Something For Everyone – Review Of Grimm #8

Comic series that are adaptations of other properties can be hit or miss. One of the first comic books I remember getting as a kid was the four issue mini-series based on Raiders Of The Lost Ark. I read the shit out of those books. On the other hand, I’ve been reading the comic adaptation of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files books and been somewhat less enraptured. Now, you can make the argument that there is about a 30 year age difference between those reading experiences. However, I think it might come down to the fact that I hadn’t seen Raiders yet when I got those comics, whereas I had read all of the Dresden books before I read the adaptations. So, while the Dresden adaptation isn’t bad per se, it just visually doesn’t match up to how I have already played those scenes out in my head when I read the stories the first time. Still a perfectly good comic book series, just I’m probably not the designated audience.^*

^*This is also the part where I somewhat shamefacedly admit to enjoying the comic adaptation of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, which is vampire mommy porn of the first order. Never read any of the actual novels; don’t ever intend to. However, if I had read them, I’d imagine I’d have similar dissonance issues as I do with Dresden.

Which brings me to the comic series based on the NBC TV series Grimm, published by Dynamite Comics. The television show is in its third season. How successfully does its comic fare?

Pretty well, actually, for a couple reasons:

1. The stories are centered around the continuing adventures of the characters, rather than being flat out adaptations of stories that have already aired on the show. This gives the writers the kind of freedom that the creative teams behind the comic series of Buffy The Vampire Slayer had: you can tell the stories in these books that you might not have had the budget to on the show. Or, you can spend time on a story that is more of a character study without worrying about how you would need to shoe horn in a superfluous ensemble cast.

2. Likeness rights. No need to worry about the readers having a different picture of the character in their head coming into the story; it’s fundamentally the same look between the two.

Grimm #8 is a one and done centered on monster hunter, Marie Kesler, who regular viewers of the show will recognize as Nick Burkhardt’s Aunt Marie. Nick comes from a long line of Grimms, who keep humans safe by functioning as hunters of a race of creatures called Wesen, which basically come off in the show like various were-creatures. In this story, Marie is a lone hunter, stalking a spider-like creature at the start of the issue and, later, facing down chemotherapy for her cancer diagnosis solo as well during the holiday season. While in the midst of a low moment at her treatment center, another patient reaches out to her for a dinner date for that evening. Uncharacteristically, Marie consents. That’s when events of the evening serve to remind her why she must never let her guard down.

Writers Marc Gaffen and Kyle McVey do a nice job keeping the tone of the series in the story structure and character dialogue. Things can get a bit expository from time to time, but they do in the TV show as well. Without making this story a lot longer than one issue, you’re going to have a hard time explaining certain characters and plot devices by showing rather than telling, so it’s a bit of a necessary evil I’ll forgive in this case. The art by Rod Rodolfo tells the story clearly, with clean lines, moody shadowing, and straightforward panel layout. He’s done his homework on the visual references for the show’s characters and creatures, as well. If you watch the show, you’ll know what and who you’re seeing on the page.

All in all, if you watch the show, you’ll enjoy the way this comic series expands on it, either through previously untold tales of Nick and his Scooby Gang’s adventures in Europe tracking his mother, or through character studies, like this of Aunt Marie. If you’re not a viewer of the show, there’s enough of interest here to keep you reading and able to follow the story. Readers looking for stories in the supernatural genre (that aren’t in the vein of vampire mommy porn) should check in with this series.