Powerful allies can be a benefit … as long as they fight the enemy and not each other.
Creative Staff:
Story: Dave Franchini, David Wohl & Pat Shand
Writer: Pat Shand
Artwork: Sergio Ariño, Daniel Mainé, Ricardo Osnaya, Hakan Aydin & Saint Yak
Colors: Maxflan Araujo
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Deep in the jungles of Chiapas, Angelica “Hellchild” Blackstone is trying to find herself the only way she knows how, hunting down the scum in our world who think they are too protected to worry. Finally catching up to a cartel leader she has been tracking, Angelica discovers something much darker than she could have ever imagined is at play. Guest Starring Gretel, The Witch Hunter, don’t miss this truly terrifying new story!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Inside of an abandoned warehouse, the determined woman known as Hellchild finds herself in a familiar situation, recalling how vampires were guarded against and the gods were worshipped in exchange for protection from monsters, but since she is a hybrid of the two beings, it is the current moment of being forced to defend herself from a group of cartel enforcers and witches chanting in the background which stirs her blood with incensed frustration, releasing upon the hopeless soldiers her unrestrained fury as they fruitless attempt to fight back behind a useless hail of bullets. As she ruthless charges forward with confidence and bloodily butchers the panicked men, it is the ones casting their spell which might cause some trouble, remembering the trouble she stirred up after defeating that demigod Tor and his boss, and people warning the Death God is coming for her, thus making the brazen decision if someone wants her, she will ho after them herself. Upon finally reaching the trio of women, it is the eldest who boastfully declares she has come too late to make a difference, making the foolish mistake of cursing Angelica’s foul blood and alluding she knows nothing about true power, but these empty taunts do nothing but inflame this foul tempered crusader, causing her to rush forward and unleash her pent up fury, even as these overconfident witches attempt to stop her with a modicum of power.
Meanwhile outside the same building, the formidable team of Gretel and Calabar attempt to survey their surroundings before they hear the sound of gunfire, while the spirited blonde jokes it could be these foul men killing each other, they will regardless utilize this distraction as a chance to sneak in and find the local children that the cartel reportedly kidnapped, but as some of the townspeople worry they have been taken to be put to work, this witch hunter knows it could worse than what they can possible imagine. Fortunately, this moment gives her a chance to try out a new power she recently acquired called Bird of Prey, silently summoning a raven minion, with Gretel ordering it to reduce the number of guards surrounding the facility, but as Calabar wonders if her partner should save some power for once they get inside, her pony tailed companion retorts this is a chance to practice since it is hard to control. Yet as the black feathered bird finishes the gruesome job, the goggled woman cannot but grimace at the brutality of the power, with puddles of blood scattered around where it tore holes within helpless bodies, and while she may question the delicate placement of the targets, Gretel mockingly remarks she did that on purpose.
In Summary:
After seeing their interaction within the short story from Grimm Fairy Tales 2022 Holiday Pinup Special, we knew it was only a matter of time until Gretel and Angelica teamed up, but then again, the surreptitious manner by which Hellchild gathered information from her competition did not put this future partnership within a good light, especially when they seem to be after different objectives even if she was listening in on the interrogation, always keeping the audience in the dark to allow the future to remain a surprise. And yet, while observant readers may have noticed not so subtle suggestions within their respective franchises, it is through Grimm Fairy Tales Myths & Legends Quarterly: Blood of the Gods by which story creators Dave Franchini, David Wohl and Pat Shand weave a provocative tale which delves into the gruesome unknown with aspects of both characters, permitting writer Shand to expand upon each venue of obscure influences to bring a new grim premise of what might come, searching for crucial answers, even if they may not like what they find.
As harried readers are thrown into this provocative special ill-prepared for what our heroines must face, from the beginning we are not surprised to see Hellchild’s ferocious nature painfully win her disagreement with foul tempered individuals, with copious amounts of blood pooling upon the floor and allowing a pleased audience to chuckle as we watch this mildly perturbed demigoddess shrug off what should be mortal wounds, only fueling her anger and making their deaths that much more painful. Yet as we watch with amusement as overconfident witches attempt to match brute strength against a vampire, it is never made clear why Angelica would willingly assault a group who appear to be associated with a drug cartel, and while we may recall her hated rival Tor’s involvement within the narcotics trade and his desire to use Angelica to dispatch competitor Caduceus in order to usurp his power in Grimm Spotlight: Hellchild, there was no clear path as to where her sanguine escapade would lead. Then to compound this growing confusion within a broadening story, although we understand Gretel and Calabar’s incessant need to stop Mother Margaret’s desire to create vampire hybrids to enhance her vile reach upon innocents, nothing between these contrasting involvements explains why these disparate groups would associate with each other, which makes the narrative even more perplexing after the first mention of a death god comes into play, particularly when the coven confirms their devotion to Mayan deity Au-Puch, then accent their dedication with a modern religious affirmation, almost as if punctuating its sacrilegious usage as a bold insult to enforce their paganism belief.
While this disturbing declaration makes an authoritative statement within this anxious turn of events, what is more puzzling is why supposedly non-Hispanic witches would worship a Mesoamerican deity, particularly when there are death gods within their own ethnic identity they could serve, but as one would not wish to infringe upon open religious boundaries, it is the later revelation of his ghoulish partner which adds to the narrative confusion created by Shand, pairing this ruler of the underworld with someone who is supposedly an urban legend – La Mala. This drastically elevated messenger of death is a malicious spirit who lures away the unfortunate in New Mexico and Mexico, and although this female phantom dressed in black may be comparable to the Devil, she is at most considered a bad omen for the unwary traveler, with those who follow her never to be seen again. However, while it is not unusual to utilize liberal adaptation to mold familiar characters into what is suitable for a new story, to intermingle an imaginary spectre with a celestial being deeply seeped within Mayan mythology seems an odd clashing of cultures, especially when one finds its origins in Guatemala and the other was formed upon crossroads over twelve hundred miles away. Even if we consider Gretel’s journey might have started from her interrogation site in Chiapas, Mexico, that is still over two hundred fifty miles away, and seems a rather unlikely distance to travel in order to confront Mother Margaret, only to find the unknown within a steaming jungle atop a Mayan pyramid.
Yet even if a knowledgeable audience may excuse this odd crossing of cultural myths and folklore, what follows the first act is a clichéd monotony within this outwardly intriguing story and the menacing consequences of a gripping encounter, causing one to question Shand’s need to bog down the exciting pacing with a tiresome insertion of dream sequences to fill up a third of the special, all revolving around well-known backstories tinged by horrifying moments of sobering reality. Despite the fact it may be meant to reinforce the formative tragedy of each heroine, at the same time, it is only Calabar’s tale which is sadly informative, even with its warping of kind truth, since we know nothing of her life before she was stolen from the orphanage by a witch. However, as we are shown what happened to Gretel and Angelica, it is these tales which are maddeningly repetitive due the former being based on an twisted adaptation of the popular fairy tale and the later shows informed readers a brief moment of happiness from Hellchild’s original series, only to make this heartfelt event uninspired since the dreamer herself spoils the teary moment by transforming back to her current form, acknowledging her realization the truth. And while this dreary chapter may create a rousing escape and serve as the sobering intermission for frustrating failures of the opening, all this discouraging escape accomplishes is to form a tenuous melodrama and pause the important momentum of a moving story, ultimately leading into the welcomed, if somewhat predictable conclusion of this mildly promising special.
As this bouncing narrative projects conflicting moods of emotional melodrama, it is the fulfilling and unifying palette of Maxflan Araujo which allows readers to discernibly enjoy the depth of these graphical treats, with his adaptive skill to vary color schemes for each illustrator that permits differing artistic techniques to reveal their uniqueness within this grand adventure, thereby creating both a narrative and distinct visual shift between each explosive act of excitement or poignant development.
But even as we wonder how these formidable women can conquer what they yet to understand, it is the fantastic artwork of the opening act which draws the reader into the special itself, with Sergio Ariño’s astonishing elements created by crisp linework making the audience stare in amazement as to how much details he has placed within each panel, even as we shudder upon seeing an infuriated Hellchild prepare to unleash her anger and the defenders’ vivid reactions, the scowl of intimidation an unusual departure for her normal smirk of amusement, all as we admire the firmly muscular legs and teases of cleavage, made more impressive as Araujo’s enticing mixture of pale skin tones stand out amidst the coldness of an industrial complex and black leather pants firmly encasing her powerful form. One cannot but smile at the smooth transition between frenetic panels, with brief bursts of bright color helping to extenuate the action, even as Angelica rips across the pages savaging everything in sight and leaving trails of blood, firmly establishing who is in charge, all as the overly confident witches attempt to reveal their fading dominance. A classic scene of forms hidden in shadow before she strikes creates a meaningful touch of nostalgia, as if we know how this clash will end, made more intense as we watch Hellchild rush forward with a vibrant sunburst and array of action lines intensifies her rage, letting us know who is truly in charge.
However, as intense action releases its grip upon a harried audience, it is a gentle and expressive opening image from Daniel Mainé which makes us question if this might be the same story, immediately causing the reader to chuckle at the pleasing sight of a young Calabar, a cheerful smile illuminating as she greets her parents before they return home, allowing the gentleness of this caring sight to disarm any anxiety we once had, only to be shocked back into submission due to the deserving terror of this special, all as delicate details unfold the horror which smoothly tumbles down between panels. Clever usage of close-ups allows tension to escalate, the shock of a sickening revelation and return to a valiant woman forced to grow up too soon, and yet it is the disturbing silhouette that sits before her encased within Araujo’s intensely smothering shadows which makes the cascade of disheveled panels that much more effective. Anxiety builds as she watches a brutal predator feast on the forbidden, with images that almost allow us to smell the iron in the air, until both Calabar and the audience are repulsed by the revelation of how she sees her closest friend Gretel, as an embodiment of primal desires to sate her hunger, but also encased within entwining tentacles of evil which threaten to consume her as she feasts with vacant eyes.
Yet as we switch to the open eyed innocence of a young Gretel and her cautious brother Hansel, it is Ricardo Osnaya’s delightfully expressive illustrations which make the audience smile at the carefree nature of this pair, with broad faces and eyes shining with wonderment, and yet as Araujo’s tender colors make us question what will happen to these happy children, the harshness of reality does not wait even as they pass into a sound sleep with pleasing smiles gracing their faces, only for a startled child to be awaked by the terror of Tituba. To see her teasing grin is disarming, the shock of her torso torn open and the person who was once her brother turned beast makes this dream a nightmare, with the poor woman gripped by the guilt of a survival even as a savage face full of teeth threatens to make her his next meal. But when the scene turns to Angelica remembering her own painful past, subdued lighting of torches at times makes us question if Araujo has not added enough illumination to the scene, at times the dancers appearing jaundiced even when they are veiled in thin shadows, spoiling the gentle elegance before it is shattered by an unappealing truth.
With the foggy haze of nightmares now gone, it is the hauntingly beautiful illustrations of Hakan Aydin which make us challenge what is to come, with ethereal luminescence brought about by the neon tones of Araujo, and while we may be entranced by this seductive form, with our heroines painfully sprawled out before the alluring half naked woman floating above with glowing eyes, long body lines, flowing cape and energy crackling from the very air, it is upon the next page where these unintentional rivals must face off, as Gretel dons a similar mystical aura to adapt to her domineering foe, yet as Aydin presents high cheekbones and full lips upon intensely stern faces, one cannot but stare mesmerized by these incandescent celestial forms ready to do battle. But as they prepare themselves with voices that would with echo from intensity, and their confrontation seems to envelope electrical discharges, it is disappointingly anticlimactic, with all of the visual build up coming to a sudden stop as the ebony robed Hellchild brings her own form of punishment to the fight, resulting in a dulled atmosphere taking over the scene, and making us want for an extension of what could have been. However, it is her primal brutality which returns an enthralled audience back from the divine display we witnessed, reminding us there is not some holy majesty which awaits, but the grounded reality of a battle between mortals and what lies beyond the veil.
With the final and unexplained confrontation now boldly presenting itself before a puzzled audience, Saint Yak utilizes an all engrossing environment of smothering shadows and heavy linework to create the ambiance of death incarnate within his pages, made fully ominous once we see the hidden protagonists who have driven the story forward in all their gruesome glory, with readers both repulsed and impressed by these embodiments of death and misery. But at the same time, to see our heroines depicted with these same forceful techniques and Araujo’s similarly influenced palette which gives them sickly skin tones of jaundiced individuals in dim light, one cannot but be depressed by the morbid sight, with only a fleeting glimpse of normalcy until we are flung back into the clichéd pit of a tiresome zombie movie, our valiant women attempting to fight against endless hoards of the undead. Although this may be project an underlying excitement fitting for a realm of death, the harsh illustrations are wearisome upon the eye even if they are wondrously effective to depict the grimness of the moment, balancing a thin line between monotony and unending enthusiasm which emboldens the conclusion of this daring special.
While Grimm Fairy Tales Myths & Legends Quarterly: Blood of the Gods may attempt to present itself as an enticing narrative, expanding the shreds of knowledge that envelope the hidden battle which Gretel and Hellchild are the vanguards for humanity, the underlying foundation which reinforce their motivations are sorely lacking in definition, thus presenting a special that expects a confused audience to accept that a death god and death’s messenger would deign to interfere with mortal affairs without explanation, leading readers to this decisive moment. Although robustly presented with outstanding artwork and a smothering array of nuanced colors, the visual delights of this title lure us in without any need to promise understanding, compounding explosive moments of gory excitement with somber recollections to add to the nightmares which lie in wait. However, while the story does have promise, the undulating narrative lacks the necessary momentum to carry interested viewers relentlessly to the end, with dramatic pauses meant to amplify our heroines’ drives only serving to disrupt the spontaneity with tiresome familiarity, resulting in a special which could have succeeded if not for the assumption that loyal fans would accept blindly move forward under a collapsing bridge of boldly presented violence instead of reinforced understanding.
Grade: A
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: December 21, 2022
MSRP: $8.99
