GRIMM TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: HEART’S DESIRE, from Zenescope Entertainment on 4/19/23, delivers four tales of terror where Keres’s “special” art shows the beholder’s true heart.
The Details
- Written by: Honor Vincent
- Art by: Alessandro Uezu, Eduardo Garcia, Massimiliano La Manno, Dario Carrasco
- Colors by: Maxflan Araujo
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Vinz El Tabanas
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $8.99
- Release date: April 19, 2023
Is It Good?
Drawing inspiration from the concept that the best art means something different to anyone who sees it, GRIMM TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: HEART’S DESIRE presents four tales centered around paintings that reflect back to the viewer what’s in their heart. In most cases, the viewer doesn’t see a pretty picture.
In general, Zenescope is on a roll lately with their anthology titles. Collectively, the stories are, on average, solid and entertaining enough to hold your attention. GRIMM TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: HEART’S DESIRE continues that roll with four shorts that would work well in Tales From The Crypt.
Better still, there isn’t a stinker in the bunch, as each story focuses on a terrible protagonist who gets what they deserve. Multiple artists participated in putting this book together, but the anthology is structured in such a way as to separate the artists logically without disturbing the flow of the book, and the styles of each artist aren’t significantly different enough in quality to throw the reading experience off.
In short, this is a strong horror anthology with consistently good art.
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]
As with all our anthology reviews, we’ll describe each short, what worked, and what didn’t.
The Hopper Hotel
Ted is the manager of the Hopper Hotel, left to him by his father. The hotel’s fallen on hard times, and Ted is at risk of losing it all. One day, a mysterious painting is left in Ted’s office, and the art shows him a familiar house linked to terrible crime in Ted’s past.
The Hopper Hotel is a solid horror short. Ted comes off as an assuming guy until you find out his early days as a spoiled rich kid led to a vicious crime, and Ted gets what he deserves when the dead demand justice. The art’s decent enough, but a few panels are dark enough to be drab.
It’s Just Business
A powerful Hollywood producer wields money and influence over young women for his salacious appetites. When he finds a painting that attracts his attention, he soon finds the images of the women he’s wronged will be the death of his career.
File this one under “Ripped from the Headlines,” as this short borrows heavily from the Hollywood scandals involving Harvey Weinstein. The subject of the short isn’t original, but the ironic twist that seals his fate is satisfying.
The Au Pair
A recently-widow2ed au pair and her daughter move in with a new family who needs help looking after a young girl while the parents travel. Unfortunately, the cracks in a dysfunctional family widen when the au pair catches the father’s eye, leading to a twist that ends in bloodshed.
This short earns top marks for building anticipation for something bad about to happen but delivering a twist you won’t see coming. Surprises, especially in horror, are a good thing when done well. Plus, this is the goriest short in the bunch.
The Work of the Devil
In 1519, a struggling artist, whose style favors distorted, disfigured faces, can’t find work or anyone who appreciates his unique talent. One day, a mysterious merchant gifts Marco the canvas and brushes to create his masterpiece, but only if he puts his heart and blood into his work.
This short plays on the ideas of an obsessed artist and the lengths he will go to for inspiration, and it has the bonus of providing an origin story for the shorts that came before. The art in this short is a little less polished than the rest, but it’s still solid.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
GRIMM TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: HEART’S DESIRE presents four horror tales centered around paintings that swerve as the vehicle to give terrible people what they truly deserve. Every short has an ironic twist, and the art, on average, is solid.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.