This week is one of the biggest that I have ever written about when it comes to Zenescope Entertainment. For this week’s Just Another Zenescope Monday, I have two great comics that are huge milestones for this company. Grimm Fairy Tales turns 100 and Grimm Fairy Tales presents Wonderland hits their milestone #25. All of this is definitely a time to celebrate how far Zenescope has come in the last 10 years.
From a company dedicated to great stories and amazing art, Zenescope delivers on their promise to keep their readers entertained with quality comics each week. The “Age of Darkness” storyline has had a wide effect on the worlds and now that it is coming to a close, the Realms are staggered and things look bad. Darkness has fallen.
Grimm Fairy Tales presents Wonderland #25 – This is the final battle for Wonderland as the “Age of Darkness” storyline is coming to a close. Callie and Violet have teamed up with the Queens of Diamonds and Clubs and the schizophrenic Hazel to lead an army against the Queen of Spades. The problem is that Spades has teamed up with the Void.
I think that the one thing that strikes me about this issue, different than some others I have read over the last several months, is that from the start, the story focuses on giving you enough background where you don’t feel lost. I like that each of the leading ladies is given some face time and we get a solid understanding of who they are and why they are here. This makes this issue an awesome jumping on point for any reader.
The battle rages as the group takes on Spades. Her Void-enhanced army makes for a formidable obstacle, but the team splits off and each one takes on a side, leaving Callie and Violet to make their way into the castle to confront the Void and the Queen of Spades.
It is interesting to read each of the showdowns, as they all approach things from different places in their lives. Hazel gives in to her own psychological problems and, even though Wonderland sought to warp it, she uses it to her advantage, breaking into multiple personalities and fighting the soldiers with a vengeance. Diamonds and Clubs are the lovers who have used their positions to wage war and keep their hold on their kingdoms, but now, with a joint purpose, they enter the battle and fight together, facing death and worse.
Callie and Violet, the sweethearts of Wonderland, have very different ways of dealing with the pain caused by this realm. Violet was seduced by the Void and wooed by the promises of Wonderland only to wake up to the reality that this place was as corrupted as any she had ever seen. In a way, the Void was giving her the ultimate compliment, but he was also unleashing a power that even he was not quite ready for. As she attacks the Void with a ferocity that is quite impressive, will it be enough to defeat this living embodiment of an insane dimension?
Callie Liddle, racing toward her destiny, had been running from it for most of her life. Now, facing down the Queen of Spades, she has taken control of things and may just be the savior that Wonderland needs. You have to see the battles to understand, but her strength and leadership truly makes her a powerful ally or enemy, depending on your side in the battle.
I am not going to spoil this issue, it is just too good. But, I will say that Eric M. Esquivel has had a great run on this series and it will be sad to see him go. He definitely left this series with a bang, and if you miss this issue, shame on you. Between Esquivel’s writing and Manuel Preitano’s amazing art, Wonderland #25 is a testament to the quality stories that Zenescope Entertainment has been providing for a decade and will hopefully be providing for decades to come.
I hope you enjoyed this review and, if you want to know about Grimm Fairy Tales #100, check back later this week. This was just too big an issue to condense into just part of an article. Look for a full review coming in just a couple of days.
can’t wait to hear about #100 next week!