ROBYN HOOD: THE CHILDREN OF DR. MOREAU, from Zenescope Entertainment on July 20th, 2022, sends Robyn into the sewers of New York to find out who or what is snatching people off the streets at night.
The Details
- Written by: Joe Brusha
- Art by: Ismael Canales
- Colors by: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Jeff Spokes (cover A)
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: July 20, 2022
Is It Good?
ROBYN HOOD: THE CHILDREN OF DR. MOREAU is a solid creature-feature adventure with gnarly monsters, kinetic action, and a rock-solid plot. Zenescope is on a roll with their high-quality one-shots of late, and this entry in Robyn’s canon serves as an excellent jumping-on point for new readers.
The highlight of this issue is the rock-solid, by-the-numbers, but no formulaic plot by Joe Brusha. Robyn is sent to investigate several disappearances near sewer entryways while she crosses paths with an old acquaintance and anti-hero, Red Agent. Their character interactions lay the foundation for a realistic partnership for future adventures. The main villain, Moreau, is determined and crafty in all the ways you should love to hate a villain. And the outcome of the adventure settles the immediate threat while leaving the door open for more conflict in the future. This one-shot is a great bottle issue that should entertain new readers and existing fans alike.
The second most positive point of this issue is not something it has but something it doesn’t. Recent Zenescope one-shots have suffered from lengthy, rambling inner monologues from the main heroes. Thankfully, this issue makes sparing and efficient use of the character’s thoughts to enhance the scene only when and where needed. Chalk this praise up to Zenescope creative teams consistently improving the quality of their one-shots.
Likewise, the quality of the art is very good. Canales, Rodriguez, and Esposito deliver plenty of action and imposing monster designs to hold your interest. The character’s facial acting is well-done, the choreography is solid, and the unique special effects (courtesy of a special weapon) are cool.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Robyn Hood and her trainer, Smitty, discussing how they can make up for past misdeeds by using their talents for good going forward. Next up on their “good deed” list, Robyn is sent to investigate a series of disappearances near the waterfront, close to sewer entryways. Robyn has experience battling alligator humanoids in those sewers, so she heads out to investigate.
Later, Robyn spots a woman entering one of the sewer tunnels and follows at a safe distance. The woman is attacked by an alligator hybrid, but she fends the monster easily, and Robyn discovers the woman is an old enemy-turned-respected-colleague-and-werewolf, Red Agent. The two join forces, as Red Agent has intel that an older enemy, Dr. Moreau, may be behind the hybrids.
As the duo approaches the deepest section of the sewers, they learn Red Agent’s suspicions are confirmed. Dr. Moreau is creating more powerful hybrids under her control to form an army. We conclude the issue with new hybrids, bright lights, and big explosions.
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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ROBYN HOOD: THE CHILDREN OF DR. MOREAU is a better-than-solid creature-feature adventure starring Znescope’s darkness-free archer. The story is basic, but there are enough twists to keep it unpredictable. And the art team delivers with energetic action and imaginative monster designs.
Related Information
What did Dr. Moreau do?
Dr. Moreau, the antagonist of H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, banished himself to a secluded island where he could continue his experiments involving the vivisection of live animals. His ultimate goal was to surgically alter animals, forcing them to evolve into a close approximation of humans.
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