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Grimm Fairy Tales Presents
The Piper: The Piper
All four issues of the hit mini-series now collected in one volume, as well as Grimm Fairy Tales #12, The Adventures of Sinbad #0 and other bonus materials!
Seven hundred years ago he took a horrifying revenge and paid the ultimate price for his sins. Now he's returned to forge a deal that will cost more than your life! In modern day Florida, a musically gifted but misunderstood high school student named Sean stumbles upon a mysterious book that will give him the ability to finally get back at those who have wronged him the last few years. But when Sean realizes exactly what he has summoned, he knows that the price of revenge is certainly not worth the trouble, because it's time to pay the Piper!
Seven hundred years ago he took a horrifying revenge and paid the ultimate price for his sins. Now he's returned to forge a deal that will cost more than your life! In modern day Florida, a musically gifted but misunderstood high school student named Sean stumbles upon a mysterious book that will give him the ability to finally get back at those who have wronged him the last few years. But when Sean realizes exactly what he has summoned, he knows that the price of revenge is certainly not worth the trouble, because it's time to pay the Piper!
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2008
103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 13, 2018
A Dark story, based off of the fairy tale of the Pied Piper.
Characters: 3.5/5. The Pied Piper being the best character.
Setting|World Building: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3,5/5
Artwork: 3.5/5
Average: 3.3
Characters: 3.5/5. The Pied Piper being the best character.
Setting|World Building: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3,5/5
Artwork: 3.5/5
Average: 3.3
February 27, 2016
Imagine the Pied Piper of Hamlin being a really, really, really evil creature, far more so than in the movie version. He uses other people's thirst for revenge or domination to spread the death and chaos he seems to love. This he does a lot of in this volume
In addition, there's the Pied Piper of Hamlin story from Grimm Fairly Tales #12, some character designs and issue 0 of 1001 Arabian nights.
In addition, there's the Pied Piper of Hamlin story from Grimm Fairly Tales #12, some character designs and issue 0 of 1001 Arabian nights.
February 4, 2009
I have this as the individual comcis...
Cover choices were odd-- you could either get a pinup cover that had very little to do with the story in the comic or you could get the horror cover (and the one with the spider icked me out!). I stuck with the horror covers.
The story was good; I wanted the bullies to get theirs, too...
Cover choices were odd-- you could either get a pinup cover that had very little to do with the story in the comic or you could get the horror cover (and the one with the spider icked me out!). I stuck with the horror covers.
The story was good; I wanted the bullies to get theirs, too...
May 11, 2022
A high school boy has constantly been bullied and very nastily by a specific group. Belinda shows him the tale of the Piper and he learns how to seek revenge. This was very good with great characters and an exciting story. It pulls from the main GFT as they have lately, at this point, been mentioning having to "pay the piper".
March 10, 2015
The was an extremely dark and depressing book, which was filled with foul language and moral arguments worhy of a cheap, Saturday morning special.
December 15, 2019
Pied Piper
I have never totally gotten the Pied Piper story. Is he a scam artist that tries to take advantage of the town? Is he justified in getting to get revenge for being cheated by the townspeople? Perhaps a little bit of both.
This collection has the Piper more like a modern day horror monster that sets everyone up to die. Either by being the victim of the summoner's revenge or by not being able to meet his cost. There is no one that is totally innocent so none of the characters feel like they deserve the sympathy of the reader.
The Sinbad story was the best part of the collection.
I have never totally gotten the Pied Piper story. Is he a scam artist that tries to take advantage of the town? Is he justified in getting to get revenge for being cheated by the townspeople? Perhaps a little bit of both.
This collection has the Piper more like a modern day horror monster that sets everyone up to die. Either by being the victim of the summoner's revenge or by not being able to meet his cost. There is no one that is totally innocent so none of the characters feel like they deserve the sympathy of the reader.
The Sinbad story was the best part of the collection.
June 19, 2017
Talk about weird things... Great idea with amazing art and plot, such a shame that it was this short, but I think I managed to catch what this was all about. It's a weird way to teach a lesson to the readers, to combine horror and slasher, B movies with morality and daily life. Brilliant, although it's a little away from how things work in the main story line.
October 8, 2025
It's a little cheesy in an early-2000s slasher movie kind of way, but it delivers on the premise and the expectations of the genre. It could probably be improved by having more of a sense of humor: maybe a bit more Scream than I Know What You Did Last Summer: it's a modern, horror retelling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, after all, we shouldn't have to take it too seriously.
June 3, 2020
Really enjoyed this. All the swarms though creeped me out!
December 1, 2020
Creepy & Twisted!!! Fun read!
June 22, 2021
Bo. Ring.
April 2, 2024
The Piper suffers when it tries to use old-timey language that feels wrong and off, but I am always happy to see fairy tale horror with some creativity so I'll round up to four stars.
June 23, 2013
I was really surprised by all the goodies that came with this: an intro by Candyman’s Tony Todd, Al Rio cover, “The Pied Piper” issue from Grimm Fairy Tales, and sneak peek into 1001 Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad. All that and a bit more makes it absolutely worth the cover price.
Of course, it helped to have a compelling retelling of a classic story. The original one never really resonated much with me compared to other fairy tales, but this particular one really spoke to me. First off, it reminded me a lot of home and I totally appreciated all the Florida wildlife incorporated (even though the coral snake’s colors were off, just sayin’).
And then there was the very serious topic of bullying. Kalvoda really paints an accurate picture of how a victim of bullying feels. I was surprised he took it so far as to include retaliation by bringing a gun to school, but that is a realistic response in some cases. All readers can sympathize one way or another, because we all have experienced bullying in some form. Kalvoda even briefly analyzes the bully’s underlying motives, which creates a fuller plot.
Overall, I liked this version a great deal better than the retelling from issue 12 of Grimm Fairy Tales. This one did a much better job of adding to the story. Even though it hated on student athletes again… But I’ll forgive it once more, because I really did think this was a good read. Definitely a great addition to any horror fan’s shelves.
Of course, it helped to have a compelling retelling of a classic story. The original one never really resonated much with me compared to other fairy tales, but this particular one really spoke to me. First off, it reminded me a lot of home and I totally appreciated all the Florida wildlife incorporated (even though the coral snake’s colors were off, just sayin’).
And then there was the very serious topic of bullying. Kalvoda really paints an accurate picture of how a victim of bullying feels. I was surprised he took it so far as to include retaliation by bringing a gun to school, but that is a realistic response in some cases. All readers can sympathize one way or another, because we all have experienced bullying in some form. Kalvoda even briefly analyzes the bully’s underlying motives, which creates a fuller plot.
Overall, I liked this version a great deal better than the retelling from issue 12 of Grimm Fairy Tales. This one did a much better job of adding to the story. Even though it hated on student athletes again… But I’ll forgive it once more, because I really did think this was a good read. Definitely a great addition to any horror fan’s shelves.
August 24, 2016
I prefer horror slower and more subtle (uncanny and gothic is more my style), storytelling more evenly-paced, and characters with more depth. The outline of the story was there, but everything was rushed, sometimes unrealistically. I didn't care about any of the characters, didn't care when they were in danger or might die. The dread came upon them all suddenly rather than creeping in over time, and then was resolved quickly. The woman who keeps passing the book to people felt more like a convenient device to avoid people discovering the book in awkward ways--I wanted her relationship to the Piper to be explained.
Overall, this seems like a solid enough comic, but it wasn't satisfying for me. I hope it finds its audience.
Overall, this seems like a solid enough comic, but it wasn't satisfying for me. I hope it finds its audience.
July 9, 2022
This was a combination of "be careful what you wish for" and "when seeking revenge, dig two graves." This was still really good on the second read. I enjoyed the writing and the art that was used throughout the story. And I also liked how it ended. I wasn't expecting that, even on the second read.
September 4, 2011
The Grimm Fairy Tales books put a lot intot he art work and the color process, use quality paper and completely re-vamp the old tales, keeping the basic premise in tact, but that is all.
March 14, 2018
The Piper
Issue 1
Basically, it starts the same way as Issue 12, but I don't think this is the same Piper because this one doesn't turn the kid's into rats at the end. In this version, he just drowns them. In present day at a prep school in a music class, we see a guy Sean (who we later see is musically gifted but treated like an outcast) being picked on by some guys in the class. They prank him by putting a snake in his violin and give him a hard time when after class a female friend hops to his defense. We see in his eyes it's starting to get to him, but before anything can jump off a coach interrupts. Sean calls his crew together to meet in the band room later and they have an impromptu jam session. He catches the eye (and ear) of an admirer. The Coach again breaks up their session (Does this guy have a life?) So the shit hits the fan when a new girl rejects the bully (Blake). He hints that Sean has "issues". Holly comes by and gets Sean to open up about his music and his love of fish. Strangely later that night he hears violin music that leads him to the library where .. (da da da) Belinda is lurking. (This won't lead to anything good). She points him to the evil book of horrors and the story of The Pied Piper and he starts to read. Until its 5 AM in the morning and Belinda is long gone! He recognizes the melody he hears in the book. So the next day Molly gives him the good news that her brother owns a recording studio and he wants to meet with him (of course he does). Sean confesses after making a comment about success being the best revenge (which really I don't see why Molly was disturbed about that) that she should know that last year he bought a starter gun to school to scare Blake and he got suspended. Of course, she understands this and tells him to go ahead and meet her brother and she'll catch up. She runs into Blake and during a confrontation, he pushes her back into a vending machine that falls on her and crushes her spine and kills her (I'm guessing). Sean gets high later and reads some suspicious words from the book. (Never get high and read from an old book from a lady you meet lurking in a deserted place). Behind him, we see he's summoned (The Piper?).
MY THOUGHTS: Now, why are there two entirely different stories about Piper's? There's this one that's in all black, and then there's the weird looking one in Issue 12. Molly's accident was tragic and it makes me wonder why guys can't take rejection like men and instead have to do violent acts which is the reason the girl probably rejected him in the first place. I don't think Blake meant to kill Molly but he should have left her the hell alone when he saw she didn't want him. "The Beast" never wins the girl. We know that from Beauty and the Beast. It wasn't until he got softer that he won her over. Like Jem said in her song. "You'll Never Win My Love" RIP MOLLY. Then it's just not smart to trust ladies sitting in the dark in deserted libraries. That in itself in a red light. Sean, what are you thinking?
RATING: 6
Issue 2
PLOT: Sean comes face to face with the Piper and makes a deal for revenge on the ones that caused Sara hurt. (Turns out she's not dead). The Piper true to his word scares one of the bullies to death when he wraps him in a web of bugs. Before they can discuss payment, his friend's show up and he lashes out at them for not having his back when they discover the evil book and aren't down with his vengeance plans. Not even the coach understands. He's removed the soda machine because what happened to Sara was "just an accident". No foul play. He instead accuses Sean. Hey, where'd that alligator come from? Bye-bye Coach. Sean gets attacked and pounded on by the girl thug. Her crew has found the tape of the incident and burn it in front of him. Sean pleads with them but the only thing that stops them is the arrival of yet another teacher (sighing). (They're always there but always seem to come at the worse times. How can they not see some of this stuff). I guess we can see the pattern. Sandra is eliminated when what looks like a serpent's tail sucks out her soul. Sean calls 911 to report the attack and heads to make up with his friends who encourage him to call the police. They question him about the book but before he can tell them guess whose back to collect payment.
MY THOUGHTS: I do understand easily how Sean feels in this issue. So much of this whole series revolves around the wrongs people do to us that go unpunished. Only Sean is the only one so far that shows the kind of anger I often feel bottled up inside. I can identify with Sean as a person because he takes a lot from people and doesn't say anything. And then he finally lashes out at the closest people to him. Even though they were just trying to help him. I don't know what The Piper's game is yet or what his payment will be. I'm kind of guessing it's Sean's soul. Maybe I'm thinking of slight bits when I read a little about him in the Dream Eater Saga but again the story didn't fall into place because I'd read it out of order. As a villain, I really haven't had a chance yet to have any kind of opinion yet on the Piper. I can say his skills are frightening but I expected an attack of rodents from the web which would have made it more frightening than just bugs. Yes! True I hate bugs and they make me shudder but for the full effect, it should have been either rats or snakes.
RATING: 6. I felt Sean's anger loud and clear in this issue! Good people hurt by the actions of bad people ALL the time and sometimes even though they say karma is a bitch you don't always get to see that in action!
Issue 3
PLOT: Sean tries to call off the Piper's deal but it's too late. The Pimp of the Pipe is playing for keeps and what he wants to keep is the life-forces of the ones that have caused Sean pain so he'll never have to go back into those parchment pages. Try saying that five times fast. He takes out the two friends with his specialty (animal attacks). Sean wrecked with guilt finds a solution in the pages of the book. In a twisted murder, the people of Hamlin killed the piper by jabbing his flute down his throat until his soul drifted up and took him out. From what I can make out a man named Ludwig's child's body washes up from the shore now that The Piper's spell is broken along with the other children. And he goes on a journey to find (I'm not sure what because of this damn prose the story is written in). He comes upon a lady that leads him to where he hears the sounds of a certain kind of music. The Piper takes a teacher but became better than the teacher and there wasn't an animal he couldn't control. But he ended the contract so he would no longer be indebted to the teacher by breaking his flute and buying one of silver. He then took his master out with a snake bite to the eye. This is getting too long and boring I'll shorten it. Sean discovers the Piper's powers are in his flute. He goes to warn the other of his arrival. The Piper catches up and Sean figures out he has to play a piece backwards to defeat the Piper and what do you know it's working.
MY THOUGHTS: I'm started to get annoyed by the cryptic, melodic, sing-song ish way the Piper speaks. Every time he talks I just want him to stop. It's flowy. It's at times incoherent. It's a bit like reading Shakespeare. Sometimes even if you read over it a few times you're thinking what the hell is he talking about. But not just him. The fairy tale part of this is a chore to read. And honestly, this issue couldn't even keep my attention.
RATING 3 This one was hard to understand and it DRAGGED!
Issue 4
PLOT: The Piper has now claimed another victim (Blake). In exchange for his word the Piper then begins to play his tune of vengeance on any and all that Blake has a thing against. The Music teacher is out (stung to death by bees). One of Blake's crew attempts to beat Sean into submission but gets knocked upside the head with a rock. Apparently, this knocks off the Piper's trance and he runs off and past Sean. Sean needs his help to get the flute from the Piper so he can play the song in reverse but problem one he's damaged Ben's eardrum and now he's deaf in one ear. And now Ben's out (another bug attack). But this Pimp of the Pipe ain't doing nothing else till he gets his money. Down goes Blake (attack of rats). Sean and the Piper have a musical duel and Sean gets the upper hand by escaping to a soundproof room, playing the song over the speaker, and the power of the book traps The Piper and he gets a taste of his own medicine. Sean after that gets famous from his music but can't leave well enough alone. Tempted by the second verse he calls the Piper back who pulls he and Molly under and finally has his revenge.
MY THOUGHTS: (Sighing) I'm by no means on the Piper's side but why the hell don't people do what they say they're gonna do? In the beginning of the story, The Piper wasn't at fault. He did what he said he was going to do and rid the town of the rodents. All he wanted was payment for his services. You can't always get something for cheap. When people don't do what they say they're gonna do then you'd try to get them back too. Sean and Blake (as wrong as it was) actually made a deal with him. They both could have left it alone and not gotten involved with him at all. I don't think he used the Pipe (that just sound's SO WRONG) to tempt them. And then why would you tempt fate. It was stupid for Sean to play that second verse. I really wish Molly would have taken that pipe and broke it in half. And said, "Like hell, you will."
RATING: 4 This wasn't my favorite series. The storyline just didn't do anything for me and at times it was hard to read.
Issue 1
Basically, it starts the same way as Issue 12, but I don't think this is the same Piper because this one doesn't turn the kid's into rats at the end. In this version, he just drowns them. In present day at a prep school in a music class, we see a guy Sean (who we later see is musically gifted but treated like an outcast) being picked on by some guys in the class. They prank him by putting a snake in his violin and give him a hard time when after class a female friend hops to his defense. We see in his eyes it's starting to get to him, but before anything can jump off a coach interrupts. Sean calls his crew together to meet in the band room later and they have an impromptu jam session. He catches the eye (and ear) of an admirer. The Coach again breaks up their session (Does this guy have a life?) So the shit hits the fan when a new girl rejects the bully (Blake). He hints that Sean has "issues". Holly comes by and gets Sean to open up about his music and his love of fish. Strangely later that night he hears violin music that leads him to the library where .. (da da da) Belinda is lurking. (This won't lead to anything good). She points him to the evil book of horrors and the story of The Pied Piper and he starts to read. Until its 5 AM in the morning and Belinda is long gone! He recognizes the melody he hears in the book. So the next day Molly gives him the good news that her brother owns a recording studio and he wants to meet with him (of course he does). Sean confesses after making a comment about success being the best revenge (which really I don't see why Molly was disturbed about that) that she should know that last year he bought a starter gun to school to scare Blake and he got suspended. Of course, she understands this and tells him to go ahead and meet her brother and she'll catch up. She runs into Blake and during a confrontation, he pushes her back into a vending machine that falls on her and crushes her spine and kills her (I'm guessing). Sean gets high later and reads some suspicious words from the book. (Never get high and read from an old book from a lady you meet lurking in a deserted place). Behind him, we see he's summoned (The Piper?).
MY THOUGHTS: Now, why are there two entirely different stories about Piper's? There's this one that's in all black, and then there's the weird looking one in Issue 12. Molly's accident was tragic and it makes me wonder why guys can't take rejection like men and instead have to do violent acts which is the reason the girl probably rejected him in the first place. I don't think Blake meant to kill Molly but he should have left her the hell alone when he saw she didn't want him. "The Beast" never wins the girl. We know that from Beauty and the Beast. It wasn't until he got softer that he won her over. Like Jem said in her song. "You'll Never Win My Love" RIP MOLLY. Then it's just not smart to trust ladies sitting in the dark in deserted libraries. That in itself in a red light. Sean, what are you thinking?
RATING: 6
Issue 2
PLOT: Sean comes face to face with the Piper and makes a deal for revenge on the ones that caused Sara hurt. (Turns out she's not dead). The Piper true to his word scares one of the bullies to death when he wraps him in a web of bugs. Before they can discuss payment, his friend's show up and he lashes out at them for not having his back when they discover the evil book and aren't down with his vengeance plans. Not even the coach understands. He's removed the soda machine because what happened to Sara was "just an accident". No foul play. He instead accuses Sean. Hey, where'd that alligator come from? Bye-bye Coach. Sean gets attacked and pounded on by the girl thug. Her crew has found the tape of the incident and burn it in front of him. Sean pleads with them but the only thing that stops them is the arrival of yet another teacher (sighing). (They're always there but always seem to come at the worse times. How can they not see some of this stuff). I guess we can see the pattern. Sandra is eliminated when what looks like a serpent's tail sucks out her soul. Sean calls 911 to report the attack and heads to make up with his friends who encourage him to call the police. They question him about the book but before he can tell them guess whose back to collect payment.
MY THOUGHTS: I do understand easily how Sean feels in this issue. So much of this whole series revolves around the wrongs people do to us that go unpunished. Only Sean is the only one so far that shows the kind of anger I often feel bottled up inside. I can identify with Sean as a person because he takes a lot from people and doesn't say anything. And then he finally lashes out at the closest people to him. Even though they were just trying to help him. I don't know what The Piper's game is yet or what his payment will be. I'm kind of guessing it's Sean's soul. Maybe I'm thinking of slight bits when I read a little about him in the Dream Eater Saga but again the story didn't fall into place because I'd read it out of order. As a villain, I really haven't had a chance yet to have any kind of opinion yet on the Piper. I can say his skills are frightening but I expected an attack of rodents from the web which would have made it more frightening than just bugs. Yes! True I hate bugs and they make me shudder but for the full effect, it should have been either rats or snakes.
RATING: 6. I felt Sean's anger loud and clear in this issue! Good people hurt by the actions of bad people ALL the time and sometimes even though they say karma is a bitch you don't always get to see that in action!
Issue 3
PLOT: Sean tries to call off the Piper's deal but it's too late. The Pimp of the Pipe is playing for keeps and what he wants to keep is the life-forces of the ones that have caused Sean pain so he'll never have to go back into those parchment pages. Try saying that five times fast. He takes out the two friends with his specialty (animal attacks). Sean wrecked with guilt finds a solution in the pages of the book. In a twisted murder, the people of Hamlin killed the piper by jabbing his flute down his throat until his soul drifted up and took him out. From what I can make out a man named Ludwig's child's body washes up from the shore now that The Piper's spell is broken along with the other children. And he goes on a journey to find (I'm not sure what because of this damn prose the story is written in). He comes upon a lady that leads him to where he hears the sounds of a certain kind of music. The Piper takes a teacher but became better than the teacher and there wasn't an animal he couldn't control. But he ended the contract so he would no longer be indebted to the teacher by breaking his flute and buying one of silver. He then took his master out with a snake bite to the eye. This is getting too long and boring I'll shorten it. Sean discovers the Piper's powers are in his flute. He goes to warn the other of his arrival. The Piper catches up and Sean figures out he has to play a piece backwards to defeat the Piper and what do you know it's working.
MY THOUGHTS: I'm started to get annoyed by the cryptic, melodic, sing-song ish way the Piper speaks. Every time he talks I just want him to stop. It's flowy. It's at times incoherent. It's a bit like reading Shakespeare. Sometimes even if you read over it a few times you're thinking what the hell is he talking about. But not just him. The fairy tale part of this is a chore to read. And honestly, this issue couldn't even keep my attention.
RATING 3 This one was hard to understand and it DRAGGED!
Issue 4
PLOT: The Piper has now claimed another victim (Blake). In exchange for his word the Piper then begins to play his tune of vengeance on any and all that Blake has a thing against. The Music teacher is out (stung to death by bees). One of Blake's crew attempts to beat Sean into submission but gets knocked upside the head with a rock. Apparently, this knocks off the Piper's trance and he runs off and past Sean. Sean needs his help to get the flute from the Piper so he can play the song in reverse but problem one he's damaged Ben's eardrum and now he's deaf in one ear. And now Ben's out (another bug attack). But this Pimp of the Pipe ain't doing nothing else till he gets his money. Down goes Blake (attack of rats). Sean and the Piper have a musical duel and Sean gets the upper hand by escaping to a soundproof room, playing the song over the speaker, and the power of the book traps The Piper and he gets a taste of his own medicine. Sean after that gets famous from his music but can't leave well enough alone. Tempted by the second verse he calls the Piper back who pulls he and Molly under and finally has his revenge.
MY THOUGHTS: (Sighing) I'm by no means on the Piper's side but why the hell don't people do what they say they're gonna do? In the beginning of the story, The Piper wasn't at fault. He did what he said he was going to do and rid the town of the rodents. All he wanted was payment for his services. You can't always get something for cheap. When people don't do what they say they're gonna do then you'd try to get them back too. Sean and Blake (as wrong as it was) actually made a deal with him. They both could have left it alone and not gotten involved with him at all. I don't think he used the Pipe (that just sound's SO WRONG) to tempt them. And then why would you tempt fate. It was stupid for Sean to play that second verse. I really wish Molly would have taken that pipe and broke it in half. And said, "Like hell, you will."
RATING: 4 This wasn't my favorite series. The storyline just didn't do anything for me and at times it was hard to read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews