MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY: JASMINE, from Zenescope Entertainment on May 25th, 2022, catches up with Jasmine after her disappearance during the battle with the Dark Princess. In unfamiliar surroundings, we learn Jasmine’s history as a genie and about a new threat that hunts the elemental spirits of magic.
The Details
- Written By: Jenna Lyn Wright
- Art By: Hakan Aydin, Juan Francisco Mota, Renato Rei, Alessandro Uezu,
- Colors By: Maxflan Araujo, Grostieta
- Letters By: Taylor Esposito, Elizabeth Sharland
- Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Cover Price: $8.99
- Release Date: May 25, 2022
Was It Good?
MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY: JASMINE delivers a treat for Zenescope fans by showcasing one of the most enigmatic heroes of the Grimm Universe. True to form, this ain’t your Mama’s Jasmine, and Wright takes the metaphorical ball of Jasmine’s backstory and runs with it. Is it a perfect quarterly? Not quite, but there’s plenty here to satisfy Zenescope loyalists and new readers alike.
Jasmine hasn’t been seen since the last big battle against the Dark Princess last year, so this quarterly serves a twofold purpose. First, it catches up readers with Jasmine’s whereabouts since getting zapped away. Second, it fills in Jasmine’s history as part of a current threat in the pocket dimension she used to call home. in short, there’s a lot of story going on in this comic, and some of the threads are stronger than others, but it all comes together in the end.
The strongest thread in this issue surrounds Jasmine’s backstory and how she eventually came to be a member of the Grimm Gang. Her history involves the patented Zenescope twist of taking a classic legend or fairytale and reworking it into something new yet familiar. In this case, Aladdin and the Genie are completely twisted into Jasmine serving as both the innocent street rat and the genie at the same time. It’s a clever twist and gives you a reason to appreciate the uniqueness of the character.
The weakest thread in this issue is centered on Lothar (the main villain) and his bid to consume all the elemental spirits to become all-powerful. We know very little about Lothar, why he wants the power, how he knows to obtain the power, and what he wants after he gets it. Lothar is a serious threat, but he serves as little more than a plot device to challenge Jasmine. Given the size of this quarterly, the complicated sections explaining how magic and genies came to be could have been pared back in favor of developing the villain.
The consistent down point in the writing, one we’ve seen in numerous Zenescope titles, particularly Belle’s books, is the persistent thought narration on every panel. This happens with multiple writers on Zenescope’s roster, so this critique isn’t specific to Wright. Almost every panel has a running commentary about what the characters are thinking when it’s not needed. It’s not necessary for Jasmine to explain the fighting move she’s about to make before she makes it, and it’s these bits of over-narration that can bring the reading enjoyment down. It’s okay to let the art tell part of the story.
The art is generally good. We tend to sound like a broken record when saying the art is the “solid Zenescope house style,” but it’s true. good lines, good panel composition, and good coloring permeate the entire issue. It’s not mind-blowing art, but it’s better than average and consistently good.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a flashback to thousands of years ago in the Middle East. We learn how Jasmine grew up in the streets as an accomplished thief. Her talents caught the attention of a Vizier who put her to work using her talents to steal increasingly rare and dangerous artifacts. One such artifact, a genie’s lamp, would prove to become Jasmine’s curse for millennia to come.
Now, Jasmine wakes up in the pocket dimension that is the domain of the genies. During her battle with the Dark Princess, she was zapped away from Earth but instinctively managed to find her way back to the dimension she once called home. She approaches a nearby town in the desert, looking for aid and information. She soon finds a terrible villain, Lothar, who has been raiding villages with his army of ghouls and is seeking to absorb the power of all genies and the elemental spirits who give the genies power.
Jasmine joins forces with the Earth spirit to fight back the ghoul army. We conclude the issue with rebuilding, destruction, and imprisonment.
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Final Thoughts
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MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY: JASMINE is a solid origin story and update for the magical character. Jasmine’s origin scenes form a solid foundation for her motivations and explain the source of her power. Her current enemy, however, lacks character development and motivation other than “he’s evil.” It’s a solid origin and update, but the comic as a whole is a mixed bag.
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