My Rating
“Hallows’ Eve” — Issue #3
Moonlight Marina — The Bronx. Hallows’ Eve has finally tracked down the security guard she accidentally infected with lycanthropy. Unfortunately, Simon Carter isn’t alone. A Beyond Corporation retrieval team has surrounded the newly created werewolf, and these goons make the questionable decision to pick a fight with the pseudo-vampire flying in to rescue him. Big mistake. More fun for Janine Godbe and her magical bag of Halloween masks!
As the fight erupts around the marina, the team’s wheelman radios the Beyond Corporation for backup. Director Maxine Danger answers the call personally, but sympathy isn’t exactly part of her management style. While bodies go flying outside the van, Maxine screams orders at the low-level driver. Her instructions couldn’t be simpler: retrieve the werewolf or don’t bother coming back.
Twenty minutes later in Queens, Hallows’ Eve is in hot pursuit of the fleeing Beyond Corporation van. The retrieval team managed to escape with Simon, but they aren’t out of danger yet. Flying high above the speeding vehicle is Janine in vampire form. Unfortunately, the longer she wears the Vampire Mask, the more its bloodlust begins to affect her. The mask doesn’t just give Janine the monster’s powers—it also brings some of its darker urges along for the ride.
Within seconds, Hallows’ Eve drops onto the speeding van, tears through the steel roof, and climbs into the back to retrieve her prize. Overpowering the hired muscle comes easy enough, but the vampire’s hunger for blood causes Janine to hesitate. She has already hurt one innocent person with these masks. No one else is going to suffer because of her mistakes!
That moment of hesitation costs her.
An advanced taser strikes Hallows’ Eve from behind, stunning her long enough for one of the mercenaries to plant a boot squarely into her chest. Janine goes crashing through the rear doors of the moving van and tumbles across the pavement before finally coming to a stop near a streetlamp. Terrified bystanders scatter as the Beyond vehicle disappears farther down the street.
Janine quickly recovers from the electrical blast, but the van is getting away. With one powerful leap, the vampire prepares to take flight again—only to get blasted from above by a glob of sticky webbing.
Oh, come on!
Hallows’ Eve looks up at her newest problem. It’s none other than New York City’s friendly neighborhood wall-crawler, Spider-Man.
“Great.”
Can Hallows’ Eve shake Spider-Man off her trail with a quick mask change? Will Marcus successfully hack into the Beyond Corporation mainframe and locate the infected security guard? Does Director Maxine Danger actually have a cure for lycanthropy, or does she have something much worse planned for Simon Carter? Collect the series to find out!
Review
Hallows’ Eve #3 is fast and furious from beginning to end. Unfortunately, despite all the fighting, flying, chasing, biting, and web-slinging, we don’t learn much more about how Janine plans to cure the security guard she accidentally infected. Beyond Corporation might have the answer, but considering their track record, handing Simon over to Maxine Danger probably isn’t going to end with a lollipop and a Band-Aid. The story doesn’t move very far forward, but at least it has enough action to keep the pages turning.
Spider-Man’s intervention was easily my favorite part of the issue, although his appearance is frustratingly brief. Just when Janine thinks she has enough problems, along comes the wall-crawler to make her day even worse. I especially like the possibilities created by Spider-Man confronting someone who can switch powers simply by reaching into a bag and changing masks. Werewolf giving you trouble? Try something else. Spider-Man has you stuck to a wall? Dig around and see what Halloween has to offer! Hopefully his appearance isn’t just a quick cameo and the confrontation continues into issue #4.
On another note, my gripe from issue #2 is still alive and kicking. Why doesn’t Hallows’ Eve burst into flames while wearing the Vampire Mask? Janine flies around New York City in direct sunlight without a care in the world. The mask gives her the fangs, thirst for blood, superhuman strength, and ability to fly, so where is the downside? Come on, man—that dog doesn’t hunt! If the masks are supposed to transform Janine into these classic monsters, the creative team needs to establish exactly which rules apply. Somebody in the Marvel editing department better figure this out before Blade gets jealous. Even with that complaint, I had a lot of fun with this action-heavy chapter. I’m giving Hallows’ Eve #3 four out of five stars. Bring on Spider-Man versus the bag of masks!