Belle Ghosts & Goblins One-Shot: Welcome to My Life

Belle is back in a special one-shot introducing a new villain and a horde of new monsters for her to fight!

There’s no getting around the fact that this Belle Ghosts & Goblins issue is a ton of fun. The story is fast paced, energetic and full of banter amidst one horror-filled fight after another. Anabelle is a lead character that can hold a story uniquely well out of the lineup of characters at Zenescope and this comic shows the creative team knows how to utilize her well.

There isn’t much to be said of the story that you don’t get from the title “Ghosts & Goblins” other than the mysterious and ruthless villain introduced. Her dominion over the goblins and her attempts to cleanse the Earth of peoples she calls monsters sets up an awesome conflict that feels grounded in the connected Zenescope universe as well. Anytime you see a portal open up in a book like this, you know things are about to take a turn for the worse for everyone involved, but it’s exciting to see how the team plans to bring everything together.

The story is fun and engaging, but this comic absolutely stands on the shoulders of some powerful artwork. The quality in this one-shot is unexpected, I won’t lie. It could have easily been a forgettable comic with subpar execution just to capitalize on getting Belle back in action, but that couldn’t be further from what we see in Belle Ghosts & Goblins. Within the first couple pages you can see that the artwork, from pencils to colors are exceptional. It’s the level of quality you might expect from a book at the Big 2. Splash pages and even the busier action sequences all shine with consistently great art that elevates the entire issue from being just a fun book to something that is required reading for any fan.

This is the type of artwork that will have keep you hooked from the first panel all the way to the last. It delivers horror at all the right times, never shying away from the violence when it suits the story while still capturing strong visuals in dialogue exchanges featuring mostly concise lettering. It’s certainly one of the best looking books I’ve seen at Zenescope recently. It is so good that I’m actually sad it’s not an ongoing series! As a one-shot, this issue works pretty well to keep grab your attention but it isn’t quite as self contained as I would have hoped. It’s a great introduction into this new conflict and succeeds on more than it really ever had to, but it mostly leaves me wondering what is next and not really reflecting on what just happened like some of their other stronger one-shots.

The Belle Ghosts & Goblins One-Shot is a great book for anyone looking to dive into the character and doesn’t forget fans who have followed her since her introduction around 2018. It’s a well executed book on every level, with the visuals stealing the spotlight on just about every page. Be sure to add this one-shot to your collection!