GRIMM TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: RISE OF CTHULHU, from Zenescope Entertainment on October 5th, 2022, treats readers to four tales of Lovecraft-inspired horror just in time for Halloween.
The Details
- Written by: Joe Brusha
- Art by: Julius Abrera, Massimiliano La Manno, Alessandro Uezu, Alessio Mariani
- Colors by: Maxflan Araujo
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Jeff Spokes (cover A)
- Cover price: $8.99
- Release date: October 5, 2022
Is It Good?
GRIMM TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: RISE OF CTHULHU swings for the fences with a Lovecraft-inspired pseudo-anthology that recounts four tales of murder, madness, and mayhem inspired by the seminal author. Better still, the stories lay the foundation for Keres the Goddess of Death’s place in Zenescope’s collection of all titles in the latter half of 2022, all adapting a twist from Lovecraft lore. If you’re a Lovecraft fan or even just a horror fan, there’s a lot to like in this quarterly.
We call this quarterly a pseudo-anthology because there are three distinct stories linked by an overarching story involving Keres, but unlike most anthologies, the story characters and outcomes overlap cohesively. In effect, the stories are closer to subplots rather than standalone tales, which elevates the quality of this quarterly. Zenescope quarterlies that focus on a single story tend to have pacing problems, so breaking the stories up into subplot stories, the pacing is more consistent, and readers receive the benefit of a rise-and-fall rhythm that works more effectively within 76 pages.
How are the subplots? Original yet familiar. Each subplot takes inspiration from individual Lovecraft stories (e.g. A Shadow Over Innsmouth and The Call Of Cthulhu) without mimicking those stories directly. The net result is subplots with familiar elements integrated into a wholly unique plot. The collective of Zenescope storytellers did their Lovecraft research in this quarterly and other titles released recently, so the authenticity shows.
Pseudo or not, anthologies are notorious for containing uneven quality. Thankfully, this quarterly doesn’t suffer from any jarring ups and downs in the handoffs between artists. The art is consistently good from front to back. The line work is clean, the monster designs are creepy, and the action is well-choreographed. In all, this is rock solid quarterly from Zenescope.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Thread Story
Keres is summoned to a city museum to visit an old acquaintance, Carl, who spent his life safeguarding notes and stories about the growing encroachment of Lovecraftian horrors into our world. When Keres arrives, she finds the notes intact, but Carl isn’t so lucky. Keres reads the notes to understand the location of people and artifacts needed to fight the horror that’s coming.
Nyarlathotep
A museum researcher is tasked with translating an ancient scroll that speaks of blood, ritual sacrifice, and the power of old gods. When a wealthy museum benefactor demands a private viewing of the scroll’s contents, the researcher discovers his interest is more than academic, leading to a blood-soaked trail of death that gives rise to Nyarlathotep on Earth.
Deep Ones
A quartet of travelers finds themselves lost along the New England coast and decide to ask for help at a strangely quiet town named Innsmouth. When the travelers attempt to leave after an unsettling series of encounters with the townspeople, their car refuses to start, stranding them for the night. When the sun sets, the briny fog rolls in, and the true nature of the townspeople and their unholy appetites emerges.
Star Spawn
A group of aquarium curators receives a mysterious crate of aquatic specimens for display. Surprisingly one of the specimens, a multi-eyed octopus, is still alive. When the specimen is placed in one of the tanks, its appetite and penchant for growing in size amaze everyone except the Aquarium Director. Soon, the Director arranges for the specimen to receive larger and larger portions of food as if he were called to do so. Eventually, everyone who hears the call gathers to feed their new master.
Night at the Museum
Spencer Homes and Doctor Grant meet to discuss the escalating deaths, all surrounding strange towns, ancient monsters and gods, and mysterious artifacts. Before they can gather all the items to mount a defense against the growing horror, Nyarlathotep arrives with Nightgaunts and Shamblers at her command. A brave act of sacrifice and Keres’s arrival may be the only hope left against Nyarlathotep’s plans for world domination.
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 TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: RISE OF CTHULHU draws inspiration from a few of Lovecraft’s well-known stories in an anthology that lays the foundation for all the Zenescope titles in the near future. The art is consistently good across all shorts, and the stories are well-integrated into the umbrella story, successfully bringing the entire comic together into a cohesive plot. Lovecraft fans, Rejoice!
Related Information
Did Lovecraft invent Cthulhu?
Yes, H.P. Lovecraft invented Cthulhu. The character first appeared in The Call Of Chtulhu, published in Weird Tales magazine in 1928.
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