GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #53 – Review

In GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #53, available from Zenescope Entertainment on October 27th, 2021, Skye remains trapped in a cyberpunk reality, helping the doppelganger versions of her friends shut down a cybernetic police state.

The Details

• Written By: Dave Franchini
• Art By: Babisu Kourtis
• Colors By: Jorge Cortes
• Letters By: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino, Ivan Nunes (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: October 27, 2021

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Was It Good?

Non-stop, action-packed, race-to-the-finish goodness is what this comic’s got. Snarky quips, pseudo cyberpunk science, and cybernetic monsters are what this comic’s got. It’s got it all, Baby!

Sure, the assessment is a little over-the-top but so is this comic. Franchini is throwing everything and the kitchen sink into giving you non-stop science fiction action from cover to cover. The chief high points of this comic are high-energy action scenes and superb pacing with lovably snarky dialog for good measure.

It’s not clear where we are in the current arc, but we’re at the point where Skye meets what will presumably be the big bad villain of the story – the Cyberpunk dimension’s version of the Spider Queen. However, that fateful meeting doesn’t happen until the very last page. In video game terms, this issue is all about fighting through waves of NPCs with a cliffhanger that ends right before the boss fight.

Without intending to sound flippant, this issue really plays out like a video game. Skye gets an upgraded suit, the disposable nature of the army (robots) allows for all kinds of interesting kill shots, and the plan is to make their way through a fortified fortress to get to a special crystal. That description matches nearly every NES video game from the 80s through the early 2000s, and that’s a compliment.

The art is your typical Zenescope house style, complete with bold colors, clean/crisp lines, and dynamic panel compositions. There’s rarely a reason to criticize a Zenescope comic’s art, and this issue is no exception.

What’s It About?

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

If you’re already wondering how Skye wound up in a cyberpunk dimension, start by reading our GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #52 review.

We begin with Skye and the team pinned down inside the city headquarters. They’re surrounded by robots on all sides and they don’t appear to have a way out. Flashback to before the assault. The team discusses how they get into the headquarters and why. The robot army’s power source is a special crystal stored deep within the building, and Skye immediately recognizes it as the same type of crystal used to send her to the cyberpunk dimension. If the team can get it, they may be able to use it to send Skye home.

Back to the present, Skye is donned in a cybernetically upgraded suit given to her by Liesel. Skye attempts to use her realm magic to destroy the robots, and it works. The team fights past the robots before they’re stopped by a new wave of cybernetic foes that look like a cross between the Spider Queen’s giant spider beasts and robot spiders. Even Skye’s magic isn’t powerful enough to stop them.

Pinned down by an even stronger force, Liesel figures out she can stop them by hacking into the robot spider brains remotely to shut them down. It works, but the effort takes its toll on Liesel’s body. We conclude the issue with the team making it to the next save point, a shocking turn for one of the team, and the Doom music kicking in on the last panel.

Final Thoughts

GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #53 is the closest and best example of an action-packed video game translated into comic book form. The fuel-injected pacing never lets up, the art boldly holds your attention, and the cliffhanger ends at just the right moment to leave you wanting more.

Score: 9/10

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