective color selection, the frigid menace takes form with surprising effectiveness, even if the action may seem slow due to static images without any sense of dynamic propulsion. However even as we become absorbed within this marvelous effort of visual stimulation, the dread which this goddess represents is never far away, allowing readers to wonder with anticipation when this frozen pair will return and if Belle will be ready the next time they meet.
Grade: A-
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: January 20, 2021
MSRP: $5.99
