Grimm Fairy Tales' Robyn Hood Wanted #1 Review

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Grimm Fairy Tales' Robyn Hood Wanted #1 Review
By Andy Frisk
May 8, 2013 - 18:34

Zenescope
Writer(s): Pat Shand
Penciller(s): Larry Watts
Colourist(s): Nick FIlardi
Letterer(s): Jim Campell

Robyn Locksley is a wanted woman. In Myst and its now renamed town of Bree (renamed to Nottingham-and if that isn't a dead giveaway I don't know what is), Robyn is a now a folk hero for her, and the Merry Men's, victory in battle against King John and his evil ways. Here on Earth in our own reality though she is wanted for the murder of the men who brutally beat and raped her. The authorities know nothing of what was done to her. To them she is a dangerous criminal on the run. Robyn's plight looks dire...and things may get even worse for her when she has to face her inevitable new nemesis...none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Writer Pat Shand, in conjunction with Raven Gregory, Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco, launch Zenescope's fan favorite new hero headlong into her new ongoing series with Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Robyn Hood: Wanted #1. Hot female heroes with bows and arrows are all the rage these days (see Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss), but Robyn is a little more rough and tumble than most of Zenescope's (and the big screen's) other female hero protagonists. They are all violent (in the superhero way), but Robyn has an extra edge to her because of her poor upbringing and hard scrabble background. She doesn't have a nice apartment to return to like fellow Zenescope hero Brittany Waters/Red Riding Hood does. The two do have common themes to their character, Brittany suffers from a wolf's bloodlust and Robyn suffers emotional angst because of her upbringing and rape, but Robyn has had a much tougher time of things.

Perhaps this is the appeal of Robyn Locksley. She is a perpetual underdog in a world full of unforgiving authorities and authority figures. Her reunion with her father in this issue isn't the stuff of fairy tales (excuse the obvious pun). Robyn is the ultimate loner/outlaw and it looks like she is going to be staying that way for a while...at least until she is reunited with The Merry Men. Which in itself is an odd, but somehow worthy paring (outside of the obvious legendary Robin Hood tropes). Robyn has met few, if any "merry" men in her life...

Artist Larry Watts style gives Robyn a hard look, and it is fitting. His almost unfinished style (with it's semi-lack of detail) strikes one as almost minimalist. It communicates very succinctly Robyn's state of mind as well as that of the starry eyed citizens of Nottingham.

Overall, Robyn remains is one of Zenescope's most interesting female protagonists out of a host of interesting female leads in their comics. Her story looks to remain as interesting, and at times heart wrenching, in Wanted as it did in her first series, and Robyn's fans wouldn't have it any other way.

Rating: 8/10