In BELLE: SIRENS, available from Zenescope Entertainment on June 16th, 2021, Belle’s island vacation is interrupted when C.H.I.P. drafts her to retrieve a data chip lost on an island hideaway populated by aquatic monsters.
The Details
- Written By: Dave Franchini
- Art By: Babisu Kourtis
- Colors By: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters By: Dezi Dienty
- Cover Art By: Caanan White, Mohan Sivakami (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: June 16, 2021
Was It Good?
It was fun but a bit confusing because some important bits are left out of the story that leaves the entire issue feeling incomplete. The primary gap is everything related to C.H.I.P. Nothing is explained, no details about their missions are revealed, and it’s not even made clear why Belle was needed in the first place.
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What seems to happen is a series of events that have no connective tissue. To be fair, the events are fun and well-written while they’re happening, but you can’t shake the feeling a page or two was left out.
The art is still top-notch Zenescope quality. Kourtis gets to show off a little gore in this issue and it completely works in the context of the scenes and the overall story.
You can see for yourself in the BELLE: SIRENS preview here.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a cadre of C.H.I.P. landing on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean that has an ancient city carved into the side of the island. Very quickly, the cadre is wiped out by sirens, deadly fish-like humanoids with sonic blast capabilities.
The first bit of confusion is not the fight but why the C.H.I.P. cadre is there in the first place. What are they doing there?
Cut to Mel and Belle arriving at a beachside hotel for a little vacation time. Although Mel is all in on sun and fun, Belle can’t let work go and stays behind in the hotel room to catch up on a little work. While she works, C.H.I.P. knocks on the door and abducts her when she opens up.
When Belle wakes up (handcuffed to a gurney) on a C.H.I.P. ship, she’s met by the chip’s captain, Graham. Belle was selected to retrieve a data chip lost on the island of sirens because her fighting skills and talents would be ideal for the operation. Despite the hostile way Belle was “invited” to this operation, Belle accepts because Graham reveals C.H.I.P. has been scrubbing Belle’s heroics from the news and police reports to keep her anonymous.
The next bit of confusion is the mission itself and Belle’s abduction. Nothing during the prologue mission with the cadre mentions anything about a data chip. Graham never explains the details of the mission before or during the time she’s dropped off on the island. There’s no information provided at any point in the issue about the data chip. What is it? What’s so important about the information on it? How did it get on the island in the first place?
Belles is dropped off on the island with a spiffy new combat suit, courtesy of C.H.I.P. to retrieve the data chip. Soon, she’s attacked by the sirens. She holds her own for a while but the numbers get overwhelming before too long. Before the sirens make Belle their next snack, the beasts are cut through by another character wearing a combat suit similar to Belle’s but with bright red accents. She calls herself Rose and she seems to know Belle from somewhere… or somewhen.
Rose helps Belle but she clearly is on the island for her own reasons. The two join up to fight but Rose sneaks off to let Belle fends for herself while rose retrieves the data chip. Throughout the latter half of the issue, we get the two costumed characters battling wave after bloody wave of sirens.
The two heroes race for the shore once Rose has the data chip, and just before the biggest wave of sirens can intercept them, Rose triggers an explosion to destroy the entire nest and half the island. Belle is flung into the ocean but Rose is nowhere to be found.
Later, Belle tells Graham about Rose and what happened on the island but he explains he’s never heard of Rose.
We conclude the issue with Belle being returned to her hotel with Mel none the wiser.
How Does It End?
A Rose goes by another name. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Belle needs a nap.
Final Thoughts
BELLE: SIRENS is filled with great art and pulse-poundings action but there are so many details left out of the story that it feels like action pieces stringed together without any connective tissue to tell a complete story.,
Score: 7/10
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