BELLE: RETURN OF SCYLLA, from Zenescope Entertainment on July 20th, 2022, finds Belle and Mel aboard a CHIP submarine when a trio of hydras attacks to claim Belle and her recently-acquired shield for themselves.
The Details
- Written by: Dave Franchini
- Art by: Rodrigo Xavier
- Colors by: Maxflan Araujo, Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters by: Dezi Sienty
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: July 20, 2022
Is It Good?
BELLE: RETURN OF SCYLLA is a solid adventure that leans heavily into Belle’s recent brushes with Greek mythology and sets the stage for her eventual goal of breaking into Hades. The art is good, there’s plenty of action, and we learn a little more about the shield Belle found in her last adventure. That said, this issue suffers from one heck of a pacing problem for one specific reason. More on that in a minute.
The two bright spots in this issue are the art and the Easter Eggs related to Greek mythology.
First, the art is good to better-than-good. Xavier has a wide range of character designs to create here with lions, hydras, and bears. Oh, my! the magical beings inhabiting an island where Belle winds up have plenty of creatures at their disposal to do their dirty work, and the animals look great.
Franchini’s plot is straightforward and clear to follow. Belle is attacked by hydras while she travels aboard a CHIP submarine. The hydras were sent by Scylla as revenge for a past defeat and because Belle possesses a special shield that Scylla wants. Franchini uses Belle to punch her way out of most situations, but he peppers in enough mythological trappings to keep the adventure interesting while she deals with competing mythical creatures.
That said, the down point is a painful pacing problem due to Belle’s rambling inner monologue. Yes, you could make the case that “never shutting up” is Belle’s personality, but she thinks/exclaims/comments/reacts to every action in every panel, even about her own actions. Roughly ten pages in, you’ll either start checking the page count or learn to ignore the captions because reading every caption slows the pacing to a crawl.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Belle and Mel hitching a ride aboard a CHIP submarine to get back home. Suddenly, the sub is attacked by hydras desperate to kidnap Belle and take her shield for their master, Scylla. The kidnapping is successful, and Belle wakes up on a mist-shrouded island in the charge of another mythological being, Cassiphone.
Belle is “invited” to a banquet guarded by beats and lions. Wisely, Belle refuses the enticing food and drink when she realizes that consuming the offering will make her Cassiphone’s slave forever. Enraged, Cassiphone attacks, but belle holds her off with the help of a magic flower given to her by one of the lions. The flower is a magic talisman is a powerful talisman, and the lion is not all she seems.
Belle fights her way out of the banquet hall against bears, more hydras, and Scylla herself. We conclude the issue with closed doors, broken vases, and broken curses.
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Final Thoughts
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BELLE: RETURN OF SCYLLA is a solid story with tons of action. The plot leans into Greek mythology with interesting Easter EGgs and cameos, and the art is rife with energy. That said, the non-stopper chatter from the main character slows the pacing to a crawl and is almost bad enough to be a deal breaker for finishing this book.
Related Information
What is Scylla the goddess of?
Scylla is not a goddess. In Greek mythology, Scylla is described as a nymph who found romantic favor in the eyes of Poseidon. Jealous of Poseidon’s attention toward Scylla, Circe cursed Scylla into the form of a monster with multiple eyes, tentacled legs, and a long snake-like neck.
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