GRIMM TALES OF TERROR (VOL. 5) #4, by Zenescope on 4/2/25, follows a callous man whose life is turned upside down by a vengeful spirit.
Credits:
- Writer: David Wohl
- Artist: Daniel Maine
- Colorist: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Eric J
- Publisher: Zenescope
- Release Date: April 2, 2025
- Comic Rating: Mature (adult themes, language)
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 28
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of GRIMM TALES OF TERROR (VOL. 5) #4:
Plot Analysis:
Grimm Tales Of Terror (Vol. 5) #4 regales readers with a tale of the Dybbuk – a vengeful spirit who torments terrible people until it eventually kills them. What is the method of torment? The Dybbuk destroys the lives of everyone around its victim until they’re utterly alone. In this case, the victim is a womanizer, bully, and all-around bad guy Barry Shapiro.
Barry’s wife, Rachel, can sense a dark presence invading their married life. One evening, Rachel commits suicide in front of Barry. Later, the police question Barry as a suspect in his wife’s death, but the questioning is interrupted by Barry’s lawyer and secret lover, Tara, who springs Barry from police custody. That night, Barry spends a night drinking at the local pub with his pal, Darren. When Darren leaves the pub, well before Barry, a ghostly spirit possesses Darren and forces him to run into a brick wall while driving at high speed.
The next morning, Barry receives word of Darren’s death and begins to suspect a warning he received earlier from a Rabbi may be true – that a dark presence is stalking Barry. Tara thinks Barry is paranoid, but as the two drive off to work., Tara becomes possessed and jumps out of the fast-moving car, dying instantly. When Barry pulls over to check on her, he sees the ghastly spirit of the Dybbuk warning him that he’s next.
Fearing for his life, Darren seeks out the Rabbi for help, and the Rabbi explains that the Dybbuk can be trapped in a special box if Barry enters the liminal space between life and death and recites an incantation. Barry agrees, and he enters the space to confront the Dybbuk. Barry then learns the Dybbuk was spawned from one of Barry’s many past misdeeds, and the incantation doesn’t do what Barry thought it would do.
First Impressions:
Writer David Wohl leans into Jewish folklore for a tale of terror about a possessive spirit intent on exacting revenge on the one who harmed them in life. Horror anthologies are ripe for exploring folklore from multiple cultures and religions, so it’s nice to see Zenescope mining areas with overlooked potential.
Artwork and Presentation:
When it comes to horror comics of the supernatural variety, the big must-haves are the deaths and the monster design. Here, Daniel Maine nails the artwork on both counts. The character deaths are particularly gruesome, especially the death of Tara, and the dybbuk’s visual presence is creepy.
That said, Juan Manual Rodriguez’s paint stroke application for shading and highlights is a bit rough, so the light sources and shading look off.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
The Dybbuk is a fascinating case of using supernatural threats from often-overlooked cultures and religions to remind readers there are plenty of spooky legends in the world beyond your standard ghost, vampire, or werewolf. David Wohl’s story mixes the supernatural to exact karmic justice on a jerk, which makes for a satisfying read.
The Negatives:
The death of Barry’s acquaintances and his final resolution almost happen too quickly to understand who the dybbuk is, what it’s doing, and how it’s doing it. You eventually get the gist that the dybbuk is either influencing or possessing people to kill themselves, but the signal to tell that possession is taking place is almost too subtle to notice. It would have helped to give a clearer signal that the people about to die were not themselves.
Big Picture:
Historical Context:
If you’ve never heard of a Dybbuk, that’s not a surprise because it’s one of the least-referenced supernatural creatures you’ll find in mainstream media. According to Wikipedia: “In Jewish mythology, a dybbuk (/ˈdɪbək/; Yiddish: דיבוק, from the Hebrew verb דָּבַק dāḇaq meaning ‘adhere’ or ‘cling’) is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person.[1] It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.”
Final Thoughts:
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GRIMM TALES OF TERROR (VOL. 5) #4 introduces readers to a dybbuk from Jewish folklore as a malevolent spirit exacting revenge on a terrible man. David Wohl’s creep-fest is a solid spook story, and the art is largely great. More publishers should follow Zenescope’s example of leveraging folklore from more religions and cultures.
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