Comics
Review: ‘Grimm’ #1
Hate it or love it, another TV series has been adapted to the comic medium, NBC’s Grimm. A tale that follows the detective Nick Burkhardt who also happens to be a Grimm, which means he has the uncanny ability to see the supernatural side of life. I’m not overly fond of this kind of adaptation to begin with and this book did little to impress at the start. However, the comic asserts itself near the end where there’s some underlying potential to be found.
STORY BY: Marc Gaffen and Kyle McVey
ART BY: José Malaga
PUBLISHER: Dynamite
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: May 8th, 2013
For those of you who are as unfamiliar with the premise of “Grimm” (as I was) I’ll give you quick rundown: the world is filled with supernatural beasts disguised as humans known as Wesen, and a Grimm is someone who has the hereditary ability to see them. For better or worse, this also means its a Grimm’s duty to keep their existence under wraps. This is essentially all you need to know to have a basic understanding of the world. Nick and a duo of teammates head overseas to Vienna, Austria in an attempt to thwart a plot for world domination.
The premise of the book definitely has some potential. The Wesen are based off different kinds of animals which allows the story creators to get inventive with the different kinds of creatures. This being the first issue, there are a lot of different Wesens to give an idea of what the story has geared up for the reader.
The book itself is decent paced as it jumps straight into the mission. Unfortunately, it’s loaded with quite bit of back story. There in lies my inherent dissatisfaction with the book, the start is very jumpy and bobbled, perhaps this is because it’s based off a show so the creators assume the reader already has some prior knowledge (I didn’t). As the first few pages role by, I was at a loss as to the general direction of the book and the quick rush of characters. Once the team gets to Vienna the book starts to come together, and upon its climax I did feel I had a greater understanding of the story and was enjoying the read. Another issue is the script itself. The dialogue feels clunky until it builds up some flow near the end and as a result there is no hook until the climax.
The art is simply great. I like the realistic imagery, especially with regards to the Wesen, there is a big diversity of creatures and they look unique and interesting. The violence is unsuspected and well done. The colours are not overly dark or soft, and they offer a good representation of daily life.
The book takes a while to establish itself, but there is potential here. I look forward to issue #1 in hopes that it can build up some steam.
2.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GreenBasterd
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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