It's the title character's dichotomous nature that continues to make her a fascinating figure. Courtney is a study in contrasts. She's bitter and angry, but she's still innocent and hopeful. She knows enough to look out for herself, but she can't help but help others and live up to her responsibilities. She has the energy of a child and the wisdom of a sage. Naifeh grants her a sharp tongue, but the dialogue nevertheless boasts a plausible tone despite the fantastic circumstances being dealt with and described. The art is as hauntingly beautiful as ever, sometimes dark and intimidating and at others, charming and sweet.
The young and innocent Connie has been purchased at slave auction in the Twilight Kingdom by none other than the Twilight King. The King explains that the queen went missing a long time ago, and that he lives a solitary existence. He longs for a sense of family, for love, and he has turned to Connie to fill the role of daughter in his empty life. Meanwhile, Courtney Crumrin leads a group of unwanted new "friends" through the kingdom in a quest to find Connie and return everyone to the human world where they belong. They soon discover it's not the power of the Twilight King they should fear, though, but the small mindedness and vengeful nature of someone from their own world.
Naifeh's art here elicits easy comparisons to the works Mike (Hellboy) Mignola and P. Craig (Elric) Russell. There was a time when Naifeh's style seemed to follow Mignola's too closely, but his own unique visual voice has definitely emerged over time. Naifeh's a versatile yet consistent artist as well. I find it interesting to compare this material with his work on the dar more mature How Loathsome. The point of that book was to examine sexuality through a maudlin lens, and the art accomplished it, seemingly easily. Here, the point is imagination. The artist's style is clear in both cases, but the distinct feels of the books are radically different. The Twilight King design at play here is stunning. I love how Naifeh has seemingly modelled him after a tree, further reinforcing the notion that he represents nature.
I love how Connie's story unfolds so succinctly but clearly in this issue. Her desire for a sense of belonging drew the Twilight King to her, and the air of menace that enveloped the Twilight Kingdom suddenly dissipates as the two characters connect. There's a real sense of tragedy in the Twilight King's story, and combining that with his beauty makes it easy for the reader to get on his side.
The theme of this issue seems to be that humanity is a blight on nature. Oddly enough, the supernatural world serves as the symbol of the natural world. But it's not Courtney and her friends' encroaching on that world that represents mankind's destructive attitudes toward Mother Nature. It's the adult human, Templeton, who does so. He's short-sighted and angry, and he resorts to extreme violence as his problem-solving technique.
