VAN HELSING: RITES OF SHADOWS, from Zenescope Entertainment on November 16th, 2022, follows Liesel Van Helsing to New Orleans to track down an ancient evil that emerges every 70 years to feed on human souls.
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: November 16, 2022
Is It Good?
VAN HELSING: RITES OF SHADOWS is a solid creature feature one-shot starring Zenescope’s resident monster hunter. Van Helsing’s main villain is interesting, the challenge to overcome the threat is well done, and the art is generally good. However, the weak point in this issue is a very specific problem with the art. More on that in a minute.
Pat Shand’s story centers on Van Helsing’s trip to New Orleans, tracking down the assortment of hybrids and monsters her father recorded in his journals. With the help of local hero Mystere, Liesel finds her next target and quickly gets in over her head.
Shand’s monster is terrifying, and his hook ensures that a hero accustomed to gadgets and physical force will instantly have a tough time. Shand’s plot is clear, the stakes are immediately obvious, the monster’s methods establish a ticking clock to increase a sense of urgency, and the resolution is clever.
Ayin’s art style looks great, and the supernatural elements are rendered well. Coupled with Grostieta’s coloring, the visuals are excellent.
That said, the one down point in this issue is the lack of facial acting in the characters. The characters’ faces are distinctive, but their expressions almost never change. You quickly get the impression you’re looking at expressionless mannequins or dolls. The eyes move to reflect the character’s focus, but that’s about it, so you never can tell if the characters are scared, excited, angry, or anything else.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Liesel Van Helsing arrives in New Orleans and meets with Mystere for assistance in tracking down an ancient evil responsible for a string of murders. The Black Monk is described in Liesel’s father’s journals as a monster that awakens every 70 years to feed on the souls of the living before returning to hibernation.
Liesel’s suspicions are correct when they notice strange behavior from rats headed to an abandoned building. Liesel and Mystere find the BlackMonk in the middle of his next meal, but almost immediately after attacking, Liesel and Myster are hit by a blast of the Black Monk’s power. The blast separates their souls from their bodies, and Liesel is forced to retreat with Mystere to find help when they can’t be seen, heard, or touched by the living.
We conclude the issue with a helping hand, an upgrade, and a level-up.
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Final Thoughts
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VAN HELSING: RITES OF SHADOWS is a solid creature feature starring Zenescope’s resident monster hunter. The monster is inventive and poses an immediate threat to Liesel’s fighting style, and the art is generally gorgeous. That said, the characters lack any facial movement, so you feel like you’re watching mannequins fight.
Related Information
How is Van Helsing related to Dracula?
Van Helsing is not related to Dracula, either in the classic Stoker book or in Zenescope’s version. The Van Helsing family is a line of doctors and researchers committed to stopping evil as if it were a disease infecting humanity.
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