GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #72, from Zenescope Entertainment on 5/31/23, attacks the emerging Lovecraft horror on multiple fronts when Skye and Mystere team up to stop a Starspawn.
The Details
- Written by: Dave Franchini
- Art by: Babisu Kourtis
- Colors by: Jorge Cortes
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: May 31, 2023
Is It Good?
GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #72 continues Zenescope’s “Year of Lovecraft” with an action-packed issue wherein the Shang Gang splits up to battle monsters, save friends, and get into more trouble. On the whole, it’s a generally solid story with one noticeable improvement over the previous issues.
When last we left the Shang Gang, Carmen and Diego were busy running for their lives in the Abyss, Tamora and Winter went looking for a way to bring the lost Musketeers home, and Skye and her allies fought monsters wherever they popped up.
Now, Carmen and Diego encounter a mysterious woman who offers to show them the way home, Tamora and Winter find trouble, and Skye teams up with Mystere for the latest Starspawn battle.
Dave Franchini’s script works best during moments of intense action. Skye and the Sang Gang don’t pull any punches, so if you like fantasy stories with more action than whimsy, there’s a lot to like here.
Where Franchini’s script works but struggles is in the pacing and focus. The first half of the issue has a much higher pace than the latter half, so the beginning feels like a rush to remind readers where everyone stands before getting to the meat of the issue. The uneven pacing is a minor problem but big enough to notice.
The bigger problem is the lack of focus in this arc. There’s a lot going on, but none of the scenes lead you to believe the story has a plot with a direction or purpose. Every character is simply reacting to challenges when they pop up randomly. At this point, it’s not clear who (or what) is the main villain. Is it Baba Yaga? The Dark One? Nyarlathotep? Do the villains have a plan? If so, what is it?
In vague terms, you could assume the stakes are the survival of the human race, but that’s the most you could say as an educated guess. Do the Old Ones want to eat people? Enslave humanity? How or why are they returning now? Does the Shang Gang have any chance of stopping the return of the Old Ones?
These are a lot of simple, basic questions that should have been answered much closer to the beginning of the arc, and yet, we’re approaching the one-year mark and still could not concisely describe the villain or plot.
To be clear, this isn’t a bad issue at all. In fact, it’s one of the better issues in this arc, but the nagging questions get louder the longer they remain unanswered.
As for the noticeable improvement mentioned above. Babisu Kourtis’s art looks… better. The line work is cleaner, especially on the characters’ hair. The hatching work is less “dirty.” And the facial consistency is better. This issue isn’t the best example of Zenescope art, but it’s a significant improvement from what Kourtis has delivered previously.
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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) #71 review to find out how Carmen and Diego fared in the Abyss.
We begin with a flashforward to a battle in progress. Skye holds off a group of mind-controlled citizens under the influence of a Starspawn while Mystere lies unconscious nearby. Now, Carmen and Diego run from a giant, toothy worm in the Vale of Pnath. Suddenly, a masked woman rips the worm apart and offers to lead the lost Musketeers to safety.
In Arkham, Winter and Tamora search Tamora’s ancestral home for clues to rescue Carmen and Diego. When Winter reads aloud information from one of the old witch books, the dangerous Trapezohedron they carry with them comes to life.
After a brief flashback to show Mystere arriving in Skye’s location, the Shang Gang quickly follows Mystere to the location of a Starspawn in Boston. The Starspawn immediately takes over the mind of everyone nearby, including most of the Shang Gang, but Skye and Mystere are able to resist the monster’s influence.
We conclude the issue with feeding time, steep steps, and throwing the Reverse card.
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) #72 splits up the Shang Gang and sends everyone hurrying in different directions to face threats wherever they pop up. If you’re into action, you get a lot for your money in this issue, but the uneven pacing and lack of plot focus dampen the satisfaction factor.
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