Robyn Hood in Night Of The Hunter

Robyn Hood in Night Of The Hunter

Zenescope Entertainment 2021

Written by Joe Brusha

Illustrated by Rodrigo Xavier

Coloured by Juan Manuel Rodriguez

Lettered by Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios

Robyn has taken on all types of evil--from sleazy and seemingly untouchable billionaires to monster-worshipping cults and crazed psychopaths--and through it all, she has always come out on top.But, when she becomes the target of a mysterious hunter out for blood, and Robyn’s head, all the luck and skill in the world might not be enough to stop her from becoming a trophy for this demented predator.

Overall this is a pretty solid issue. Yes there are a few things like Smitty knowing what was coming which feels completely out of character according to what we’ve seen thus far. It is something that should’ve been addressed before now if he was going to do this. This is also something that only continues to prove that we need arcs, not one-shots, that tell a story and are able to really add these elements or avenues in them that prepare the reader for some shady business or him thinking this simply another test. It is just a big plot hole that’s glaringly missing from this issue and it’s a tad discerning.

Aside from that I am enjoying the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceedingly well. The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter showcase their personalities very well. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we’re learning the lesson alongside Robyn.

I like how we see this structured and how the layers within the story emerge and grow. Yes they need more along the lines of Smitty, but he’s a great example of the avenues that the layers open up. These layers add depth, dimension and complexity to the story and we could use a few more of this. The way we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how we see it move the story forward is very well achieved.

I am in love with the interiors here as the work is utterly gorgeous. The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level and quality of detail within the work is exceptionally well rendered. I am beyond thrilled with the way that backgrounds are utilised throughout the issue. They not only enhance and expand the moments we see but they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a sensational eye for how colour works. I love seeing how colour is able to bring dimension and depth to the characters, the trees/woods and more and it’s impressive to see how the musculature can be manipulated through colour alone.

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What I love about this is the lesson that Robyn had to learn. She does rely upon her bow a lot but then again that’s her thing and what Smitty is doing with the hand-to-hand combat training and with other weapons as well is making her a more well rounded fighter. But a fighter isn’t much without working the mind as well. She needs to be smarter, less angry and feel as if she deserves the gift she’s got. It is a good solid story and we get to see a new character connected to an older one that is prevalent in the Zenescope Universe.