BETTIE PAGE: CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #3 – Review

In BETTIE PAGE: CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #3, available from Dynamite Comics on August 11th, 2021, Bettie and Lyssa pull double-monster duty as they race to defeat a Banshee’s curse and battle a zombie army.

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The Details

• Written By: Stephen Mooney
• Art By: Jethro Morales
• Colors By: Dinei Ribero
• Letters By: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Art By: Marat Mychaels
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: August 11, 2021

Was It Good?

It’s a fun little example of a B-movie creature feature that takes itself, and the scares, seriously. In other words, this is turning out to be a proper horror comic; guts and all.

The fact that this series is turning out to be a straight horror comic is cause for horror fans to be happy. However, creating a straight horror story in a Bettie Page comic is turning out to be a double-edged sword because a sore spot I noted in the last issue has become more prevalent here. Namely, there’s not much of anything distinctly Bettie Page in this comic other than the main character’s name.

Bettie Page has been the source of amorous envy for decades. That’s pretty much what she’s known for, so when you put Bettie Page in a horror comic and you strip out (no pun intended) any sense of vivacious vitality, the comic becomes generic. If you take Bettie Page out as the lead character and replace her with somebody else, it wouldn’t make one drop of difference to the plot.

To be fair to the writer, the story is excellent. The pacing is good. The dialog is organic with minor bits of levity here and there. The only thing that’s missing is the personality and chutzpah of the titular (again, no pun intended) character.

As a stand-alone horror comic with an above-average drive-in movie feel, this is a great issue. As a Bettie Page comic, it’s lacking.

Thankfully, the art from Morales and the team is great. We get several scenes of gore when the zombie army shows up, and I was surprised/impressed with how well it came off. Kudos to the art team and the beautiful execution.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

First things first. Read our BETTIE PAGE: CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #2 review to find out where the zombies came from.

Bettie and Lyssa use the information from the town’s police chief to search a cave in the nearby woods for clues. At the end of the last issue, they found a small army of zombies huddled in the cave, seemingly under the Banshee’s control.

We pick up with the zombies realizing Bettie and Lyssa are there, and the scene turns from stealth to survival as the undead attack from all sides. In the confusion, our heroes get separated.

That’s when Bettie falls down a hall into another part of the cave where she comes face-to-face with the Banshee. The Banshee “does something” to Bettie before Lyssa rejoins here, and the two manage to escape the cave with minor injuries.

Back at the village, Lyssa gets Bettie to a hospital to find out why she’s not feeling well. We conclude the issue with Lyssa seeking alternate health advice for Bettie’s condition, a flashback to the Banshee’s origin, and some helpful zombie-killing tips.

Final Thoughts

BETTIE PAGE: CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #3 is filled with chills, spills, and thrills. The art is excellent, and the story holds your attention, but the only thing lacking in this Bettie Page comic is Bettie Page.

Score: 7.5/10