Grimm is a TV show on NBC that's in its second season. The show deals with Nick Burkhardt, a Portland police officer that discovers he's descended from a line of guardians known as "Grimms." It's his job to fight the evil supernatural forces that exist in the human world while also trying to keep the peace between the two worlds.
With the show's success, Dynamite Entertainment is launching a comic book based on the series. Two writers from the show, Marc Gaffen and Kyle McVey, will be writing the series. We asked the two some questions to get an idea how this comic will compare to the television show.
Comic Vine: Is this the first time you guys have written in the comic book format?
Marc Gaffen: First time ever published. But back home, as a 16-year-old kid, I had written a whole comic book series about a hero named Captain Awesome just for fun. Luckily no one ever read it besides me and the cat... I'm sure the book did not live up to its title.
Kyle McVey: If 8 year old Kyle could see me now! I’d take him down a peg or two! This is also the first time I’ve had the opportunity to write a comic professionally. And I think it’s a trend we both would like to continue.
CV: Is there a different approach in writing a comic script versus a TV script?
MG: The main thing is that in TV you want to draw out the emotion of your characters. So you cast these talented actors to live and feel what you’ve written in the moment. In comics, you you’re working with a 2D still image. Which means you need to boil it down the essential images and actions that tell your story. So you hire these wonderfully talented artists to relay that message and tell that story.
KM: Ultimately, good storytelling is good storytelling. No matter the medium. But I won’t lie, there has been a learning curve for these first few issues. Every medium has it own nuances, and comics are no different. The pacing is a little different. There are moments and tropes that comic book fans expect to see some variation on. And there are story elements (and shortcuts) that we would never use in TV that work so perfectly in a comic book universe. We’re both lifelong comic readers and fans. So it wasn’t foreign to us.
== TEASER ==CV: Is there more of a feeling that 'anything goes' since you don't have to worry about budget or special FX?
MG: It's a feeling of sweet relief. The story that unfolds in issues 1-5 is something Jim [Kouf] and David [Greenwalt] really wanted for the show, but because of budget and filming logistics it just wasn't possible. Now we can do anything we want as long as it stays true to the emotion of the moment and to the characters. Sometimes we had to pull ourselves back from saying "wouldn't it be cool if..." Then realizing the characters would never, ever do that.
KM: That’s not to say we don’t get…a little crazy. When they were breaking the story it was all about giving the readers something they could never do in the TV series. That means our baddies are bigger. Our settings are exotic. And there’s a firefight or two. Or ten. Honestly, we haven’t kept count. It’s a lotta fun. It’s basically Grimm if it was directed by Michael Bay. The Rock Michael Bay. Not Pearl Harbor Michael Bay.
CV: Where will this comic fit in with the show, from the beginning or during the current episodes?
KM: Right now we’re not concerned with making sure the comic snuggly fits between seasons or between certain episodes. It’s all about expanding and playing around within the universe that's already established. If we get to wrap up a couple loose ends from the show in the process, awesome. Just enjoy the ride, kids.
CV: How closely will the continuity be? Will it be deeply rooted to fit along the TV show or could we see events that might not have happened in the show?
MG: The comic series is directly related to the show, but open enough for people who haven't watched it to jump in without a problem. This first arc is a direct continuation of Kelly Burkhardt’s story that began with the season 2 premiere. As she goes on her quest to destroy the Coins of Zakynthos. And things don’t go quite as planned.
KM: The events of the TV show will inform the comic. We don't want to create an alternate Grimm universe or anything like that. But we also don't want to be so closely tied to the show's continuity that we can't do what we want or what lends itself best to the comic medium. What we absolutely will do is keep the show's trend of rooting the Grimm world and mythology in real history. It helps keep the whole thing grounded and let's us shed some new light on historical events and people.
CV: Are the plans to keep Nick Burkhardt the main character?
MG: In this first arc, Nick is the driving force. But half the fun of Grimm is that he's never alone. With Hank, Monroe, Rosalee, and all the other characters you get a sense of a fun team-up Western where everybody has their moments.
KM: But that’s not to say that we wouldn’t entertain the idea of having a few issues that focus on our extended cast of characters. Maybe a hardboiled, Sgt. Wu crime noir? Or a Rosalee Murder She Wrote mystery? Nickneeds a break once in a while.
CV: Will we see new characters that haven't been seen in the TV show?
MG: Oh hell yea. We are very excited to introduce another Grimm into the mix. And an amazing villain, who's Wesen side is very mythological. But that's all we can say. Don't want to give too much away.
KM: You also may meet a couple key figures in the Wesen Resistance. And of course, we have Kelly Burhardt coming back to kick a whole bunch of ass. Mom’s are the best.
CV: Thoughts on exploring other cities besides a focus on Portland?
MG: The first arc actually takes place almost exclusively outside of Portland. Nick, Monroe and Hank travel to Europe to bring the fight to the Royals and the Verrat. We see Vienna, Milan, the Matterhorn, and even a little bit of Greece. It's Grimm’s European vacation!
GRIMM is on sale May 22nd. Be sure to let your comic shop know you're interested in getting this series.
Here's a preview from the zero/Free Comic Book Day issue:
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