ROBYN HOOD: HELLFIRE, from Zenescope Entertainment on December 15th, 2021, turns a simple MidWestern layover into a fight for survival when Robyn crosses paths with a cult out for her blood.
The Details
- Written By: Joe Brusha
- Art By: Allan Otero
- Colors By: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters By: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Art By: Mike Krome (cover A)
- Cover Price: $5.99
- Release Date: December 15, 2021
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Was It Good?
ROBYN HOOD: HELLFIRE is the second Zenescope title out this week and the second issue to be more about the setup for future stories rather than creating a memorable one-shot. The combination of art and writing is fine overall, barring a few narrative beats that don’t quite connect, but you get the sense this one-shot is designed as a prologue for bigger things.
Let’s talk about what works first. Robyn Hood is stuck in Montana after the events of her last adventure in the wilderness. She’s coincidentally identified by members of a cult who just so happen to need her for a dastardly ritual. The location is intriguing (when was the last time you read a comic set on a Montana ranch?), and we get plenty of emotional weight from Robyn’s connection with the locals, especially when things go very wrong. The superhero life can take its toll on a person, so it’s a solid bit of writing from Brusha to explore Robyn’s desire for a taste of the “normal life.”
The art is generally good in this issue. Plenty of action and plenty of unique creature designs. The line details are a little lacking in a few spots, so the look of the book doesn’t wow you, but it gets the job done.
There are two pieces that don’t quite work, hurting the score of this review. First, there’s a sequence in the latter half of the book where Robyn is “captured.” “Captured’ is in quotes because she seems to be listlessly taken away without any resistance. You could argue she complies because she’s in shock over a gruesome death, but Robyn has seen some stuff before, so this entire sequence was hard to swallow. Second, the big draw of this issue is the Hellfire cult and a demon. The entire issue sets these entities up but they’re barely in the book except for a few henchmen. Again, the issue sets up bigger things without actually getting to those bigger things beyond a tease at the end.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Robyn stuck in a Montana airport after the events of ROBYN HOOD: NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. Coincidentally, two members of a demon cult spot Robyn as the person they’ve been searching for to help raise a demon god. They keep tabs on her but do not approach.
Robyn is bored silly until she sees a bull from a ranch next to the airport break through its fence and charge a small plane about to take off. Robyn races to try and stop the collision but a handsome cowboy from the ranch ropes the bull before she can stop it. The two hit it off and quickly develop a weekend fling. In the middle of the night, the ranch is attacked by spike-covered demons that kill the ranch owner and Robyn’s handsome cowboy. In her shock (maybe?), Robyn is led away by the cult members into the barn where a massive statue of the demon queen is standing. They cut Robyn’s wrists to sprinkle her blood on the statue and bring about a resurrection.
We conclude the issue with a ritual turning out very differently than everyone thought, a sad funeral, and a second ritual turning out exactly how everyone thought.
Final Thoughts
ROBYN HOOD: HELLFIRE is a setup one-shot that establishes characters and conflict for later stories which are more interesting than the setup itself. The art is serviceable and the plot is certainly unique, but the end result is little more than an extended prologue.
Score: 7.5/10
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