Review - Grimm Fairy Tales #100


"I thought you said she was powerful Malec."

Reaching the 100th issue is a big deal for any series. In today's day where many books live short lives as miniseries, it's a sign of commitment when a book makes it all the way to #100. Zenescope Entertainment has been doing this comic thing for a while now and they've got their first book to hit the major milestone in Grimm Fairy Tales #100. The issue is written by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco, illustrated by Anthony Spay, colored by Ivan Nunes and lettered by Jim Campbell.

Sela Mathers, the Guardian of the Nexus, is a woman tasked with teaching misguided humans right from wrong. She's also in a pretty tight spot. With the Dark Queen lording over her, Sela is tasked with finding a way out and stopping the Grimm Universe from being plunged into an Age of Darkness. With a little help from her friends, Sela may just be able to pull it off. Of course, nothing is ever easy, which means that things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better.

Like just about every other book in the Zenescope universe, Grimm Fairy Tales #100 is steeped in the universe as far as how the events relate to other books. Brusha and Tedesco have done an admirable job making this book accessible to new readers, but it's likely those readers aren't going to start here. Still, as far as century issues go, the story in Grimm Fairy Tales #100 features pretty solid pacing. The story largely pays off many of the other sub-plots that have been going through other Zenescope books and Sela is (rightfully so) at the center of it all. While the plot itself feels familiar (evil being hellbent on crashing worlds together), there are a ton of characters from different corners of the universe that keep the reader on their toes.

As milestone issues go, the art by Spay in Grimm Fairy Tales #100 feels pretty strong. The characters represent a pretty varied assortment of being and are clearly the focus of the art. Many of the facial expressions feel convincing in terms of the emotion they're attempting to convey. Some of the human creatures feel a little awkward at times, with some positioned in ways that come across as slightly awkward. There are also some strange perspectives on some of the pages that feel a little off, but it's not anything that detracts from the book. In fact, overall the art is a great accompaniment for the story.

Grimm Fairy Tales #100 isn't really going to do much in the way of convincing new fans to jump on board. That's not because it's bad or anything, but because there's just so much going on that requires the reader to have read other Zenescope books leading up to this one. The script by Brusha and Tedesco feels steady and definitely rings in the 100th issue with a lot of fanfare. Spay's artwork comes together well and fits within the expected Zenescope style. Grimm Fairy Tales #100 is a book that rewards fans of the publisher and series with a pretty epic universe-spanning event.

Grimm Fairy Tales #100 is in stores today.

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