Courtney Crumrin, Volume Seven - Tales of a Warlock

And so we reach the end of the Courtney Crumrin saga - only, her story technically ended with Volume Six. With Volume Seven, Ted Naifeh, creator of this quirkly little magical series, takes a step back in time and gives readers a look at Courtney's Uncle Aloysius back when he was just a young man. What made him into the man that Courtney knew? Well, Tales of a Warlock answers that question...

Throughout this series, Aloysius Crumrin has been harsh, a bit stodgy, sometimes rather cranky, and every once-in-a-while protective. So, it's quite interesting to see Aloysius as a young man, cocky and free-spirited, yet at the same time, a man with a mission who is not afraid to use anything and anyone at his disposal to accomplish his goal. In this instance, his goal is to stop the misuse of magic, not only by the witches and warlocks in his own community, but by those outside of the community. Hence, his sudden appearance at the Anti-Sorcery Society (let's now discuss what the acronym for that would be...) and his willingness to help them out.

Or so it would seem...but as long-time readers will already know, there's more to Aloysius Crumrin than meets the eye. Naifeh provides his usual unique art style with this last book, and quite honestly, when I first started flipping through the pages, I thought Alice Crisp was a grown-up Courtney (which would have been interesting to see) - but alas, Alice is the daughter of the leader of the Anti-Sorcery Society, as well as the one person who catches Aloysius' eye. Only, he has his own agenda, and Alice is merely a means to an end. Or is she?

Naifeh continues with his brilliant writing, keeping the reader on his or her toes all the time. Nothing and no one is really what they seem to be, and even Aloysius finds that you can't control your feelings - but at what cost is the real question. Magic abounds in the story, as does evil and greed and jealousy and power - everything that makes us human, only amplified with the magical realm. Needless to say, by the end of the story, readers will learn a bit more about the magic of Hillsborough, as well as a bit of why Aloysius is the way he is in the present day.

And now the Courtney Crumrin saga has come to an end, and overall, I am completely satisfied. There was no huge cliffhanger or unresolved story, and this final chapter provided a great bookend to give us some history of Aloysius and Hillsborough. Kudos to Ted Naifeh for a story well-told, well-drawn, and well-crafted (and, for that matter, well-packaged!).

RATING:  9 field agents turned into ducks out of 10 for wrapping up this series in true style!

Courtney Crumrin, Volume Six – The Final Spell

Of all the comic series that have surprised me the most when I got around to reading them, I would have to say that Courtney Crumrin tops the cake.  I purchased this series, honestly, because the hardcover collection of seven volumes was so nicely bound with Gothic-style covers, and, of course, it carried a female lead.  I wasn’t really sure about the art, though, as I had turned aside this series many times when I would see the individual issues in the stores based solely on the art.  Now, though, six volumes in, and I am thoroughly engrossed in Courtney’s story and hate to see it reach an end.

The Final Spell brings to culmination several stories that have been brewing in the background over the course of the series.  Uncle Aloysius’ failing health.  The coven’s ultimate self-serving goals. The real secret the Duchess is keeping in the Twilight Kingdom. And, perhaps most important of all – the true nature and strength of Courtney Crumrin’s powers as a witch.

Author and illustrator, Ted Naifeh, tells a fast-paced story, jam-packed with adventure and mystery and surprises. This volume picks up immediately after the ending of volume five, with Courtney and her teacher, Calpurnia, are on the run from the Coven, who desperately want to place Courtney on trial for all of the magical trouble she has been causing.  But not before we get a four page prologue – four pages of two little boys in the past – two little boys who sneak into the Twilight Kingdom and come face to face with the Duchess – face to face with an impossible decision that will separate them forever…but which decision will ultimately have a profound affect on Courtney’s life, changing it in the most unexpected way!

The battle is definitely fierce, spanning pretty much the entire volume, as Courtney and her teacher run from place to place, ending with Courtney on her own, hiding out in the Twilight Kingdom, where she must face her own uncle.  And readers get a small taste of what Courtney’s life would have been like had she never known any magic – had she lived the “normal” life of a “normal” child, being bullied, having no friends, and watching each day go by without any hope for a change.  But, as with her former reality, Uncle Aloysius opens the door once again, leading to a spectacular final battle with the coven of Hillsborough.

The art, which has grown on me more and more with each volume, maintains consistency, and the purple / blue / gray coloring keeps the moodiness of the series at the appropriate level.  The art is very cinematic in nature, and the panels flow so easily, one into the other, and the change of scenes work flawlessly to speed the story along.  Naifeth has definitely become one of my favorite artists these days.

This volume provides a nice, neatly tied-up ending to Courtney Crumrin’s story, which begs the question – what in the world does Volume Seven hold in store?

RATING:  10 hands of fire out of 10 for giving Courtney Crumrin and ending that she so rightly deserves!

Courtney Crumrin, Volume Five - The Witch Next Door

Ted Naifeh takes his incorrigible little witch, Courtney Crumrin, on a brand new journey in this fifth volume of the series.  And in The Witch Next Door, Courtney does, a little growing up, we learn a little bit more about the history of Courtney's uncle and the town of Hillsborough, we take another trip down in the dangerous realm of Goblin Town, and Courtney finally comes face to face with the consequences of some of her actions to date.

This volume opens with a flashback tale, giving readers a glimpse into the history of Hillsborough, the past of Uncle Aloysius, and we learn the real reason why this town seems to be the center of the magical world and its creatures. It's a great little breather from all of the supernatural dangers that Courtney has faced over the past four volumes - it's nice to have a rather simple tale of lost love, betrayals, and good ol' fashioned soap opera scheming and intrigue.

Of course, with chapter two, it's back to our regularly scheduled programming, as a new little girl moves in next door.  Young Holly Hart is not at all put-off by Courtney's demeanor - in fact, she feels she's an outcast the same as Courtney, and before you know it, Courtney has a friend! Someone she can pass the time with, she can share magical secrets with, and someone who she soon realizes may not be as altruistic as she first thought! First, it's a simple spell to make others at school like her - but then it's a trip to Goblin Town, which quickly turns into a very dangerous rescue mission.

But is Holly Hart really all that bad?

Naifeh gives us a bit of a twist here, as he uses chapter three to give readers a different perspective of the events that led up to Holly and Courtney being captured at the end of chapter two. While chapter two gives us the standard Courtney Crumrin point of view, in chapter three, readers are treated to the same events, but from Holly Hart's point of view - and suddenly everything you thought about Holly may not be accurate! It's a great story-telling technique, and it works flawlessly here to keep the story moving and to make Holly a bit more of a sympathetic character.

The concluding chapters find Courtney facing down some pretty dangerous characters in Goblin Town, and when Holly is sent off pretty much the way the writers did with Donna Noble in series four of BBC's Doctor Who, Courtney suddenly must face the consequences of her actions as a witch. Naifeh leaves this volume with a huge cliffhanger, and it's pretty much a guarantee that readers will be rushing to get to Volume Six to find out what happens next!

The art remains above par, with the heavy use of grey, purple, and blacks to keep the gothic, gloomy theme working throughout the story.  While the character depictions took me a bit to get used to in the beginning (as they are stylistic and not drawn realistically, like with artists such as George Perez, Jerry Ordway, or John Byrne), by now, I have grown not only accustomed to it, but find that it very much fits the story and the characters perfectly, blending the story and art to seamlessly, it would be impossible to have one without the other!

RATING:  9 tainted water bottles out of 10 for providing not only great supernatural stories, but also a character that has grown and evolved with each tale and continues to be engaging with every turn of the page!

Courtney Crumrin, Volume Four - Monstrous Holidays

The dark and lonely world of Courtney Crumrin seems to get darker and lonelier with volume four of this graphic novel series.  Writer and artist Ted Naifeh takes his little sorceress on a journey through Romania and old Germany as she travels with her Uncle Aloysius, who, rather than teaching her about her powers, seems intent on holding her back - particularly when it comes to helping those she knows to be in need!

The first story in Monstrous Holiday finds Courtney trying to help two lovers escape the bigotry and hatred of a superstitious townsfolk.  When she discovers the daughter of the man she and her uncle are staying with is not in love with her fiance, but rather, has true feelings for a gypsy (who also turns out to be a werewolf), Courtney makes it her mission to confront the townspeople about their prejudices and help the young woman realize that following her heart and being true to herself (and her lover) is more important than abiding by her father's wishes to marry someone of means and stature.  Of course, love can't always conquer all, as poor Courtney finds out the hard way, and she leaves the village behind her with a growing bitterness to the emotion that seems so elusive.

The second story, though, shows Courtney what true love - and sacrifice - is all about.  While touring a castle that may or may not have been once owned by Courtney's own ancestors, she meets a young man who seems to share the same loneliness that she does.  The two become fast friends, but gradually Courtney, as well as her uncle, begins to suspect there is more to Wolfgang than meets the eye.  When she finds he casts no reflection, she first thinks he's a ghost ... but quickly discovers he is so much more than that.  Her Uncle Aloysius, on the other hand, takes the necessary precautions, which Courtney throws to the wind to be with her newfound friend.  And then the marks on her neck appear.  And just when all hope seems lost for poor Courtney - - well, I'm not going to spoil it, but let's just say that true, sacrificial love saves the day!

I am truly amazed at how varied these stories of Courtney Crumrin are.  Naifeh is able to craft unique, stand-alone tales, while at the same time, weaving an ongoing tale of this little witch and her growth in not just her powers, but in her understanding of human nature (as well as the nature of the supernatural beings that dwell around us).  These are not just tales of horror and supernatural - they are tales of human nature and makes you wonder, who is truly darker - man or monster?

Each volume I read of Courtney Crumrin makes me all the more glad that I picked up this series.  It's just a shame that there are only three more volumes left...

RATING:  10 sacred wafers out of 10 for making the reader question their viewpoints on good and bad, right and wrong, saint and sinner.

Courtney Crumrin, Volume Three - The Twilight Kingdom

My reading has taken a bit of a slow-down this month due to the play that I'm in (rehearsals in October, open in November), but I am managing to sneak a few books here and there...

This next book takes me back to the dark and brooding world of young Courtney Crumrin - I, for one, was extremely glad to get back! With each graphic novel I read, I kick myself for never picking these up back when these books first came out.  How in the world did I miss out on such a well-written, thoroughly engaging book like this?  (Well, I can tell you how - I was put off by the rather off-beat art - something I have learned to get beyond and, in fact, appreciate!)

"The Twilight Kingdom" sets our young heroine on a new journey - discovering just what it means to be a friend and to actually have friends.  The first chapter sees Courtney returning to her hometown with her parents as they try to sell the family home - and Courtney hopes to rekindle her friendship with Malcolm.  But she discovers that not only has Malcolm changes - so has she!  There's actually very little supernatural element to this first tale, but its most poignant because it shows that sometimes, you really can't go home again...

The remaining three chapters in this book bring Courtney back to Hillsborough, where she finds herself attending Saturday School at Radley Hall.  This was a secret school for children of witches and warlocks to have the opportunity to freely express their heritage and powers and learn more about themselves.  Courtney is once again an outsider, but when she steps up to help a young boy that is being bullied into having a curse put upon him, she finds herself pushed further outside when the boy casts aside her help, standing beside his brother and their friends.  Surprise, surprise - they don't listen to Courtney and end up placing a curse on the boy that cannot be undone.

But...it can be lifted!

The remaining chapters find Courtney, against her better judgment, helping the other kids by journeying into the Twilight Kingdom to obtain a specific fruit that, when eaten, will restore the boy to normal.  The others bully their way into joining her into the Twilight Kingdom, they get separated, and it winds up falling upon Courtney to, one-by-one, save each of the kids, calling in a number of favors to do so.

But creator Ted Naifeh is a crafty enough writer to not make the story a simply rescue mission.  Scattered throughout the chapters is the ongoing unrest with the council (with one in particular taking a specific dislike of Courtney).  He is out to put an end to Courtney for the evil he believes she has unleashed - but his attempt to exact revenge on the young girl results in a very surprising defense by the kids who had, up until then, been her worst tormentors.  And (spoilers here!!!!) Courtney discovers that her good deeds (such as they were) did not go unnoticed, and she suddenly finds herself with friends she never asked for, or even wanted.

Begging the question - where will Naifeh take Courtney from here?

This is one graphic novel series that I cannot recommend enough - for kids, for adults for comic fans, for fans of supernatural stories - really, it's just plain great storytelling that engages you and keeps you coming back!

RATING:  10 goblin markets out of 10 for providing not only some of the best storytelling I've seen in comic form in many years, but for breathing such life into each of the characters that I find myself rooting for them!

Courtney Crumrin, Volume Two - The Coven of Mystics

I was thrilled to get back into the strange and dark world of Courtney Crumrin.  While there was hesitation with the first volume - uncertainty as to the art and the unknown story - there was definitely no hesitation this time.

Having thoroughly enjoyed my first venture into the world of our sour little protagonist, I held out some pretty high hopes for this second volume, and Ted Naifeh did not let me down.  With nearly 130 pages of story and art, including a new introduction and epilogue, there was plenty to love about this book.  In The Coven of Mystics, Courtney is introduced to the council, a coven of mystics who have been desperately trying to recruit her uncle into their group for many years.  She also discovers that her teacher at school is a mystic, one who is fully aware of Courtney's own dabblings into the arcane world.

Broken into four chapters, in part one, Courtney comes face to face with the darkest of dark demons, Tommy Rawhead, who has been summoned by unknown forces and is killing innocent children in the area.  Courtney's uncle is called upon to take out the demon, and he does so - but not before Courtney meets the vile creature.  Courtney's uncle warns the council - someone called the demon forth for a purpose, and it would behoove them to find out who and why.

In chapter two, Courtney discovers that her cat is not the only talking cat in the area - and she is fortunate enough to be invited to a meeting of the clan.  Unexpectedly taking the form of the cat (since humans are not allowed to see the clan meetings), Courtney is witness to a "hunt," in which a new leader of the clan will emerge.  But during the course of the hunt, Courtney bears witness to a very different hunt - a human chasing one of the night creatures.  Sensing something is wrong, Courtney stops the human from killing the night thing and saves its life.  Which, turns out to be very fortuitous, as when Courtney returns home, she discovers that very creature is now a guest in her uncle's house!

Chapter three finds Courtney looking for a way to help the night thing after discovering the council, along with the whole town, blames the creature for placing a curse of the ever-so-popular Madame Hermia.  Courtney, with the help of some newfound friends, breaks into Radley Hall and steels the head of Tommy Rawhead, intent on using it and its knowledge to help the night thing.  Unbeknownst to her, her actions did not go unseen...

In the final chapter, the night thing faces his final fate, when the council hears the arguments of all involved and calls upon Uncle Aloysius to turn over the creature to them.  Courtney knows the creature is innocent - she knows that one of the council is behind the actions - but no one will believe her.  She helps the night thing escape, and just as it is about to return home, to the world down below, it is struck down by one of the council.  Courtney, though, gets her final revenge - for she gives Tommy Rawhead back his full form on one condition - he take out the villain who killed the night thing and take him back to the under-realm with him!

The final scenes of this book provide some insight into Courtney's growth as a character.  While each chapter is an individual story, there are continuing threads of various plots throughout - one of which is a young classmate of Courtney's who is being bullied by the same kids who previously bullied her.  At first, Courtney ignores them, leaving the girl to her fate.  In the final pages, Courtney comes across them bullying the girl again - and she warns them, "I don't ever want to hear about you bothering people anymore.  If I do ... you'll find out exactly what Courtney Crumrin can do."

Such a perfect way to end the tale.  Courtney, through her experiences, is becoming stronger, less likely to take gruff from others, and more determined than ever to take down those she deems to be "villains."  She's not a hero by any means, but she's definitely growing into someone who is not afraid to help those in need.

Can't wait to see what's in store for her in volume three!

9 arcane artifacts out of 10 for the reminder that evil does not always reside in dark demons, but can easily be found in human form.

Courtney Crumrin, Volume One - The Night Things

"Childhood is a much darker world than most adults care to remember." So begins the foreward to the first volume of Ted Naifeh's Courtney Crumrin saga.  And no truer words were spoken.  Looking back, as children, we have a tendency to be afraid of the dark.  Afraid of those strange noises that we hear at night.  Afraid of the unknown and of change.  Afraid of things we can't readily explain.  And, maybe moreso, we are afraid of not being accepted and liked for who we are.  All of these things, and more, are found within the pages of this first volume in the tales of little Courtney Crumrin.

In The Night Things, readers are introduced to little Courtney Crumrin.  She's a junior high student whose parents have lived so far beyond their means, they now have to move to the ritzy neighborhood of Hillsborough and live with Uncle Aloysius (of course, whose uncle he is, no one can really say for sure).  His house is a creepy old mansion, and there are numerous rumors throughout the town of what goes on in that house.

Courtney is definitely a girl after my own heart.  She's unhappy and grumbles, and she's definitely not above using sarcasm at the right moments.  Like, when she and another outcast at her new school run into the local bullies.  "These your friends?" she asks the boy.  "Is this where you all wait for the short bus?"  Needless to say, that first day of school does not go well for Courtney, and her parents are no help (all they can talk about is trying to find a way to weasel into the lives of the rich and famous that live in Hillsborough).

All of that changes, however, the next day, when Courtney and her new-found friend come face-to-face with the bullies again.  Instead of facing off with them, Courtney runs through the woods.  Her friend follows, trying to warn her that no one goes into the woods.  And there is a very real reason for that, which Courtney discovers when she runs into a creature who has just finished eating her friend -- and wants her for dessert!  Thus, a new life begins for Courtney, for when she goes back to Uncle Aloysius' house, she goes searching through his rather 'unique' library and finds just what she needs to not only defeat the goblin, but to use it to end the bullying.

And that's all just in the first chapter of The Night Things.  The remaining three chapters of this first volume are just as entertaining as the first, and while, yes, there are definitely some dark subject matters throughout the tale, there is no visible gore or violence, there are really no adult themes whatseover, and there actually lessons learned (such as Chapter Two, where Courtney tries a glamour spell she finds in one of her uncle's books, only to find sometimes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing!).

I bought the first seven volumes of this series directly from the author at DragonCon last year, honestly, because I absolutely loved the faux-leather bindings and the premise of a young girl (detective, of sorts) living in a supernatural world and house.  Wasn't exactly sure what I would find with them, but I am definitely glad I bought them.  I will readily admit, the art (yes, this is a graphic novel series) is not the style to which I would normally like, the storytelling is so engaging, the art pretty much becomes secondary.  Volume One was well worth the money and the read, and I'm looking forward to delving into the next volume to see where Naifeh takes our little heroine next!

RATING:  8 child-eating goblins out of 10 for providing a scary children's tale that can easily be enjoyed by an adult as well!