When I first heard that Courtney Crumrin creator Ted Naifeh was launching a new all-ages property with another young female heroine, I was excited. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if Polly and the Pirates might end up being a little redundant, simply rehashing the same sort of personality and fun that Naifeh had already achieved with Courtney. How wrong I was. Naifeh's young title heroine is much different than Courtney Crumrin; actually, she's Courtney's polar opposite, and it offers a whole new set of dynamics. So far, Polly's world isn't nearly as dark as Courtney's, but it's definitely a little more playful and fanciful. Naifeh is making the most of the rising popularity of the pirate genre, and those who enjoy it or his work will not be disappointed by this latest effort.
Polly Pringle is a proper little girl attending boarding school in St. Helvetia. Her best friend is Anastasia Van Vervendander, an adventurous, mischievous girl who's really quite unlike the conversative, obedient Polly. The two of them are plagued by Sarah, another student with a skill for causing trouble and tattling. Polly's father is a wealthy man, an ambassador who's been away for some time, which is why Polly's is at boarding school. As for Polly's mother, she knows little of her, save for the fact that she died years before, but she's about to learn a whole lot more about her, thanks to the actions of a group of sea-faring criminals.
Naifeh's art is as imaginative as ever, but my attenion was most drawn to his depiction of the title character. Polly's vulnerability and innocence really shines through in how the creator gives her form. Her more rounded head, larger forehead and wide-open circular eyes give her the appearance of not just being a child, but an infant. Even so, her intelligence is still apparent. Furthermore, the pirates in the latter part of the issue rough an appropriately rough quality, but there's not a sense of menace. The backgrounds are wondrous and well realized. In other words, this is yet another wonderfully crafted artistic effort from Naifeh.
Polly's character is unusual and not at all conventional. One might expect her to be something of a 'fraidy cat. Yes, Polly is timid in her own way, but she's not scared of the world. She's merely satisfied to follow the rules and remain mired in the everyday. She draws strength from learning her lessons well and from following the advice of her elders, but she's about to be drawn into a world that she believes runs without rules. Polly takes solace in the predictable path, and it's a luxury she no longer can count on.
Perhaps what's most interesting about Polly's story is that she's probably the most boring person in it (so far). Stasia is the adventurous one, the one who yearns to experience more than the rigid discipline of school. The vision of pirate captain Meg Malloy is an alluring (yet not sexual) one. Polly's indecision and straight-laced nature make her an unlike heroine, and I look forward to seeing how she evolves... or how the world in which she finds herself evolves in order to accommodate her. 9/10
