GFT Retrospective #7: Jack And the Beanstalk
They say the sky is the limit
Well I guess it all depends on you
And your views (in this American dream)
Don't tell me that the sky is the limit
'Cause it ain't about what you can do
It's a who knows who
In this American dream
It makes good song lyrics, and is a good mindset to have if one wishes to be successful, but there is something to be said about the unhealthy nature of obsession. That's why we have idioms like "too much of a good thing," "all things in moderation," "don't fly too close to the sun," and "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." It's also why we have the following issue of Grimm Fairy Tales.
GFT #8: Jack and the Beanstalk
After Snow White, Zenescope gets back to the on-the-nose writing, but this time the art is even worse!
A drug dealer named Jim is trying to earn enough money to move his wife and child out of the bad neighborhood they’re living in, but he’s getting greedy and selling on a rival’s turf.
When Jim goes out to meet his supplier, he finds Sela waiting for him. What she did with the supplier, I shudder to think….
Well I guess it all depends on you
And your views (in this American dream)
Don't tell me that the sky is the limit
'Cause it ain't about what you can do
It's a who knows who
In this American dream
-"Sky's the Limit"
Yelawolf, Love Story
It makes good song lyrics, and is a good mindset to have if one wishes to be successful, but there is something to be said about the unhealthy nature of obsession. That's why we have idioms like "too much of a good thing," "all things in moderation," "don't fly too close to the sun," and "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." It's also why we have the following issue of Grimm Fairy Tales.
GFT #8: Jack and the Beanstalk
A drug dealer named Jim is trying to earn enough money to move his wife and child out of the bad neighborhood they’re living in, but he’s getting greedy and selling on a rival’s turf.
When Jim goes out to meet his supplier, he finds Sela waiting for him. What she did with the supplier, I shudder to think….
Jim starts reading, and (see previous explanations of the book) becomes Jack, a poor farmer who trades his cow for beans and runs afoul of the giant (who looks vaguely like a fat, zombified version of the rival dealer) in a quest for beyond-ludicrous wealth. Jack’s wife, child, and home are crushed by the falling giant, and Jim snaps back to reality with a second chance at his disposal.
It’s another filler issue at this point in the series, but hints here and there at a bigger picture. Look at Sela’s closing remark, for instance: “Take it from someone who knows, Jim. There are things in life that are much more important than money. Things you can’t put a price on.”
In the scope of the issue, this could be interpreted as a reference to Jim’s family, and the peaceful life they could have if he quit dealing and learned to live on the money he has. In the larger scope (the Zene-scope, if you will), Sela could be referring to her own lost family. Deeper still, she could be talking about the soul. Maybe Paco (the rival dealer) or Manny (the supplier) are working for the Evil Agency, and had planned to either kill or recruit Jim if he had continued on the path he was on. And maybe Sela was expressing regrets about the deal she made with Cindy in a previous issue. Maybe on some level, Sela sees the book as her smack, her magic beans, her symbol of greed, and she regrets ever going into the old woman’s house to begin with.
Stay tuned as next time, we once more venture into someone's house uninvited. If you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments, leave a like, and click on some ads to get my revenue ticker over a dollar. And remember, the sky is the limit. Just don't try to breathe in space, okay?
It’s another filler issue at this point in the series, but hints here and there at a bigger picture. Look at Sela’s closing remark, for instance: “Take it from someone who knows, Jim. There are things in life that are much more important than money. Things you can’t put a price on.”
In the scope of the issue, this could be interpreted as a reference to Jim’s family, and the peaceful life they could have if he quit dealing and learned to live on the money he has. In the larger scope (the Zene-scope, if you will), Sela could be referring to her own lost family. Deeper still, she could be talking about the soul. Maybe Paco (the rival dealer) or Manny (the supplier) are working for the Evil Agency, and had planned to either kill or recruit Jim if he had continued on the path he was on. And maybe Sela was expressing regrets about the deal she made with Cindy in a previous issue. Maybe on some level, Sela sees the book as her smack, her magic beans, her symbol of greed, and she regrets ever going into the old woman’s house to begin with.
Stay tuned as next time, we once more venture into someone's house uninvited. If you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments, leave a like, and click on some ads to get my revenue ticker over a dollar. And remember, the sky is the limit. Just don't try to breathe in space, okay?
Comments
Post a Comment