Some secrets are best kept hidden … or at least well out of sight.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Dario Tallarico
Colors: Jorge Cortes
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
The saga of the Dark Book continues as Skye pursues another escaped entity from this evil tome, one that may hold the answers that she needs to finally free Shang. Don’t miss this next exciting issue of Skye’s journey.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
As Sam and Jasmine await the results of Skye’s latest expedition, the conversation is heavily laden with mounting concern, worried about their friend cutting off communications after entering the cave, all while knowing she has been taking on more solitary quests in which they wouldn’t mind helping, even if at least to lessen the strain upon the Guardian and cure the former djinn’s boredom. However as the tension increases, the door suddenly crashes open to reveal an exhausted Mathers, and while her first words are in mocking levity for their lack of excitement at her return, the two waiting women return the sarcastic remark in wanting to know how the mission went, responding to the joke in resolute curtness. Not wanting to take a break, Skye wastes no time in asking if they have found any further clues as to the next location, wishing for something more pleasant, but is instead offered either a graveyard in Kansas or a pond in New Jersey. Although she may be disappointed by the new locations, Sam responds these are the closest areas which fit the visions from the elderly faeries, even if they may not have any supernatural occurrences, they are viable due to local rumors or reports. So leaving the Garden State to Jasmine, the Guardian has no other choice than to take the creepy cemetery, much to her obvious chagrin.
After a quick spell and arrival via teleportation portal, the Guardian found herself within the ominous burial ground, wondering aloud if she should wait for something to show up, knowing as of late trouble seemed to find her no matter where she went. But even as these random thoughts crossed her mind, a suspicious gravestone eerily appeared from behind which was not there before, and after clearing the overgrown vines Skye found the name of her mother Sela carved within the barren stone, which should be impossible since she is not buried in this location. It is only as these nonsensical facts began to take shape did something more foreboding begin to cry from an old stone well, once again not there before, calling her name in a chilling manner and arousing anger for daring to use unhealed pain for such a diabolical scheme. But as Skye’s rage grew and she verbally lashed out with energy sparking from her sword, the foolish Guardian than began to scream into the dark abyss of the waterhole while taunting for a response, only to be savagely seized by several misshapen yet insistent hands, easily dragging the struggling Mathers into the darkness, all while acknowledging this was not the best choice she could have made.
In Summary:
After such an unexpectedly engrossing story showing Skye’s pursuit of a nameless foe from the Dark Book, it is not surprising readers would expect more of the same narrative intrigue within this continuation, and they are not left wanting for unadulterated excitement which captivates for all the right reasons. And thanks to writer Dave Franchini’s fondness of basing his tales upon the Brothers Grimm, this issue is no exception by allowing this talented author to create an immediately repugnant telling centered around a story called Mother Hulda, but of course with his own disturbing twist to better fit the Grimm Universe; to think such a satisfying story which focuses on industrious girls being rewarded and lazy ones punished could become something so corrupted shows how much Franchini delights in turning once charming and moralistic children’s tales into a narrative which serves a certain purpose – to allow the villain to gain a sickening advantage over Skye as she gloats and is gratified from tormenting her due to newly found liberty. However with this new freedom, Mother Hulda is no longer bound to past habits, allowing this once kindly old woman to fulfill her own perverse pleasure of torturing good and bad equally. And while it is questionable of how such a gentle caretaker became so thoroughly corrupted, once living in a serene cottage with her new wards and treating all equally with warm beds and good food to eat, perhaps it is the influence of the Dark Book that has poisoned her, polluting her personality into someone who takes great satisfaction in watching new visitors having to fight for their lives, against those who previously had the misfortune to meet this foul person. And yet even after the audience begins to understand her motivations for trapping the Guardian, one still cannot feel any sympathy for this toxic torturer, having lured countless victims over the centuries and never once allowing her victims any mercy, only wishing to fulfill her own selfish gains and a need for unwarranted company, giving her banishment some kind of depraved enjoyment for the reader, all in knowing such a cruel woman has met a fitting end.
However with such an unsettling narrative, one would expect the artwork to follow suit by emphasizing the dark tragedy via an equally morose setting, and while it does provide a somber tone within the second act which is fitting for the wicked conflict between Mother Hulda and the Guardian, to allow this depressing atmosphere to envelope the entirety of the issue seems a bit extreme, even for Grimm Fairy Tales. From the beginning artist Dario Tallarico’s heavy linework does an excellent job immediately casting a heavy shade upon the opening scene, showing without effort the depression of a son losing his mother with melancholic posture, strikingly eerie pinpoint eyes and gaunt face, allowing Jorge Cortes’ muted color palette to materialize a pallid tone over the languid atmosphere, even as we feel a sense of tranquility from a golden setting sun within this peaceful graveyard. However as darkness falls and this man senses he is not alone in his grief, it is the following panels of halting action which propel the reader into the horror which this story chillingly produces: Tallarico’s manic leaps of jump cuts allows the audience to focus upon his face with stress lines denoting the dread of hearing something coming an ominous stone well, allowing for Cortes to paint with a smothering veil of shadows which is hauntingly beautiful due to the warming tints of sunset, all climaxing with that stunning close-up of panic stricken eyes before he is taken. It is the shifting light sources which cast doubt upon these intense images, allowing the reader to recall classic horror movies which tap into our primal need for preservation and call out to the screen not to get any closer, all as the splash page of the final scene of crimson eyes and gruesome claws reach out from the depths, even if the image is a bit heavy due to excessive usage of screentone. But while this restrictive technique of illustrating anxiety may have worked for the prologue, to continue these weighty lines within Arcane Acre has a wholly different effect within this tensioned environment, projecting our heroines has being under so mounting stress they have become exhausted from waiting for the Guardian. This is made all the more pronounced due to a lack of definition within the images, with Jasmine’s face appearing muddy due to heavy tinting masking recognizable markers, permitting prior issue knowledge being the only reason we know who this person might be, with the entrance of Skye being unsettlingly due to the same confusion and her captivating form only identifiable due to a signature costume. These pages are so dark from Cortes’ overzealous application of shadows one cannot but stumble through the conversation, questioning why Mathers seems to be intoxicated with barely noticeable pupils that seem to stare into the distance, with the same expression forced upon Sam on the next page, making us wonder if some drug induced euphoria occurred during this talk. Although these excessively heavy line weights and subdued colors do amplify the uneasiness after Skye begins the mission and helps to produce a sense of apprehension and uneasiness thereafter, it is this brief period between acts which causes the story stutter, allowing the audience to hesitate for this brief moment and wonder what happened, curious to question if anyone is in their right mind to take on such a formidable foe.
As the Guardian of the Nexus’ latest formidable foe is vanquished due to a fortunate coincidence, one has to wonder if her enemies are united in their desire for the Dark Book or is each goal a selfish want for the betterment of their own lives, even as Skye barely escapes this menacing encounter. However while the narrative itself is sensational in its menacing portrayal of Mother Hulda, it is the artwork which lacks a central focus to wondrously display the unending tension which this disgusting woman exudes, stuttering at a transitional moment with confusing visuals of our heroines, causing readers to question if this harrowing sequence fits in with the rest of the story. And although this same artistry does create a fantastic representation of horror personified, with a wicked crone you would never want to meet in a dark alleyway, the issue as a whole is graphically unbalanced due to a singular event within this haunting tale.
Grade: A
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: March 10, 2021
MSRP: $3.99
