Grim Vol 1: a punk rock take on death

Grim Vol 1, written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Flaviano, is an awesome dive into the afterworld and the Reapers who run it. It’s epic, it’s punk, and it should be on your reading list. Published by BOOM! Studios, issues 1 -5 of this volume kick off the first arc of Jessica Harrow and her journey to learn how she became a Reaper.

Who and what are the Reapers? Reapers are employees of the land of the dead tasked with ferrying recently deceased souls from the land of the living. Having had their own lives before, they come from all over the world and from various eras. Now, they are armed with scythes, have their own personal spaces, and answer to Ms. Adira–aka management.

Unlike the other Reapers, Harrow is unaware of how she ended up in her monotonous and macabre job. Grim Vol 1 blends this mystery with excellent world-building. Throughout these first issues, readers learn about Reapers as an organization and the ironic bureaucracy that exists. Reapers may be in charge of souls, but they answer to Death and the chain of command. This adds to the relatability of Harrow as a protagonist. She may be a phantom in her existence, but it doesn’t mean she can escape work.

The plot of this first arc is strong in the foundation it builds. Readers witness Harrow interact with her close friends and fellow Reapers Eddie and Marcel as they maneuver Harrow’s past. Simultaneous to this plot is conflict happening as a result of Harrow exploring more about who she is. Harrow’s accidental discovery that she isn’t like the other Reapers breaks rules causing earth-shattering elemental figures to rise up. The shake-up of the political structure of the afterworld makes set pieces action-packed and grand in their scale.

Matching the excellent writing is an art by Flaviano. The blend of color and character design has an energy that makes Reapers and the world they exist in feel elemental. The art pops with neon highlights drawing the eye to the scythes that each Reaper has. The changing locations throughout the story benefit further from the art with deep blacks and sprays of color making this comic a visual feast on paper and digitally.

Character designs perfectly match the tone and scale of the story. An aspect of the art that stands out is the unique use of skeletal faces during emotional moments. The half-skull and half-human juxtaposition feel horrific and also powerful making the laughs, cries, and pain feel that much more impactful.

This enjoyable comic has one minor area of improvement: pacing. Phillips has created a world that could easily be expanded and the combination of Flaviano’s art makes for such an enjoyable experience. The first arc could benefit from more time to breathe and take its time. After a few issues into the story, the plot feels as though it could slow down and readers would benefit from an even richer and deeper experience.