Category Archives: Zenescope Entertainment

Grimm Tales of Terror: A Must-Read Horror Comic

Zenescope Entertainment, , , , , , , , , ,
Grimm Tales of Terror #1 Publisher: Zenescope Writer: Ralph Tedesco Art: Antonio Bifulco Colors: Marco Lesko
Grimm Tales of Terror Publisher: Zenescope
Writer: Ralph Tedesco
Art: Antonio Bifulco
Colors: Marco Lesko

Zenescope has returned to its’ stomping grounds with Grimm Tales of Terror, a newly released, ongoing monthly horror comic series.  Inspired by Twilight Zone, Creepshow, and Tales from the Crypt, Zenescope, publisher of classic tales with horror and supernatural twists, already has my full attention.

Currently on its second issue, the Grimm Tales of Terror horror anthology was on my pulls list from day one.  The above picture is one of the covers to the first issue.  I pre-ordered that specific cover from my local comic shop, but for some reason it was not in my box.  The book wasn’t even on the shelf.  I was livid, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying a title from one of my favorite publishers.  Although I prefer print format for my comic books, I went ahead and ordered it digitally from Comixology.

Written by Ralph Tedesco, the stories so far have given me the chills.  Very Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt style.  Great scripts with the perfect blend of horror and dark humor.

The amazingly terrifying art comes from the creative team of Antonia Bifulco (art) and Marco Lesko (colors).  The gory and horrific creature panels are so beautiful, horror fans will become instant fiends.

Grimm Tales of Terror is a must-read for both horror comic readers, and horror fans in general.  You will definitely be frightened and entertained at the same time.

As a lifelong horror fan, and a fan of the above three classic, horror anthology television shows since childhood, there is no doubt that I will become, and remain, a fan of Grimm Tales of Terror.

By the way, don’t let the covers fool you.  If you don’t know by now, let me tell you.  Zenescope is also known for its’ exotic covers.  Scantily clad women.  That is not what’s inside their comic books.  You get exactly what you read in the descriptions and previews.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I am giving this title what it deserves, 5/5 stars.

Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Helsing #1 Review

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helsing1cover

Liesel Van Helsing escaped the Shadowlands, after being trapped for more than a century, and is adapting to life in the present.  Not only is Liesel an inventor and a skilled hunter, she is also the daughter of the famous vampire slayer, Abraham Van Helsing.  And Liesel Van Helsing has already proven to be a badass in this debut issue.  Helsing is a 4-part horror comic mini-series, published by Zenescope.

Liesel invents and uses her own weapons to extinguish vampires.  Her latest weapon is a gun that shoots stakes, laced with a chemical that explodes upon contact with the vampire.  The explosion emits a sunlight effect, causing an instant kill.

When her father’s diary mysteriously appears, Liesel Van Helsing travels to Italy to search for answers, starting with who sent it and why.

Pat Shand is the writer of this horror comic mini-series.  Well-written script, especially Liesel’s stern voice.  I don’t like modern-day vampire stories, I prefer the classics, vampires that only come out to play at night, and are killed by a wooden stake driven through the heart.  Shand appears to have kept the classic vampire traits and that is what hooked me to this comic.

The awesome visuals are provided by Tony Brescini (art), Andress Esparza (art), Fran Gamboa (colors), and J.C. Ruiz (colors).  I especially like the cold and eerie feeling I got while looking at Walt Melville.  It’s like a warning for me to read the rest of the series in the daylight.  But I’m not.  I’m a horror, especially classic vampire fan, so I’m not scared to read the book at night.

VERDICT (drum roll please)
If you’re a fan of classic vampire stories, or horror in general, then I strongly recommend this 4-part mini-series.  Helsing is a classic vampire story with a modern-day twist.  And I don’t mean that vampire walking around in broad daylight and taking forever to turn into a vampire twist (ugh).  I know that sentence was long-winded sentence, I just always wanted to write one.   The debut issue of Helsing gets 5/5 stars.

Screwed #3 Review

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screwed2

In the debut issue we were introduced to a young lady that awoke from a coma in a hospital covered in scars, as if her body was taken apart and sewn back together.  We also learned that she regenerates through electricity and has superhuman strength.  Her mind is warped as well, causing her to see everyone as monsters.  The worst part is that she has no recollection of her identity, or how she ended up this way.

Searching through missing person reports, agent Erin Scott discovers the modern-day Frankenstein’s name is Anne Gallo, a missing college student.  Agent Scott is trying her best to solve the case, but the evil and manipulative agent Simon Beckett (whom I didn’t trust from day one), is standing in her way.  Actually agent Beckett is somehow involved with Anne’s misfortune.

I am still liking this horror comic by Zenescope.  It is dark, mysterious and full of violence and bloodbaths.  Anne is very destructive and kills everyone in her path, because her fragmented mind makes her believe everyone she sees is a monster.

Tyler Kirkham and Keith Thomas are the writers of this well written, twisted horror story.  The character interactions are dark and scary, except for Agent Scott.  She appears to be the only character in the story that has Anne’s best interest at heart.

Awesome artwork by David Miller (pencils) and Oracle (colors).  Lots of gore, guts, brain exposed monsters, and high-tech weapons.  Well defined characters and scary looking monsters.  I don’t know what’s scarier, Anne’s stitched up body or Suture’s monstrous face.  Suture is a resurrected surgeon, and one of the ringleaders of these horrific experiments.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I recommend this title to readers of horror.

Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Oz #1 Review

Zenescope Entertainment, ,

oz1

The warped-minded creators at Zenescope are at it again.  Oz is the fourth realm of power in the Grimm Universe, and a lot of havoc is about to be wreaked.  This new series is a twist on the beloved classic Wizard of Oz.  It’s Zenescope, so you know this series is going to be an action-adventure fantasy.  Dark fantasy of course.  But in case you don’t already know, they are known for taking classic tales and spinning them into horrific stories.  Dark, horror, mystic, and all the other creepy fun stuff.

The witches of Oz are on a hunt for a powerful weapon called the Veridian Scepter.  They are led to a farm in Kansas where they meet the heroine, Dorothy.  There is also auntie Em and Uncle Henry.  And what would the story be like without Toto?  Just don’t expect a cute little dog.

Joe Brusha is the writer.  He combined elements of the original story with elements of the Grimm Universe to create one high quality dark adventure.   Great characterizations and well paced.

The art team includes Rolando Di Sessa (pencils), Glauber Matos (inks) and Grostieta (colors).  Great visual storytellers.  I love the beautiful cover art, and of course it has the signature trademark of a scantily clad female.  I also like the modern-day witches in the story.  Pretty.  Not the traditional green witches with long pointed noses and fingers.

I am already hooked and definitely plan to continue reading the series.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I highly recommend this title.

Screwed #1 Review

Zenescope Entertainment, , ,

screw1

Imagine waking up in a hospital covered in scars, not knowing who you are, and everyone you see is a monster. That’s what is happening to the lead female character in this story, only it’s real.

The story takes place in Morris County, New Jersey. Anne (name has not yet been revealed, it’s mentioned in next month’s sneak peek at the end of the story) awakes from a coma in a hospital room not only covered in scars, but looking as if her body has been dissected and sewn back together. Then massive chaos takes place. A monster named Suture attacks her in the room, but she is able to ward him off with her unexpected superhuman strength. She escapes from the hospital, taking down several monsters that tried to stop her on her way out. FBI agent Erin Scott arrives on the scene to investigate, but her efforts are thwarted by Simon Beckett, a conniving looking secret agent.

Anne’s mind seems to be fragmented as well. She has no recollection of her identity or what happened to her, and everyone she sees is a monster. While in the coma, she had a sense of smell and sound, so she was able to hear the location of where she was found. That is all she has to go on for now.

Anne soon discovers that her body goes though a cycle:

  • pain
  • darkness
  • jolts of electricity flows through her body
  • monsters appear
  • she has uncontrollable rage
  • her surroundings become quiet

It sounds to me like someone has implanted a demented defibrillator in her body.

Screwed is a mini series published by Zenescope. This story held my undivided attention and I was hooked from the beginning. It is a twisted, modern-day Frankenstein horror story. It is full of monsters, blood baths, insanity and deception. And I LOVE IT. I am a reader of Zenescope comics, so I already knew what I was in for with this title. And I was not disappointed with this debut issue.

Tyler Kirkham and Keith Thomas are the writers of this action filled story. This Zenescope quality script is intense, and Kirkham and Thomas did a great job in setting up the story.

The art team consists of David Miller (pencils) and Oracle (colors). These guys did an excellent job on the monsters. I am a horror fan so I jumped and laughed at the same time.

The only complaint I have is the cover art. Zenescope is known for scantily clad dressed women on its’ covers, setting them apart from other publishers. That is also my indication that it’s a Zenescope title. So I probably would have overlooked this comic at the store, unless I knew ahead of time what the story was about.

But then again, I won’t complain. I love horror, suspense, fantasy and twisted tales. I enjoyed reading Screwed #1 and definitely plan to continue reading this mini series.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I highly recommend this title for all horror comic readers.

Meet The New Robyn Hood

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robynhood

Don’t let the cover fool you. Robyn Hood, by Zenescope Entertainment, actually takes from the rich and gives to the poor.

Robyn is from the Realm of Myst. It was intended for her to be killed as a baby, but her life was spared and she was taken to Earth. There she was raised as an orphan. Although she grew up with problems at home and at school, Robyn was able to manage to have compassion for others without a struggle.

After an unfortunate accident between Robyn and a group of students from the ritzy high school she attended, she was transported back to the Realm of Myst. There in the city of Bree, she goes up against King John in order to free the people from his evil reign.

Robyn Hood is a great series. Action, fantasy and fairy tales. Robyn is both good and bad at the same time. A beautiful and compassionate young lady that can kill you with a single shot from her bow and arrow. Despite not having any knowledge of her true background or destiny, she can sense that she was sent to Bree for a reason. This comic is well-written and flows flawlessly at a rapid pace. I love the interactions among the characters. This is a mini-series with five issues so it’s a very good read for those that are new to reading comics.

Pat Shand did an excellent job with Robyn. She’s not your ordinary sassy teenage girl with a bow and arrow. Reading the comic will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation for the new and improved Robyn Hood, as told by Shand. Of all the Zenescope titles I’ve read, Robyn Hood is the most compelling character so far.

The art is great at times. Other times it’s okay. Dan Glasl is behind the pencils and Tom Mullin is behind the colors. Either way, the artwork backs up the dialogue to make it a good comic.

VERDICT

I highly recommend Robyn Hood. If you like action, fairy tales and fantasy, then this is the comic for you.