Fans of the series will be thrilled to dive back into this world.
Courtney Crumrin is back in a new vampire-battling adventure.
Long ago, human brothers found their way to the Twilight Kingdom. One brother was allowed to leave, but the other, Wilberforce, had to stay. Returning to the human world 100 years later, Will is reincarnated as Courtney Crumrin’s little brother even though he is, in fact, her great-grandfather. Will struggles to fit in at school, so sorcerer’s apprentice Courtney makes him a magical necklace that makes him popular. But all magic has a price, and it’s never a price you want to pay. Can Will and his best friend, Tucker, save Courtney from a vampire, or will she be lost forever? This classic good-versus-evil story with an edgy, black-humor feel is visually compelling; the color palette and linework together effectively convey emotions. Short episodes move the story along quickly, although at times the transitions between narrative perspectives are disorienting. This volume draws heavily on background information from prior Courtney Crumrin books; newbies to this fandom may wish for more details. The magic used by Courtney, the villainous vampire, and creatures from the Twilight Kingdom is never clearly defined. Character development is also rather uneven; most cast members have just a handful of personality traits. Most characters read as White.
Fans of the series will be thrilled to dive back into this world. (Graphic fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-62010-930-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
Action-packed but fecklessly flat.
A young boy is flung into a steam-powered world as he searches for a way to save his lost father and an entire planet in Ford, Leslie, and de la Cruz’s debut collaboration.
Neglected and abused since his father Henry’s disappearance, young Arlo finds a strange machine and is thrown into an alternate world called Pother. New friends explain that Henry has been kidnapped and Arlo is also in serious danger. Two feuding factions—one worships a machine, the other an unseen deity—and spectral planet natives that inhabit the dead would be enough, but there’s also the malevolent corporate force from Earth called the Prerogative that is draining Pother’s natural resources and killing the planet. Worst of all? Arlo’s father is responsible for bringing it to Pother in the first place. Now Arlo must seek out the planet’s natives to save both his father and Pother. Despite lively art and a decent stab at steampunk worldbuilding, this graphic novel falls short thanks to an already overdone premise. Plot serves action rather than vice versa and sprints toward a sequel-desperate conclusion, leaving readers with underdeveloped characterization and a confused tangle of plot detail fragments. And even with the benefit of two planets to populate, the novel features a single, extremely peripheral, character of color.
Action-packed but fecklessly flat. (Graphic novel. 12-14)Pub Date: June 9, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-50671-726-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Dark House
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Sweet, fun, Sapphic fluff.
A new love with a mysterious girl upends a Canadian teen’s plans.
Morgan Kwon likes to keep her “life tucked neatly into boxes,” especially the one containing the secret that she is gay. She doesn’t believe she can be out until she’s away from her small island and in college. There’s enough drama in her life already with her recently divorced parents and angry younger brother. After Morgan is rescued from drowning by a selkie girl named Keltie who has big shiny eyes and a round face, she keeps their blossoming romance secret. Keltie has her own goals, though, and being quiet isn’t one of them. She needs Morgan’s help, but that will take Morgan’s willingness to open up about herself to others. Selkie lore is enchantingly interwoven in this light fantasy tale that also touches on environmentalism with a plotline regarding pollution of the seals’ habitat. The island setting enriches the story and comes alive through the art with many lovely water scenes. Panels are broken up with occasional text chats between friends, and the art makes use of varied perspectives and layouts to maintain visual interest. Story threads about conflicts with friends and family are believable but fairly surface level, and the romance is charming and tender. Morgan and Keltie’s mutual attraction is adorable, and their cute, happy kisses and cuddles are sure to elicit joy. Morgan’s name indicates Korean heritage; Keltie reads White.
Sweet, fun, Sapphic fluff. (Graphic fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-54058-1
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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