WOLVENHEART #8 – Review

WOLVENHEART #8, available from Mad Cave Studios on October 27th, 2021, escalates the team’s hunt for Van Helsing as the legendary monster-hunter-gone-rogue searches for a portal key that grants access to all time and space.

The Details

• Written By: Mark London
• Art By: Alejandro Giraldo
• Colors By: Warnia Sahadewa
• Letters By: Miguel A. Zapata
• Cover Art By: Alejandro Giraldo
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: October 27, 2021

Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.

Was It Good?

Mad Cave is back to pick up where the arc left off in what seems like forever. Van Helsing has gone rogue in the worst way, the timeline is no longer so neat ‘n tidy, and Sterling is trying to get everything back in alignment while surrounded by a lot of big personalities (and that’s putting it nicely).

One of the things that strike you about this return issue is the scale of it all. Sterling gets his mission, is assigned an eclectic team (again, that’s putting it nicely), and is suddenly fighting to the death in 19th-Century England. The story harkens back to other “hopping” properties like Sliders or Quantum Leap to really pump up the variety in storytelling by constantly changing the setting to challenge the main characters. No two scenes are alike.

Everchanging variety increases the scope and scale of the story, but when you add vampires and werewolves to the mix, this issue feels tailor-made for lovers of both science fiction and horror. The premise is completely original, the writing of the characters is completely unique with a multitude of distinct voices, and there’s plenty of tense action and drama to carry the plot forward.

That said, new readers may have trouble getting into this issue without reading the first volume. A brief primer paragraph is provided on the first page, but it’s not nearly enough to get acclimated. You’re better off going back and picking up the first volume if you want to enjoy this comic properly.

The art is fairly solid for this issue, but there is a down point. Giraldo made some odd choices with body anatomy and posture in several panels that look — well — odd. For example, there’s a panel where Sterling and Joan are facing each other with arms crossed and their chests are puffed out so far, it looks like they’re both about to fall over. And for some strange reason, nearly every character (male and female) has very large hips and thighs. These are examples of strange creative choices that stick out like a sore thumb and create little distractions. If it was just a one- or two-time occurrence, it wouldn’t be worth mentioning, but there are examples peppered throughout the book.

Overall, this issue is an entertaining return to the Wolvenheart saga with interesting characters and a huge story, but some prep is in order for new readers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We start with a brief flashback to Sterling as a young boy where he witnesses Van Helsing dispatching a monster. Van Helsing imparts a life lesson about the difference between a hero and a legend.

Now, Bathory and Tesla order Sterling to assemble a team to track down Van Helsing in 1861 England. It’s clear from the dynamics that Tesla is not fond of Sterling, and no one at Wolvenheart HQ has a clear recollection of Kesia besides Sterling. Bathory orders Sterling to take Romeo, Juliet, and Jon of Arc with him to complement his skills.

When the team arrives in England, they encounter resistance from the locals, led by Sabina. She doesn’t recognize Sterling because their timelines haven’t crossed (or will they? time travel is confusing) but she recognizes they have a mutual threat in Van Helsing and invites them into the Blackmoor Gates. We conclude the issue with the arrival of Van Helsing and his many furry friends, the revelation of Kesia’s fate, and a glitch in the matrix.

Final Thoughts

WOLVENHEART #8 takes readers on a wild ride with vampires, werewolves, dimension-hopping, and a potential double-cross cliffhanger that may turn all of Sterling’s action upside down. The art is generally good with the exception of a few, odd anatomical choices, and there’s plenty of surprises to build curiosity for the next issue.

Score: 8/10

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.