When you see everyone as an enemy … you never know who to trust.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Anne Toole
Artwork: Enn & Ario Murti
Colors: Hedwin Zaldivar & Ceci de la Cruz
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
What They Say:
The Shadowlands are a dark and mysterious place, filled with the most evil creatures that have ever haunted mankind’s imagination. Now Mary Medina finds her trapped there with no means of an escape, lured by a powerful enemy, into a deadly dance with the dead.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
The last thing Jasmine remembers was being swept up by a storm after escaping from her former master Gruel’s attempt to return her to the lamp. But now, she finds herself in a strange land, surrounded by fire with no memory of why she arrived here. As the last genie tries to find her bearings, in a separate part of these flaming woods the one once known as Mary Medina also sees herself in the same situation, but with a different inkling of what occurred. The woman now calls herself Mystere and it was her powers which prompted the Order of Tarot to awaken her as their new Queen of Pentacles, with little success, and as such the Forsaken One banished her to this place. Wondering as to what new traps her foes may have planned ahead, these enemies of the Order find themselves in the same situation, their paths diverging – for now.
As she emerges from the ashen forest, Jasmine finds herself on the edge of a desolate village, not wanting to draw any further attention to herself, thinking only of escape. Claiming a new disguise, the raven-haired beauty calms down a panicked stead and tries to ride out of danger, only to be stopped by her conscience and the pleas of a helpless woman. The noble hero cannot turn her back on someone in danger and soon learns that her actions may have been the wrong choice in this desperate situation, having found a new worrisome problem. All of the inhabitants are barred within their homes, fearing the unknown creatures which they call gremian, clamoring about and eliciting fear from an unseen foe. Though as the two try to barricade themselves within an unoccupied hovel, the one known as Mystere follows a set of footprints down a familiar path, not knowing where they lead or why the dead are calling her towards uncertain dread. Whatever or whoever seeks her counsel, Mary only knows that it has a hunger which cannot be sated or calmed … and that this her only choice.
In Summary:
I still cannot comprehend why the recent rash of new series have been labeled as Launch titles, and yet they still require insight of previous events to fully understand the nuances within the story. This book, Grimm Fairy Tales: Dance of the Dead is no exception, but luckily in this case writer Anne Toole had created a narrative which revolves around our compassionate heroines and does not require foreknowledge for the tale to work. While loyal Zenescope fans will no doubt be able to fill in the gaps, the tale is able to move forward thanks to the motivations and strength of Jasmine and Mary, allowing us to jump ahead without worrying about unnecessary information which might bog down the uninitiated; however if you are able to flesh out the telling, it does begin to fill in chasms within the sketchy information we know about the Order of Tarot, particularly the former master of Jasmine – Gruel. Putting that thought aside, we still have a driving story which urges the reader towards their ultimate meeting, which is paramount to the title and hopefully will not end in disaster. These two protectors, both capable savors in their own rights are personifications of destruction, death, and fire, which would not seem to engender thoughts of being saved by those forces and yet their own actions prove otherwise. Wisely Toole has shown that is not preconceived notions which connect Jasmine and Mystere to their destinies, but instead it is the truth within themselves and deeds which proves there is a hero within everyone.
But of course what brings everything together for this gripping narrative is the phenomenal artwork of Enn and Ario Murti, giving us a glimpse into the Shadowlands and what lies within, in all its gruesome reality. They prepare us for this adventure into the forbidden with a chillingly beautiful scene of Jasmine waking in a field of fire, allowing the camera to draw a scene for us, focusing on face and then zooming out to show the entirety of her fear, surrounded in the ability which she fears the most. Then to bring a contrasting parallel to her burning terror, we are introduced to the darkness which dares to consume Mystere dressed in her half calavera mask and skin-tight black leather, concerned with her power over the deceased, something which she battles daily. However neither of these settings would be as effective without the striking colors of Hedwin Zaldivar and Ceci de la Cruz, enlightening the panels with a vividly bright palette for the fire jinn and somber shadows for this mistress of the dead, reflecting the strength of their determination and fervor. It is only within Gruel’s flashbacks does the artwork and color schemes become more uniform and much darker, showing the depravity of the sorcerer to free his brother and grasp as much power as he can, by deadening the scenes and her spirit with monotones and only allowing accents at certain times. However, once both begin to converge upon the hopeless village, their unique color styles merge and become more sinister, bringing a sense of dread to the hamlet, suffocating in its oppressive nature as night closes in. An ominous method to close the cliffhanger which ends of the issue.
Grimm Fairy Tales: Dance of the Dead is supposed exist within a realm which has been touted as an area of no escape, and yet it has been proven in the past that with the proper rites, it is possible. And now with two new prisoners to the Shadowlands and the introduction of beings existing within this prison, is all that we have known before now to be proven wrong? That premise serves to expand upon our knowledge, and if this is just the beginning, I cannot wait to see how it will end.
Grade: A-
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: October 18, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
