My Rating
“Hallows’ Eve” — Issue #2
What has Janine Godbe gotten herself into this time? With a bag full of magical Halloween masks, you would think at least one of them would be useful for cracking open a bank vault. Nope! Apparently, bank security is still bank security—even when you have a supernatural trick-or-treat bag at your disposal.
During her escape from the robbery, Janine grabbed the Werewolf Mask and transformed herself into a snarling beast long enough to frighten off one of the security guards. Unfortunately for Simon Carter, even the tiniest scratch from Werewolf Janine came with a nasty side effect. Now the poor guy is missing, and it appears Janine may have accidentally infected him with lycanthropy. So much for a clean getaway.
Later
Two days later at the Beyond Corporation in New York City, a team of geneticists is busy analyzing a fur sample recovered from the bank vault. Director Maxine Danger takes a special interest in the case after reading the police report. According to eyewitnesses, a monster resembling a werewolf attacked a security guard shortly before both disappeared. Werewolves running around Manhattan? That sounds less like a police investigation and more like a potential business opportunity for Beyond.
If the corporation could isolate and map the complete DNA sequence of the lunar-lupine virus, the possibilities could be limitless. Medical research? Military applications? Maybe even a little super-soldier experimentation on the side? Maxine’s dreams of werewolf biotechnology are interrupted when one of her researchers discovers something unexpected in the sample. Mixed in with the mysterious fur is a very familiar genetic signature.
Janine Godbe.
How the hell did Janine’s DNA get mixed with werewolf fur?
Meanwhile, Janine realizes that her little bank robbery created a much bigger problem than she expected. If Simon Carter really has become a werewolf, she may be responsible for whatever happens next. It’s time to reach into that magical bag again and see whether another Halloween mask can help clean up the mess.
Which mask will Janine use to track down the missing security guard? Has Detective Shari Sebbens discovered a clue leading her toward the mysterious bank robber? What exactly does Project Purgatory have to do with all of this? Collect the series to find out!
Review
I’m not entirely sure what to make of Hallows’ Eve #2. As someone who hasn’t followed all of the previous storylines involving these characters and organizations, I spent a good portion of the issue wondering what I was supposed to already know. The Beyond Corporation appears to be emerging as one of the main antagonistic forces in the story, while Project Purgatory gets thrown into the mix as well. Are the two connected? What exactly is Project Purgatory? A short recap explaining some of these people, places, and organizations would have gone a long way toward helping newer readers like me.
The most interesting part of this series continues to be Janine’s bag of Halloween masks. It’s a great comic-book gimmick because almost anything can come flying out of that bag. Werewolf, vampire, Frankenstein monster—who knows what comes next? However, the Vampire Mask raised a question that bugged me throughout the issue. Janine transforms into a vampire and flies to Moonlight Marina while the story appears to be taking place during daylight hours. If these masks are supposed to give Janine the characteristics—and limitations—of the monsters they represent, why isn’t Vampire Janine turning into a smoking pile of ashes? Maybe there is an explanation coming, but when you establish rules for supernatural powers, I want to see those rules matter.
Despite my confusion over some of the backstory, the writing itself remains entertaining, and the artwork looks fantastic. I especially love the main cover. Throw a werewolf on a comic-book cover and you already have my attention. Werewolves are my spirit animal! Unfortunately, this second issue feels like it expects readers to arrive with more knowledge of previous Marvel storylines than I currently have. A brief recap could have made a big difference. I’m giving Hallows’ Eve #2 three out of five stars. The bag of masks is still enough to keep me interested, but I want the series to spend a little more time explaining its world while establishing exactly what Janine’s new powers can—and cannot—do.