Of the many fairy tales explored and modified by Grimm Fairy Tales, it is probably the Little Mermaid that has had the weakest ride.  There have been those that have become good (like Little Red Riding Hood) and those that have become bad (Cinderella) but when it comes to the Little Mermaid, she is somewhere in between.  Seemingly wanting to be good but controlled by the influence of the Sea Witch she never really got a chance to develop as a character before disappearing into the oblivion of forgotten characters that were touched on briefly and then dropped from sight.  This series is hopefully the return of the character to the Grimm Fairy Tales universe, and if this is any indication then she will come back with a purpose.

This first issue explores the past of the character, and what exactly has happened to Erica since the last time that she was seen.  Despite the general inclination of Grimm Fairy Tales to lean towards magic and the supernatural for the explanation of anything and everything, the story here instead takes a science-fiction approach, at least in part and after the fairy tale side is examined as well.  It is also smart to also focus not only on Erica but on the two that put her in such dire straits to begin with, her mother and the Sea Witch, and they also seem to have changed their outlook since last seen.

There is maybe a long way to go for Erica, but it would seem the the route for a return to relevance is there.  Zenescope has been moderately successful into turning Robyn Hood into a female Green Arrow, and with this new outlook it might be possible that Zenescope is looking for a female Aquaman.  Whatever there intention for the character is though, it would seem as the redemption is there for her.  At times the stories from Grimm Fairy Tales can be tedious and hard to get through, but then sometimes they really throw as much creativity as they can at an old story and then come up with some new and entertaining, which is the case here.

Story: Meredith Finch  Art: Miguel Medonca
Story:  8.2 Art: 8.2  Overall: 8.2  Recommendation: Read

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review.