ROBYN HOOD ANNUAL: INVASION, from Zenescope Entertainment on 7/12/23, brings (almost) all the Zenescope heroes from across the Grimm Universe to stop Cthulhu’s Starspawns before they reach full power.
The Details
- Written by: Joe Brusha
- Art by: Riveiro, Renato Rei, Giada Belviso, Alessio Mariani
- Colors by: Juan Manuel Rodriguez, Maxflan Aruajo
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $7.99
- Release date: July 12th, 2023
Is It Good?
That’s right. ROBYN HOOD ANNUAL: INVASION may be billed as a Robyn Hood comic, but darn near every Zenescope hero plays a part to stop the Starspawns from infecting crowds of humans into becoming an army of destruction. This annual is loaded with monster fighting action from start to finish, so if you want an action-packed annual to make the cover price worth the buy, you’re getting it.
When last we left the assortment of Zenescope heroes, we learned Dagon leads the charge to assemble the five keys that would unlock Cthulhu from his ancient prison. To keep the heroes occupied, Dagon and his cohorts unleashed an assortment of Lovecraftian horrors on the world, including the tentacled Starspawn. Now, the heroes split up to destroy the three remaining Starspawns in London, Chicago, and Los Angeles before the monsters reach full strength and enslave the nearby citizens.
In terms of plot, Joe Brusha lays out a simple, straightforward, to-the-point story – split up and kill the monsters before they become unstoppable. The story is simple, but simple can go a long way toward elevating the characters if all the basics are in place. In this case, they are.
Each of the Starspawn has similar physical characteristics, but they’re each unique in sizing, coloring, and physicality. Each team of heroes has to work together to overcome a challenge that none of the heroes could face alone. And each hero has to step up to exceed their limits at a critical moment to win. It’s all about pushing the hero to become greater and rise to the occasion. It may sound cliche, but the classic hero’s journey is a classic for a reason – because it works.
How’s the art? Consistent with most Zenescope annuals, a small squad of artists worked on this issue. Usually, the net result is some pretty jarring art transitions. Thankfully, the transitions are noticeable but not jarring and not terrible. On average, the art in this annual is pretty great, and the handoffs from one artist to the next are subtle enough to not pull you out of the comic.
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 a scene in Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium where the largest of the three remaining Starspawns has zombified the nearby population. When it reaches full maturity, the Starspawn will transform its slaves into an army of monsters.
Elsewhere, Robyn Hood, Van Helsing, Skye, and the Shang Gang assemble at Arcane Acre to assess the situation. Mystere’s power allows her to sense the location of the remaining Starspawn, so the group splits up to destroy each monster in Chicago, Los Angeles, and London. The teams in London and Los Angeles eventually destroy the Starspawn with the help of local heroes WildChild and Red Agent.
We conclude the annual with all hands on deck in Chicago, a stadium full of monsters, and an ethereal hand from GhostHawk.
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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ROBYN HOOD ANNUAL: INVASION is a simple story about defeating Cthulhu’s Starspawn across the globe, but what the plot lacks in complexity, it makes up for in wall-to-wall action. The art, on average, is great, and the sheer volume of heroes appearing makes this annual feel much bigger than you would expect for a Robyn Hood annual.
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