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COURTNEY CRUMRIN & THE NIGHT THINGS #1
Recommended (8/10)
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Oni Press
Writer/Artist: Ted Naifeh
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.95 US |
I enjoyed Ted Naifeh's art on The Nocturnals: Troll Bridge a while back, so I was curious how he'd do with a property to call his own. My curiosity has been satisfied, as was my desire for an entertaining read. Though it was slow to get going, by the end of the issue, I was really into this book, especially the title character. Oni Press has done some great things with all-ages books featuring female protagonists, but this one is a little different than others like Alison Dare and Magic Pickle.
Courtney Crumrin has been dragged to a new home -- her rich, eccentric and creepy uncle Aloysius's mansion -- by her materialistic parents. The house creeps her out, and her new school is full of spoiled brats and bullies. On top of that, she spots a weird little creature hanging out in her bedroom, inspiring her to approach her uncle. In his study, she finds books aplenty on the occult, and they provide her with the solution to at least one of her problems.
Dan (The Nocturnals) Brereton's style is still a visible influence, but there are others at play here as well. I detect Mark Crilley, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess and Bruce Timm influences as well, but Naifeh's definitely got hs own unique approach going here. The mansion setting for the bulk of the story is amazing. There's a rich level of detail in the surreal exterior and interiors. The wide-eyed, innocent design for Courtney makes for a nice contrast with her personality.
What I enjoyed most about this book is that behind the kid-friendly exterior, there's a real darkness to the book, and a lot of that edge comes from Courtney herself. She's not sweet. She's not adventurous. She's angry, bitter and even vengeful. She's still the heroine of the book and it's easy to cheer for her, but she's not necessarily a good person, at least, not initially. Naifeh balances that harder side of the character with her fears and completely understandable frustration.
Comics have often been referred to as escapist fiction. This book is about the need to escape one's everyday life. Courtney escapes into not so much a world of magic, but a world in which she can exert some degree of control. Instead of being ignored by her parents, she runs to a place where she can make a goblin do her bidding. I look forward to what Naifeh has up his sleeve next.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
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