Customer Reviews

Courtney Crumrin & the Night Things

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those of you who enjoy the morbid humor of Edward Gorey or Charles Addams (creator of the Addams Family), do yourself a favor and pick up this wonderful limited series by creator Ted Naifeh. All four issues of Volume One are now collected in this Trade Paperback and a second volume (also consisting of four issues) is currently being published.

Courtney Crumrin is a young girl whose family moves in with her creepy uncle in an ultra-creepy mansion. Courtney's parents are dull-brained yuppie wanna-be's who can't wait to 'network' with the neighbors, and Courtney is left pretty much to herself. It turns out, however, that the creepy uncle in question is something of a wizard and leaves books full of magic spells lying around for Courtney to find and experiment with.

Now, if you're thinking Harry Potter, you couldn't be more wrong. There's nothing sweet or altruistic about Courtney Crumrin, and that's what makes this series so much fun. She's not the type to worry unduly if her one friend gets devoured by a demon. Courtney is primarily out for herself in a world full of idiots who always seem to be getting in her way. In other words, she's the kind of girl I'd like to marry someday.

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things is one of those comics that, from the moment you begin reading, you're completely transported to another world. Ted Naifeh's writing and illustrations complement each other beautifully and his stories are a whole hell of a lot of fun.

Courtney Crumrin is a young girl just on the verge of womanhood. Her family (two airhead parents who want to climb the social ladder but don't know what rungs are) has moved in to their great uncle's home to aid in his ailing health. It is a spooky old mansion and Courtney notices some of the Night Things lurking about.

Courtney does not make friends easily but also does not take things lying down. In this first collection we see Courtney face her first four challenges:
Extortion and goblins
A botched attempt at witchcraft
A Changeling
A doppelganger

But Courtney rises to all occasions although she sometimes gets a little help from the Great Uncle who has plenty of his own secrets.

The stories are drawn, well, dark. They have atmosphere and character when so many comics don't. But while they are drawn in a dark manner and the subject matter can be unusual, these are not dark tales. Courtney is too strong-headed for that to happen.

My one complaint is the lack of noses. This is not too bad except in profile (when Courtney looks like a turtle). Otherwise it is a very well written set of tales and I am anxious to read more.

I found the first Courtney Crumrin comic book at a friend's house. After flipping through it, I had to borrow it and read the whole thing. Now I've got all four issues in this trade paperback, and I love it!

Courtney Crumrin is a kind of a brat, but it's not her fault. She's got shallow yuppy parents, stuck-up rich snob classmates, the school bullies beat her up, and there are Things living in the house at night. Her life sucks, and at first the only way she can blow off steam is to make sarcastic comments about all of it. She's pretty darn smart and funny, too. Then she figures out that her creepy old uncle Aloysius is a magician, and after digging around in his old spellbooks, she comes up with a new hobby and a much more effective way of dealing with the problems in her life.

I love Courtney's cranky anti-heroine personality and Aloysius' crusty facade and irreverant attitude. The night things are spooky and cute at the same time, especially Butterworm, and the house ... the house is a character all by itself! Great art, great story, fantastic characters all around. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves Harry Potter, or who hates Harry Potter because it's too 'nice.' Actually, I'd recommend it to anyone, hands down!

Courtney Crumrin & The Night Things is by far the most charming and original story in a looooooooooong time. This is the book you'll read to your kids as a bedtime and then read it again yourself. Ted Naifeh storytelling and artwork are unbelievable. It's fun and exciting and it leaves you wanting more.
Courtney is the type of kid you always wanted to be.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great story. You will be hooked!!

I have to admit, I saw this in the 'goth section' of my local comic shop, and I was wary. Still, it was recommended to me, so I bought it. I wasn't sorry. I'm not a goth, but you don't have to be a goth to like Courtney Crumrin. You just need to like a good story, and you need to have gone to High School.

Ted Naifeh touches upon themes that just about anyone can relate to. Ever feel like the outsider? Know what it's like to be the new kid? Not smart enough, not pretty enough, not charming enough? We all feel that way sometimes. Plus, Courtney's spunky, and won't back down. She's a charming heroine, and the story is interesting. I'd really recommend it to anyone, goth and non-goth alike.

Simply put, Ted Naifeh has created one of (if not THE) best modern fable in comics today. I cannot say enough about how amazing his stories and characters are. Do yourself a favor and buy both Courtney collected volumes, as well as Ted's awesome work on the Nocturnals "Gunwitch: Outskirts of Doom". I promise you will not regret it!

Ted is one of those wondrous rarities, an artist who can write. Well.

There are too many books with beautiful artwork and insipid plots. This is not one of them. The pen and ink illustrations are beautiful, and humorous, and spooky, and all the other good things you want in a book, but the storyline? Marvelous and brilliant, with well rounded characters, good suspense, and all the rest. Including unexpected niceties such as incantations that actually scan (a rarity in even modern books of witchcraft) and are folklorically accurate (again a rarity, even among modern books of witchcraft).

If you liked the Books of Magic, you'll like this, except you'll probably like it better.

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things is an outstanding follow-up to Ted Naifeh's work on Gloom Cookie (published by Slave Labor Graphics).
This first mini-series is a joy to read, and Ted's art is a wonder to behold.
Courtney is an interesting character with a very pessamistic view of things. A new town and a new home does nothing to improve her disposition. However, her uncle's dealings with the supernatural opens up a whole new world for her and provides lots of opportunity for strange adventures.
And while this particular mini-series is fantastic, the follow-up (Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics ) is even better (and should be available in trade paperback format soon).
You should definitely read Courtney Crumrin and the Nights Things, and be on the look-out for the sequel.

Ted Nafieh is one of my favorite artists for his work on an adult fairy tale comic called Gloom Cookie, written with a partner. Courtney Crumrin ( which I bought in its monthly comic book form and then again with this collection) is that more special for being written by Ted.

If you are a fan of gothic children's tales (Neil Gaiman's children's stories, Jill Thompson's Scary Grandmother) or just love spooky things like the Addams Family and the work of Gorey (the Gashlycrumb Tinies) you are guaranted to love the adventures of Courtney.

The art is noirish and beautiful. The characters are menacing, souful, viscious, and lovely ( sometimes all at the same time). The story is attractive to that lost pre-teen in all of us who didn't get along with the "normal" kids and longed to hunt goblins in the woods and befriend the little nasties that live under the bed.

It said ages 7+ at borders, and I have to agree, it seemed kind of childish, but if you're looking for something to pass away time, this would be it.
I prefer something more like Squee or Johnny the Homicidal maniac in comparison.