VAN HELSING: STEAMPUNK – An Honest Review

In VAN HELSING: STEAMPUNK, available from Zenescope Entertainment on May 5th, 2021, Liesel Van Helsing and her boyfriend, Rick, take a quick vacation to California that’s promptly interrupted by muggers, drug dealers, and a steampunk Van Helsing from another dimension.

The Details

• Written By: Lou Iovino
• Art By: Vicente Cifuentes
• Colors By: Robby Bevard
• Letters By: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino, Ivan Nunes (cover A)
• Cover Price: $5.99
• Release Date: May 5, 2021

Was It Good?

Yes, it was good in an interesting way. Something happens (no spoiler on this one since it’s too important a development) that makes the standard plot better than the sum of its parts.

The art is typical Zenescope house style, which means it’s very good. That said, there are a lot of panels on this issue that rely heavily on closeups. It would have served the issue better to mingle in more wide shots to give the book a bigger scope and feel.

See for yourself in our VAN HELSING: STEAMPUNK preview.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Liesel Van Helsing and her boyfriend, Rick, are taking a moonlit stroll along a California beach during a vacation. Suddenly, they’re attacked by a passing couple looking for some quick cash. Liesel fends them off easily and one of the attackers drops her purse.

Inside the purse, Liesel finds a vile of Ether (see our GRIMM UNIVERSE PRESENTS QUARTERLY: STEAMPUNK review to find out exactly what Ether is and where it comes from). Not knowing what she has, Liesel enlists the help of her local friend Masumi (the assassin with demon swords) to help her identify the drug and its source.

Masumi and Liesel use a “girls’ spa day” excuse to leave Rick alone for a few hours to track down a drug connection with info on Ether’s manufacture. They meet with Mateo, a mole who works for the local drug ring, to get information about Ether’s source.

Mateo wants to help but he’s scared for his life, with good reason. Before he can divulge any details about the nearby drug lab, two steampunk characters exit the lab and begin firing on Liesel and Masumi. It’s Adora and Kade from steampunk Van Helsing’s crew.

A fight breaks out which ends in Kade fleeing on a motorcycle with an injured Adora. Liesel and Masumi investigate the now-abandoned drug lab but it’s rigged to explode. They barely make it out in time.

So far the story is very straightforward and coherent, but this part feels like it skipped a page or at least a few panels. After the explosion, Liesel and Masumi head to one of Masumi’s safehouses. They arrive to find the house on fire with Mateo tied up inside. They rescue him, but he only lives long enough to whisper the location of the big lab. It’s helpful to get this information but it makes no sense in the setup.

How did Mateo get to Masumi’s safe house? Who set the fire? If Mateo should have been killed, why not simply kill him on the spot? The path to getting the location to Van Helsing’s big lab landed poorly and doesn’t make much sense in the execution.

Liesel and Masumi find Van Helsing’s lab and do their best to sneak in. Of course, they’re discovered and a battle breaks out between Van Helsing’s steampunk crew and Liesel and Masumi. What makes matters worse, Van Helsing has Rick as a hostage.

The issue concludes with revelations, destruction, and a bigger multiverse.

How Does It End?

Liesel and Abraham can’t come to an agreement. One punch is the mother of all punches. Liesel wonders where he gets those wonderful toys.

Final Thoughts

VAN HELSING: STEAMPUNK, available from Zenescope Entertainment on May 5th, 2021, turns a standard drug ring bust with a little superheroics into a multiverse-breaking adventure with potentially catastrophic consequences. This book has great art, great action, and teases just enough to make you ask that all-important question: What happens next?

Score: 8.5/10