Sometimes the journey … is more meaningful than the trip.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Julius Abrera & Rodrigo Xavier
Colors: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Anabelle “Belle” DiMarco has been on a mission to not only save her mother’s damned soul from a fiery afterlife, but also to clear her conscience for the guilt of putting her there. Now, armed with the knowledge she needs, she must breach the hellish land of tortured souls called Tartarus. With not only her mother’s but her own soul on the line, will her skills as a beast hunter be enough to defeat Typhon, who reigns over this realm?
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
As the Beast Hunter finds herself in peril while seeking a way into Tartarus, it is recollections of happier times from which Belle finds a fleeting solace, remembering how Uncle Louis graciously looked over herself and brother Alex when their mother was away on one of her hunts, and of how a young girl warmly embraced Eleanor when she came back, only to have those pleasant memories warped into a waking nightmare as reality snaps back into focus, waking to find the cold hands of the banshee viciously wrapped around her fragile neck. But as this fervent spectre screams out a desire to mercilessly ease her suffering, Mel is panicking for a way to help her struggling friend find a way to defend herself, with DiMarco barely able to recall the phantom’s weakness to gold, and yet as her bespectacled companion frantically searches through the bag for some kind of weapon, it is then when the mortal conversation between foes takes a strange twist. As a desperate partner questions if the Shield of Hercules might have the needed metal or any part of the hunter’s armor, the seductive siren continues to tighten her grasp and curiously turns her warning to not pursue her foolish trip into Tartarus, stating she will only find suffering there and her mother’s soul is gone from this world, which prompts the brave woman to lash out in frustration with a vicious headbutt from her auric plated mask.
While the foul creature reels back from the impact, its foreboding warnings fall on deaf ears, and as Belle continues her relentless assault with plated armbands substituting as makeshift weapons, the banshee does not stop her ceaseless wails of questionable concern, stating the Beast Hunter will fall and take others with her, with this diligent spirit proclaiming she would not allow that outcome to happen, rushing forward with growing fervor to stop a foolish human from continuing her journey. However, as the one-sided attack continues and impassioned words prove to be inadequate, the injured phantom has no choice than to retreat into a nearby tomb, leaving these confused women to question the outcome of the battle, even Mel boldly lectures her weary friend not to blame herself or Hershey for the foolish choices which have lead them to the current outcome, causing DiMarco concede everything is due to her stress and sleepless nights, with her fevered search now nearing its end, even if she may not make it out alive. But as they look upon a monument dedicated to one of Belle’s distant relatives and decide this should be the closest location hidden within the riddle’s meaning, this dedicated woman fearlessly smashes her Shield into the stony marker, which explodes with a burst of blinding light and choking dust, with the expected portal to Tartarus not revealing itself to the disappointed explorers.
In Summary:
It has been almost a year since we were compelled to witness Belle’s painful decision in Belle Annual: Issue #25, the unbearable plight to defend Alex from the madness of Eleanor, with the only way to end a senseless struggle by plunging a spear thorough her demented parent’s chest, and yet from that nightmarish moment, this dutiful daughter has not been able to forget the lingering guilt of killing her own mother, even if it was to save her brother. Throughout the arduous adventure which talented writer Dave Franchini has unfolded before our bewildered eyes, dedicated readers have watched our relentless Beast Hunter skillfully deal with an impossible menagerie of obstacles to reach her final destination: struggling against a once trusted ally turned treacherous serpent, aiding Jill and the Limbo Queen correct a past wrong, finding the Shield of Hercules within an abandoned maze with its arrogant guardian, and during her journey home – the artifact lures interest from a scheming sorceress, but as her trials finally come to a close as the answer to a riddle lies tied with helping the centaur queen against her own tragic situation, all of these hardships hopefully lending wisdom for the seeker and bringing new foes and future colleagues to our heroine’s cause. And yet as an ardent audience watches with fascination as these exhausting anxieties seem near an end, we know this scheming scribe will not allow our valiant hero find an answer so easily, causing our closing tribulation into the hidden realm to become another demanding odyssey within Belle Annual: Depths of Tartarus, all as this intriguing special unfolds before our hesitant eyes, making us wonder if Belle will ever be able to find peace for herself or the corrupted woman she once called mother.
Even as Franchini begins this definitive special with a heartfelt memory, a clever introduction subtly deluding the reader with a classic flashback of our heroine’s life flashing before her eyes, this happy memory serves a double meaning by emotionally anchoring Belle into recalling the woman who Eleanor used to be, a caring parent who adored her children and dutifully hunted monsters, before the Thorns turned her into what she hated the most, so wonderfully symbolized by the banshee herself. Even as this relevant mental image is brought forth, it is the seemingly empty ramblings of this phantom which sows hidden meanings for the possibilities of our noble heroine, with the barrier of the worlds whispering secrets connected to her life thread, causing insightful readers to question if the Fates themselves might somehow be linked or influence DiMarco’s future, made more prominent as we witness memories and glimpses of what has and may yet happen, thus allowing the audience to recall these same visions being displayed in past specials, permitting Franchini to give fleeting glimpses beforehand of what now unfolds within this domineering presentation.
And as if to answer our question about this preordained connection, the opening of the portal to Tartarus and divine presence helps to emphasize someone is watching over DiMarco, with the aforementioned phantasmal flashback reinforcing this premise and showing new members of the audience what may lie in wait for Belle’s future as she boldly faces her questionable present, all in an uncertain effort to redeem herself and Eleanor. Yet as our heroine is given a quick history of this prison’s warden Typhon, it is this unease of needing to face someone who was a challenge to Zeus which makes us feel the anxiety Franchini has placed within his overbearing narrative, the dread of a mere mortal who had partaken of the Nectar, but still is essentially human must now confront one of the most formidable forebears in order to free her mother. But when we do finally witness the crimson being we briefly saw in Belle: War of Giants, those familiar with Greek mythology cannot but wonder if we have seen this type of encounter before between hero confronting their bold rival, with an occasional chuckle as we listen to this arrogant titan’s monologue unfolding within a typical tirade, presenting the chained Fate as an enticing trophy from the battle which he lost and resulted in his imprisonment. It is through the following bargain that the audience cannot but shake their heads with begrudging frustration, knowing such a deal always results in predictable betrayal, with legends enveloping such trades as always coming at a price from which the vile antagonist never keeps up his end, allowing Franchini to create a classic motivation to free Eleanor that seems mirrored against the Trials of Hercules, which ironically involved the first deed to kill the Lion of Nemea, who happened to be the son of Typhon and Echidna. And yet it is through this desire to retrieve his wife from which learned readers might recall similar stories of how the protagonist must face impossible odds, with Lachesis finally being revealed as the one helping from the start, allowing Belle to trick her way into a fortress and retrieve an unwilling prize, even if the resulting kidnapping does involve the surprising development of another Fate being Atropos, with the aforementioned divine involvement now falling into place.
Even as the Mother of all Monsters unfolds her side of the story and the need to set safeguards for her freedom, with the underlying irony of Belle listening to someone who should hold a massive grudge against her family for hunting down her children, one cannot but understand the need of Typhon wanting revenge, even as Echidna reinforces her deception of someone she supposedly loved, with Franchini cleverly bringing the Beast Hunter’s own betrayal into the conversation, for while the reasons behind each emotional clash may hold similar consequences, one cannot deny the pain is equally remorseful, wife against husband and child against mother, with attentive readers appreciatively chuckling at the skill from which Echidna turns her own deception against this regretful daughter. No one can deny mirror outcomes for both contests, and while Belle may try to refute the truth behind this skillful twist of words, the resulting acceptance is still unsettling, with our valiant heroine ending any hesitation with the goal of her bargain now secure. Yet it is the tense confrontation between former partners which reveals a new question, with Echidna’s true form causing loyal readers to wonder if Priya’s serpentine form is influenced by this treacherous woman, even as Typhon inevitably twists his part of the bargain, resulting in a battle which echoes the one Zeus had against this titan, allowing the reunited Moirai to assist a champion to mete out an appropriate fate. But as we smile with satisfaction by how the Beast Hunter fulfills her familial duty, it is the moving conclusion which feels unfulfilling after the strenuous journey which both daughter and audience had to endure to reach what we knew was inevitable, with the underlying understanding that individuals in the Grimm Universe should cherish their relationships with all, since one never knows when their fleeting journey will regretfully come to a sudden and unexpected end.
While the grandeur of the special unfolds with growing intensity, it is the fantastic array of artistic talent which allows the story to gradually unfold within its tumultuous envelopment, with the amazing palette of Juan Manuel Rodriguez permitting contrasting illustrators to seamlessly integrate into one flowing panorama of excitement and moving tension, and while astonishing shifts of color permits each image technique to become a comparable presentation of our favorite Beast Hunter, it is the uniqueness of tonal applications upon differing graphic mannerisms that allows two drawing styles to become unified under the same title, all while keeping subtle variations of the two pencillers distinct as they smoothly transition between the assemblage of pages.
As we tentatively anticipate the excitement of this closing chapter for our heroine’s journey, Rodrigo Xavier’s crisply defined linework creates a warm innocence for the opening, and while clinging darkness from a gloomy night does chillingly encompass panicked children for added tension, there is still a hint of mischief within their movements, made more distinct due to a sepia influenced veil of nostalgia from Rodriguez’s subtle colors as they dance across the muted tension of hidden victims, their wide eyed expressions made less stressful due to an absence of definition and unusual brightness from a stormy night, emphasizing what should be expected unease. Even when the trick of the event is unveiled and we smile with laughing Belle and Alex, it is the welcomed introduction of much needed tonal gradients which add a layer of warmth to the moment as Uncle Louis reveals himself to be the horrid monster, but as the group jokes as to who would have won, the appearance of alluring hunter Eleanor brings a sigh of appreciation to the audience, with the scene made more charming as we witness mother and daughter tenderly embrace, causing the sudden shock of the ghastly banshee to grind everything to a halt, with her haunting icy blue skin and glowing crimson eyes to become an immediate terror to the comfort we just saw. And yet as Xavier’s pages progress in vibrancy due to much needed addition of Rodriguez’s amazing colors, there is a lack of dynamic distinction within his images since he does not rely heavily on accenting textures with varying degrees of shadows, causing some of the scenes to appear less distinct due to lighter tones upon his amazingly detailed panels, making the audience become lost within the strange luster of oddly illuminated moments.
But as we reflect upon the gentler images of the previous artist, it is the intensely gripping illustrations of Julius Abrera which bring a distinct ferocity upon this compelling special, with the singular example of a banshee bringing forth the contrasting techniques of two talented individuals, the prior panel showing a phantasm who seems restrained due to a lack of definition upon her face even amid carefully textured hair and flowing dress, and yet when the page is turned, what results is a fiery elegance which erupts from the image, showing a once tempting woman with a delineated mane, haunting black eyes highlighted by crimson irises, heavy stress lines twisting her captivating masque into one of immense fury, a mouth of sharpened teeth and wrinkled fabric isolating tensed muscles, all as what should be an alluring glimpse of cleavage is hidden behind the unquenchable urge to kill any before this intense defender. Yet as we watch with stunned horror at this thrilling sight, it is the appearance of a struggling Belle and helpless Mel which keeps the reader riveted to the page, even as we stare with ghastly interest upon the violence and wonder how our heroine will escape, it is the sultry touches of shadows extenuating feminine curves, heavier details defining cloth wrinkles and the tease of sensual legs which makes the audience appreciate beauty within the horror. With strategic transitions between long shots and close-ups of our heroine thinking of a way out of her predicament, it is the clever manipulation flat metallic gold against pale skin tones which allows Rodriguez to create the illusion of depth, along with subtle shading under the eyes that shape our impression of DiMarco sorting through desperate ideas, all before we burst out laughing to see the comical solution, made more impactful with fitting sound effect text. As we become immersed within striking backgrounds of action lines and enveloping colors, ethereal glimpses of seductive pale blue skin lunging forward and then sprawled upon the ground are too fleeting, only to grind hypnotized views to a halt once we see the ghastly source of our desires in all its ghoulish revulsion. However, as the excitement slowly calms down, it is the amusing image of a displeased Mel attempting to lecture Belle which seems out of place for the seriousness of the moment, with this stoic beauty having hands on hips and a glaring look, and yet it is the small detail of her wearing a baby carrier which is pleasingly odd, only for delighted readers to smile once we see Hershey perched upon her chest, his small body dangling ahead, almost as if making a mockery of his master’s earnest plea, all before the true danger bursts forth of what is to come.
While Belle Annual: Depths of Tartarus may not be what we expect from this year long epic, it is the moving story which allows the reader to watch with growing satisfaction of how our Beast Hunter brings herself to accept the inevitable, allowing for a reflective saga which echoes the deeds of legend to become her own journey of growth and redemption, showing how even the divine can make errors in judgment, all while allowing themselves to accept their own inadequacies when they feel the need to correct those same mistakes. With a fantastic array of inclusive colors and contrasting artwork which unfolds the tenderness of the past and the harshness of the future, one cannot but become immersed within the constantly shifting tide of emotions unfolding within the amazing illustrations, with smooth transitions between techniques which allow for a powerful investment of sentimental gravitas. And while we may chuckle at how the Moirai constantly tease our heroine with glimpses into her future, it is the expected conclusion between mother and daughter which stirs readers to tear up when they finally meet, wishing for one last chance to walk in the sun, even as we know that their bitter parting is the most important moment within Belle’s harsh life.
Grade: A+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: November 16, 2022
MSRP: $7.99
