Basilisk, Vol. 3

Basilisk #9-12

by Cullen Bunn, Jonas Scharf (Illustrations), Alex Guimarães (Colorist)

The past comes to a head as the terrifying truth of the Chimera is revealed!

The unspeakable horrors of the past unfold while Hannah and Regan plan one final assault. Will Hannah manage to reach Vanessa? What will it cost her? Meanwhile, Vanessa awakens in a familiar yet foreign place with terrifying implications. Rediscovering the origins of her five siblings' fearsome abilities, Vanessa’s madness and bloodlust take on a whole new level, threatening everything around her as the endgame looms… The final volume of the dark supernatural horror series by lauded collaborators Cullen Bunn (The Empty Man) and Jonas Scharf (The Witcher: A Grain of Truth), following the critically acclaimed Bone Parish. Collects Basilisk #9-12

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Action, Supernatural

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2023

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, we finally learn the truth of the Chimera.



We also finally get much-needed backstory! Problem is, it doesn't make anything less confusing.

One-note characters, some pretty art (sometimes), and a boring and convoluted story make this series mostly a huge waste of time.

Individual issue reviews: #9 | #10 | #11 | #12

Total review score: 1.625

[Matthew Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

An explanation is mostly given for what has been going on in this story, but it’s also mostly lost on myself and many other readers from reviews I’ve seen. This might benefit from a read all at once in the future.

[William O’Pomegranate · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The thrilling conclusion: answers are revealed, but it’s hard to believe Bunn cared about these answers and even harder to imagine that he wanted the readers to care. The reveal is a one-word answer and only serves as an excuse to see more goons getting massacred.

The issue with the series finally became clear in the final showdown. Bunn can’t make up his mind if he’s writing a dark action comic you’re supposed to take seriously or a campy, tropey Schwarzenegger-type action story we’re supposed to be laughing at. And as a result of this discordant tone results in a mildly unsatisfying story.

On a positive note, Barrett, who was always the most engaging and amusing character in the series, really shines in this volume.

[Elliott Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. The premiss is chilling, but I wish that Bunn had resisted the urge to explain the nature of his antagonist so completely at the end. Not knowing was quite a bit spookier.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The senses are brought together but only after a great trial. Some redemption and a very open ending with few questions answered about the Chimera.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vanessa has been welcomed in a community of people who look like clones of the 5 members of the Chimera. Hannah finds that Regan killed her daughter. She now sees Regan as an enemy too. The Faithful led by Barret seem to switch sides when they begin to support Regan as the vessel of the five powers.

Vanessa learns that the community was created artificially with the purpose to free the Chimera, an otherworldly creature that couldn't survive on Earth.

The Faithful force Regan to accept to become the Chimera. They even begin to massacre a hospital to force her hand. It's the same hospital where Hannah is recuperating. She is strong enough to kill several of the Faithful. Barret helps her understand that their goals are not different at all, so Hannah and Barret join forces against Vanessa, even though it will lead to Hannah's death.

After killing the clones, Vanessa massacres the Faithful as well. In her hubris, she decides to fight Hannah in hand-to-hand combat. She gets killed, which transfers her powers into Regan. She watches the Chimera die and kills Barret as well. Hannah dies from her wounds, but forgives Regan for killing her family. It is unclear what Regan will do with her new god-like status, but she is the best vessel for all that power.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The trilogy comes to a close in this volume and features Hannah, Regan and Vanessa coming together for a final showdown. The other Chimera are thrown to the side and although we see them, they play no part in the narrative whatsoever. When we finally learn why the Chimera exists it MADE NO SENSE! This big (absolutely ridiculous) reveal gave readers more questions than answers. My earlier questions remained plus how was the cult connected to it all, and how long had it been going on, with the government not knowing about the carnage happening. Using the excuse of it being in an isolated region, doesn't explain it- thus the entire premise of this story proves to be very weak.

The only saving grace of this trilogy is the art and coloring by Scharf and Guimarães. Scharf is excellent at creating characters that are realistic, diverse and world-weary. Guimarães chooses rich purples, blues and greens in much of the story with dull browns to signify a flashback. The cover features a kaleidoscope of swirling colors that gives you a hint of the reveal late in the story.

I was sorely disappointed in this series. I kept waiting for an explanation, and then when one arrived, it only confused and frustrated me. I am still a fan of Bunn's work, as Bone Parish and Harrow County are excellent, but this series didn't stick the landing.

This review (+V2) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/06/0...

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nada en este camino indicaba que se podría evitar el fatal movimiento brusco que terminase con todo. El objetivo de venganza de Hannah es inquebrantable, la zozobra moral de Reagan ya no puede seguir en cuanto a no poder evitar la confrontación con Vanessa. Y esta última solo se reafirma en sus misteriosas pero devastadoras ambiciones en cuanto ha regresado a ese aislado poblado que la vio nacer y crecer tanto a ella como a sus hermanos que resurgieron como partes de La Quimera.

Cullen Bunn encara el desenlace de Basilisk manteniendo esa adrenalítica ambición de poder empalmar la venganza más primitiva con unos retazos de mitología sobrenatural más ambiciosos. Que por supuesto que aquí no van a tener una explicitación de toda su lógica interna. Pero esto solo engrandece esa revelación de ecos de puro horror cósmico con una manifestación que presenta en su precipitado y aparentemente patético desenlace, esa demoledora revelación de que ni seres tan desligados de la humanidad como Reagan y sus hermanos, son más que individuos minúsculos en una realidad sin apenas nada que ofrecer que no sean fugaces momentos de felicidad que apenas conformarán un tenue chispazo que representará una vida en este transcurrir en una canica azul en medio de la negrura del cosmos.

Creo que Basilisk ha sido una de las lecturas de Bunn ajenas a sus mejores series de larga duración, más propositivas y recomendables.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final confrontation is upon us, and the truth about the Chimera is revealed - for better, or worse.

I'm in two minds about this conclusion. I was in two minds about it when I read it, and even now, weeks later when I'm reviewing it, I'm not sure if I liked it or not. I think it's a case of front loading the story, and then not really having time to resolve the actual mystery of it all. The revelation regarding the Chimera makes a twisted kind of sense, but I feel like there was a lot more to be mined from it that we didn't get time for.

I also think that the ultimate 'villain' of the piece was a little too bland to really be much of a threat. Yeah, she was evil, but she felt evil for evil's sake. The two protagonists had a much better relationship, but they spend most of this final volume entirely separate, so we don't get to enjoy what made the first two volumes so good.

Jonas Scharf's artwork remains phenomenal though, he still bends his style as necessary to facilitate the story he's telling, and the colours are something else entirely.

Basilisk's conclusion is...divisive, to say the least. I think it succeeds in concept, but maybe not in execution.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for the entire run vol 1-3

A rare non-hit from Bunn. It's still entertaining; all of the aspects of horror are there, but the pieces don't quite fit, and I couldn't even say how to fix it easily. Itintroduces and establishes the majjor players, it build to a final fight, but it goes off the rails around the end of the 2nd volume and never recovers. It maybe should have never tried for an explanation, or started much earlier in laying the groundwork for the one it did offer. Third-acting one this way is disappointing.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

We finally get some much needed backstory of what is going on. Unfortunately it’s all obtuse and doesn’t explain anything well at all. Cullen Bunn built a cool concept that completely failed. Jonas Scharf’s art is the shining star of this story. His art is terrific! Too bad the storytelling (or lack thereof) couldn’t match it.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's a hell of an ending to a superb story. It is thoughtful and gripping and finishes things up with great style and a powerful sense of closure. Basilisk delivers a satisfying and thrilling ending, one that I will be thinking about for quite some time.

[Imogene · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very clever idea, but a bit rushed.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The series is over and I still do not know what the hell is going on.

[Ricardo Tavares · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the ride but thought somethings were too ambiguous. I was left with some unanswered questions. Overall interesting story with good characters and very good visual style.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read! Thanks!

[Aquila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of predictable ending but I would read more if they continued on somehow so not too bad. Still enjoyed the art.

[Devon Munn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

Decent end to a solid series

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I sorta forgot to write a review. This was a pretty good finale. A tad odd with some of the reveals and definitely fatalistic though the ending sort of tosses that for a surprisingly vaguely hopeful ending. I sort of wish it ended as fatalistically as the rest of this volume was. The cincher of the Basilisk being reborn just to immediately die because the “cycle” is broken or whatever was a strong moment though. I just wish the end of the cycle had some more finality in everyone’s death than the MC getting to just survive and carry on.