As Regan and Hannah hunt the Chimera, they find that they have become the prey. With Manny dead, why does the hunt seem to be getting even more difficult? Find out in Basilisk #7 from BOOM! Studios.
BASILISK #7
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Jonas Scharf
Colorist: Alex Guimarães
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 2, 2022
Previously in Basilisk: Regan was once one of the Chimera, but Hannah, a victim from her past, has come to her to force her to help her hunt the others. As time passes, they uncover more and more about their shared past. One of the Chimera, Vanessa, confesses that they have a destiny to fulfill by way of a sacrifice. Their plans involve an attack at a shopping mall, and Hannah rushes to try to stop them. But suddenly the tables are turned!
THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED
Basilisk #7 opens with Hannah having a flashback to an event where her husband and daughter died and she lived, swearing revenge on the attackers even as she is put under before her distress becomes more damaging.
As Regan and Hannah flee, they realize that Jimmy-Boy is chasing them. He shoots out one of their tires, causing their vehicle to crash. Regan orders Hannah to run, and not a moment too soon as Jimmy-Boy arrives. He figures that Regan is temporarily out of the picture and takes off after Hannah.
Vanessa, Cara, and Barret remain among the carnage of death. Vanessa was injured, which she did not expect. Manny is dead, and Regan has taken his gifts. Barret urges Vanessa to lie low for a while. She responds with some anger that he, a human, is trying to order her around.
Hannah runs through the woods with Jimmy-Boy in pursuit. Hatred has been her driving emotion for so long that she did not expect to face fear. She trips, and as he comes up to her, she starts to bite her own hand and arm like an animal chewing off its leg to escape from a trap. Jimmy-Boy taunts her at gunpoint, knowing that she is feeling the hunger to taste her own marrow, which is really creepy.
Regan attacks him from behind and demands that he let her go. He apparently was influencing Hannah. He does release her but shoots his gun close to Regan’s ear. He knows she has Manny’s powers, and he had super-sensitive hearing. Regan has not learned how to manage this yet. He turns his anger toward her, eager to kill her and to see who will acquire her gift, dropping his gun in the process. He lifts her mask and forces her to open an eye so she can look directly at Hannah. Instead, Hannah grabs his gun and shoots him in the head.
Miles away, in her car, Vanessa screeches to a stop, realizing that Jimmy-Boy is dead. His gifts now belong to her. She may be more determined, but Cara is more fearful.
And Hannah realizes that as more of the Chimera die, they seem to become stronger, and much harder for her to hunt.
ANGER AND REVENGE
Basilisk #7 is a horror book and is somewhat graphic in spots. It’s hard-hitting, and we feel the stakes viscerally. When Hannah’s car runs off the road, it is clearly out of commission, and both Hannah and Regan are bloodied from the accident. As Jimmy-Boy hunts Hannah, we see the increasing fear in her eyes. However she imagined her revenge as a hunter, she had never dreamed of all the ramifications. Her fear grows to disgust as she finds herself biting off her own flesh. Meanwhile, Jimmy-Boy revels in his control over her. It’s awful and fairly bloody.
Vanessa may not be huge and muscular, but she is terrifying in her own right. She is missing an eye. She’s injured and is covered in blood. But you can tell by her presentation and the lettering that she is hard and cold. She may be angry, she may be contemptuous, but she keeps her speech deadly calm and her words come out like daggers. It is not until she realizes that Jimmy-Boy is dead and she has received his gifts that we see her light up.
BOTTOM LINE: MORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR
Basilisk #7 may not be the easiest place to jump in, but the sides in the conflict are easy to distinguish. The story is dark and violent, but it with distinctly human roots despite the supernatural Chimera.
Dear Spoilerite,
At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.
Basilisk #7
Regan and Hannah are allies, but Vanessa may be more of a foe than they anticipated.
-
Writing8
-
Art8
-
Coloring8
By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.