GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #51 – Review

In GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #51, available from Zenescope Entertainment on September 8th, 2021, Skye and the Heroes of the realms re-group after the Dark Princesses’ assault only to find trouble waiting at their doorstep.

The Details

• Written By: Dave Franchini
• Art By: Guillermo Fajardo
• Colors By: Jorge Cortes
• Letters By: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino, Ivan Nunes (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: September 8, 2021

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Was It Good?

Okay, okay. You got me Zenescope. You subverted my expectations… in a good way.

I’ve stated in recent reviews of assorted Zenescope books that they’ve cracked the code when it comes to doing a multiverse the right way. Separate titles tell engaging, complete stories in and of themselves but also link to the greater multiverse concept, setting up a much bigger story. 2021 is turning out to be the year of the Dark Princess, and all the creators appear to be on the same page when it comes to developing characters, raising stakes, and moving disparate plots in the same direction.

Does this entry in Skye’s adventures hold up the trend of doing multiverse the right way? Yep.

Franchini brings the Heroes of the Realms together (except Hercules?) after the mini crossover in the Robyn Hood Annual, and while the info dump is a lot of talking and arguing, you get clearly distinct voices from the different personalities in the room. Robyn is the go-getter hothead. Shang is the wizened, fatherly voice of reason. And so on. Adding a new member to the team by way of an alternate-universe version of the Queen of Hearts ramps up the group tension with an understandable mistrust as well.

It’s almost foreign these days to bring together an eclectic group of heroes that act like different people, and Franchini nails it.

As for the plot, we get the best possible subversion of expectations you could hope for — the plot doesn’t waste time getting to the meat of the story. Dark Princess shows up without giving the heroes a minute to plan and all hell breaks loose. The battle is big, people die, and there’s a palpable feeling of desperation when the battle looks like it’s going South.

I enjoyed this story a lot. “Wait, what about the art?” you ask.

The art by Fajardo and the team is excellent in a stylistic sort of way. The character designs and linework is a step up from the typical Zenescope house style. Rounded shapes have a sharper edge, especially on the villains. And Fajardo masterfully chooses dramatic panel angles to get the most badassery possible out of every scene.

The book looks great, it reads great, and it fits into a bigger universe that rewards faithful readers that keep up with all the titles. Zenescope is setting the example for a publisher that’s working to earn its readership with every issue.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Skye, Shang, and the rest of the Heroes of the Realm (where’s Hercules?) gather at the Xavier Institu… err, I mean Arcane Acre to share information about this massive, new threat — the Dark Princess. Robyn Hood sums up the events of her encounter with the Dark Princess and her army from Robyn Hood Annual: The Swarm (read our review right here). Robyn is itching to get back out there and hunt the Dark Princess down. Skye and Shang err on the side of planning and research. And everyone mistrusts the alternate-universe Queen of Hearts.

As the group starts to disband to do their thing, the Dark Princess and the Swarm (her beastly generals) are literally waiting on the Arcane Acre’s doorstep. The Dark Princess has arrived to kill them all and take something that resides in Arcane Acre.

Without a choice, the heroes leap into action. They hold their own against the army, but it’s clear some physical attacks work and others do not. Some magical attacks work, others do not. Eventually, the outnumbered heroes become overwhelmed, and they’re unable to prevent the Dark Princess from getting what she’s really after.

We conclude the issue with all the heroes dead (or are they?), a revelation that the Arcan Acre holds a powerful prize, and Skye taking a wild trip.

Final Thoughts

GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #51 is filled with tense, exciting action, dramatic art, and a story that takes the multiverse seeds planted in other Zenescope titles to make the story feel huge in scope and stakes. This is a highly recommended entry in the Grimm series.

Score: 9.5/10