In Henry James Turn of the Screw fashion we have a story told to a psychiatrist being retold by a woman relating the events to a man pausing from arranging a funeral. I don’t quite understand why we would need so many steps to this narrative, but since this is a premiere issue, I am willing to abide. Grimm Tales of Terror features a seductive young redhead who has some mysterious and devious ways about her. How do we know? First, she has a black word balloon with white letters where all the other characters have a white word balloon with black letters. Second, she tells a macabre tale. Third, she possibly has something to do with a vehicular homicide—but I will elaborate on that in a moment.
The redhead stops a flustered man and identifies him by name despite the fact that he does not show any knowledge of her. He listens to her tell the tale of a woman besieged by her husband, a man turned ‘evil’ after an encounter in the woods.
Two flaws affect the execution of the comic. First, the woman with the evil husband tells her psychiatrist that the monster (her former husband) has some connection with the other monsters such that the creatures know her and follow her. No explanation comes in writing or illustration to explain such an event. We are told, but not shown.
Second, the redhead narrator walks by a snotty young blond walking a dog in one panel as the blond stands on the sidewalk. In the next panel the blond gets pinned between two cars in the middle of the road. Did the redhead push her? Did the redhead use psychic power to mentally suggest the blond into the road? Does the redhead have teleportation powers? We don’t know.
While the art works well, the writing does not foster any scares. Those aforementioned plot errors detract from the mood and atmosphere of the book. For trying to be a good first impression to incite thrills and chills, Grimm Tales of Terror fails.
Score: 2/5
Writer: Ralph Tedesco Artwork: Antonio Bifulco Publisher: Zenoscope Entertainment Price: $2.99 Release Date: 7/30/14 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital