Review - Grim Fairy Tales #1 (@Zenescope)

A parent's hope in life is that their children exceed their accomplishments. For most parents that's just seeing them doing better financially, but for some there are higher stakes. Skye Mathers in Grimm Fairy Tales #1 from Zenescope is looking to pick up her mother's mantle with those higher stakes. The issue is written by Joe Brusha, penciled by Ediano Silva, colored by Ivan Nunes and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

The world of humans has forever changed and the Grimm Universe has been shaken to its core. It started with the Age of Darkness and now with the death of Sela Mathers, Earth's long time guardian, the Realms of Power have fallen into chaos. But Sela left behind one thing that may be able to save the world...her daughter, Skye.

Brusha's script in Grim Fairy Tales #1 reads like many other issues in the Grimm Fairy Tales universe in that the main points are familiar. Even though Skye is new to the guardian gig, Brusha gives her a pretty easy test to establish herself as capable of being powerful enough to be a good guardian. There's a few points where the script feels a little forced--mainly, where Skye is talking to herself as a way of filling the reader in. Brusha's pacing is overall pretty solid, although there are a few moments where the pacing seems to hurry for no particular reason. The issue's ending also feels a little tacked on to establish the rest of the series as Brusha throws it in without any real connection to events of the issue itself.

Silva's artwork is pretty clean throughout. Skye bears more than a passing resemblance to her mother and Silva illustrates her as something of a superhero with her guardian attire. Where Silva really excels in the book is rendering the werewolves that are causing terror for the local college as he draws them with a great attention to the more feral characteristics. Most of the book takes place at night and Silva does well in presenting the setting in such a way that it effectively establishes the mood. Nunes' colors further this effect by relying upon darker colors throughout.

Grim Fairy Tales #1 starts off in a way very similar to other books in that universe, but it's clear that Skye will be different than Sela in some regards. She's got a long ways to go before she can become as powerful as her mother and the signs are there that she's well on her way. Brusha offers an interesting way to reboot the universe through the eyes of another character, but it remains to be seen whether or not the story continues along a similar path. Silva's pencils are pretty strong and offer some great action sequences. Grimm Fairy Tales #1 a good start to rebooting the Grimm Fairy Tales universe even if it is in somewhat familiar territory.

Grimm Fairy Tales #1 is in stores December 21.