Courtney Crumrin

Courtney Crumrin 1-10

A nice rebound from the previous few arcs.  Courtney meets Holly, the Courtney-lite new girl in town who alternates between friend and foe.  Then she battles the short-sighted council of magic and a manipulated Uncle Aloysius.  

It’s all pretty repetitive.  It seems like Courtney’s always doing the same few things - Dealing with her loneliness and a love/hate relationship with her peers, getting into trouble in Goblin Town, coming into conflict with members of town hatching nefarious plans, and getting bailed out by Uncle A.  

But the execution is better than previously, and Ted Naifeh’s art remains perfect for the title.  I’m definitely done w/ the title, though.  It looks like Naifeh’s done some follow up stories w/ Uncle A’s re-discovered brother, now returned as Courtney’s little brother in a Dawn-From-Buffy scenario.   I won’t be picking those up.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Courtney Crumrin

Courtney Crumrin and the Twilight Kingdom 1-4

Oops, forgot to review this earlier.  This is the third arc in the series.  Courtney ventures into the Twilight Kingdom once again to help a bunch of kids were stupid and got way in over their heads.  Not bad, but a clear step down from what now appears to be the apex of Coven of Mystics.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Courtney Crumrin

Courtney Crumrin Tales 1-2

Stories of Uncle Aloysius when he was a young man.  This world’s less interesting when Courtney Crumrin isn’t the main character.  She adds a crackle to the story that isn’t replicated by Uncle A.  He’s great as a supporting character, but he can’t carry his own series as written by Ted Naifeh.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Courtney Crumrin and the Fire Thief’s Tale

Courtney Crumrin and the Prince of Nowhere

Okay, the first couple of times was good, but when every arc ends with Courtney learning that love isn’t enough to conquer all and the world sucks for most people, the comic becomes as jaded and bleak as the main character, and that’s no fun to read over and over.  It’s not that the lesson isn’t one that needs to be taught, but when it’s the only one that’s being hammered home, it makes me long to be done with this comic.  And I really don’t want that; I still love the art and Courtney.  I just wish she’d get more than pyrrhic victories every once in a while.

Somehow her stupidity doesn't piss me off the way it does with other fictional characters.

Well written, well drawn.

Lovely composition and execution on this cover.

She's way too young to be this bitter.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Courtney Crumrin

Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics 1-4

Ted Naifeh levels up with this second series, raising the already high quality of the series up a notch.  He adds stakes to the story with the introduction of Skarrow - Someone who Courtney actually cares about whom she is powerless to save.  Courtney shows that she has so much heart and compassion once she decides to give it to someone, which makes it all the more painful when that person is snatched away.  She also demonstrates what she’ll do to people who dare to wrong her.  I love this character.  

Yeah, don't fuck with Courtney.

Courtney as a cat's grown a nose.

LOVE Butterbug.

So true.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Really good

Courtney Crumrin

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things 1-4

Getting into the Ted Naifeh part of my collection.  Courtney Crumrin is such a great character.  Bold, smart, self-sufficient, but not so cold that she’s immune to her isolation from others - She still gets lonely sometimes.  She’s also young and foolish enough to get in over her head on occasion.

I love that she doesn't scare.

The parents are perfectly drawn...

...I immediately want to punch them in the face on sight.

It’s wonderfully narrated, like a modern-day fairy tale.  I hope that my daughter will like reading these with me someday.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good