Haunted house stories. You either love them or you hate them. Regardless, there are a couple of great ones out there, just as there are poor ones. Grimm Tales invites us to take a walk around such a house and see for ourselves the creepy goings on.
Written by Ralph Tedesco and Pat Shand, the book is pretty much standard fair. There is a house; it’s haunted and that is pretty much it to be honest. Despite the over used ideas in the book, the most significant flaw is that the “hero” of the piece, Luis Plaza, is a bit of a douche, a little unlikable. As such, I the reader, don’t particularly care what happens to him. Sure, I want to be entertained should the spirits of the house make their play for his soul, but overall, I am totally not bothered if he lives or if he dies.  The dialogue does a great job of conveying how much of a jerk Luis can be, so at best it could be said that Tedesco and Shand are victims of their own success.
The art is supplied by Sami Kivela who has recently been impressing me with his work on Chum (check out the review section for more information.) Here, Kivela seems to withdraw into the Zenescope style rather than show how creative he can be. That’s not to say the art is bad, it’s just I have seen Kivela do so much better. Still, I have to say that the big reveal showing double jointed elements certainly fit the bill, even if Terror is to strong a word to describe it. When you read a Zenescope book you know you are going to be looking at a quality produced book. Some of the credit must go the staff of colorists on their payroll. Marco Lesko is no exception, complimenting Kivela’s work well in the various settings and environments.
I will always have a bit of a soft spot for Tales of Terror, as they remind me of the EC comics horror books of the past, which was for me in the 70’s, the only real diversion from Big Two books. Back then, the stories would give me a shiver. Nowadays, I have a wistful smile, as familiar tropes deliver familiar results.
Writing – 3 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Colors – 4 stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Author Profile
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I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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