Al Harahap
May 7, 2004, 11:00 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0504/vanhelsing1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0504/vanhelsing1t.jpg" align=left alt="Van Helsing"></a>Reviewer: Al Harahap, al_harahap@comixfan.cjb.net
Quick Rating: Above Average
Monster hunter Van Helsing faces off against Dr. Moreau and his bizarre creations.
Story: Joshua Dysart
Art: J. Alexander
Based on the screenplay by: Stephen Sommers
Letters: Michael Heisler
Photo Cover: Keith Wood
Designs: David Nestelle
Assistant Editor: Matt Dryer
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Mike Richardson
CAST:
Gabriel Van Helsing: Monster hunter who has an uneasy alliance with the Catholic Church.
Dr. Moreau: Perverse vivisectionist who pushes the boundaries of genetic science.
Beathan: Dr. Moreau’s current prize monster.
Madame L’Espanaye: Famous Parisian spiritual medium.
Check this out if you like: Classic horror literature such as Dracula, Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Bill Willingham’s Fables, or the dark manga/anime Vampire Hunter D.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It. The Bride of Frankenstein. Abbott and Costello Meet Jekyll and Hyde. Whether revised with a sympathetic tragic hero or spun around with humour, they are all very different with one thing in common – they’re reinterpretations of classic horror literature that has intrigued us for generations, and probably generations to come. So what makes Van Helsing any different and not just more of the same? Well, crossing over the characters from these timeless stories has been done before. Nevertheless, this latest offering piques our interest. The movie trailers especially have me on the edge of my seat.
But this comic book one-shot is a different story entirely – both literally and figuratively speaking. Readers may be more inclined to check it out because, unlike most promotional comics circa a blockbuster movie’s release, this is not a mere comic adaptation of the same story. Scribe Joshua Dysart (The Demon: Driven Out, Violent Messiahs, upcoming Evil Ernie movie screenplay) creates a brand new story set in the same canon as the movie. For one thing, neither Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, nor the Wolf Man make an appearance here. Instead, we get the characters and stories from two other horror/sci-fi classics, with quite a few small references to many others between the lines. Yet, there’s also something crucial missing. More on that later.
From the title, you might have already guessed that this story takes its setting from Edgar Allen Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue. It even borrows a character from there, the clairvoyant named Madame L’Espanaye, and her gift as a spiritual medium who connects with a restless spirit, and is basically the impetus for the book's plot. Dysart has made an interesting choice for setting and background here. Not only is Poe’s Rue Morgue seldom used in today’s horror revisions, but it’s also one where the evil-ridden locale has as strong a presence as any of the characters. Yet, the Rue Morgue is nothing compared to…
The infamous Dr. Moreau from H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau, who is this story’s main villain. We see the good doctor already comfortable with his unethical penchant for genetic engineering and splicing of man and animals into something… in-between. Dysart’s depiction of Moreau could not be more perfect. He’s chilling, the creator of monstrous beasts, yet rationalises his cause just like any good three-dimensional antagonist should be able to do: ”Nightmare? Let’s be polite and call it science.” Then when Van Helsing suggests a divine calling into his investigation, Moreau challenges: “Hand of God? Boring. Look at the work I’m doing here. This is Darwin’s evolution manipulated. God is passé. I scratch at his eye.” The dialogue – or at least that of Moreau’s – is probably the best thing about this book.
Dysart then borrows other elements from other canons. Dr. Moreau’s prize creature, “Beathan,” is endowed with genes of a wild species of frog, and is a probable nod to the Gill-Man from the classic horror Creature from the Black Lagoon. What’s great about this character is that he isn’t the two-dimensional henchman type to Moreau’s ringleader. Rather, his tragic story is as intriguing as the two main characters' themselves. There’s even use of Dr. Hawley Griffin’s (the Invisible Man) potion, and also references to Van Helsing’s and Moreau’s relations with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
So whatabout Van Helsing himself? Truth be told, there isn’t much of him, and this is the missing element that drags down the book. Not to mislead. He’s everywhere physically, and the narration throughout the book is his first-person journal entries, but the character is as flat as a doormat. There just isn’t much insight into his personality and motives. You could put a lamppost in his place and it wouldn’t make much of a difference (no offense to lampposts). To be fair, I don't blame Dysart for this at all. It’s more likely that he’s constrained from developing Van Helsing because of the movie. But that still poses the problem of the main character being unappealing.
Conversely, Van Helsing’s visuals could well be contributing to his lacklustre character as well. His face, just like his dialogue and tone, is flat and expressionless. Perhaps this is the intent for his character, but aloof loners can be made interesting through their actions. This Van Helsing isn’t. I do have to give props to artist J. Alexander (Queen & Country, Tales of the Vampires, Empty Zone) for making such an uncanny likeness to Hugh Jackman (the character’s portrayer in the live-action movie). And his style, complete with rough and shady inks, is wonderfully in tune with what the Rue Morgue and Moreau’s grand guignol demands. Although some backgrounds could be more lively and detailed.
There arises an inevitable comparison with Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, whose main characters also comprise of a veritable mix of classic literary characters. My first thoughts were that Van Helsing’s is a more simplistic, or layman’s if you will, world to that of Moore’s. But upon further reasoning, I find that, although there’s a small truth to that notion, it certainly doesn’t hold completely. Here is a canon that is much darker, not to mention more action-oriented. What The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen does with Victorian fantasy characters, and what Fables does with fairy-tale characters, Van Helsing does with horror characters. And that's a compliment.
I’m sure this book doesn’t reflect on the movie, or vice-versa. Dysart does well with what he’s allowed to play around with – i.e. the properties unattached to the movie. But when the main character isn’t part of that equation, it leaves the book with a lot to be desired. As an independent piece, Van Helsing: From Beneath the Rue Morgue doesn’t fare very well. As a complementary piece to the movie, which I suspect is the creators' and editors' intention, this book is a much more enjoyable read.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1261&cat=VAN+HELSING)
Quick Rating: Above Average
Monster hunter Van Helsing faces off against Dr. Moreau and his bizarre creations.
Story: Joshua Dysart
Art: J. Alexander
Based on the screenplay by: Stephen Sommers
Letters: Michael Heisler
Photo Cover: Keith Wood
Designs: David Nestelle
Assistant Editor: Matt Dryer
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Mike Richardson
CAST:
Gabriel Van Helsing: Monster hunter who has an uneasy alliance with the Catholic Church.
Dr. Moreau: Perverse vivisectionist who pushes the boundaries of genetic science.
Beathan: Dr. Moreau’s current prize monster.
Madame L’Espanaye: Famous Parisian spiritual medium.
Check this out if you like: Classic horror literature such as Dracula, Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Bill Willingham’s Fables, or the dark manga/anime Vampire Hunter D.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It. The Bride of Frankenstein. Abbott and Costello Meet Jekyll and Hyde. Whether revised with a sympathetic tragic hero or spun around with humour, they are all very different with one thing in common – they’re reinterpretations of classic horror literature that has intrigued us for generations, and probably generations to come. So what makes Van Helsing any different and not just more of the same? Well, crossing over the characters from these timeless stories has been done before. Nevertheless, this latest offering piques our interest. The movie trailers especially have me on the edge of my seat.
But this comic book one-shot is a different story entirely – both literally and figuratively speaking. Readers may be more inclined to check it out because, unlike most promotional comics circa a blockbuster movie’s release, this is not a mere comic adaptation of the same story. Scribe Joshua Dysart (The Demon: Driven Out, Violent Messiahs, upcoming Evil Ernie movie screenplay) creates a brand new story set in the same canon as the movie. For one thing, neither Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, nor the Wolf Man make an appearance here. Instead, we get the characters and stories from two other horror/sci-fi classics, with quite a few small references to many others between the lines. Yet, there’s also something crucial missing. More on that later.
From the title, you might have already guessed that this story takes its setting from Edgar Allen Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue. It even borrows a character from there, the clairvoyant named Madame L’Espanaye, and her gift as a spiritual medium who connects with a restless spirit, and is basically the impetus for the book's plot. Dysart has made an interesting choice for setting and background here. Not only is Poe’s Rue Morgue seldom used in today’s horror revisions, but it’s also one where the evil-ridden locale has as strong a presence as any of the characters. Yet, the Rue Morgue is nothing compared to…
The infamous Dr. Moreau from H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau, who is this story’s main villain. We see the good doctor already comfortable with his unethical penchant for genetic engineering and splicing of man and animals into something… in-between. Dysart’s depiction of Moreau could not be more perfect. He’s chilling, the creator of monstrous beasts, yet rationalises his cause just like any good three-dimensional antagonist should be able to do: ”Nightmare? Let’s be polite and call it science.” Then when Van Helsing suggests a divine calling into his investigation, Moreau challenges: “Hand of God? Boring. Look at the work I’m doing here. This is Darwin’s evolution manipulated. God is passé. I scratch at his eye.” The dialogue – or at least that of Moreau’s – is probably the best thing about this book.
Dysart then borrows other elements from other canons. Dr. Moreau’s prize creature, “Beathan,” is endowed with genes of a wild species of frog, and is a probable nod to the Gill-Man from the classic horror Creature from the Black Lagoon. What’s great about this character is that he isn’t the two-dimensional henchman type to Moreau’s ringleader. Rather, his tragic story is as intriguing as the two main characters' themselves. There’s even use of Dr. Hawley Griffin’s (the Invisible Man) potion, and also references to Van Helsing’s and Moreau’s relations with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
So whatabout Van Helsing himself? Truth be told, there isn’t much of him, and this is the missing element that drags down the book. Not to mislead. He’s everywhere physically, and the narration throughout the book is his first-person journal entries, but the character is as flat as a doormat. There just isn’t much insight into his personality and motives. You could put a lamppost in his place and it wouldn’t make much of a difference (no offense to lampposts). To be fair, I don't blame Dysart for this at all. It’s more likely that he’s constrained from developing Van Helsing because of the movie. But that still poses the problem of the main character being unappealing.
Conversely, Van Helsing’s visuals could well be contributing to his lacklustre character as well. His face, just like his dialogue and tone, is flat and expressionless. Perhaps this is the intent for his character, but aloof loners can be made interesting through their actions. This Van Helsing isn’t. I do have to give props to artist J. Alexander (Queen & Country, Tales of the Vampires, Empty Zone) for making such an uncanny likeness to Hugh Jackman (the character’s portrayer in the live-action movie). And his style, complete with rough and shady inks, is wonderfully in tune with what the Rue Morgue and Moreau’s grand guignol demands. Although some backgrounds could be more lively and detailed.
There arises an inevitable comparison with Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, whose main characters also comprise of a veritable mix of classic literary characters. My first thoughts were that Van Helsing’s is a more simplistic, or layman’s if you will, world to that of Moore’s. But upon further reasoning, I find that, although there’s a small truth to that notion, it certainly doesn’t hold completely. Here is a canon that is much darker, not to mention more action-oriented. What The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen does with Victorian fantasy characters, and what Fables does with fairy-tale characters, Van Helsing does with horror characters. And that's a compliment.
I’m sure this book doesn’t reflect on the movie, or vice-versa. Dysart does well with what he’s allowed to play around with – i.e. the properties unattached to the movie. But when the main character isn’t part of that equation, it leaves the book with a lot to be desired. As an independent piece, Van Helsing: From Beneath the Rue Morgue doesn’t fare very well. As a complementary piece to the movie, which I suspect is the creators' and editors' intention, this book is a much more enjoyable read.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1261&cat=VAN+HELSING)