11/20/2005 9:31 PM
Posted by VeggieSteph

Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom by Ted Naifeh

Courtney Crumrin comics never fail to make me happy, except that Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom is the last in the series so far. (Outside of a new offshoot series of stories that I haven’t gotten around to reaing yet.) The adventures of Courtney have been my favorite series of comics since I got hooked on Titian. No new ground is broken in this story, but you are introduced to some new characters and it continues the story line from The Coven of Mystics.


In Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom, Courtney visits her old neighborhood and sees that she has really left her old life behind. Her best friend has moved on, and her parents have just sold the house she grew up in. She feels displaced and lost, just in time for her birthday. Her uncle has insisted that she be enrolled in witch classes, and the kids in the class are full of “true-blood” snobbery. Courtney once again doesn’t really fit in, until the snobby kids in the class work a piece of magic that they can’t control.

It’s not an entirely new storyline. Courtney has to save the day, of course, and her past antics and her super-snarky behavior help her do so. The history of the coven taught by Ms. Crisp in class is good background to know, especially if he continues with other stories. The Twilight King character is nicely drawn and intriguing. I’d like to see more about him. Templeton is a bit scary in his unwavering desire to put Courtney away for her hobgoblin ties, and his fanaticism is a good second level plot. His comeuppance is nicely done.

Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom is an excellent edition to the series, and I really, really hope that Ted Naifeh continues the stories. I definitely recommend the whole series, especially is you like Emily the Strange, Powerpuff girls, and strong, spunky girls like that.