I went to see Van Helsing on the big screen last weekend with my girlfriend. I was leery of it, given the amost universal array of negative reviews that had popped, but my significant other digs vampire flicks (and probably Hugh Jackman, but we won't dwell on that now, will we?). Though the film boasted some strong moments -- most notably, the opening scene, which serves as a delightful tribute to the black-and-white monster movies of yesteryear -- the director's attempt to make a combination super-hero/monster movie falls flat. Action-movie cliches, some poor character designs, plot holes and painfully obvious dialogue made for an underwhelming movie-going experience.
Fortunately, this comic-book spinoff -- set in between scenes in the movie -- captures a darker edge and the strengths of the premise, leaving behind the weaknesses of the film. Dysart delivers a solid story here, one that strikes me as a cross between the adventure of Hellboy and the inventiveness of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
After eliminating the threat of Mr. Hyde but before leaving Paris for the Vatican, Van Helsing happens upon another dark and extrordinary threat stalking the citizens of the City of Lights. An unseen monster has killed two innocent women, and the monster hunter tracks it into the sewers. Expecting to find its hiding place, Van Helsing instead discovers the lair of a monster of a different kind: the underground laboratory of the scientist who created it and many other twisted creatures.
I loved Jason Alexander's art on Queen & Country -- I even own a page of his original art from that book -- and it was a treat to see him back in action. This is a radically different sort of assignment, though, but he's more than to the task. He seems to take some cues from Mike Mignola here, but I'm also reminded of the style of Michael (Sandman: The Wake) Zulli. He's immersed the characters in darkness, much moreso than the movie did, and it's a smart move. The dark and muted colors and the inkiness of the art foster a tense atmosphere. Furthermore, Alexander offers up a strong likeness of Hugh Jackman as well.
The movie incorporates classic film characters -- sure, most have their origins in literature, but it is the celluloid incarnations honoured -- into the story, but Dysart focuses on literature hre, a la Alan Moore in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. For that reason, the approach does't come off as all that fresh, but it's still a whole lot of fun. I also enjoyed how Dysart incorporates references to the film here, but he doesn't require the reader to be familiar with the big-screen blockbuster in order to fully appreciate this story. Dysart also demonstrates that there's plenty of potential for further adventures of the title character in the medium.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
