Can you ever trust the smile of a clown … or is it better to ignore it?
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Vincenzo Riccardi & Renzo Rodriguez
Colors: Fran Gamboa & J.C. Ruiz
Letters: Fabio Amelia
What They Say:
CLOWN SIGHTINGS A rash of horrifying clown appearances has a small community terrified. Are these appearances just a high school prank, or something far more sinister?
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Paul and Arnold are two juvenile delinquents who like nothing better than going around the neighborhood scaring people. But of course, their favorite routine is to dress as clowns, prowl the streets and horrify children by ghoulishly presenting themselves in the window. They have a laugh at others’ expense with no compunction as to the trauma they cause their victims. But now all of their misbehavior has attracted the attention of someone else, when they both receive a mysterious note the next morning. When they go to the location indicated in the letter, a sinisterly costumed prankster meets them, giggling wickedly and begins to run away. The angry pair give chase, finding it hard to catch up until he is lost in the woods, leaving behind a satchel full of money. Unsure as to the validity of this unspoken offer, an alluring harlequin named Tina appears, assuring them of the truth and offering an opportunity to prove themselves with the promise of more payments. As she leaves a business card, the three part ways, unsure of what comes next.
While Paul is caught up with the temptation of even more payouts, his usually boisterous friend is abnormally cautious as to this enormous offer. Arnold thinks that this ridiculous sum can be nothing but a drug dealer’s stash, with this enticement being the bait for a trap. However at the prodding of this partner, curiosity is a sufficient lure and they decide to visit the address, thinking they have nothing to lose. While they expect they are safe with a daytime call, all need for worry is lost once they see the run down house. The windows are boarded up and the lawn is unkempt, allowing for any urgency of discretion to be lost until they knock on the front door. A comically dressed elderly man greets the guests and escorts them without saying a word, thus causing even more tension between the duo. Victorian furnishings seem out of place as they enter the main hall, finding themselves surrounded by more aged clowns. It is only the cheery voice of Tina which puts them at ease, but how can they relax in this eerie environment? Or better yet … do they wish to do so with all the apprehension in the air?
In Summary:
Clowns … why did it have to be clowns? Those were the words I thought when I saw the cover for this issue, and more than likely quite a few loyal readers of this title will have the same reaction in seeing the cover. Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, may be one of those phobias which we do not want to admit to, but the exaggeration of the face and other body parts seems to impart a certain loathing which we cannot escape. And then add to the panic last year’s Creepy Clown sightings and now writer Dave Franchini has all the ammunition he needs to compose this terrifying story. The composition of recreating those events feed brilliantly into the narrative – a tale of two miscreants who use that basal fear to get their own laughs at the expense of others; but of course, this is Grimm Tales of Terror and we can’t expect Keres to let them get away without kind of karmic justice, and that makes this narrative all the more satisfying. The build up of teasing the audience, Paul and Arnold along as Franchini sets up the characters, and then luring them by bruising over-inflated egos is a great set-up. But of course, it is using their own pranks, teenage hormones and adolescent arrogance of not being outdone which makes the downfall so fitting. While we may not be able to do this to everyone who performs such outrageous antics, this issue was worth viewing an appropriately gruesome ending to this preposterous duo.
But what broadens the sinisterness of the narrative are the talents of Vincenzo Riccardi and Renzo Rodriguez as they unravel the decadence within this chilling tale. However, their work would not reach its fullest potential if not for the splendid coloring artistry of Fran Gamboa and J.C. Ruiz, eclipsing normal neighborhood drama and making it something all the more wickedly delicious. The first panel focusing on the terrified eyes wonderfully sets the mood of the issue, his room embraced by the soothing blanket of night and yet, those fixed pupils shows us his truest fear. While he may seem like a typical scared child, the next page fixates the tale and allows the reader to know what they are in for – a roller coaster which will not end well; that scene is horrifying with a murderous clown, a wicked grin etched on its face, knife dripping with blood pooling beneath it, an image that defines and ripples throughout the story, giving us an indication of what is to come. You know from that scene that these bullies will receive their just reward, and the pride which they take from their self centered cleverness makes it all the more amusing when they chase their nemesis. The pursuit is classic, they can’t clearly see the evil jester aside from his shadows fleeting from tree to tree which only allows for imagination to take over. And then we meet Tina, her tantalizing appeal disarms the pair, and yet we as the audience know she is trouble. I love the disparity between light and dark, giving Paul and Arnold a brief glimpse of hope that this might all be a joke, only to end as they lived – cruelly. At times you could almost hear a devilish laugh echoing in the background, signalling what is to come. The artistic team grandly sculpts this story with all the right tension but they keep enough in reserve to impact with a righteous finale for this fitting fable.
This is the kind of narrative that I want to see in Grimm Tales of Terror – not necessarily an urban legend but something grounded in reality with just a touch of the sinister. Other stories that hit you with an outright fright don’t really work, the impact is too soon to be very effective. It is the build up that makes an issue like this more thrilling, showing Keres before the fact instead of afterwards, her small speech being a clue as to why she picked them. I sincerely want more of this type of story, but suppose there are only a limited number of times in which you can squeeze that red nose before it runs flat … too bad.
Grade: A+
Rating: M (Mature)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: April 12, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
