In BELLE: KING OF SERPENTS, available from Zenescope Entertainment on April 28th, 2021, Belle must hunt down a snake monster who’s taken refuge in our universe and will stop at nothing to establish his own kingdom.
The Details
- Written By: Dave Franchini
- Art By: Julius Abrera
- Colors By: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters By: Kurth Hathaway
- Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino, Ivan Nunes
- Cover Price: $5.99
- Release Date: April 28, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes, it was good.
As per usual, Zenescope art quality is top-notch. The colors are bright, the character designs are original, and the action is presented well in the panels.
See for yourself in our BELLE: KING OF SERPENTS preview.
The story is above average monster-of-the-month storytelling. There are hints that this particular monster is here due to fallout from a prior story, which establishes a nice sense of continuity. Also, the outcome wraps up neatly but with a sense of growth in some of the character relationships.
The one, minor downside is Belle’s inner monologue narration. She talks to herself… a lot. Although the captions are Belle’s thoughts, it feels no different than walking alongside somebody who doesn’t stop talking. This could be remedied by putting more emphasis on emotion through facial expressions.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
We begin in a prologue of sorts with Belle clearing out a nest of harpies. It’s hard work but nothing she can’t handle. During the fight, Belle reflects on her life’s status quo and whether or not monster-hunting is her lot in life.
Later, Belle responds to a call from Priya about a mysterious death and theft from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. One of the workers was killed with a mysterious poison, and an ancient staff was stolen. Before any sort of investigation can start, the thief/killer announces himself by saying the worker’s death was a useful experiment.
Belle sees he has the staff and tries to take it from him, but he dodges her and transforms into a giant snake monster. He/it never really names himself, so let’s refer to him as the Snake King for short.
Belle and the Snake King trade blows that largely miss. The Snake King snatches up Priya and bites her to inject his venom. He then uses the staff to conjure a portal and tells Belle he wants to talk with her alone. She had better follow if she wants the anti-venom.
Reluctantly, Belle follows through the portal into a jungle location. In her search to find the Snake King, Belle is attacked by giant alligators and giant snakes until she’s eventually captured and brought to the Snake King’s jungle throne.
The Snake King explains he’ll give Belle the anti-venom if she agrees to remain and be his queen. In his universe, there was another version of Belle who was his queen but she died, so he wants this Belle to take her place. Of course, she refuses and she jumps into action to steal the vile of anti-venom sitting on the throne.
Belle and the Snake King begin a vigorous fight, with several of the Snake King’s reptilian friends getting the worst of Belle’s blows. The fight ends with a satisfying, yet predictable, conclusion that leaves the door open for a rematch in the future.
How Does It End?
The Snake King offers a last act of kindness. Belle tells Priya her name. Priya is cured… or is she?
Final Thoughts
BELLE: KING OF SERPENTS, available from Zenescope Entertainment on April 28th, 2021, is a straightforward and satisfying chapter in the Belle canon. Despite the monster-of-the-month motif and a fairly predictable ending, this was a fun popcorn issue.
Score: 8/10
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