GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #75, from Zenescope Entertainment on 8/30/23, brings the Year of Lovecraft to a close with a cataclysmic battle at the Mountains of Madness.
The Details
- Written by: Dave Franchini
- Art by: Jordi Tarragona, Babisu Kourtis, Julius Abrera
- Colors by: Jorge Cortes
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $6.99
- Release date: August 30, 2023
Is GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #75 Good?
Resident Zenescope scribe, Dave Franchini, brings the Year of Lovecraft to a close in GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #75 by bringing all the forces of good and evil together for a winner-takes-all battle to decide Cthulhu’s fate. With a long history of extended arcs culminating in big battles, GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #75 ends the way you expect but takes the added step of changing the status quo for at least three heroes.
When last we left Skye and the Shang Gang, Dagon captured the last of the five keys (Avril) to commence the ritual that would free Cthulhu from his eons-old prison. Now, the race is on to overcome Dagon’s minions and stop the ritual in progress before Cthulhu can break the bonds that bind him.
In case there was any doubt, yes, this issue definitively concludes the year of Lovecraft. There are “cracks,” meaning some villains get away with the means to create mischief, but Dagon’s plot to free Cthulhu is kaput, finished, finito, done-so. Now you know.
What’s great about GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #75? If you like big battles, especially battles with high energy, fast pacing, and especially a Lovecraftian twist, you’re in for a treat. Franchini gives you all the action you can handle and more to get your battle gears turning. As a bonus, this battle has consequences for the villains and heroes to give the arc meaning and weight.
What’s not so great about GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #75? For all the buildup and Lovecraftian flavor integrated into this year-long arc, the final battle is oddly vanilla. If you replace Dagon, Jenkin, and the other Lovecraft-specific characters with the Zenescope villains from Myst, Neverland, or Wonderland, it would be exactly the same. That’s not to say the battle isn’t fun. The battle is simply generic.
The second down point is the fortuitous arrival of Henry Lovecraft and Spencer Holmes during the battle. Their arrival is set up in the Necronomicon one-shot, which doesn’t come out for at least three weeks. That’s a serious goof.
How about the art? The biggest stumbling point of this issue lies in the art. As you can see from the credits above, you have multiple artists swapping in and out at random points, and it’s as noticeable and jarring as you might suspect. Tarragona has a notably different style and quality level from Kourtis than Kourtis has from Abrerra. If you skim the pages quickly, the art isn’t terrible, but linger too long, and the jarring style shifts stick out like a sore thumb.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #75 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #74 review to find out how the heroes assembled for the final battle.
We begin with Spencer Holmes and Henry Lovecraft scaling the icy slopes of the Mountains of Madness to find the key to Lovecraft’s dream. Moving on nothing but intuition, the pair stumble upon ancient warriors buried in the ice after a climactic battle long ago.
Nearby, Skye and the Shang Gang rapidly follow Dagon’s forces who have Carmen and Avril in custody. Avril is the last of the five keys, giving Dagon everything he needs to free Chthulhu.
We conclude the issue with a big fight, sacrifices, and trouble on the horizon.
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) #75 brings the Year of Lovecraft to a close with a massive battle at the Mountains of Madness to stop Dagon from freeing Cthulhu. The action is energetic, and the pacing is high, but the battle is generic, and the art is inconsistent.
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