GRETEL: MORTAL VICES, from Zenescope Entertainment on 6/28/23, finds Gretel and Calabar on the hunt for the leader of a child trafficking ring, leading to a conflict that bullets or magic can’t solve.
The Details
- Written by: David Wohl
- Art by: Allan Otero
- Colors by: Maxflan Araujo
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: June 28, 2023
Is It Good?
GRETEL: MORTAL VICES is a surprisingly above-average one-shot that pits Gretel and Calabar against yet another witch but elevates the dramatic tension when the outcome pits Gretel and Calabar against each other. Good guys fighting bad guys is the basic goodness of any comic, but when good guys wind up fighting each other, now you’re cooking.
David Wohl’s script sends Gretel and Calabar undercover to expose a human trafficking ring with potential ties to witches. When the heroes get to the heart of the matter, they find the ring leader, but a fateful twist puts Gretel and Calabar on opposite sides of how to handle the “big boss.”
That’s the stuff that turns a basic comic into something more. When heroes have different methods for solving a problem, usually with lives at stake, that moral dilemma has the potential to destroy relationships. At the very least, the outcome of this comic will severely alter how Gretel and Calabar see each other, possibly severing their relationship. When a comic opts for character choices that create (possibly permanent) change in the canon of a character, especially when it comes through hard choices, that’s the kind of comic you remember.
How’s the art? Quite good. Allan Otero has a golden opportunity to show off with an action-heavy, high-paced comic, and show off he does. Otero’s layouts are visually interesting, the action is energetic, and the figure work is excellent. Couple Otero’s excellent art with bold color choices by Aruajo, and you have a solid issue on your hands based solely on the art.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Gretel and Calabar undercover with groups of migrant families as they’re illegally escorted across the U.S. border from Mexico. Our heroes received word that the families never make it to their destination, and witches are involved. When the caravan makes it across the checkpoint, they learn the rumors are true and dispatch the armed guards quickly, leaving one for interrogation.
Later, Gretel and Calabar infiltrate the traffickers’ base for more guards and interrogations, leading them to the site of a recent witch attack that killed several of Calabar’s colleagues. A lone survivor leads our heroes to an underground lair where they encounter one of Calabar’s old friends, Viper, but a familiar face holds an unfamiliar spirit.
We conclude the issue with daring escapes, pleas for help, and a deadly choice.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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GRETEL: MORTAL VICES is an above-average witch hunt for the titular hero and her partner. The art is top-notch, and the writing execution is excellent, but this one-shot is better than most because it forces the hero to make a deadly choice that will have life-changing consequences for her future.
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