MIKE PELLERITO, was recently named the new Managing Editor of Archie Comics. In addition to looking over the Archie universe he also editÃs some of Archie Comics most popular titles,
This column came about after having very few avenues to promote and find out about All Ages and Younger Reader Comics and Graphic Novels. Most knowledge seems to be passed along by word of mouth, so this is in the sprit the column is written. Now, sit back and join in the conversation!
To learn more about any of the above-mentioned projects please visit Archie Comics.com
EVERYBODY LOVES AN UNDERDOG
It is the greatest gathering of power ever! Is it the new Justice League? Is it the new Avengers? Is it the newest gathering of villains to attempt to destroy the Earth?
It was the NY Yankees line up. Some of the best Home-Run hitters ever assembled in baseball history and it really didn’t matter. To be honest writing a column is tough when sports radio is talking about wholesale changes to your favorite team. Plus, email and phone calls are coming in with mocking chants from NY Mets fans. Not to mention work this week will be brutal with the Archie office evenly divide between Mets and Yankee fans. Last year pictures of Babe Ruth crying were plastered all over the place. The gloating will be ugly. On the upside it is nice to see an underdog like the Detroit Tigers get a chance to celebrate and move onto the next round of the playoffs. Even when the underdog beats your team it takes some of the sting out, since lets face it, everybody loves an underdog story.
We all sort of gravitate to those stories of lovable losers, the outsiders who over come the odds and wind up winners. Comics are full of them from timid Peter Parker and his alter ego Spider-Man, to mild-mannered Clark Kent secretly the ultimate hero-Superman. Novels are full of these characters too, the most famous in children’s literature certainly in the last few years in Harry Potter. While these books have been a personal favorite, it always seemed odd that not more was done to capitalize on this audience. 
Well, one creator is doing something about that, and might have come up with something as familiar as what has come before, but new, unique and equally interesting. Currently three collections are available featuring Ted Naifeh’s Courtney Crumrin, one of the best outsiders to show up in comics for years. As kids often are Courtney is smarter than everyone else, much smarter than her shallow money conscience parents who move in to their rich Great Uncle Aloysius Crumrin’s mansion. What young Courtney doesn’t know is her Great Uncle is one of the most feared Warlock around and she is on her way to becoming a Witch. And Courtney will need these new magical skills to defend herself against some evil creatures that hide in the shadow, “the Night Things”. If you were lucky enough to discover these when on the comic stand you we’re truly lucky. Each issue stands perfectly as an individual issue. It all comes together even better when collected into one volume, and you’ll find the true magic of Courtney Crumrin when you read all three collections and watch as a wonderful epic appears before your eyes.
The first three trades really show a great progression of Courtney from young innocent. (We’ll as innocent as a grumpy sarcastic, and maybe a little dark girl can be!) to becoming a skilled witch, and even becoming a nicer person. Don’t be fooled by this All Ages title, just because it is recommended for 7 years old and up doesn’t mean it is all bubbles and kitty cats. These are real stories featuring some not so nice things, and to be honest by the second collection Courtney does some things, which might alienate a few readers. However, all great heroes have some events in their life that they might not be proud of, even if done for the right reasons. 
In Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things, the new world of “Night Things” and magic are opened up to this young, socially challenged girl. She of course immediately is interested in her Great Uncle, who is equally socially challenged. All the while she makes a few friends, some willfully some coerced by magic and quite a few enemies. Not to mention catching the attention of both the magic and the mortal worlds.
For volume 2, Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics, a new evil has been released and is killing some of the most powerful magicians, leaving only Uncle A to stand up to this unstoppable evil. And young Courtney well on her way to becoming a real magical power is pulled into a world even her all powerful Uncle has never experienced.
Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom, probably the best of the series so far due in part to the great character growth and building action from the previous 2 volumes. Courtney after taking classes teaching her the history of magic, gets caught up in trying to save one of her classmates from a curse, which leads her and her classmates into one of the most dangerous parts of the universe, the Twilights Kingdom. 
Well, that is it for a quick review you can learn more at the Oni Press website, not everything is kid friendly, but each Graphic Novel has a 5 page preview: Oni Press.com Graphic Novels just look for Courtney Crumrin.
Give it a look you will get a great sense of the story and a look at some of the best art in comics and an illustrator who can get the most from a black and white comic.
As always thanks for reading, and feel free to send your comments and recommendations to: MikeP@SilverBulletComicbooks.com
In the meantime here are some new All Ages reads on sale this week:
JUL062881 ARCHIE & FRIENDS #104 $2.25
JUL062886 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #146 $3.69
AUG060238 CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #6 $2.25
AUG060234 BATMAN STRIKES #26 $2.25
AUG062053 MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #17 $2.99
And here’s all the info you’ll need to pick up you own copies of Courtney Crumrin:
COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE NIGHT THINGS, VOLUME #1
DIAMOND ITEM CODE - AUG03 2418
ISBN - 1929998600
PAGES- 128 B&W Digest Size
PRICE - $11.95
PUBLISHIER – Oni Press
WEBSITE – Oni Press.com
COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE COVEN OF MYSTICS, VOLUME #2
DIAMOND ITEM CODE - JUL03 2402
ISBN - 1929998-59-7
PAGES- 128 B&W Digest Size
PRICE - $11.95
PUBLISHIER – Oni Press
WEBSITE – Oni Press.com
COURTNEY CRUMRIN IN THE TWILIGHT KINGDOM, VOLUME #3
DIAMOND ITEM CODE - JUL04 3071
ISBN - 1-932664-01-7
PAGES- 128 B&W Digest Size
PRICE - $11.95
PUBLISHIER – Oni Press
WEBSITE – Oni Press.com
Entertainment for Every Age is © Mike Pellerito 2006-
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