Even Death can be taught a lesson … but will she be able to learn from that lesson?
Creative Staff:
Writer: Ralph Tedesco
Artwork: Gregbo Watson
What They Say:
For a year now, Keres brought terror to humanity and killed many before their allotted time. Now, the goddess of death must stand trial for her indiscretions. See Death as you’ve never seen her before in this special Year 10 anniversary issue!
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Keres, Reaper of the Nexus, has been observing the human race for many years, dealing death to those who she considered irredeemable and as such, she has garnered too much attention. Although she feels that she is doing her job properly, there are those who regard her approach too heavy handed. Thus, she has been summoned to be judged before a jury of her peers in the Court of the Dead. Though it may be a solemn place, the defendant has not shown proper humility nor does she regret any of her actions which have led her to this place. Therefore, only one verdict may be reached: Guilty.
It is not her responsibility to determine the character of a person, but as late, Keres has been obliged to this burden. Her associates have concluded that there can be only one sentence for her crimes: to allow her to live and die as a human; perhaps she will learn the gravity of her misdeeds if she is allowed to see through their eyes, if and only then will she be allowed to return to her post – when they deem her worthy. But, the condemned is not afraid of her punishment, believing that she has done no wrong. Will she ever learn from her mistakes or will she stubbornly live with her ignorance?
Time passes as Keres passes from one life to another, living the mortality which she herself resolved that she knew what was best; she journeyed through many paths, some ends calm, but most were the result of the monstrosity grown within the souls of men. However grim or tragic, the horror of such violence has now brought an understanding to this Reaper, one which she never knew or cared to understand as she served her justice upon those who she presumed to be without remorse. Should all humans deserve her final judgment when there is the seed of both good and evil within this fledgling race? Maybe she is not the one to who should render their fate but, will she be able to stand by and do nothing when Keres has the ability to push the tide in one favor or the other? Only time will tell …
In Summary:
While this issue is a great departure for Keres, I can’t help but feel that something has been skipped over by jumping to a trial for crimes in which she never had any active participation – aside from those in this book. In both Grimm Tales of Terror and Grimm Fairy Tales Presents No Tomorrow, all of the deaths were indirectly caused by situational events or accidents; so, is the tribunal inferring that she influenced the deaths by manipulating them with the stories or the environmental situation? Writer Ralph Tedesco is stretching the plot line a bit, but it does lead to a great result. However, this new tangent does give the issue a recycled taste – almost if he is trying to re-write the Reaper of the Nexus’ character, only this time by directly allowing her to influence or help mortals like in the movies Death Takes a Holiday or Meet Joe Black. Hopefully, the method by which she travels into the ill-fated person’s story will not be overused in every issue.
As enjoyable as Tedesco’s melodrama was, it is paled in comparison with Gregbo Watson’s artwork. Every page of this issue tells its own story, even if you take away the text, the viewer can still discern what is happening within the book. This is a true talent if you can follow the narrative to its conclusion without any words to navigate to the very end. And yet, he is still able to inject true human emotions into a character who portrays herself as having none. To watch Keres evolve from a cold-blooded killer into someone who will sacrifice herself to save someone she has met by chance brings a warmth to the story which you would never expect. The two parts incorporate into a whole in both as a tale and a person which makes it all the more delightful to read.
Although this story was supposed to be a one-shot, I cannot help but hope that this tale will have ramifications for the future of Keres and the upcoming second volume of Grimm Tales of Terror. Will this turn of events bring a new light to her outlook on the human condition or will it be skipped over in lieu another set of urban tales rewritten for our entertainment? We will have to wait until next month to find out!
Grade: A
Rating: 17+
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 23rd, 2015
MSRP: $3.99