"A dark fantasy world spun for children"
Courtney Crumrin Volume 1: The Night Things
by Ted Naifeh
Published by Oni Press
available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Half Price Books
This is not a book I would have normally been drawn to if I came across it on a bookshelf, but felt like it would be interesting to go with something outside of my comfort zone for my first comic book review on the site. I am pleasantly shocked with my feelings of this particular volume based on this. Courtney Crumrin has both horror and fantasy undertones, but is also clearly made for a young audience. It feels like it may draw some influence from similar graphic novels like Neil Gaiman's "Coraline". One difference you need to be made aware of though is Courtney Crumrin is darker, especially when you consider Naifeh had a character eaten within it. This doesn't detract from the fact that this is a pleasant read and one that will make you want to have further adventures with the Crumrin family.
The book starts at Courtney's family moving into what can best be described as a haunted mansion with her father's great-uncle to take care of him. It becomes apparent pretty quickly that the uncle is trying to make himself appear to be normal. The stories contained within primarily involve Courtney getting into trouble in the new home because of her lack of knowledge of the witchcraft that it contains. Each story builds nicely upon each other, but each can also be taken separately without losing any of their charm. This is a rare gem when reading a graphic novel since so many creators are desperate to have the entire volume be a gigantic collected work. Naifeh doesn't do this and as a result he creates a truly unique and memorable experience. As a reader you can feel that you can stop at any moment to return later, but you will find yourself not wanting to put it down. The stories are clever and interesting. They are also easy to read, which is important since this feels like a children's series.
The only gripe I have actually turns out not to be such a gripe. The artwork is done wonderfully, but the way that he draws his people feels a bit rushed. When we compare this to the time spent on backgrounds we can understand that this is a conscious choice made by Naifeh. It makes you focus instead on the content of the story instead of worrying about the character's look. I commend him for this excellent decision that adds a much needed distraction from the normal trappings of other lesser graphic novels. We are able here to focus entirely on Courtney's world and become entrenched in the dark fantasy aspects. We are able to escape and find ourselves wondering what will happen next.
As I mentioned, I am not normally a person that enjoys books, especially comics, with a dark element to them, but this was a fun read. If you want a children's series that has a nice element that isn't dumbed down this, in context of having read only the first book, appears to be a worthwhile series. One that I feel that I might enjoy reading the second volume of in the near future myself.
Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!
