VAN HELSING: FROM THE DEPTHS – Review

VAN HELSING: FROM THE DEPTHS, from Zenescope Entertainment on July 13th, 2022, pits Liesel Van Helsing against a terrifying creature that rises from the muddy depths of the swamplands in search of human flesh.

The Details

• Written by: Pat Shand
• Art by: Hakan Aydin
• Colors by: Grostieta
• Letters by: Taylor Esposito
• Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
• Cover price: $5.99
• Release date: July 13, 2022

Was It Good?

VAN HELSING: FROM THE DEPTHS is a perfectly serviceable creature featuring starring Zenescope’s resident monster hunter, Liesel van Helsing. The story takes readers through a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a group of wetlands conservationists near the River Thames, and what Liesel finds is a horror she never imagined – a horror tied to her family legacy.

The bright spots of this over-sized issue are the art by Aydin, Grostieta, and Esposito, and the imaginative world-building by Shand.

First, Aydin, Grostieta, and Espositio turn into detailed and rich artwork to tell the tale of Liesel’s latest hunt. The linework is pristine. Grostieta’s feathering technique and attention to detail in the coloring give every panel richness and depth, and Esposito’s lettering work is top-notch.

The minor drawback of the art is the heavy use of model referencing in the character designs. The monsters, in particular, look like models wearing a bodysuit and masks in several panels, making the “friendly” monster look like a monster cosplayer rather than an artistic creation. Some panels look better than others, but the use of photo models for reference is too obvious in spots.

Shand’s story is a mixed bag. The prologue and the painful revelation about the monsters give Liesel more character depth and motivation for her direction in life. In short, Shand does some fine world- and character-building in this issue.

That said, the downside of this issue is a profuse amount of inner monologue narration by Liesel. You’ll spend more time reading the narration than enjoying the art intended to tell part of the story. There’s so much reading that the story drags to a crawl on occasion. We’re all for getting the character’s thoughts at the moment to clarify her actions, but this comic reads like an illustrated diary rather than a comic.

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 Liesel van Helsing doing some casual grocery shopping. However, she’s in no ordinary grocery shop. She’s in an abandoned grocery, still stocked, commandeered by vampires as a local nest, and we get a fine display of Liesel’s vampire-killing prowess.

Later, Liesel notices her scanners have picked up two monster hybrids, and she leaves to investigate. She finds a search party in the same area as her scanner signal and learns a few members of a conservation team have gone missing. Scouring the muddy wetlands, Liesel sooner encounters a female gill-monster. However, the monster telepathically asks for help rather than attacks.

Liesel follows the creature and soon learns a second gill-monster is nearby, the first creature’s brother. However, the brother is more aggressive and willing to kill as human activity encroaches on their territory. Liesel cooperates with the sister as it leads her to the brother’s lair. We conclude the issue with a telepathic memory with family ties to Liesel, the torment of an unnatural existence, and a reckoning.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

Click Here To Buy This Comic

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.