Grimm Fairy Tales presents Ascension #5 Review

Should we care what happens to our heroes when they face forces beyond their power-level? Read on to find out.

The official description from Zenescope:

When one of the Keepers betrays the Being, the world is turned into a battlefield as this vengeful god and those that oppose him go to war. Everything has been building toward this shocking finale.

As this epilogue to Grimm Fairy Tales Unleashed enters its final moments the creative team charts a believable course that resolves a lot of plot threads while building up a few more. It’s not perfect but how it sits right now feels like a proper transition between the prior event and the Age of Darkness that’s unfolding across this shared space. You’ll get no spoilers from me but I will say that for the most part the comic wrapped up rather neatly.

Raven Gregory, and Joe Brusha work with script writer Pat Shand to bring two specific confrontations to the forefront. One is the Being vs. Julian and the other Samantha Darren vs. Sela Mathers. The beauty of both of these struggles is the innate emotion that carries them along their way. Good intentions on both sides have brought these players to a boiling point with the fate of the very world locked into the ultimate outcome. I have to admit that I’m good with about eighty percent of the conclusion with a portion of it leaving me unsatisfied.

I honestly think that the pages handed in by Butch Mapa are easily the talent’s best work. He easily battle scenes with iconic poses that are just brought to life in the midst of a minimalist palette. The whole thing feels quirky but true and that’s exactly the type of illustrations the text called for. Add in the colors done by Michele Nucera and you have a solid visual component that complements the narrative and never hinders it.

Grimm Fairy Tales presents Ascension #5 is a fitting finale that does just about everything right. I may not agree with all of it but the skill of the creative team sways me. Recommended.