I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good story about monsters. Whether we’re talking Kaiju, werewolves, or a mad scientist’s creation, monsters are fun to watch. What I enjoy most about these types of stories are the characters who hunt down and fight those monsters. So Belle: Ghosts and Goblins was right up my alley. In this new one-shot from Zenescope, Belle continues her family’s monster hunting legacy. Strange creatures are kidnapping people off the streets of Philadelphia. Belle must track the creatures through the city’s alleyways in order to rescue the abductees and figure out their intentions.

Writer Dave Franchini tells a tight story in Ghosts and Goblins. No space is wasted and the storyline fits perfectly into this one-shot’s thirty-four pages. The story is book-ended by two exciting action sequences with solid character development in between. It is a clever touch on Franchini’s part to keep the creatures mysterious by waiting to fully show them to the reader. We’re shown their shadows, but it’s not until toward the end of the issue that the reader actually sees what Belle is up against. This added mystery to the plot and made for an exciting reveal.

I really liked the book’s artwork and artist Igor Vitorino draws Belle in such a way that both her strength and femininity are apparent at first glance. I love Belle’s costume. It’s reminiscent of a superhero costume, but has a realistic look. One thing I didn’t care for was that every page looked a little blurry, almost as if it was out of focus. I don’t know if this is true solely for the digital review copy I received or every issue of this one-shot, but the blurriness was a real disappointment. It made the dialogue harder to read and took away from Vitorino’s finely detailed line work.

Belle: Ghosts and Goblins is a very fun read. There’s a lot of action and the whole thing centers on a strong and independent female protagonist. This one-shot is a great introduction to Belle for those who’ve never read any comics featuring her character. On the other side of the coin, this issue is an awesome next chapter for those who have been following Belle’s adventures for some time.

Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, and Dave Franchini
Art: Igor Vitorino Colors: Adriano Augusto Letters: Kurt Kathaway
Story: 10 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.3 Recommendation: Buy

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics