Ahh… the power of corruption. Or, is it the corruption of power? That is the theme of the new one shot comic, LENORE: CURSE OF THE BEEBEE YAGA, from veteran cartoonist Roman Dirge and published by Titan Comics; on sale February 18, 2026. The story follows Lenore,”the cute little dead girl”, on a casual stroll through the forest when she comes upon her dear friend, Pooty, stuck in a well. Pooty tells Lenore about the super aggro bee that pushed him down there. Soon after, Lenore, Pooty and their friend Ragamuffin are assaulted by the same bee. When the bee’s grandmother, the BeeBee Yaga is summoned by one of her minions, she confronts the group and uses her magic to curse them.
The aforementioned BeeBee Yaga is a bumble bee version of the Baba Yaga which is a child eating witch from Slavic folklore who inhabits a hut supported by two giant, living, chicken legs. I only mention this to give you some background on the origin of Dirge’s version of the character. So… I’m going to start by saying that this is my first exposure to Roman Dirge’s work. I’m not sure if any of this particular story is bleedover from any of his previous tales but it definitely reads as a stand alone story.
I wasn’t really charmed by the narrative. I can undoubtedly see the Tim Burton influence. If I was a betting man, I’d wager some Ren and Stimpy may have worked their way into Roman’s palette of influences as well. I don’t think the tone was where it needed to be to elevate the story. In addition, there were some humorous moments that didn’t quite hit like they could have because the jokes and the banter just weren’t very funny. Trying to straddle between childlike whimsy and adult sensibilities is no easy task. I think leaning more into the child-friendly side would have helped a great deal because the more adult oriented jokes just felt a bit forced in context. I could really see this connecting with a younger audience if it was tweaked specifically for that demographic. I will give points for imparting a small lesson toward the end about the responsibility of those with power to use that power wisely. Again, if this was geared specifically to a younger audience, it would feel more focused, overall.
Okay! Enough of that, because I really want to talk about what I enjoyed about this comic. The art! It’s fantastic. The background work in the wider shots is absolutely gorgeous. That, coupled with the frenetic character “acting”, works so well together. The colors are more vibrant than I would expect them to be for a story about a dead little girl, but regardless, it’s beautiful and inviting. There’s something very painterly about the look of the scenery. I’m no artist so I can’t really speak to the mediums and materials employed to create the art, but Roman Dirge is able to create such lush and living environments for his characters to inhabit that it makes up for some of the shortcomings of the narrative. It really is a beautiful looking book.
LENORE: CURSE OF THE BEEBEE YAGA will probably be a winner in the eyes of Roman Dirge’s established fans. For me, the art is what is doing the heavy lifting here and for readers who prioritize story over visuals, it may not be quite enough to convert them into new fans.
6 OUT OF 10
Written, drawn, colored and lettered by: Roman Dirge
Publisher: Titan Comics
