Grimm Fairy Tales presents Dark Shaman #3 Review

Is this a proper horror yarn? Or after three entries does this sliver of the Grimm Fairy Tales universe start to disappoint? Read on to find out.

The official description from Zenescope:

The horror escalates and nothing is what it seems.

The Dark Shaman will take what is his… one way or another!

The third outing is a marked improvement over the first two, as the creative team charts a simple to follow plot that knows where it wants to go. The primary cast of characters fall victim to the stereotypical reactions associated with the horror genre, but the text finds a way to keep a lively atmopshere. And as we reach the final pages our primary player takes an interesting, albeit predictable, turn.

Joe Brusha works with script writer Erica J. Heflin to realize an outing that dances with the Timucua people and an old blood lust that must be sated if anyone is to survive this terror. The Dark Shaman is enacting revenge for the right reasons against the wrong people, and as one would expect it doesn’t take long for them to drop like flies. Even so we see Colby Cinders as a potential solution to this madness, as the text offered up some insight into her origins in a corny and entertaining way.

The opening sequence where we see our protagonist at a young age has got to be the best panel work I’ve seen from this talent. There’s no doubt that Sean Hill can draw an expressive cast but when the action gets going the chaotic sprint toward a cliffhanger finish lost the consistent and simple achievements found at the beginning. But when the colors by Omi Remalante Jr. add to the mix the whole of the visual display pops with a purpose, more or less.

Grimm Fairy Tales presents Dark Shaman #3 is not a perfect example of how a creative team should approach such a horrifying situation but there’s certainly enough done right to recognize those involved. It had a fair amount of corn but nothing that prevents this comic from earning a recommendation.