Uncle Aloysius and Courtney are off to Romania for the first installment of the pair's European vacation! But even with the rich and mystic history of Eastern Europe, there's no way Courtney ever could have expected what she and her uncle will find in the Land of Roma!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Crumrin Masterpiece,
By Stephen B. O'Blenis (Nova Scotia, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Courtney Crumrin And The Fire Thief's Tale (Courtney Crumrin (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)
The comics world's number one little curmedgeon, Courtney Crumrin, and her Uncle Aloysius are off to travel Europe, and this gem of a tale finds the pair in Romania, home to all kinds of wonderous and frightening legends and folklore. The pair stays at the rural home of an old friend of Aloysius's, a priest named Alexi Markovic.
The world the two Crumrins live in is one of secret societies of wizards, of powerful arcane sorcery, and of mysterious creatures supposedly of myth living in the shadows. Their world could be said to be the blurry border between the mundane, 'everyday' world and the world of legend and magical realms - the parts of the world that 99% of the population doesn't realize truly exist. So it's no surprise that the home territory of one of Aloysius's oldest allies would also be home to supernatural beings living alongside man, especially this deep in the wooded lands of Eastern Europe, where so many of the most enduring legends have their roots. This part of the land is far removed from the bustle of modern cities and skyscrapers, and it's a land where many still believe in the old tales and the old ways. And it's here that the pair encounters a great supernatural tragedy, already beginning to unfold before their arrival. It's in Courtney's nature to stumble into such situations and to take it upon herself to try and right them: despite her cranky disposition, her constant (and comedic) grumbling, and her trouble-magnet tendencies, the little grump has a heart of gold and an idealistic (though she'd never admit it) view of how things ought to be. In fact, it's probably her constant disappointment at the contrast between how Courtney feels the world should be and the way it is that plays a big part in makinmg her so irritable. That, and her indignation at the differences between the way the grown-ups around her present what they say and teach, and the way they often conduct themselves. All that, of course, doesn't take away from the charming fact that occasionally you have to call a spade a spade and a pint-sized curmedgeon a pint-sized curmedgeon. If I'm making the Crumrin books sound all solemn and ever-introspective it's not intentional; actually all this material makes for a mesmerising, at times whimsical and often hilarious series of tales and misadventures, but it also goes pretty deep into the philosophical/meaning-of-things angle at times, and the two (seemingly contradictory) veins mesh perfectly for an outstanding overall package. Now, Aloysius, on the other hand: rather than being inclined to instantly insert himself into every situation and fix it, Aloysius may seem, to first-time readers especially, jaded and distant. But the whole story isn't always on the surface. One gets the impression that the character has a huge backstory full of triumph at times but frequently tragedy, and disappointed hopes that left him an austere, disattached man like he was in the very beginning of the Crumrin adventures (Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 1: Courtney Crumrin & The Night Things (Courtney Crumrin (Graphic Novels)) when he and Courtney first met. But the meeting of the two seems to have started Aloysius on a personal journey. In one of the most touching relationships in comics, Courtney - the misfit little girl unable to relate to either her own parents or to most children her own age, and Aloysius - the disillusioned, weary (and secretly lonely) old warlock, have formed a bond as they both grow and seek to find a place in their world - which includes not only the day-to-day realities of cities and towns and school and irritating relatives, but of monsters and powerful magic tomes and hidden kingdoms. The unfolding 'supernatural tragedy' mentioned earlier resonates very deeply with Courtney, as we begin to see just how deeply an earlier loss continues to haunt the littlest Crumrin to this day, and just how deep the bond between Courtney and another character ran. Meanwhile, the appealing team-up of Aloysius's truly ancient magic and Father Markovic's newer, Christianity-based magic, may or may not be enough to stop the mundane but deadly power of human bigotries and ingnorance-based fears. Writing and art are first-rate and totally distinctive; this is another Crumrin masterpiece.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Installment Issues,
This review is from: Courtney Crumrin And The Fire Thief's Tale (Courtney Crumrin (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)
This installment of Courtney's story is intriguing and builds even more upon the beliefs of herself and her uncle. The art is what I have come to expect from Ted Naifeh. Beautiful, expressive, with little sections of terror in between; as is also expected Ted Naifeh has a habit of taking the terror he builds and revealing a bigger surprise. I am looking forward to where the series goes. That said I cannot help but notice that the summary's for the soon to be release Volume 4 and the actual plot of "The Fire Thief's Tale" seem to be the same thing. I am unsure if Volume 4 will continue where this book left off or if someone was lazy and copied an extended summary of "The Fire Thief's Tale" and placed it where there was no summary.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent,
By
This review is from: Courtney Crumrin And The Fire Thief's Tale (Courtney Crumrin (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)
Another great installment in the Courtney Crumrin series. Naifeh continues to produce solid, quality work in the form of heartfelt stories of Courtney and her Uncle Aloynius. If you're a fan of the series, definitely check this out. It's a worthy and rather somber addition.
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