BETTIE PAGE: THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #5 – Review

In BETTIE PAGE: CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #5, available from Dynamite Comics on October 20th, 2021, Bettie and Lyssa go on the offensive to end the Banshee’s plan to destroy the country with a zombie army.

The Details

• Written By: Stephen Mooney
• Art By: Jethro Morales
• Colors By: Dinei Ribero
• Letters By: Taylor Esposito, Elizabeth Sharland
• Cover Art By: Marat Mychaels (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: October 20, 2021

Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.

Was It Good?

We’ve made some bones about how much we enjoy this series as a proper homage to Drive-In creature features but that the main character had very little Bettie Page qualities about her personality. In this final issue of the mini-series, those critiques don’t change but the story ends well.

Whenever we review the final issue in a run, we look at both the final issue as a stand alone work and the series as a whole.

The final issue works well in some areas and not so much in others. (Hop down to the next section for more details about the plot with some spoilers.) The issue follows two threads – First, Bettie continues her battle against the Banshee in the metaphysical plane of existence. Second, Lyssa tries to convince the local peace officers to join her in wiping out the zombie army before it can be unleashed.

The plot that works, and works well, is Bettie’s astral battle against the Banshee. The Banshee divulges a lot of information to fill in the blanks about her identity and true intentions, wrapping up the mystery portions of the series. In the final fight, Bettie shows both a strength and a vulnerability that shows the more endearing qualities of her personality.

Lyssa’s thread work until it doesn’t she spends a fair bit of time trying to convince the local authorities to band together to go kill zombies. The scenes have a teeny bit of humor and elevate your appreciation for Lyssa in the way she masterfully makes her point. However, it falls a little flat because all the action happens off panel. You get the buildup of major battle that you never see, and it’s a letdown.

One thing we cannot fault is the art from Morales and the team. The lines are clean and crisp, the character designs (especially the Banshee) are fantastic, and yes, there’s a little of the classic Bettie Page cheesecake in this issue. It’s a Bettie Page comic, so the cheesecake is obligatory, and it’s done tastefully here. Special credit also goes to Ribeiro for the phenomenal coloring, particularly for the work that went into coloring plaid skirts without making a sketchy mess.

In all, it’s a fitting end to a spooky story. While we may bemoan (*heh* Banshee’s moan. Get it?) the lack of Bettie Page voice and personality in the main character, it’s still a fun read.

What’s It About?

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

To understand how Bettie and Lyssa decided it’s time for war, first read our BETTIE PAGE: THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #4 review.

Bettie is still bedridden, waffling between the waking and dreaming world. The Banshee calls to Bettite in her mind, showing her who she really is. Surpsingly, the Banshee hasn’t been masquerading as one person at all, and so the mystery is solved, but not in the way Bettie suspected.

The Banshee wants Bettie to love her… to join her and her zombie army to destroy the Sasanach (Scots’ term for an English person). Bettie refuses and the two begin a tough of war for control of Bettie’s mind. Bettie wakes long enough during the struggle to relay to Lyssa the location of a much bigger zombie army.

Lyssa takes the information and heads to the local authorities to convince them to gether a posse for some good ol’ fashioned zombie killing. We conclude the issue with Lyssa definitively proving her case to the naysayers, Bettie the Banshee her own power, and a tearful goodbye.

Final Thoughts

BETTIE PAGE: CURSE OF THE BANSHEE #5 is a proper end to an authentic homage to 50s Drive-In monster movies. The art is phenomenal, and the arc ends with a mostly satisfying conclusion. That said, some of the action happens off-panel, so the ending is not as satisfying as it could have been.

Score: 7.5/10