FAIRY TALE TEAM-UP: ROBYN HOOD & MYSTERE, by Zenescope on 10/9/24, sends Robyn on a mission to recover soul gems before the Congregation of the Dead gets their hands on them.
Credits:
- Writer: Dave Franchini
- Artist: Guillermo Fajardo, Rodrigo Xavier, Erik Tamayo
- Colorist: Juan Manuel Rodriguez, Maxflan Araujo
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
- Release Date: October 2, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $6.99
- Page Count: 48
- Format: Double-Size Issue
Covers:
Analysis of FAIRY TALE TEAM-UP: ROBYN HOOD & MYSTERE:
First Impressions:
Fairy Tale Team-Up: Robyn Hood & Mystere is perfectly fine. Writer Dave Franchini invents a reason for the two heroes to team up against a larger enemy and put a significant fly in the ointment of the Congregation of the Dead’s plans. So, what’s the problem? We have no idea what the Congregation is doing or why.
Plot Analysis:
Fairy Tale Team-Up: Robyn Hood & Mystere begins with Robyn approaching a late-night rendezvous on behalf of Smitty to retrieve a precious item. She doesn’t know who she’s meeting or what object they possess (a recurring theme and problem). Roby is shortly run into, literally, by the Kavari from Oz known as Wiglaf, who’s chased by Reap and Sow from the Congregation of the Dead.
A recurring theme and problem is what you get a lot of in this issue and several Zenescope books of late. Why would Robyn agree to a late-night rendezvous with almost no information concerning who or why? Robyn Hood is one of the strongest personalities in Zenescope, so it’s a frustrating stretch to believe she would continually operate blind without putting her foot down.
Reap and Sow catch up to Wiglaf, instigating a fight. Eventually, Robyn saves Wiglaf, but the sisters get away with the soul jewel Wiglaf pilfered on behalf of his employer. Later, Wiglaf wakes up at Robyn’s hideout under Smitty’s medical care. Robyn begins questioning everyone aggressively when Mystere shows up in response to Wiglaf’s soul coming under attack during the fight. The most Smitty can tell is that there are three soul jewels, and the Congregation must not get their hands on them.
Dave Franchini lays out the mission clearly, but again, with precious little information. It doesn’t make sense that both Robyn and Mystere would tolerate Smitty’s dismissal of their questions, but here, they accept the dismissal and charge ahead to find the next stone without any clarity about what the stones do, why the Congregation wants them, the consequences if the Congregation succeeds in getting them, or how Smitty knows so much information but is unwilling to share it.
Robyn, Mystere, and Wiglaf head out to the Sahara Desert to find the second stone. Over the course of their trip, the chit-chat waffles between awkward and flirty as Wiglaf and Mystere used to date. The trio finds a half-buried pyramid and begins to search its lower levels. Unfortunately, the Congregation arrived first, prompting a second battle.
The issue ends with our heroes entering the spirit realm, Robyn becoming a prisoner of a very small, round cell, and stirrings about a coming War of the Dead.
Overall, Fairy Tale Team-Up: Robyn Hood & Mystere ranges from just okay to frustrating. Dave Franchini is doing his level best to build momentum toward a War of the Dead, but the lack of basic information, especially motivation and stakes, gives the reader nothing to invest in.
Artwork and Presentation:
On the flip side, the art is particularly good. Zenescope is most frequently known for tapping multiple artists on their oversized issues, and that habit tends to lead to inconsistent art. Here, you can tell when the artists handoff from one to the other, but the styles at play are complementary enough such that you don’t notice unless you look closely, which is a big positive.
Art Samples:
Final Thoughts:
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FAIRY TALE TEAM-UP: ROBYN HOOD & MYSTERE is a perfectly serviceable, double-sized issue that teams Robyn Hood with Mystere to stop the Congregation from recovering dangerous artifacts. The action is fine, the basic plot makes sense, and the art looks great. That said, the story lacks motivation, stakes, and fundamental information sharing between characters, so the entertainment is offset by loads of frustration.
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