After the surprisingly lackluster (in my opinion) Christmas issue, Jim Balent ramps up the action in this issue, where we return to the standard continuity as Tarot returns to the lead role in this series.

There’s really not much I can say about this story, it’s pretty much one long fight scenes. Jenny Greenteeth is a new menace that’s come to Salem. She’s fae who lives in the water where she abducts innocent people, mainly children, who come near the water, drowns them and then eats them. Usually she operates in England but for some reasons he’s come to Salem and is hidden in a local lake. The issue opens with us seeing her in action, as she pulls a young boy underwater and watches with glee as he drowns (thankfully we don’t see the part where she eats him).

Next she tries to do the same to an elderly woman who comes near the lake, but the woman turns out to be Tarot in disguise. When Tarot reveals her true form they start to fight, and Jenny eventually pulls Tarot underwater, where Tarot’s magic is less effective, and tries to drown her.

I guess it’s no spoiler to say that Tarot prevails in the end, although there is a hint of Jenny Greenteeth returning someday, but you’ll have to read the issue to see how it happens. It’s an exciting non-stop battle that Jim Balent draws wonderfully. Really, the only thing that will keep me from giving this issue a perfect five star rating is the lack of Tarot nudity!

Sorry, but at the risk of coming off as pervy, that as long been one of the main draws of the series, it’s almost cliche how during any fight Tarot ends up naked or at least topless, and I kept expecting that as the battle progressed, but it never happened. Jenny was nude, and the green the whole time, but it’s not the same. Still there is a pretty cool alternate photo-cover starring Holly Golightly.

Chacebook rating: FOUR STARS

AVAILABLE DIGITALLY ON COMIXOLOGY, OR IN PRINT FROM JIMBALENTSTUDIOS.COM