Hecate’s Will #4 is published by Black Mask Studios and is written and illustrated by Iolanda Zanfardino. Having gone to Naomi’s to give her a gift and let her know how she feels about her singing, Rebecca creates a moment for the two women that could change everything for her. But if karma is real, the cosmos is about to hit Rebecca with it hard.
This story starts with Rebecca’s earnest confession to Naomi, and the emotions never stop till the last panel of the book. The first words of this issue see Rebecca give a monologue about Naomi that would melt anyone’s heart. Her feelings, thoughts, and advice come out so elegantly that it seems impossible not to be moved by them. Zanfardino has repeatedly shown that she can craft an emotional story, but this moment is by far her best.
Just as beautiful as Rebecca’s words are the actions that follow. The passion that is felt in Zanfardino’s writing is smoothly applied to her artwork. Naomi and Rebecca’s actions replace their words in one of the more touching and beautiful scenes of its type that I have seen in some time. From there, Hecate’s Will #4 returns to the bustle surrounding preparations for the upcoming musical. This starts with a quick stop by Rebecca to see Amber and get both some costumes as well as some sage advice from her old friend. The scene continues the warmth of the issue and sees Rebecca being built up even more with a newfound sense of positivity. But as they say, what goes up, must come down.
The back half of this issue sees so much of the joy that was emanating from the front half of the book come crashing down around Rebecca. While there are some brief flashes of joy here and there, they are quickly swept away by the struggles that permeate this half of the story. Even one of the genuinely beautiful moments from this part of the story comes at the expense of pain for her and one of her friends. If the book had just been these challenging moments, it would’ve been painful, but when contrasted with the positivity of the beginning, the differences feel like heaven and hell.
The art throughout this story captures all the joy, triumph, and tribulations of our protagonist masterfully. The linework delivers excellently on all of the emotions of the characters, and Zanfardino utilizes the lighting in the monocolored art to further heighten the drama of the book’s many moments. The last comments I have are with the lettering. The dialogue does a great job of guiding the reader through the story, and I love how the story delivers the moments of singing as it lets the lyrics dance across the book’s pages.
To wrap it all up, I absolutely loved Hecate’s Will #4. It delivers numerous powerful moments of both joy and pain while also setting up what comes next.
Hecate’s Will #4 is available now.
Hecate's Will #4
TL;DR
I absolutely loved Hecate’s Will #4. It delivers numerous powerful moments of both joy and pain while also setting up what comes next.
