Sometimes … people can’t play nice together.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Alessio Mariani
Colors: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
What They Say:
Philadelphia is rich in history and home to many interesting people. One, none other than Anabelle “Belle” DiMarco, descends from a long line of beast hunters tasked with protecting our world from the creatures who stalk in the shadows.
As belle takes in a seemingly peaceful night, she stumbles on a problem of the witchcraft variety, which only seems to worsen as the night goes on. Meanwhile, across town, Gretel, a woman cursed for nearly three-hundred years with magical powers and the need to eradicate the blight of witches from our world, has her own magical issues to deal with.
Don’t miss this adrenaline-pumping crossover issue where beast hunter and witch hunter come together for the first time, and they might just find out they share a common enemy!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Tonight seemed like a quiet night for Belle as she visits a graveyard in Christ Church Philadelphia, lingering around the silence of the graves and contemplating the wisdom of those who came before, all as she searches for a particular burial site so that she can liberate a certain artifact. However as she peers at the golden trinket in the gentle glow of a full moon, the monster hunter is startled as she hears is not the only intruder this night, with a group of particularly talkative women casually approaching the same location. But as Mel warns her friend it is not her responsibility to stop crime, it is this dynamic woman’s observation of their actions which cause her to pause, especially when one of their group begins to desecrate a plot with what appears to be mystical energies to unearth the bones entombed beneath. After witnessing this confusing sight, DiMarco can now speculate she has undeniably seen magic, and thereby can conclude these troublemakers are witches, with Mel complaining in her ear not to do anything stupid. And yet Belle cannot but ignore this bothersome coven, especially when she overhears their next target will be the resting place of American patriot Ben Franklin, ignoring her adviser’s suggestion to let the police handle the situation, and hastily leaping into action before seeing the quartet all have powers which she has no idea of how to combat.
But as the midnight blue clad protector faces off against her own problems, a blonde pigtailed witch hunter is sinking her teeth into a hearty meal, even as Calabar reminds her of how disgusting this habit may be, all while knowing it is necessary. And yet as Gretel compliments her partner for this rare yet worthwhile tip, she is troubled by the veracity of the information, for as they wander the gloomy hallways of this seemingly abandoned house, the supposedly ritualistic symbols scribbled upon the walls are mostly jibberish by people who may be new to the arcane. However they cannot take the risk that the one truth of all true witches is that they need the flesh of children to maintain their vitality, and they will not leave until after searching every room to negate the possibility of this gruesome necessity. But while roaming deeper into the building, the undeniable stench of decay pervades the air, and though the comfort of not finding human remains is a relief, the monstrosity of a guardian which patrols the area is a bother, even as Calabar happily volunteers to deal with this overconfident sentry, who fails underestimate the explosive determination of a well prepared hunter.
In Summary:
When I first heard of this one shot title and saw the fantastic covers, it immediately came to mind that writer Dave Franchini may have taken on more than even his amazing literary talents may be able to conquer, and yet as we become engrossed within this epic crossover, it is apparent those worries were all for nothing. The depth of this endeavor in trying to capture the undeniable stubbornness of our dynamic heroines is at the center of this memorable tale, with each forthright hunter attempting to prove their manner of dealing with monsters is the proper and only acceptable way of vanquishing their definition of an abomination. However it is within that terminology which becomes the crux for the main problem: while Gretel may have almost three hundred years of experience hunting witches and she knows of their depraved hunger for young flesh, Belle is ignorant of these facts and therein lies the underlying misunderstanding of how to deal with beasts which look like humans, with the moral objection of DiMarco of not wanting to harm people who may yet be reformed. But even while Calabar and her sanguine ally may have had several opportunities to explain their understanding, they never attempted to make their position clear, with Belle while being an experienced protector, she has never had to kill creatures who were undeniably repugnant, in both actions and appearance, and so is unsettled when she must face this choice of murdering monsters who on the surface are human.
But then we have the other issue which has been risen within the story: people who seem to have volunteered to become bearers of mystical energies by either their own choosing or were test subjects and came to accept this addictive power. Within the original story of Gretel, witches are immortal beings who born or were corrupted by consuming flesh of their progenitors, all while maintaining their vitality after eating young children, either by choice of necessity. And while Gretel has found a way around that gruesome need with something even more terrifying, these magicians appear to be novices to their abilities, as we witnessed by their expressed fascination in not knowing the true depth of their powers and later being overconfident in its godlike strength to defeat lesser foes. But at the same time, the story also points out the inexperience of this coven, with runes which made no sense to a true practitioner, the quartet being unable to properly utilize their magic or apparent surprise in success from a technique which should have been a rudimentary talent. If these people are truly newly created beings, as was hinted at the conclusion of the tale, then it appears Gretel and Belle may have future opportunities to face these disappointing enemies and each other, with one seeing them as new sources of bloody meals and the other a chance to gain a better understanding of what it truly means to be a monster wearing human skin.
While we may be inadvertently confused by these conflicting foundations of become a witch, one cannot deny it is the wonderfully stoic artwork created by the talented hand of Alessio Mariani which broadly communicates the darkness of this tale, the underlying manipulations of shading reflect the somber environment, even as we look upon the ingrained humanity and moving emotional ambiance reflected from facial folds upon the actors’ faces, with Belle and Mel fascinated by their exposure to an unknown world, as Calabar and Gretel convey themselves as being callous and unswayed by the brutality of their foes. And yet within all of the savagery portrayed upon these memorable pages, it is made all the more enthralling by the clever application of a limited color palette due to Juan Manuel Rodriguez skilled techniques, permitting suffocating layers of shadows to be magnified by muted tones, and thus emphasizing amazing details such as seductive muscle tone, chilling settings and the determination of the characters to be brought to the forefront, thereby focusing the underlying horror of the setting and eventual fallout. From the opening we are greeted to an artistic complication which is made all the more compelling due to limited lighting, with unseen illumination highlighting the actors to create a sullen mood, enforcers who are not to be crossed, but then this foreboding event is turned upside down as we watch these forceful men being pacified by ice cream cones which appear childlike in their massive hands. However what makes this scene all the more comically amusing is the introduction of onomatopoetic sound effect text which reduces one of these fierce predators to a bloody pulp due to a neon influenced explosion, only to look up and witness the source as being seductive women hurling magical bolts, signalling this will not be your normal story but one which will be an enjoyable treat for the eyes as we ravenously consume the details in preparation for what may happens next.
Belle: Hearts & Minds One-Shot is a delight to watch unfold as Belle and Mel are introduced to the world of witches, and yet Gretel and Calabar are poor hosts as they enforce their hidden agenda upon prospective allies, making this initial meeting a spark which may combust into future welcomed bonfires. With brilliantly executed artwork and sullen colors that emphasize the darkness of the tale, we are enveloped within this confusing bombardment of conflicting morals, all while wondering which is the correct path to a proper punishment. Monsters may be a tolerable side of her nightly escapades, but when Belle must face abominations with human faces, the justification of a gruesome demise is unfathomable, leading to making us wonder which one is right and who is undeniably wrong.
Grade: A-
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 16, 2020
MSRP: $5.99
