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Grimm Fairy Tales #47
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
Writer: Joe Brusha
Art: Shawn McCauley
Cover: Mike DeBalfo
Variant Covers: Mike DeBalfo (B & C Exclusives)
Price: US $2.99
Release: June 2, 2010

***CAUTION: This Review Contains Spoilers!***

This issue begins with a bang. A badass, sword-wielding blonde named Cindy (Cinderella?) cuts her way through a demon army like it was child’s play.  I think she’s working for the dark side because Fenton is there commenting on how her training has paid off.  She doesn’t want to clean up, she likes her blood splattered look.  She’s hardcore, I’m thinking; Don’t mess with Cindy!  She’ll slice you and then wear your guts like an evening gown!

The gentleman who was with Fenton, takes Cindy off and tells her a story called “The Lord’s Animals and the Devil’s Animals”.  It is pretty much the origin of goats.  God made goats, the Devil made wolves.  The Devil’s wolves killed all but one goat.  This made God mad.  The Devil asked for forgiveness and asked for the power to fix his mistake.  The Devil made goats in his own image, which is why, sometimes, the Devil is known to take the form of a goat!

While this story is being told, a wooden humanoid (I assume this is Pinocchio) is being transformed into this savage looking creature by some sorceress chick.  Hiding off in the corner is some demon dude listening to the story and watching this transformation.  It reminds him of another story…

“The Seven Ravens”.  A far off land ruled by a demon King and demon Queen, a demon goddess.  They promised protection and prosperity to all in their kingdom…for a price.  A farmer tells his Queen that his crops cannot grow.  The Queen offers to help his crops in exchange for seven flowers- The most beautiful of his flowers.  She will return at the beginning of each season to collect until she has received all seven.  Simple enough?  Yep.  Deal!

The farmer’s crops, along with his family, flourished.  He had many children; all of them daughters…but the farmer had been tricked!  The beautiful flowers the Queen spoke of were his daughters.  Each year passed and the Queen took another daughter.  Time passed and there was no visit from the Queen until his seventh and final daughter was seventeen.  Now all of the farmer’s children were gone…

A hero had happened by and the farmer told the man of his story, and the hero agreed to help.  He rode off to the Demon King’s castle.  On the way to the castle, the hero ran into a flock of seven ravens who told him of the Demon King’s power increasing with the sacrifice of innocents.  To free the daughters’ souls he would have to slay the goddess.  The hero faced the powerful demon King while the ravens distracted him, and the King was defeated, but the hero still had to face the Queen goddess.  Again, with the help of the ravens the goddess was slain and the daughters returned to their father.  To show his gratitude, the farmer gave the hero his youngest daughter’s hand in marriage.  The people of the kingdom grew tired of their Demon King and formed a lynch mob and stormed the castle.  The Demon King escaped into the night…

The dark army now has three more warriors.  Cinderella, Pinocchio, and the once Demon King…

I’ll be the first to admit that I am NOT a Grimm Fairy Tales (GFT) expert.  My only experience has been to bring you takes on GFT #46, the April Fools’ Edition #2, and the Las Vegas Annual.  While the tales in this issue were fun and intriguing, the ongoing story didn’t do much for me.  Perhaps, one day, my knowledge will grow and I can tell you if this issue either kicked or sucked ass, but for now I can only tell you that while the tales are cool beans, the ongoing story isn’t for newbies.  Don’t get me wrong though; The art is good, the covers are beautiful, and the writing is dark and twisted just the way I like it.  If that’s your thing, please don’t shy away from what Zenescope Entertainment has to offer.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…there’s lots of great stuff that lives under all of those sexy pinup girl covers.  Give it a try!

Aron White
aron@comicattack.net