BELLE: SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE, from Zenescope Entertainment on January 25, 2023, finds Belle on the hunt for a centuries-old Banshee terrorizing a local community.
The Details
- Written by: Dave Franchini
- Art by: Rodrigo Xavier
- Colors by: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: January 25, 2023
Is It Good?
BELLE: SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE is as solid a beast-hunting adventure as you can get from Zenescope. Dave Franchini crafts a one-shot filled with supernatural threats, action, plenty of trademarks overly chatty narration, and a tease that bigger problems are waiting on the horizon.
The highlight of Dave Franchini’s script (surprisingly is the Banshee. Why? Because it’s the Banshee, aka Kaitlyn Richards, that’s shown to go through a character arc with growth, change, and potential for the future. The Banshee, as we quickly learn, is a tragic character whose beastly status is the result of darker forces at work. You could make the case Franchini frames this issue as a setup for something better, but it reads better than a setup issue, and you’ll feel like you got your money’s worth.
The minor down point is a matter of preference instead of technical execution. Belle narrates herself… a lot. Zenescope knows this and presumably baked this personality trait into her character. However, when there’s action and at least two or more characters talking in a panel, Belle’s commentary narration creates clutter. In most panels, her narration is pointless commentary describing the scene, and therefore, unnecessary. Again, Belle’s chattiness is probably an intentional personality quirk, but it makes for cluttered reading.
Regarding the art, Xavier, Rodriguez, and Esposito turn in an above-average set of visuals for Belle’s adventure. The line work is clean, the beastly designs are plenty intimidating, and the coloring work is excellent. That said, there are a few spots where the fight choreography didn’t make sense, but those moments are brief.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a flashback to 1840. Kaitlyn Richards grieves the death of her mother at the hands of that era’s beast-hunting Belle. She understands her mother needed to be stopped after becoming a beast, but her pain is slow to dull.
Later, Kaitlyn receives a summons from a mysterious voice with an offer. Following the voice to an underground lair, a fae names Fachtna offers Kaitlyn the choice to be permanently rid of her pain. Kaitlyn accepts the offer by drinking from a jeweled cup offered by Fachtna. The drink took away Kaitlyn’s pain but enslaved her to Fachtna as a Banshee, enthralled by Fachtna’s bidding.
We conclude the issue with a look at generations, deadly choices, and the hint of a coming war.
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Final Thoughts
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BELLE: SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE gives readers a dead-solid monster story as Belle hunts a mythic creature. Surprisingly, the star of the issue is the Banshee who serves as a tragic figure with a dramatic backstory. The art is great, and the story will stick with you as an above-average setup for things to come.
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