GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #69, from Zenescope Entertainment on February 22nd, 2023, deals with the repercussions of Malec the Dark One’s return and the reality that Malec is a prelude to something much worse.
The Details
- Written by: Dave Franchini
- Art by: Babisu Kourtis
- Colors by: Jorge Cortes
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: February 22, 2023
Is It Good?
GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #69 ups the stakes and leans the story back toward Lovecraft horror for an issue that accomplishes much by moving the players around, even if the story only moves forward by a little.
When last we left Skye and her friends, Tamora participated (by force) in Baba Yaga’s ritual to resurrect Malec the Dark One by sacrificing Samantha. Now, Baba Yaga brings Malec up to speed, and the Dark One is in no mood to suffer backtalk from the Shang Gang, resulting in the death of a few allies.
We dinged Franchini in the last review for veering too far away from the Lovecraft theme of the arc and turning in a generic adventure. Here, the story gets back on track with solid pacing, good dialog, emotional moments, and a growing momentum heading into the next issue.
The down point in Franchini’s script is the fallout from the deaths. It’s no surprise that some of the fallen allies are not as dead as everyone thought, but the reveal happens so quickly that there’s no element of surprise or relief. The deaths have to hurt to motivate the characters. When someone says, “oh, they’re not really dead,” all the emotional weight dissipates and removes the impact of the death.
Moving on to the art, Kourtis’s pencils/inks are the major down point of this arc. The overall panel compositions are good, and the character designs, especially the Lovecraftian monsters, are solid, but the line work ranges from okay to plain sloppy. There isn’t a clean panel in this entire issue.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL.2) #68 review to find out what happened to Samantha.
We begin immediately after Baba Yaga resurrects Molec the Dark One with a ritual involving Samantha’s sacrifice. Molec hasn’t been keeping up with the news while dead, so it’s up to Baba Yaga to bring him up to speed. Molec, however, can’t help but notice that Skye and the Shang Gang are on their knees and at his mercy, a feat he couldn’t accomplish before he died.
Skye and her allies rage against Molec’s return, but he gives as good as he gets, delivering a massive kick that crushes Diego and Carmen into darkness. Before Malec can finish off his longtime enemies, Baba Yaga calls him away to answer the call from something much more powerful. Baba and Molec leave the Shang Gang’s demise in the hands of an approaching Star Spawn – a mini-Chthulu monster.
We conclude the issue with magic held back, magic overloaded, and darkness undone.
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Final Thoughts
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GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #69 moves the series back into the Lovecraftian theme of the arc, and big developments align the players for even bigger conflicts to come. The writing execution and panel composition are solid, but the “deaths” lack weight, and the pencils/inks are subpar.
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