One can always find allies … even in the most unexpected places.
Creative Staff:
Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini & David Wohl
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Babisu Kourtis
Colors: Jorge Cortes
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Taking over after the death of her mother, Sela, Skye Mathers is the new Guardian of the Nexus. With the help of Shang, her mentor, and her friends at Arcane Acre, she is learning the extent of her new powers and trying to figure out her place in protecting the universe.
Now, a new threat has risen, The Dark Princess, a tyrant that has broken free from a crumbling universe not much different than ours. Along with her generals, The Swarm, her eyes are set on tightening her grip on her newfound home. Nothing that lies in their path is safe, and Skye is set to take on her biggest threat yet as she finds out that what she thinks she knows about our world pales in comparison to the horrors that lie outside of it.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
After an utter and humiliating defeat upon the defenders of Arcane Acre, whereby everyone thought the Dark Princess had disintegrated their allies, Sam wakes to find herself in a strange forested area, only to immediately think of the ghastly fate which befell Robyn and Jasmine, to then be surprised by an icy yet reassuring voice. Although she is confused by this odd situation, it is Allexa who is insulted by lack of concern from her fellow former Guardian, only to then explain how the violent tyrant teleported them via her glowing red gem to their new location, most likely Wonderland. However as Darren attempts to sort out her confusion as to why the bloodthirsty woman would send them here instead of killing everyone, the equally puzzled brunette clarifies it was probably not her intention, only to halt their conversation with an unsettling pause as Sam wonders aloud if friend heard something, to then have those suspicions confirmed as she looks upward and is horrified by the answer. Unable to avoid being seized by a vile wooden tentacle, Allexa finds herself immediately captured by an arboreal monstrosity and pleads for Darren to stop asking questions and instead blast the creature, however as the blonde Guardian tries to get a clear shot, she too learns neither can extricate with their arms now bound to their sides, most likely to certain doom as they are lowered into a gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
With her hands shackled and helpless to free herself, Skye is unceremoniously thrown into an energy cell, demanding why the robotic sentry why has to be so rough, only to have a monotone voice reply she has violated dimensional codes for the illegal usage of realm teleportation, with the same frustrating answer given after the Guardian asks where she is and why she is in a cell, to be then informed her trial will be held in eight hours. But as Mathers pleads she has done nothing wrong, a sardonic voice from the nearby cage mocks her innocence and responds her own guilt is undeniable, boldly stating she will do everything she is accused of and is ready to do it again, to then have the brunette prisoner recognize those sarcastic tones as belonging to Robyn. However, as the one-eyed blonde wonders if they know each other and mocks Skye’s Princess outfit as opposed to her own change of attire, the confusing conversation littered with foreign terms allows the Guardian to conclude this is not her universe, only to have Locksley shout aloud this new inmate wishes to confess her crimes. And yet as Mathers questions as to the sanity of this tirade, Robyn bluntly responds the hearing is just a formality and the only thing that awaits her is torture unless she gives them what they want, so if she can take advantage of the situation, so much the better for her.
In Summary:
As loyal fans of Zenescope know, the Dark Princess is a difficult foe to face, even when one thinks they have the odds in their favor, overconfidence can lead to the most disappointing of defeats as Skye and her friends have found out first hand, watching in horror as they consider their allies have been vaporized within a scarlet burst of energy from her glowing Gem of Power; and yet at the same time, with everyone having been recently reunited after Shang’s return, we know not even story creators Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini, and David Wohl would be so callous as to mortally rip them apart within such a short period time, thus allowing series writer Franchini to create captivating plot tangents for our dynamic heroes to keep readers engaged, all while permitting them to learn more of the alternate dimensions which now seem to be an integral part of the Grimm Universe. But as Allexa, Sam, and Shang attempt to survive the savage wilds of Wonderland, one cannot but question what happened to Jasmine and Robyn, even as we continue this perilous journey with the Guardian and her unproven companion, Julia – the Queen of Hearts.
But as we adjust to the dystopian world which Skye now finds herself, imprisoned behind crimson energy bars, you cannot but chuckle when the shadowy cellmate reveals herself via a not so subtle commentary of her own personality, biting remarks about doing it all over again, and to make the conversation all the more witty in a demeaning manner for Mathers, choice words about her obvious fashion selection with the fittingly comical moniker of Princess; readers can almost hear Skye’s own friend Locksley using those same words with unabashed satisfaction, not allowing her pride to interfere with what she knows is right, no matter what authorities may consider to be against the law, allowing her own sense of justice to drive her forward as an unapologetic vigilante, as long as it frees innocents from overbearing power. However as Skye is educated by a hardened inmate, this quickly devolving conversation brings up memories of any classic prison breakout, but at the same time due to the futuristic setting which we find our heroines in, the moment ironically becomes reminiscent of the Terminator movies, but in a reverse manner; as human Liesel crashes her ship through the wall to break into the robotically enforced facility, it brings back memories of the first film with the unfeeling mechanical antagonist plowing a truck through the reception area, allowing this scene to conclude via Robyn’s acerbic remarks of coming along or staying for the so-called trial, which so inelegantly sums up the meaning of Schwarzenegger’s classic line from the second movie: ”Come with me if you want to live,”, with all of the same delightful results.
But as this morose story arc begins to sink into readers’ subconsciousness, allowing us to acknowledge the heroes of Arcane Acre will not have a moment to relax and congratulate themselves, it is the visually spectacular yet simple opening scene of explosive undertones from Jorge Cortes and sinisterly beautiful illustrations by Babisu Kourtis which so bleakly communicates those deplorable actions, even as the audience relishes the tension which causes the story to thrive. Crimson energy action lines emanate from the Gem of Power at the center of each panel, smothering any hope we may have, with the captivating and domineering presence from the confident Dark Princess signaling she will not allow anyone to stand in her way, even if we are momentarily distracted by teases of ruddy flesh and glimpses of cleavage, no one will doubt she will crush any opposition, wonderfully setting the scene of the following questionable situations. Kourtis elegantly sculpts emotions upon his actors’ pronounced faces, whether it be stern determination, pointed despair or haughty annoyance of being ignored, these forthright images are a welcomed departure from his normally melancholy illustrative technique – gone are dejected pages whereby characters almost meld into a dark background, allowing the audience to fully enjoy the hidden delights which we now find ourselves subjected to within these flowing transitions. And thanks to Cortes’ fascinating array of shadow enhanced tones, the depth of every pages allows us to full appreciate the beauty of unseen nuances, from the texture of layered hair, manner by which clothing clings to toned bodies or fully detailed flora and fauna which we might not notice, each graphic element stands out due to the depth of color gradients, allowing us to fully appreciate each aspect which might seem unnecessary in passing since we are so focused upon the peril of our heroes. And yet even within all of these stunning visual treats, minor distractions which become growing annoyances are witnessed as we enter Skye’s side of the story within the detention area, namely Kourtis’ need to delineate the oppression of the area by individualizing each energy bar, making the following pages surprisingly busy with far too many details and allowing that same crimson color to visually overwhelm the audience. While we realize this is a prison, to inundate panels where the Guardian and Robyn are talking with these glowing annoyances is too distracting, then add word bubbles to the confined structure of limited space, and it results with images which are overly complicated to make sense unless one strains to understand the scene thanks to signature costumes, and this becomes all the more troublesome after sound effect text is then layered over a bewildering mess; while these splendid graphical components may present excitement in their complexity, so too is reintroduced the aforementioned somberness of Kourtis’ prior works, a darker palette and too much detail which leads to perceivable clashing upon the page, which works against his exhaustive art style by overwhelming the audience with too much to take in at once. Hopefully, this diversion will be temporary, otherwise readers will be mentally exhausted by the end as we are within this issue, with so much happening we must take a breath and step back in order to understand the complex nuances which seem to clash within such a confined area.
While true understanding of how the Dark Princess has plunged the heroes into desperation comes to bear, readers cannot but cringe as each stranger to these new lands attempts to cope with indecision, to be tempered by their determination to save their own world and perhaps see lost friends. As magnificent illustrations and spectacular colors unfold a rousing narrative, what was once promising slowly descends into confusion as the intricacy of these visuals quickly overwhelms the audience due to the depth of its numerous layers, even as we are roused by its resulting excitement. And yet as clarity yields to understanding, it is the convoluted plans of a tyrant which swallows hope for the future as a promising Guardian lends her strength to a noble cause, if only such carefully laid plans always come to succeed.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 29, 2021
MSRP: $3.99
