Grimm Fairy Tales: Different Seasons Volume 1

Grimm Fairy Tales: Different Seasons #1

by Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Raven Gregory

For over two hundred years the powerful stories of the Brothers Grimm have enchanted millions around the world, but there has never been an adaptation as intriguing or provocative as this. Grimm Fairy Tales explores a much darker side of the infamous fables you heard as a child as these classic tales are retold and re-imagined with a terrifying twist you'll simply love as an adult.
Different Seasons collects some of the most popular Grimm Fairy Tales one-shots, including GFT 2009 Annual, GFT 2009 Halloween and Holiday editions, and Giant-Sized Grimm Fairy Tales #1.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Horror, Fairy Tales, Anthologies, Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2011

Reviews

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I should preface this by saying I am not a 15 year old schoolboy. As such, perhaps this book wasn't targeted to me at all. Because clearly there's not a lot for anyone over the age of 15 who has a lick of reason or logic.

I originaly chose this book because I thought it would be a clever play on Grimm's Fairy Tales. Wrong - there's no fairy tales in there. I was willing to overlook the soft porn cover (which has nothing to do with the story) since Top Cow seemed to make them mandatory in the late 1990s. Plus, the book seemed meaty and was full color.

If I was to describe the book, it would be that it feels like it was written as a Mary Sue by junior high school nerds in their copious spare time at home in mom's basement. Most are just an excuse to have a very scantily clad (not even sexy, to be honest) woman doing something. Doesn't really matter what she's doing as long as she strips into some variation of a thong bikini. And despite medieval or modern settings, no one seems to be at all surprised by this. Of course, she's going to kick butt on bad guys in a very authoritative way. But I can now say I am fully versed in all the possible (and honestly very anatomically impossible) ways a female form can convolute in order to have either breasts to butt magnified through forced perspective. If the book was 3D, I'd have been tripping over them just to get to the story.

As for stories, there are 3-4 of them. Most continue from a different volume (which they helpfully encourage you to buy 3-4 times in the story) but don't worry - you're not reading for character development (or even character). The first has to do with an immortal woman freed from a genie bottle who battles a medieval fantasy evil in a leather bikini. Second has a halloween party where kids are invited into the house of a woman wearing a witch costume consisting of bikini and thong and witch hat (hey kids, take the hint?). Another has a modern woman (wait, don't all history teachers wear skin tight mini dresses to office parties?) transported into an evil dimension so she can fight in a bikin...oh wait, it's a bad sexy halloween mini skirt costume version of snow white (?). The third story I don't even remember. But again, not reading for the storyline.....

Yes, this whole thing was ridiculous. And not in a fun way. Lesson learned: Fables this isn't. Big fat huge waste of money unless for some really strange reason you can't get all the free scantily clad women pictures you want on the internet (or find a bookstore selling Top Cow titles).

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

DPL hoopla

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Gabriel Fequiere · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that I really and truly enjoy Zenescope's series Grimm Fairy Tales and and all the various spinoffs (Neverland, Piper, etc). Unless something major happens I will continue to follow this series. My one and only gripe with it is the unnecessary and gratuitous sexuality and objectification of women within the pages. It truly has no place within the story. Now I am by no means a prude but they don't even try to give it purpose. They are no better than the creators over at the bigger publishers (Marvel, DC). This is why this series will never reach the greatness that is Bill Willingham's Fables. Nothing is done without purpose. And he knows that his story is so good that he doesn't need clichéd tropes like massive mammaries and barely there clothing.

[Dann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mythical tales of horror await in Grimm Fairy Tales: Different Seasons Volume 1. A collection of four special editions (Giant Size #1, Halloween 2009, Holiday 2009, & Las Vegas Annual 2009) the stories follow a woman who comes to the aid of a displaced king, a monkey’s paw tale, a dark Nutcracker adventure, and a witch casting mischief in Las Vegas. While the stories are exciting and full of thrills, they kind of feel incomplete as there are numerous editor’s notes referring to other issues and cliffhanger-esque endings. Also, some of the artwork is rather grimy and inconsistent with the other the issues. Yet despite its problems, Grimm Fairy Tales: Different Seasons Volume 1 is an entertaining supernatural anthology.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not any worse than the others, but it would have worked better if these were published where they belong chronologically in the on going series. Some of the art was also really sketchy, like they needed another few days to polish it all up. Again, plenty of fan service.

[Samra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Great one shots and good revamp of Monkeys Paw tale