Grimm Fairy Tales #38: A Picturesque Murder Scene

A new arc begins surrounding the Dark Book in Grimm Fairy Tales #38, taking Skye to an unknown place that feels like a throwback to classic Zenescope stories with more popular fairy tales, this one being The Three Little Pigs.

The previous arc that actually came together under Merlin’s hand and the Knights of the Round table became much more expansive than I would have ever assumed. While it was a lot of fun, and explored just about every corner of the Nexus, it also became a bit complicated with a lot of moving pieces. This issue sheds some of that additional narrative weight for a much more focused story taking Skye into the Dark Book to find her missing mentor Shang. In that premise, the book is able to find some great success.

The take on the Three Little Pigs has certainly been done before, making it familiar enough to make me wonder if this could even be a nod to a classic Zenescope story . A gross and threatening Pig who is seriously worried about the destruction of his house ads the fun element that Grimm Fairy Tales is known to do. While I enjoy the concept of randomly placing Skye into this world or realm to create a mystery, it’s really the design that falls a bit flat. Considering where we are in this new volume, I was hoping for something a bit more inspiring.

There is one major lingering question other than what exactly is happening with the Dark Book, and that is who the shadowy figure was watching over Skye in this strange new place. I actually didn’t notice it during my first read, but there is definitely someone there and I’m sure we will be seeing more of whoever this is.

Eman Casallos and Jorge Cortes pull off some good artwork that feels elevated from the previous issues, especially with the depictions of Skye. While there were some design issues, it is an enjoyable book to look at overall. The action sequences and even Skye’s banter are made more impactful from Taylor Esposito’s lettering which helps establish a good flow throughout the entire issue.

Fans of the series are definitely going to have fun with Grimm Fairy Tales #38. It may not do quite enough to pull new readers in completely, relying pretty heavily on the events of the last arc as a catalyst for what’s to come in this one, but it still does a great job in focusing the story more coherently. It’s dramatic, but never forgets not to take itself too seriously, a trademark of Zenescope storytelling. While the humor does help this issue, I would have liked to see a bit more seriousness placed into the strange new world Skye lands in.