One of our favorite creators, Kurtis Wiebe, has a brand new comic out next week from Image called “Grim Leaper.” We’re sure you’ve heard a bit of it by now from previous coverage, but I suppose the only thing left to answer is — is it worth buying?
Let’s discuss that today.
Written by Kurtis Wiebe
Illustrated by Aluisio SantosA brand new series from the mind of critically acclaimed writer KURTIS J. WIEBE (GREEN WAKE, PETER PANZERFAUST), GRIM LEAPER is a gory romantic comedy. Lou Collins is caught in a cyclical curse of violent, gruesome deaths and new beginnings in the bodies of strangers. With no clue why, Lou desperately searches for a way to break the curse and cross over peacefully to the other side. Then equally doomed Ella comes along. It’s a love story to die for.
Romantic comedies are a funny thing. They’re the perfect example of hit or miss genre that rarely appeal to everyone, usually going after a target demographic and playing up specific tropes. In fact, 9 times out of 10 when you see a trailer for a rom com, you’ll be able to fully explain the entire plot in vivid detail, including how it all ends. They’re generally just that uncreative.
Yet every now and then, something that adopts the label of rom com can surprise you. It can surprise you in a “I can’t believe they pulled that off” kind of way like Love, Actually (a great movie, no matter what anyone says), it can be a quirky and unpredictable sort of thing like Love Me If You Dare aka Child’s Games, and it can have a rom com label almost as a form of parody like Shaun of the Dead. Despite the rather uninspired modern nature of the genre, there are still a few people out there willing to come at it from a different angle.
That’s what “Grim Leaper” is. It’s not a rom com, but it also sort of is — assuming that rom com’s are hyper-violent and take place at a funeral. Now, don’t misunderstand: “Grim Leaper” is honestly a romantic comedy to the same extent as Battle Royale is, but the principal is there: two star-crossed would-be lovers stuck in mutual ruts looking for ways to connect with one another against impossible odds, with life repeatedly getting in the way for them. It’s a book that acknowledges a trope, takes advantage of it and then murders it, and this is where the fun of “Grim Leaper” lies.
“Grim Leaper” is basically a two-fold comic. On the one hand, it’s an experiment in genre busting, which is something that Wiebe has been doing throughout his various works at Image. Everything that Wiebe does with the publisher is inherently different, with Wiebe never really settling in one place. It’s surface value comparable to something like “Peter Panzerfaust” or “Green Wake”, but only in that it demonstrates Wiebe’s abilities as a versatile writer. No, this isn’t the first time the rom com genre has been spoofed (so to say), but its the first time Wiebe has done in it while also writing a fantasy book, a literary war piece and who knows what else we haven’t heard of yet.
On the other, it is very much a comic book example of “Ok, what do we think we can get away this time?” From the issues remarkably dark humor to its deaths, one would imagine that this is the kind of romantic story that someone like Tim Burton would make (Editor’s Note: if he hadn’t clearly gotten lazy). The book mixes around in its own filth quite well; there are scenes out of a Miyazaki nightmare, a few bits of brutal decapitations and even a few straight-up bastard human being moments. With a book like “Grim Leaper”, really the sky is the limit in terms of what can happen, and right now the book is very much covering as many bases as possible.
Of course, a very large part of this equation is Aluisio Santos, the book’s artist. As darkly entertaining as Wiebe’s writing is, it’s Santos that sells the title. Acting as both the artist, colorist and letterer, Santos is a triple threat with the book, dynamically taking it from scene to scene in ways that pay tribute to the book’s shifting narrative. He excels at the little moments, whether it be a facial tick or smoke some trailing from a cigarette, and the shifting colors of the book help to highlight the different realities of this peculiar situation. It’s a fantastic looking book, and yet another example of Image putting out titles with skilled creators who host a variety of talent. As much as I like seeing more of Wiebe’s work, I’m more particularly interested in seeing what Santos has in store for the visuals.
I suppose the only real drawback to “Grim Leaper” is the duration of the book. Yes, “Grim Leaper” is another mini out from Image in a sea of minis, which might leave some to wait for trade. However, with the concept being as entertaining as it is and the additional backmatter available (with comics written by friends of Wiebe), it’s worth following in single issues. The book is very much geared to the single issue formula, and it shows this off well with each passing installment. It’s a smartly executed endeavor, and its certainly entertaining enough to enjoy while you wait for Wiebe’s next ongoing project.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
