reading notes

by Ted Naifeh

ISBN: 1929998422

This book is the collection of issues 1-4 of the series. Naifeh wrote and drew the comic, and he is clearly in command of his story. We are introduced to a whole creepy world here: our isolated little heroine Courtney; her leeching ambitious parents; a scary old uncle, and of course, various spooky creatures.

It is a setup that could almost be stereotypic, but it isn’t. There is rich enough content here that you feel like you are getting a whole story, not just prologue to the real meat of the story that will be coming later. And there are some suprises: this creepy childhood world isn’t as safe as the reader might expect. Babies go missing; kids get killed, and there are really monsters at the foot of the bed at night.

Courtney is a compelling character. The nose-less girl is cute without being unbearable, and she manages to be a bit of a know-it-all as well as vulnerable. I don’t find too many female characters I could get into, but she is one I want to watch. (At one point she says about herself: “I am rude, bad-tempered, and basically, I don’t like people. Maybe that makes me a jerk, but it sure beats what you are.” If I had any reservations before this moment, afterwards I knew I loved Courtney Crumrin.)

The black and white art is detailed without being overdone, and the panel layout has enough variety to keep the reader’s visual engagement with the story strong. The lines are clean, and Naifeh presents a strong and consistent style.

The next Crumrin series is at issue 2 out of 4, and already I can’t find the first one because it has sold out of my local comic shops. I need to find it, because I don’t want to wait until all four have been released and collected in a book. I like Courtney and her world that much; it is a rich place, and I can’t wait to see what Naifeh does with it.

Highly recommended; if you aren’t a comics reader, but like the creepy world/hidden things aspect of good children’s lit, you should give Courtney Crumrin a try.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 9th, 2003 at 2:45 pm and is filed under comics/graphic novels.