In ROBYN HOOD: CULT OF THE SPIDER-QUEEN, available from Zenescope Entertainment on March 17th, 2021, Robyn is called in to repay a favor from the Black Knight and investigate a growing cult responsible for several disappearances. When Robyn investigates the cult’s web of followers, she finds its roots are quite monstrous.
The Details
- Written By: Joe Brusha
- Art By: Babisu Kourtis
- Colors By: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters By: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino, Ivan Nunes
- Cover Price: $5.99
- Release Date: March 17, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes. It’s an over-sized one-shot, so you get a lot of story for your money. The plot is straightforward, Robyn’s relationships (and her gadget arsenal) grow significantly, and there’s plenty of action to keep the reader entertained.
The art is up to typical Zenescope’s high standards, so it’s visually appealing, the monster designs are intimidating as they should be, and the entire look of the book works. To see for yourself, check out our ROBYN HOOD: CULT OF THE SPIDER-QUEEN preview to peek inside.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Robyn Hood is called into the offices of Peyton Parks, Public Defender by day and Black Knight by night, to repay a favor that requires a little stealth. A spider-themed cult has a growing presence in NYC, and everywhere a painted mural of the Spider-Queen appears, people start disappearing.
Smitty is brought in to provide some support. We first met Smitty in the last Robyn Hood adventure (see ROBYN HOOD: IRON MAIDEN #2 review), and it turns out Smitty is quite the gadget-smith. He loads Robyn up with all types of trick arrows which will come in handy later on.
Later that night, Robyn spots a gang of thugs wearing spider masks attacking a young couple. She intervenes with non-lethal force and puts them down easily. Suddenly, a hooded figure appears and scolds her for interfering.
A word about the action art here. You can tell the artists took some time to depict Robyn fighting effectively in a way that realistically matches her physique. She’s not a large, beefy woman, so it wouldn’t make sense for her to toss around much larger men. Her attacks are precisely aimed at vulnerable points, using the momentum of the larger men’s frames against them. It’s a subtle observation, but it underscores the creative teams’ attention towards getting combat right.
The hooded figure pulls off his robe, and it’s a hideous man/spider hybrid. Robyn and the man-spider fight to a stalemate, and it escapes down a manhole with Robyn in pursuit.
Robyn catches up to the monster in an underground lair with webbed bodies hanging from the ceiling and wall torches lighting the room. The lightly injured monster is surrounded by other hooded figures who disrobe to reveal they’re also large spider-human monsters. Not one to shy away from a fight, Robyn charges in to fight the group of man-spiders with her fancy trick arrows.
Robyn does her best, but she eventually gets snagged in gnarly webbing with a very large spider minion bearing down on her.
Without spoiling the ending, the lead man-spider gets a taste of his own medicine, exploding arrows are fun, and the Spider-Queen brings her Lunch to work.
Final Thoughts
ROBYN HOOD: CULT OF THE SPIDER-QUEEN, available from Zenescope Entertainment on March 17th, 2021, will send any reader with the slightest fear of spiders running for cover. The story is simple and yet takes the time to grow the Robyn Hood character, and the art is excellent with a surprising amount of attention to detail.
Score: 8.5/10
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