The Montague Twins, Vol. 2 - The Devil's Music

I can't believe how long it has been since I read the first graphic novel in The Montague Twins series! Over two years!  How in the world did that happen?  I enjoyed the first graphic novel so much, and it was with much anticipation that I got this second one - yet, somehow, I kept putting it off and putting it off.  Well, no more!  I finally pulled out my copy of The Devil's Music and sat down to find out just what kind of trouble Peter and Alastair Montague can get themselves into this time.

In the first book, Nathan Page and Drew Shannon introduced readers to the Montague twins who, along with their younger step-sister, Charlie, discover their small town of Port Howl is an epicenter of magic, and they have abilities they never knew about.  Now, in this second book, the adventure continues when a mysterious stranger comes to town.  Gideon Drake is a famous rock star, but his music is quite dark, and a rather vocal group of concerned parents have taken it upon themselves to warn people of the dangers that rock music can bring upon their children.  (This is the late 1960s, remember.)  Well, little do they realize just what a danger that music can be when it is infused with a magical spell!  This book is full of superb supernatural mystery - we find out more about the Faculty; we meet Uncle Eli, an uncle we - and the Montague twins! - never knew they had; we find out who has a crush on Al; we see Rowan teaching the teens more about how to handle their powers; we find out who Pete has a crush on; and we see the Montague twins' relationship put to the test!

Page builds a great mystery - is Drake causing all of the mysterious deaths, and if so, what is his reason for doing so?  Is Pete setting himself up for a huge let-down, or is he putting his life in jeopardy by trusting a complete stranger?  What is Uncle Eli's real reason for being in Port Howl, and what interest does he really have in Al and Pete?  And just how does the Faculty figure into all of this?  Page manages to keep the solution to this mystery from being easily figured out, and he keeps you guessing pretty much until the final chapter.  He perfectly captures the teenage angst, while throwing in the whole magical angle, which one would expect to be completely unreal - yet, somehow, with the Montague twins and their friends and family, it all seems to fit.  Page also paces the story nicely, so that it slowly builds to the point where you just about think you have it all figured out, and then he manages to throw in a surprise or two - and that final page - WOW!  There better be a third graphic novel on its way (not seeing anything yet on Amazon, so I'm holding on to hope...)!

Shannon's art is consistent with the previous book, which is good, because it gives the reader the same feel for the characters and the magical town in which they live.  This time, we also get the town carnival (to help close out 1969), as well as the dark and mysterious underground headquarters of the Faculty.  Shannon gives the cloaked members of the Faculty, with their unseen faces hidden behind the shadows of their cloaks and the dark, barely-candle-lit cavern in which they conduct their clandestine business, a sense of foreboding and secrecy that leaves the reader wanting to know more!  And Rachel's dream sequence in chapter five is an absolute beautiful sight to behold - with no words, the art conveys everything the reader needs to know and then some!

I truly hope these graphic novels are selling well, as I do want to see more of The Montague Twins - this series provides a unique twist on the teen mystery genre, and the fact that it is in comic book form only adds to its success (in my opinion).  So far, they have faced The Witch's Hand and The Devil's Music - so one has to wonder what might be next?  The Demon's Curse?  The Warlock's Cloak?  The Angel's Harp?  Guess we will have to wait and see...

RATING:  10 broken records out of 10 for creating characters the reader easily relates to and cares about and a crafting a mystery that is not necessarily what it seems!