GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #98 – New Comic Review

Grimm Fairy Tales (Vol. 2) #98, published by Zenescope on 7/30/25, barrels forward with villainous magic, raging sandwraiths, and desperate heroes jockey for the fate of the universe.

Credits:

• Writer: Joe Brusha
• Artist: Babisu Kourtis
• Colorist: Jorge Cortes
• Letterer: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Artist: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
• Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
• Release Date: July 30, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 30
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #98:

First Impressions:

This issue feels like watching a spectacular magical train wreck, where every car is filled with exposition, and none of the passengers know how to have a natural conversation. Energetic action can’t cover flat dialogue and art that looks positively unfinished in places.

Recap:

In Neverland: Sands of Eternity, the heroes found themselves embroiled in the chaos of Neverland as Father Time’s reapers advanced, while the team faced tough decisions and mounting losses. Refusing to accept defeat, Skye’s band split up to protect the realms, even as allies fell and time itself seemed to turn against them, setting the stage for another desperate struggle across magical worlds.

Plot Analysis:

Arcane Acre is on the brink of collapse as Skye and her friends face an onslaught of deathless sandwraiths, creatures spawned by Father Time’s lingering magic. Their initial defense is brutal and nearly hopeless because the wraiths keep regrowing, and not even Mystere’s spirits can hold the tide. It takes a combination of team magic and Shang’s spell to finally freeze the battlefield in glass, but the victory brings little comfort. Father Time’s threat grows, and the heroes realize their struggles have only begun.

Shang reveals cryptic traces in history and an ominous artifact: the Tablet of Destinies, hidden in Oz, said to have the power to rewrite fate itself. The fractured team debates splitting up, knowing that Neverland is also under threat, and ultimately sends Van Helsing, Samantha, and Carmen to defend it, while Skye leads others to Oz to search for the tablet. Portals swirl and alliances fray as the heroes separate, chasing uncertain chances on two battlefronts.

When Skye’s group arrives in Oz, they find the Emerald City reduced to rubble, eerily devoid of life. They face an ambush from monstrous, winged apes and only survive when Dorothy intervenes, wielding emerald magic. This unexpected alliance is immediately put to the test as Morlana, the witch responsible for the destruction, appears to claim Oz as her own. After a magical beatdown, the heroes are ejected from the realm and left to pin their hopes on Dorothy’s ability to recover the tablet.

Back on Earth, the battered survivors regroup with Shang and Keres, the cryptic Guardian of Death. As Keres explains her captivity and introduces another doomsday artifact – the Forgotten Hour – they scramble to find new bearings. The issue ends with Skye’s team venturing into Myst, birthplace of all magic, desperate to seize a weapon before it’s too late, while Father Time’s shadow stretches over every realm. The clock is ticking, and it’s anybody’s guess if there are enough heroes left to count down to the endgame.

Story

The scope is huge: fantasy realms under siege, the fate of the universe tangled in time magic, and deadly artifacts up for grabs. Unfortunately, the pacing chokes on repetitive exposition and clunky dialog no spell could salvage. Characters explain the stakes every other panel, and their voices blur together into a chorus of tired genre clichés. Plot points, such as splitting teams or magical relics, arrive without finesse or context and just as quickly vanish, leaving the reader juggling a pile of disconnected urgency. The setup is compelling, but the execution stumbles harder than a cursed Tin Man.

Art

The artwork oscillates between rushed and almost serviceable, rarely rising above adequate. Action scenes dissolve into chaotic blasts of color and jumbled anatomy, robbing major moments of their potential impact. Faces morph from one panel to the next, and backgrounds fade into vague smears, making emotional beats completely weightless. Details like magical effects and ruins get crammed with unnecessary lines, while expressions remain as stiff as the dialogue. Even the spellcasting fails to ignite much excitement, with “epic” moments deflated by awkward posing and awkward composition.

Characters

The ensemble bursts at the seams with personalities: Skye, Shang, Mystere, Dorothy, and a parade of team members and villains. Yet, almost everyone sounds like they’re reading instructions off the same teleprompter. Attempts at pathos or humor clang off the page, and no one gets moments to breathe or stand out. Even Dorothy, supposed to be a beacon in Oz’s darkness, barely distinguishes herself before Morlana sends them packing. It’s hard to root for heroes who seem more like plot devices than people.

Positives

Despite its flaws, the comic piles on action and isn’t afraid to swing for the fences with its high stakes. The story concept about magical teams racing across realms to stop a cosmic villain has potential, and some scenes, like the glass battlefield or Emerald City in ruins, hint at the scale the series is aiming for. For fans invested in the ongoing war for Grimm’s universe, the sheer number of plot threads might offer some excitement, and the cliffhangers could keep completionists coming back.

Negatives

Stiff dialogue works overtime to sap urgency from the most dramatic stakes, and the plot is bloated with magical MacGuffins no one seems to actually care about. The art never rises to the occasion, looking slapdash and sometimes confusing, especially in busy fight scenes. Emotional moments are DOA, thanks to wooden linework and panel layouts that feel crowded or lazy. There’s almost no payoff for longtime readers hoping for real character interactions or meaningful consequences, and too many scenes end abruptly or with forgettable one-liners.

Art Samples:

Final Thoughts:

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GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #98 tries to juggle too many realms, too many fights, and too many magical widgets, with too little style and zero believable character voices. Sloppy visuals and flat dialogue drag down even the wildest plot twists, guaranteeing more headaches than magic for anyone not already enchanted by this series.

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