GRIMM SPOTLIGHT: ZODIAC, from Zenescope Entertainment on June 1st, 2022, finds Zodiac wrestling with the sins and loyalties of his past when an old acquaintance turns up needing help.
The Details
- Written By: Joe Brusha
- Art By: Daniel Mainé
- Colors By: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letters By: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Cover Price: $5.99
- Release Date: June 1, 2022
Was It Good?
GRIMM SPOTLIGHT: ZODIAC is the latest in a series of one-shots designed to highlight a character in the Grimm Universe who doesn’t have an ongoing title. The titular Zodiac is a former assassin turned enhanced vigilante who struggles with his roots as a terrorist, and we get to see how those roots bear bitter fruit in the present day. Is the journey of self-discovery for Logan O’Connell, aka Zodiac, worth the destination? In large part, yes.
If you’re unfamiliar with Zodiac, this is an excellent primer to tell you (most) of what you need to know about the character. Brusha establishes O’Connell as a man who suffers from the weight of his past – first as a young lad involved in terrorist bombings as a junior member of the I.R.A., then as an enhanced assassin responsible for several murders. The guilt of his crimes tortures O’Connell, and while he’s not a traditional hero, Brusha paints enough angst into O’Connell’s personality to make him a sympathetic character. Readers can get behind an underdog, and while O’Connell’s obstacles are of his own making, you can still feel yourself rooting for him to do right.
The plot plays into the heart of O’Conell’s angst as the family connections of his youth resurface to pit his loyalties from the past against his convictions in the present. His brother is in criminal trouble, and his brother’s enchantress partner sets out to enlist O’Connell’s help, whether he wants to help or not. Brusha nicely challenges O’Connell’s path to redemption in a personal and emotional way. If you put aside the flashy heroics, costumes, and fights, there’s a strong personal drama at work in this issue.
On the downside, the issue takes a few leaps in logic to get readers from Point A to Point B. Hydra’s relationship with Scorpio is unclear, and it’s not explained how she got together with him, how they came to be in Philadelphia, or how she knew about O’Connell as Zodiac. There’s an entire subplot behind Scorpio’s latest theft revolving around the resurrection of Camelot, but it’s only mentioned in a throwaway line and never explained or explored. These little bits and pieces, plus a few more, give you the impression tried to cover too much without enough pages to do it. The issue doesn’t feel incomplete so much as it takes enough shortcuts to feel rushed.
Mainé’s art in this issue is excellent. The action is intense, the panel angles are dramatic, and Rodriguez’s colors are outstanding. In particular, there are two scenes where the action is the equivalent of bringing a sword to a gunfight, and the art team pulls it off believably. Visually, you’ll be very happy with this issue.
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]
We begin with Logan O’Connell’s time as a boy in Ireland. Young and impressionable, O’Connell became a bomb-wielding, gun-toting member of the I.R.A. While in the group, O’Connell developed family ties and bonds that last through today.
Now, O’Connell is haunted by the death he caused in his youth and later as the super-suited assassin, Zodiac. He’s determined to go straight, even if the past can never be undone. One day, he’s approached by a woman in a bar who uses mind control power to force O’Connell to help her break out a criminal in prison.
Meanwhile, Peyton Parks arrives in Philadelphia to oversee the extradition of a prisoner captured during a museum robbery. We soon learn the prisoner is Gavin O’Connell, Logan’s brother, and the woman who approached Logan in the bar is Gavin’s partner, Regan aka Hydra. Hydra plans to control Logan long enough to break Gavin free and continue their goal of stealing a magic gem from a museum. Unfortunately for Hurda, Peyton Parks is also known as the Black Knight, and she won’t give up her prisoner without a fight.
We conclude the issue with somebody bringing a sword and shield to a gunfight, the nasty side-effects of magic, and a hard choice.
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 SPOTLIGHT: ZODIAC is a fantastic primer to get readers reacquainted with Zodiac. Honestly, Zenescope sometimes goes too far with only telling female-centric stories, so it’s not to see a little diversity in their lineup. The action is unique and exciting, Zodiac’s past and present conflicts are filled with emotional drama, and the resolution feels like a step forward in the main character’s personal journey. However, the story is too big for the allotted pages, and the necessary shortcuts make the story as a whole feel rushed in a few key spots.
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