Belle: Beast Hunter #1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Belle was raised in a typical family, by which we mean dad was Air Force and mom was a monster-hunter, like her family before her. Belle and her adopted brother Alex were raised mostly by Candlestick, whose family is also in the monster-hunting business. Fast forward to present day where Belle is hunting down monsters and sending them through a mysterious portal ... but tonight they are appearing in strange places, including her home!Ooh. I have a new favorite Zenescope title / character! She's tough, down-to-earth, and enjoys a costume that's a mix of practical and frills. I love the small nods to Disney's Beauty and the Beast, most notably the opening lines (and how it twists it) and young-Belle's childhood toys. Then there's Candlestick. I'm not sure if it's a family name, nickname, or codename, but it doesn't matter. I like that they gave the "nanny" role to a man, without demeaning him or the job he had of raising the kids. His role as support for the main monster-hunters (like his family before him), reminds me of the stories of ninja families growing up alongside the family they protected. The fight scenes are fantastic! And the monsters? The monsters are even more so! We don't get a good look at the minotaur in action, but the centaur is amazing! He's quite detailed, with a unique and more animalistic design than I'm used to seeing, plus the massive, muscular design fit for a brutish warrior. The monster at the end provides an epic cliffhanger, and that's all besides the budding mystery of why the monsters are popping up in libraries and museums rather than their normal farms and woods. Belle's outfit is wonderfully detailed, with a mix flair and practicality like rugged leather boots without heels, pants, armored pieces, and what appears to be breast support (even if it is a corset-top that exposes a large amount of upper-breast). I like the skirt-like fabric in the rear, too. This is one outfit I'd love to cosplay. Her sword is bent, on purpose, which gives me pause, but at least the art team is consistent with it. And I like her motorcycle's sleek-yet-muscular design. The artist team did a splendid job, making this one of my favorite Zenescope titles to just enjoy visually. I was quite enjoying the read, but got pulled out by one panel that made me groan. Biometrics don't work through gloves! Sigh. Belle's just come home to her own "Batcave", so having her remove her gloves as part of her routine of putting away her gear would have been easy to work in. The writing here is excellent, too. The flashbacks are especially well done, being worked in in places that add to to overall story and reading experience while providing useful information and backstory. This is definitely a title that should be on everyone's reading list for the year, especially if you like twisted fairy tales. Written: January 10, 2018
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