BELLE: DEEP FREEZE, from Zenescope Entertainment on December 14th, 2022, settles readers in for a nice, warm Thanksgiving Dinner… And then the Winter Maiden and her grumpy grandma had to show up and ruin it all.
The Details
- Written by: Dave Franchini
- Art by: Igor Vitorino, Rodrigo Xavier
- Colors by: Adriano Augusto, Maxflan Araujo
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: December 14, 2022
Is It Good?
BELLE: DEEP FREEZE is a thrilling, action-packed overly-chatty rematch between Belle and Winter Maiden. This time Ded Moroz, Winter Maiden’s disapproving grandfather, leads the charge to show his granddaughter how to get the job done. Readers are treated to plenty of icy action, great art, unexpected twists, and lots of droning narration. On the whole, this issue is a winner.
The bright spots of Dave Franchini’s script are the central premise and the plot execution.
Nothing gets the thrill juices flowing like a rematch between two formidable characters. Winter Maiden’s deadly ice purposes are a perfect foil for Belle’s physical attack abilities, so pitting them against each other again is a smart play for the Holiday season. However, Franchini amps up the stakes by introducing readers to Winter Maiden’s “ice god” grandfather, Ded Moroz, giving Belle a greater challenge to overcome. Adventures work best when a hero has to overcome a challenge greater than themselves, so Franchini nails the premise.
Further, great villains need a great story, and Franchini’s plot is a straightforward revenge plot from start to finish, but a surprising twist in the final battle gives this comic a little something extra. The twist (no spoilers here) sets up future challenges for Belle that could swing in multiple directions. In short, the plot is rock-solid and adds a surprise that sets up anticipation for more.
The minor (or not so minor, depending on your tastes) down point is Belle’s incessantly chatty narration. You could argue that her unceasing inner voice is a quirk of her character, but Franchini brushes the line between endearing quirk and off-putting annoyance. You’ve been warned.
The artwork looks fantastic. Readers may recognize Igor Vitorino as Zenescope’s go-to cover artist, but his internal pencils/inks look great, nearly on par with his cover work. Likewise, Xavier’s portion of the book looks equally great, and there’s no noticeable difference between art styles during the artist handoff. This comic has clean, sharp, detailed lines, excellent coloring from Augusto and Araujo, outstanding character designs, and energetic action.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Belle, Mel, and Hershey getting ready to sit down for a homecooked Thanksgiving Dinner. Before the feast begins, a weather report and a distress call from C.H.I.P. comes through, indicating a massive and unnatural ice storm is heading directly for the city. C.H.I.P. reports show a person is at the heart of the storm, headed directly for Belle.
With apologies to Mel and her cooking, Belle suits up and heads out to face whoever is coming. On the streets below, Belle encounters frozen, zombie werewolves and a giant zombie hawk attacking the citizen. The beasts appear to be leading Belle to City Hall, where she encounters Ded Moroz, an “ice god” and Winter Maiden’s grandfather. Ded Moroz has come to avenge his granddaughter’s previous defeat and cleanse the shame brought to their family by killing Belle and wiping away her city.
When the fight begins, Belle is barely able to handle the zombie ice beasts, but she finds she’s no match for Ded Moroz. We conclude the issue with familiar tricks, a bridge too far, and nap time.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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BELLE: DEEP FREEZE ruins Belle’s Thanksgiving Dinner (in the best way) with a thrilling, action-packed, visually exciting rematch between Belle and the Winter Maiden. The central premise, plotting, and pacing are fantastic, barring the excessive inner monologue from the main character, and the art is gorgeous.
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