Grimm Fairy Tales #80 Review


It’s time for the penultimate issue of this latest story arc, but has this prison saga lasted for far too long?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Zenescope:

One of the longest-running and best-selling indie comic series on shelves today hits 80 issues! Sela gets closer to unveiling the identity of the highborn within the prison walls.   But not everything is as it seems and as things continue to escalate,  Sela must make a choice that will affect the safety of everyone in the prison. “The Lockdown” story-arc continues in this thrilling, action-packed issue of Grimm!

What we have is an absolutely exceptional release as this exciting and thought provoking adventure leads our protagonist down a new but familiar path.  Yes, she’s still in prison contending with the problems therein but now her purpose in life, her very goal, has been thoroughly renewed.  And in the end now that our hero has something to really fight for, the strength of this romp is truly revealed.

Mark L. Miller handles this script with strength and finesse, as he expertly builds off of the previous issues by embracing a very emotional beginning that propels the narrative forward.  The dialogue is very potent as strikingly human interactions spliced with dynamic fights and strong revelations lead Sela Mathers to some dark but interesting places.  From beginning to end the writing kept me thoroughly glued to my seat but I just wish it would have been a bit longer in order to offer the audience a more interesting cliffhanger than the one we get.

Nacho Arranz does a good job on the art, evoking just enough details to create a very solid rendition of this world.  His character work in particular fits the look and feel of the continuing narrative quite well, though there were a few moments where faces looked a bit off.  Thankfully those were select scenes and they were few and far between, as the whole of the job on display did just enough to satisfy the visual needs this stellar series requires.

Grimm Fairy Tales #80 is an excellent comic book that will please fans while illuminating the way toward the next stellar arc.  Recommended.

4/5

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