GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #64, from Zenescope Entertainment on September 28th, 2022, finds Sam and Skye fighting against a dark shadow engulfing a little town called Innsmouth and the briny horrors waiting off the town’s shores.
The Details
- Written by: Dave Franchini
- Art by: Babisu Kourtis
- Colors by: Jorge Cortes
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Al Barrionuevo
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: September 28, 2022
Is It Good?
GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #64 continues the latest arc, shaping up as a walking tour of Lovecraft’s greatest horror stories. Now, Sky and friends encounter their own version of The Shadow Over Innsmouth where a lonely, seaside town is infested with aquatic, hybrid horror, and it’s as good a mashup with Grimm Fairy Tales as you could hope to expect.
Franchini’s script admirably captures the gloom and atmosphere of Innsmouth, right down to its creepy residents with large, fishlike eyes and a drunken old man whose seen too much. Franchini isn’t retelling The Shadow Over Innsmouth, but instead wisely transports Skye and her cohorts into the Innsmouth setting while remaining true to Lovecraft’s tale. If you’re a Lovecraft fan, you’ll love the little Easter Eggs that pop up.
This may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it’s not. The plot does exactly what it needs to do. Skye and Sam are given a task to retrieve a special book located in Innsmouth. When they arrive, Lovecraftian shenanigans take over. You could make the case that the plot is too simplistic, but the issue works well because it reliesb on mood and atmosphere. To be fair, there are monsters and action, so there’s a little something for everyone, but sometimes simple is best as it is here.
The down point of the issue is Kourtis’s inks. They’re thick and rough. In deeply shadowed scenes, the inks work in the story’s favor, but with character close-ups, character faces look smudged and misshapened. The art is worsened by a lack of smoothing/feathering in Cortes’s coloring work. Contours and shading look good in some panels, but the colors look like quick pain strokes in others. Generally, the art is complete but unrefined and lacking in polish.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #63 to find out how Skye and her friends were pulled into a Lovecraftian nightmare.
We begin with the Three Musketeers lamenting having to fight in a potential war against the supernatural. Shang tries to calm their fears, and he instructs them to train under Tamora to prepare.
Meanwhile, Shang sends Sam and Skye to a town called Innsmouth to retrieve a special spellbook that will aid in protection and detection against the approaching forces of darkness. Tamora can’t go because her previous uses of magic against the Nightgaunts make her detectable to enemies if she leaves Arcane Acre.
Later, Sam and Skye arrive in Innsmouth to search for the book, but their efforts are hindered by odd-looking residents. We conclude the issue with a search in the darkness, sacrifice, and a watery grave.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #64 is an above-average mashup between the Grimm Fairy Tales universe and one of Lovecraft’s most memorable stories. Franchini’s script captures the mood and atmosphere of Innsmouth while creating an original story that fits within Skye’s arc. However, the art is rough and unpolished.
Related Information
What did H.P. Lovecraft suffer from?
H.P. Lovecraft has never been formally diagnosed with a physical or mental ailment. Based on his personal notes, he may have suffered from depression, agoraphobia, or possibly a form of schizophrenia.
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