Robyn doesn’t look for trouble … until it threatens her city.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Joe Brusha
Artwork: Renato Rei
Colors: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Baba Yaga is back in the Big Apple and Robyn is none too happy about it. The evil witch is in town and up to no good, and she’s not about to let Robyn get in the way of her secret mission – and if Baba has to kill her to complete it, all the better. Things aren’t looking good for New York City’s biggest hero.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Inside the New York Museum of Natural History, a group of interested visitors is perusing a fascinating exhibit of disturbing artifacts, and as their guide describes the reputed origins of the island bound civilization that sank beneath the South Pacific, he continues his lecture of their mysterious history, with the meaning behind the relics still unknown, and yet some archeologists believe they isolated themselves and worshipped a unique set of beings called the Elder Gods or Great Old Ones. As the learned escort resumes his talk about the unusual curiosities, two alluring women begin their own conversation as a brunette picks up a facility pamphlet that the blonde onlooker had dropped, with the former noting that the presentation is fascinating, even as the latter dismisses it as nothing more than fantasy, and while she does admit the story of worshippers of unknown deities and a great evil living forever may have some details based on facts, the disinterested guest still walks away, all as the helpful person acknowledges under her breath the truth behind her critical observation. Yet it is not until the disbeliever departs the institution and makes her way into a stretch limousine is her true identity unveiled, after relaxing inside the plush interior, the once business-suited individual dissolves in a puff of smoke, once flaxen top knot hair turns white and cascades down alabaster shoulders, formal attire replaced with a captivating bikini and bone charms, revealing herself to be the sultry sorceress known as Baba Yaga.
Later that same night a well-known silhouette dances across the rooftops of New York City, gratified to be able to get some relaxing exercise other than Smitty’s demanding training routines, Robyn keeps an ever attentive watch over the full moonlit landscape, interested in trying out the new gadgets she received before her numerous ventures into the sewers, only to her attention diverted by a set of bat-winged visitors gliding across the serene night sky, prompting the bold archer to go after them. Releasing a grapple arrow to a nearby building, the flaxen-haired protector now regrets her enthusiasm to chase these gliding guests, with sickly moss green skin and multiple eye slits, the ominous pair pay their new flying partner no attention, more intent on arriving at their distant destination and signaling their approach once these grotesque beings crash through a reinforced glass ceiling. As discordant screeches echo throughout the New York Museum of Natural History, the ghoulish individuals waste no time heading to the displays of the unknown exhibit, easily smashing a clawed fist through the transparent display and grabbing a familiar squid-headed dagger, only to have their hasty escape stopped by an intrepid vigilante armed with nothing but a single broadhead arrow aimed at both monstrous intruders.
In Summary:
While insightful readers may have had an inkling of what was coming due to the teases of Grimm Fairy Tales Volume 2 #63, it is within this intimidating special Robyn Hood: Baba Yaga from which creatively menacing writer Joe Brusha unleashes the unknowable dread that classic horror aficionados and admirers of Zenescope have unwittingly desired – the incorporation of Lovecraftian lore into the Grimm Universe and the resulting chaos which might follow. Even if horrifying nightgaunts may have been a sinister and indirect introduction of what is to come in the aforementioned book, it is the innocuous introduction that sparks interest for both the unintentionally initiated and curious neophyte, allowing a mundane museum lecture to open the unassuming portal to another world, creatively suggesting a new menace may soon be welcomed to a world which we thought we knew.
What so succinctly influences this special is how Brusha cleverly incorporates persuasive clues from what should be a tedious source, to have the passive tour guide’s informative lecture expand upon the mysterious objects which surround an innocent group, beginning to ominously bridge what we thought knew within this isolated world and tentatively expands upon unwanted knowledge, allowing dangerous concepts such as the Elder Gods and Great Old Ones to sinisterly implant itself within fertile and naive minds. Although these foreboding terms might cause inquisitive readers to investigate their familiar origins, it is the dangerously invasive ideas themselves that should be enough to rouse our suspicion with this turn of events, making the alarming reveal of Baba Yaga scouting the institution ever more troublesome in the minds of loyal fans, with her recent alliance during the Dark Princess saga more than enough to prove this sultry sorceress cannot be trusted, unless she thinks there is something she can gain through treacherous cooperation or another deceitful goal motivates this prominent witch.
Even if the literary foundation has created a vexing dilemma from which experienced readers are immediately unsettled, what overwhelming creates the most anxious moment is Renato Rei’s intriguing opening panel of a sickening alien image, crisp lines emphasizing an elegance of design, but at the same time, those who recognize the cephalopod based handle with tentacles oozing down the blade will become immediately apprehensive by what forbidden ideas have materialized by this simplistic weapon. And while we may be momentarily distracted by a beautiful blonde in the foreground, with Juan Manuel Rodriguez’s delicate application of hints of pink upon alabaster cleavage and touches amber texturing her hair, that aforementioned concept does not leave our sight even with this moving sight amplified by another captivating face joining her, only to have even these alluring women become a moot point after the basis of the story is ominously ingrained with the injection of a new threat as it gazed on in passing, a chilling example of iconography framed in gold, the depiction of a Kraken with large blank eyes sporting bat wings – the universal symbol of Cthulhu still unknown to these ignorant people.
However, thanks to this classic image familiarized in pop culture, the mere mention of its name is enough to send shivers down the spine, but now that we see an actual depiction, it finalizes the lingering tension which has been established within the special, making the sultry reveal of Baba Yaga more worrisome since we know this menacing opportunist is willing to partner with whoever or whatever will give her an advantage, almost making our blood chilled once audience members consider the implications. And yet what secures the lasting admiration for this book is the nighttime excursion of our favorite archer, to see Robyn dressed in signature camouflage outfit is a refreshing escape from what we saw before, allowing Rei to almost become carried away with heavier delineations to emphasize muscular limbs and textured hair, and amazingly utilizes the classic silhouetted figure dancing across the full moon with utmost delight. But even as we are stunned by this fantastic synergy of darker lines and Rodriguez’s muted palette to bring out the best in these nocturnal illustrations, one cannot but be fascinated by the contrasting balance of delicate lines and hefty utilization of shadows to utmost effectiveness, and while striated marker fill-ins of broad areas is mildly distracting, it is the beneficial usage of these sensational techniques which build up to the introduction of the horrifying nightgaunts soaring through the sky, allowing both our shocked heroine and stressed reader to be overcome by their appearance. With the continued tension of these foreboding menaces rampaging through the museum, one cannot but feel the overwhelming presence of these living nightmares, their gaunt figures with sinewy frames make them seem unremarkable aside from the frightful sight of expressionless faces and glowing eye slits, and yet once Locksley attempts to stop these violent thieves and their new ally, one cannot but be stunned by the devastation these monstrosities can create with sickening moss green claws cloaked in shadows of destruction.
Robyn Hood: Baba Yaga is a captivating manifestation of divergent yet frightening ideas, with the distinct possibility that primordial evil may soon be manifesting within the realms we thought we once knew, opening forbidden ideas that defeated foes such as Baba Yaga could be joining Elder Gods, creating chaos and enveloping the world with terrors that may be more formidable than any we have ever encountered before. As sensational illustrations and captivating colors eclipse the valor of Robyn, promptly causing concerned readers to wonder if any hero will be a challenge to the Great Old Ones, it is the enthralling premise of this story that immediately excites a panicked audience, all as we question how or if the villainy of the realms will quietly accept these foul guests invading their world. And while the story itself is suggestive of what could happen when one powerful sorceress joins with forbidden allies, it is the terror mentioned in passing which creates a tense situation and makes us wonder what uncertain possibilities can exist, and if there will be any hope for the Grimm Universe against enemies who seem all but undefeatable.
Grade: A+
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 14, 2022
MSRP: $5.99
