Modern Love - The Complete EC Series (Dark Horse)

When I first started reading and collecting comics back in ... well, no, that would be telling - let's just say my first comic book ever was a Super Friends comic - back when it was first published and on the spinner rack at the convenience store ... anyway, I was never a fan of the romance comics. Even though I liked soap operas (All My Children, General Hospital, Santa Barbara, Passions, Dynasty, Dante's Cove, etc.), I could just never get into the romance comics. They were way too cheesy for me. Flash forward quite a few years, and now, as an adult (uh...hmmm), I have discovered romance comics in a whole new light! Private Secretary by Dell, Soap Opera Romance and Soap Opera Love from Charlton, Night Nurse by Marvel, Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love and Secrets of Sinister House by DC, among others - and so it is that I came to purchase this Dark Horse hardcover collection of the EC Comics' romance series, Modern Love.

With only eight issues, Modern Love was not a long-running series, but each issue featured three stories of 7 or 8, or even more, pages, as well as a prose story or two, including features such as "Dear Diary" and "Advice from Adrienne..."  While the lead/cover story for each issue was allegedly a "true love story" as told by readers, there was always a blurb on the first page indicating that "the names in this true love story have been fictionized for obvious reasons!"  I had never heard of this series before seeing the solicit for this collection in Previews magazine, but then again, I was never really one to pick up EC comics.  The writers and artists for the eight issues worth of tales are mostly unknown to me, with the exception of Gardner Fox and Wally Wood, who contributed as writer and artist, respectively, for several of the stories.

The series was originally published from 1949 through 1950, published bi-monthly by Tiny Tot Comics, Inc. under the "EC" label ("An Entertaining Comic").  As the inside front flap for the dust jacket of this collection proudly proclaims, Modern Love was ahead of its time in a number of ways - the artists for the series were allowed to draw in their own style and not be forced to draw in a similar style to every other artist in the company.  The stories also featured some, what would have been at that time, highly controversial subjects, such as racial bigotry and strong-willed women who put their career above their men!  Of course, most of the stories featured your standard soap opera, romance tropes - cheating boyfriends/husbands, conniving sisters/best friends, thought-dead husbands returned to life, long-buried secrets come to light, and just about any other ideas that you can imagine that would throw a monkey-wrench into what appears at first to be the perfect romance.

The first issue starts off with a bang, featuring a story of a mean-spirited woman who tries to steal her younger sister's beau away!  It is the third story, however, that really caught my eye, as it not only features a young girl searching for love, but also involves a mystery surrounding muggings that happen just outside of a dance hall where the girl works! It's Nancy Drew ... er, Nina Foster! ... to the rescue! The second issue's strongest tale is about a meddling aunt who believes her niece should only marry for money - and when Janet Mason falls for a kitchen worker, her Aunt Mary will do whatever it takes to keep them apart!  For the third issue, it's mining family vs. farming family in a Romeo & Juliet type tale of star-crossed lovers from two very different families.  The fourth issue, surprisingly enough, features a lead story about an older sister who tries to steal her younger sister's boyfriend - very similar to the one in the first issue.  Of course, it's the title of that story, "Three-Cornered Romance" that caught my eye, since it reminded me of the Dana Girls' mystery, A Three-Cornered Mystery. As far as romance stories, though, it's the last story in that issue, "I Gave My Love Away" that is by far the best one - a female author is looking for new inspiration for her latest romance novel, so she takes a bum off the street, cleans him up, and has him pretend to be the hero of her latest adventure - the only problem is, she never expects to fall for him!  And, of course, as with any good soap, he is not everything that he seems, providing for a rather unexpected outcome to this tale.

The fifth issue features a rather controversial tale called "Shame." While it never comes out and directly says it, the heroine of the story ends up pregnant by a man who takes off and leaves her, so she turns to the neighbor she's known all her life, where she knows she can be safe and secure - but what happens when the baby's father returns? An interesting story for the time, since an unwed mother (and a man marrying a woman pregnant with another man's child) was not your typical comic story fare!  That same issue also features a story about a woman on a game show who wins $45,000!  Yes, you read that right.  Can you imagine the value of that back in 1950?  And yet, in the story, she manages to blow through all that money, but still find love by the end of the story ... and then there's the story of the woman released from jail, who takes a job in a city where no one knows her.  She falls in love, only to have her past come back to haunt her, threatening to expose her and destroy her happiness!  Issue six has another career girl story, but it also features one of the first tales without a happy ending - a woman who falls in love again after her husband dies - only to come face to face with him again, and must give up the one she truly loves now in order to stay faithful to the husband she thought was dead.  Issue seven gives readers a repeat of the dead husband come back to life story with another sad ending, but it also features a tale of bigotry and racial bias, when a father refuses to allow his son to become involved with a Mexican girl who works for the family.

The eighth and final issue of the series has a few surprises.  One is a third tale of a widowed woman who finds love, only to have her "dead" husband come back to claim her - only this time, a second tragedy gives Katha Trenton the happy ending she longs for.  Another is a mystery at a ranch, where someone keeps causing dangerous accidents - and it's up to the new girl to figure out who before she becomes the next victim! And the issue (and series!) ends with a satirical tale that pokes fun at the whole romance comic genre, allegedly written by (and starring) the office boy of the T. Tot Comic Magazine Publishing Company - a story about a comic book publisher that decides to take on romance comics after falling in love himself; but when that love turns out to be a lie, he puts an end to the line of romance titles (just as it signals the final issue of Modern Love comic magazine...)

The stories are fun, serious, sad, happy, over-the-top, and subtle - just about covering anything and everything you'd expect to find in a regular soap opera-type story.  The art varies from issue to issue and story to story, by artists such as Al Feldstein, Graham Ingels, Johnny Craig, Ed Waldman, Lou Morales, John Sink, Harry Harrison, Rudy Palais, Wally Wood, Jack Kamen, and S.M. Iger, but it despite the different styles, there remains a consistency of bold colors, simple backgrounds, and outstanding expressions on the characters (so easy to see what they are feeling just by looking at their faces - you don't even need to read the word balloons!).  All together, the writing and art make this book a fantastic read, and leaves the reader wishing there were more stories to come...

RATING:  9 mine cave-ins out of 10 for telling truly "modern" love stories, highlighting topics and issues that weren't necessarily so open for discussion back in the day.

A Ted Wilford Mystery, no. 7 - The Stolen Plans Mystery

Time to take another trip into the small-town world of Ted Wilford and his best friend, Nelson Morgan.  I've never seen these books out in the wild, nor have I actually ever seen any of the original editions on eBay (although, to be quite honest, I haven't really searched too hard for them on eBay, ABE, or any of the other online used book sellers).  So, I am glad that Wildside Press has been reprinting the series - I just wish they reprinted the entire run, and not just select titles (more on that later...).

The Stolen Plans Mystery is the seventh book in the series, and as with the Judy Bolton series by Margaret Sutton, the main character in this series - Ted Wilford - and his friends age as the series progresses.  When I started reading the first book, Ted and Nelson were still in high school, and Ted worked for his school newspaper.  Now, in this seventh book, Ted and Nelson are returning home after their first semester in college, and although they are looking forward to the Christmas break and spending time with their respective families for the holidays, Ted can't help but hope there is some work for him at the Town Crier (the Forestdale newspaper).  And, of course, there is, as his somewhat newspaper nemesis, Carl Allison, is out of the office for the week, and Mr. Dobson (the editor for the paper) was hoping Ted would be willing to take over his regular work load.  This, of course, is what causes Ted to stumble onto his latest mystery.

 

Author Norvin Pallas provides his readers with a rather complicated mystery involving a brand-spanking new computer named "Lulu" (remember, this was 1959 when the book was first published!); the sudden resignation of the new circulation manager, Mr. Sawyer; the numerous toys and other items reported missing from the various stories involved in the newspaper's promotional contest for the holiday; and the jolly old man playing Santa, who seems to be more than what he first appears!  To be quite honest, it is a bit of a stretch to try and figure out how any of these things are connected; however, as the mystery plays out, and as Ted and Nelson investigate first the stolen items, and then begin surveillance on Mr. Sawyer's home, it begins to all come together.  And while there are not too many dangerous situations in this one, other than Ted getting locked in a freezing meat locker (from which he has a very ingenious way of escaping), the mystery itself is very engaging, and I found myself reading faster and faster.  Even though I had figured out many aspects of the mystery, it was still fun to follow along with Ted and Nelson, and their friend Cliff, as they worked out all of the clues and eventually helped reveal what was really going on!

I admit to being rather fascinated by the whole computer aspect of the story.  "Lulu" is a huge contraption in the back of the editor's office, and it works by being fed information so that it can calculate results at a faster rate of speed than if done by hand.  In the story, it is being used to sort through all of the contest submissions from the citizens of Forestdale, who are competing in a holiday contest set up by the newspaper (and which, to a small degree, plays a part of the mystery, since items are stolen from each of the businesses in downtown that are participating in the contest) and determine the winner of the contest.  By today's standards, this "computer" is very VERY old school - but in 1959, this was probably something very unique and new, and to a lot of people who read this book at the time, it was almost science-fiction in nature.

Sadly, this book appeared to be the last book reprinted (with the exception of The Baseball Mystery) - however, a look at Amazon.com just now reveals that Wildside has issued a number of other books in the series, including the next several books, up through book 14, in paperback!  So, now I can purchase those and continue reading the series in order without missing a beat!  Good news, indeed.

RATING:  7 coins stuck into a light socket out of 10 for making a complicated mystery not quite so complicated for its readers to enjoy!

Doctor Who - Combat Magicks

I managed to get around to reading the third book in this first trilogy of stories from the thirteenth Doctor, and while I did enjoy it, I would not say it was one of my favorites. It's interesting to note that of all the Doctor Who books I have read to date - those with Donna Noble, those with Rory and Amy, those with Bill, and now these with the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions - there has been a large variety, with many different authors, but for the most part, the authors have captured the essence of the show and the characters (though there have been some bad exceptions).  Some, though, like this one, while capturing the essence of the show, did not quite hit the mark when it comes to the characters themselves.  Author Steve Cole provides a story that I could easily envision as an episode - maybe even a two-parter - on the television; but the characterization felt a bit too stiff and forced, and the interaction among the companions and the Doctor didn't feel as natural as it has in other books.

Combat Magicks takes the Doctor, Graham, Ryan, and Yaz to the Fifth Century Earth, where they find themselves facing the forces of Atilla the Hun and the Roman Empire who is fighting to keep him from overtaking their land.  As usual, the group gets separated - the Doctor and Yaz end up with Attila the Hun, who mistakes them for witches who he believes can help him win the upcoming battle; Graham ends up with the Roman soldiers, where the healing salve he has from the TARDIS is seen as a miracle cure that can save their king; and Ryan ends up with the mysterious Legion of Smoke, who he soon discovers has a lot of knowledge about things they should not know about in 451 AD.  As you can see, the plot definitely has all the elements necessary for a good story, as the Doctor must not only save all of her companions, but she must find a way to stop the upcoming war - a war that is being instigated by some very mysterious witches who are not at all what they appear to be.

Overall, the story proved to be quite interesting.  It was obvious from the beginning that the "witches" helping both the Huns and the Romans were not actual witches, considering the technology that both sides had that should not even exist in that period.  So, following along with the Doctor and her team as they try to figure out exactly what is going on, who the witches are, and how to stop them is part of the fun (as it is with any good episode of Doctor Who).  I just wish Cole had been able to better nail down the characterization.  Yaz does not come across as very strong at all - in fact, she seems to constantly be the damsel in distress in this book.  Ryan's dialogue does not read like Ryan at all - and his constant stumbling over himself was a little too much.  He has come a long way since he first met the Doctor, and it's like in this story, all of those uncertainties and awkward balance issues all came flooding back for no reason at all.  The Doctor has her ever-present desire to find a solution and her non-stop intent to save everyone she can - but as with Ryan, her dialogue felt off throughout the whole book, and she didn't read like the Doctor at all.  I got a better feel of the Doctor from her actions, not her dialogue.  I would say of all of them, Graham was probably the only one who actually felt true to his on-screen character in this book.

Overall, not the best, but by far, not the worst.  Just a shame that this is the last of the Doctor Who books for a while - not quite the way I wanted to end off my reading of this character, but I suppose it will do until the "Time Lord Victorious" books come out...

RATING:  7 ghostly blue caskets out of 10 for taking the Doctor to a time she's never visited, yet acknowledging the times around it where she has been!

Scarlet and Ivy, Book Five - The Curse in the Candlelight

It's back to school for Scarlet and Ivy Grey, the twin sisters who seem to keep stumbling upon one mystery after another. This series has been rather interesting, in that the culprits in each book are quite a bit more dangerous than those in the standard children's mystery book, and the twin girls and their friends find themselves limited in their investigations by their teachers and school environment. Of course, that never stops them from pursuing whatever culprit happens to be behind whatever shenanigans are going on in each mystery, even when they have to face the consequences for their actions.

In The Curse in the Candlelight, Scarlet and Ivy face off against a new student who seems to have cast a spell over the entire school.  Ebony McCloud shows up late on the first day of school, making quite the entrance to a very startled and surprised group of students and faculty. Scarlet, Ivy, and their friend, Ariadne find it very odd that none of the teachers, nor even their headmaster, reprimand Ebony for anything. She shows up late, it's okay. She talks back to a teacher, it's okay. She doesn't want to do something, it's okay. She has a pet cat in the school dorm, it's okay. And when the rumors begin that Ebony is a witch, and that she has cast a spell on the teachers, some of the younger girls find themselves in awe of this new girl and begin to follow her around.  But Scarlet and Ivy think something else is afoot.

And that's when Muriel Witherspoon shows up at Rookwood School - and becomes the new roommate for Ariadne! Poor Ariadne is at a loss, since Muriel was the bully that ultimately lead to Ariadne being transferred to Rookwood to begin with. But something has changed. Muriel is oddly nice to Ariadne, and even apologizes for her treatment of the girl at their previous school.  Things are definitely not right at Rookwood School, and Scarlet and Ivy are determined to get to the bottom of it.  Muriel has some strange accidents, which ultimately lead to her going missing! When she is found, she is so badly injured, she doesn't remember what happened. Ebony seems to be at the center of everything. And when Ariadne starts to act strangely, the twins go undercover and "befriend" Ebony in the hopes of finding out the truth regarding her alleged supernatural powers.

Tarot cards, curses, and spells are the topic of the day, and soon enough, Scarlet and Ivy find themselves on the receiving end of what appears to be Ebony's wrath.  Their headmistress believes the twins are causing problems at the school, and they are warned that one more incident will result in their expulsion - which would mean going to live with their father and his horrible wife who doesn't want the girls anywhere near them!

Author Sophie Cleverly writes a (dare I say it?) clever little mystery, where nothing is exactly what it appears to be.  As with any good magician, it's all about misdirection and diverted attention. So, what is really going on at Rookwood School? Scarlet and Ivy put their friendship with Ariadne to the test as they try to uncover the truth - and place their own lives in jeopardy when they find themselves locked in a secret basement, left to rot with no food, no water, and no one knowing they are there!

While this book does not provide any further backstory with regard to Scarlet and Ivy's mother, readers will get more of a taste of the nastiness of their wicked stepmother, Edith, who makes her intentions very clear that she wants the girls to be gone from their father's life - permanently!  As this is the penultimate book in this 6-book series, I can only assume that the next book will reveal everything regarding their mother, their stepmother, and reunite their family with a good ol' happy ending (at least, we can hope!).  

RATING:  8 bubbling beakers of frothing green liquid out of 10 for a tense mystery filled with twists and turns and unexpected surprises!

Escaping from Houdini - the third Audrey Rose Wadsworth novel

 After they stalked Jack the Ripper and hunted down Prince Dracula, I was excited to re-enter the fictional world of Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her constant companion, Thomas Cresswell.  Author Kerri Maniscalco has done such a wonderful job of weaving together true historical accounts of murderers with her fictional characters and their adventures, one has to wonder what is real and what is fiction.  She also writes characters that are so alive, you find yourself drawn into not only their investigations of the brutal murders, but also into their personal interactions, their hopes and fears, and they confusion over where their romantic entanglements are leading.

Escaping from Houdini takes Wadsworth, Cresswell, Wadsworth's Uncle Jonathan, and their chaparone Mrs. Harvey on a wondrous journey from England to America aboard the luxury cruiseliner, RMS Etruria.  They have first-rate accommodations, and the cruise boasts the most unusual entertainment - a circus-style show (the "Moonlight Carnival") each night in the dining room, hosted by the always-masked, always-mysterious Mephistopheles.  Wadsworth, of course, is intrigued by the sleight-of-hand, wanting to now exactly how each of the tricks work. Cresswell, on the other hand, is more concerned about convincing his beloved to marry him and not wait until she can get her father's permission when they return to England. All of their attention, however, is quickly turned to a new investigation when a young lady at their table is murdered on the first night of the cruise!

It's a race against time for Wadsworth and Cresswell, as they know they must solve the murder before they reach America, otherwise the killer will get off the boat, and they will never catch him or her! But their investigation seems stymied at every turn - but the girl's father, the captain of the ship, and even Mephistopheles and his performing troupe! Everyone has secrets, and everyone seems to have a motive. On the second night, there is another murder. And then another. And each body has a card - either Tarot or playing card. Wadsworth then discovers that her cousin, who was thought to be missing, has stowed away and joined the traveling circus, following her heart after a young new escape artist by the name of Harry Houdini!  When Wadsworth discovers that even Houdini has some secrets he's hiding from, she makes a deal with the one person who could very well be the killer in order to save her cousin from ultimate heartbreak - but will her deal end up being the cause of her own heartbreak?

Maniscalco gives readers a very convoluted murder mystery, with bodies constantly mounting in the most gruesome ways and plenty of suspects. And just to make things more interesting, the ever-blooming romantic feelings between Wadsworth and Cresswell create obstacles along the way, leading them in the wrong direction and creating a rift between the two.  I do enjoy some of the supporting cast (Mrs. Harvey's knowing remarks and innuendos, as well as Liza's keen observation skills and bluntness in pointing out the obvious to her cousin), and the various circus performers definitely keep you guessing as to the killer and his/her motive.  As with her previous two books, Maniscalco uses real characters and settings and fictionalizes an amazing murder mystery that makes for an absolutely magnificent read.

It's a real shame that the next book is the last in this series. Wadsworth and Cresswell make a wonderful sleuthing team, with the perfect amount of sarcasm and banter to make you smile, even as you read the horrific murders that they are having to deal with.  

RATING:  10 secret mask-wearing societies of sword wielders out of 10 for giving readers some very dark mysteries that manage to have a lighter side due to the quirky characters!

Ghost Hunters Adventure Club and The Secret of the Grande Chateau

This is a book that I saw posted by someone on Facebook. The cover is extremely reminiscent of the old Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book covers from back in the day, and even the title hearkens back to the children's mystery series books of yester-year. The book was highly recommended, so even though it appears to be a one-off and not the part of any real series, I thought I'd give it a try. When I actually got the book from Amazon.com, the synopsis on the back of the book pretty much told me that I was in for a weird ride with this book - I mean, let's face it, any time the author of a book talks directly to you and says that "[t]his book is about two idio wannabe detective-types" and their friend who is "a wannabe detective-type too, but honestly, she's less of an idiot than the brothers," you know something is up!

Ghost Hunters Adventure Club and The Secret of the Grande Chateau is toted as The First Official Novel from Game Grumps.  Now, I'll be the first to admit. I have no idea what Game Grumps is, having never heard of it before in my life. Thanks to the handy-dandy thing called the internet, I found their website and discovered that Game Grumps is a comedy gaming show with its own YouTube channel, as well as a game publisher and touring act.  They sell quite a bit of "nerd" type items on their website, include t-shirts, hats, socks, tote-bags, stickers, etc. related to their brand.  And, this book does appear to be the first and only prose novel published by the company (they do have a graphic novel that they have published, but it is unrelated to the Ghost Hunters Adventure Club).

That being said, the first thing we can get out of the way is the bit about the author - Dr. Cecil H.H. Mills. While the book is shown to be authored by Dr. Mills, and the back of the book even features of a picture of the supposed Dr. Mills, it is quite obvious that Dr. Mills does not exist.  He is little more than a pen name (sort of like Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon, so really, there's nothing for people to get upset about - except, for maybe, the fact that CK and FWD never interrupted their stories to insert their own thoughts and comments about the characters, nor did the characters actually contact the authors within the context of their own mysteries!) and is just as much a "character" in this book as the members of the Ghost Hunters Adventure Club.  It may be a bit unusual, but for me, this added to the enjoyment of the story and made it that much quirkier.

Now, as for the story itself - author Arin Hanson ... er, I mean, Dr. Cecil H.H. Mills ... actually provides an intriguing whodunnit that is not so easily solved. The reader, along with brothers J.J. and Valentine Watts (are they really brothers?  that is a question throughout the entire mystery, and although never outright answered, there are some hints about it) and their newfound friend, Trudi de la Rosa, must figure out the clues that will not only lead them to the identity of the killer, but also to a long-lost treasure hidden somewhere on the grounds of the Grande Chateau!   Now, J.J. and Valentine, who are the self-proclaimed "finest brother detectives and private investigators" of their hometown Harborville, are called up to the Grande Chateau to solve a mystery by the mysterious author, Wallace P. Gross.  He has spent three years at the Chateau trying to write his latest novel (which is well overdue!), but he has been bothered by a ghost - someone, or something, that has been watching him. But he has finally put together the clues of who is trying to steal his manuscript - and that is when his head is blown away right in front of the boys! (No, literally - someone shoots Mr. Gross, and his head explodes!)

Definitely a dark and bloody way to start a mystery, but hey - no one said murder was pretty.  The brothers manage to talk their way into a free stay at the hotel while they solve not only the mystery of who killed Wallace P. Gross, but what happened to the manuscript he is alleged to have been writing, and what secrets did it hold regarding the treasure at the Grande Chateau?  Could it have been his ex-wife, who was strangely staying at the hotel as well?  Or was it Gross's agent, who doesn't seem overly broken up over his client's untimely death? Or was it the ghost of the man who built the hotel, the one who hid his treasure within the Chateau, leaving cryptic clues to its location?  With the aide of the front desk clerk, Trudi, the boys begin to investigate, and soon enough they tick off the hotel manager, the ex-wife, the agent, and Police Deputy Park (who is used to being ticked off by these boys, who have bungled more mysteries in Harborville than any police officer ever could!), as well as pretty much everyone else stuck in the hotel.  And yes, I said, "stuck," because as luck would have it, a heavy snowstorm has stranded everyone in the hotel - with a killer on the loose!

Tons of red herrings, a lot of fun puzzles to solve, an underground catacomb of tunnels, a kidnapping, a firing, and more than plenty of squabbling along the way leads to a rather exciting conclusion with the surprising revelations regarding the killer and the treasure!  The book truly is a joy to read, and the internal illustrations by Rachel L. Allen give the reader the sense of reading a children's mystery from days gone by.  It's a shame that this is just a one-off venture by the Game Grumps gang - perhaps if the book sells well enough, they will delve into the world of the Ghost Hunters Adventure Club again!

Highly recommended for anyone who loves mystery, adventure, and fun reading!!!

RATING:  10 dumb fedoras stolen from the lost-and-found out of 10 for mystery, murder, and bumbling detectives that manage to get the job done in a way that's truly enjoyable to read!

The Montague Twins, Vol. 1 - The Witch's Hand

 Picture it! It's the late 1960s in small town America. Three young teenagers are ready to solve a mystery - two brothers - one with dark hair, the other blonde - and a girl with reddish hair. They just finished finding a lost dog for one of the town's wealthy residents, and although they turned down any reward, they find an envelope with cash in it waiting for them when they arrive home. The cover features a cloaked figure, with the two brothers looking out over an inlet where a lighthouse sends out its warning light.  Think you know who I'm talking about here?  Well, think again!  If you said Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, you would be dead wrong.  Nope - I'm talking about twin brothers Alastair and Pete Montague and their sort-of sister, Charlie Faber. 

 

The Witch's Hand is the first graphic novel in The Montague Twins series of mysteries. And as first books go, this one certainly is a doozy! The story opens innocently enough - Pete Montague arrives home to discover that the family for whom he and his brother found a lost dog has left him and his brother a monetary reward.  Pete, and his brother Alastair ("Al"), whose parents died in an accident, live with their guardian, Professor David Faber, and his wife and daughter, Charlie ("Chuck").  When the Professor sends all three of the teens out for the day, it is to give them a break from solving mysteries in their small New England town of Port Howl.  But, in true teen detective fashion, that "free day" turns into their latest mystery to solve...

 

Author Nathan Page provides readers with an absolutely fantastic supernatural mystery in the tradition of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. A mysterious lighthouse. A cloaked figure running down the stairs. A missing girl. A strange box. And a most unusual storm that centers just above the lighthouse. Oh, yes, there's also that other cloaked woman who appears to all three teens - Al, Pete, and Chuck - and who appears to have some supernatural powers of her own. What does it mean? Well, it turns out that the sleepy little town of Port Howl is an epicenter of magic, where practitioners have been learning and teaching for generations. The teen detectives are already aware of this, but have stayed silent for years. Now, however, the secret is out, and the Professor asks his apprentice, Rowan, to teach his daughter and the brothers how to properly use the magical powers that they have and to not abuse them while investigating their cases.  It's a nice twist on the typical teen detective story, but it never takes away from Al and Pete (along with Chuck) actually having to use their regular deduction and observational skills to solve the mystery!

Artist Drew Shannon is not necessarily what you'd call your standard comic art. The characters are not necessarily drawn life-like, but at the same time, they are not overly cartoony. In fact, the art reminds me a lot of the art of Michael Cherkas from the old comic book series, The Silent Invasion from the mid 1980s.  (And this, as far as I'm concerned, is quite the compliment!)  Many panels have no background whatsoever, allowing the reader to focus solely on the characters and what they are saying without any distractions; while other panels have some very detailed backgrounds, which set the tone and build on the growing suspense within the story. Shannon definitely knows how to move the story forward through his art, and he is a master with expressions - page 20 is a perfect example, where the final panel, with no words at all, says everything you need to know about Pete!

Put Page and Shannon together, and you've got a perfectly-paced, suspenseful mystery that builds and builds to an explosive conclusion. And what is TRULY genius about the story is that appearances truly can be deceiving - the true villain(s) of the story are not necessarily who you think they are! This makes for a much more interesting and enjoyable read and leaves the reader with a great sense of satisfaction. (Sidebar - there is also the resolution of a very minor subplot in the story that will bring a smile to your face when you read it involving a certain dog...).  And just to add icing to the cake, the story is set in the late 1960s, which means no cell phones, no computers, and no "easy" ways to find facts or search histories of the characters and town available to detectives of today - plus, there are several important events in that time period that play a part in the story (and we will likely see more of these in future volumes as well) and have a subtle affect on the characters.

Fans of comics - fans of mysteries - fans of supernatural - fans of pretty much any genre will thoroughly enjoy this first volume of The Montague Twins, and quite frankly, I don't know how I'm going to wait an entire year (!!!!) for the second volume in the series to come out!

RATING:  10 mystic cleansings out of 10 for bringing a new kind of teen detective into the world and combining two of my favorite things - comics and mysteries! - for what definitely needs to be an award-winning book!