Grimoire Noir

May 27, 2019
Bucky Orson’s sister Heidi is missing, and his mother’s despair has caused torrential rains that are flooding the small, mysterious town of Blackwell. This is not so unusual in Blackwell, where women have Charm, a magickal power, and magick is protected by law. When town politics keep Bucky’s sheriff father from investigating the case, Bucky sets out to find his sister himself, uncovering a web of secrets about a local coven, an imprisoned witch, and an ancient injustice that may change the town forever. Greentea (the Recipes for the Dead series) merges claustrophobic small-town drama with gothic fantasy and noir, though the meandering plot, which has Bucky drift from clue to clue, and the mystery’s underwhelming solution do not quite live up to the setting’s promise. Still, arresting illustrations from artist Bogatch elevate the telling, mixing washed-out, angular figures with thoughtful color accents against heavily textured backgrounds. The result is an unusual, tense, and deeply atmospheric world full of stylish characters and forbidding places (dark woods, decaying manors). Style may have trumped substance here, but the visit to Blackwell is worth it just to see the sights. Ages 12–16. Agent: Tanya McKinnon, McKinnon Literary.

May 15, 2019
In a magical town, a teen boy seeks his missing sister. Bucolic Blackwell is unlike most other sleepy burgs: Here, girls are the sole possessors of magick, but enchanted boundaries keep them constrained within its limits. When Bucky, a reedy boy sporting a trench coat and fedora, learns his young sister, Heidi, is missing, he is immediately on the case. With the help of best friend Chamomile (whose magical powers allow her to levitate), they try to piece together the murky details around Heidi's disappearance. Bucky wishes he could do magick, and his jealousy causes friction in his relationship with Cham. As his investigation intensifies, Bucky finds that dark forces abound, including buried family secrets, a bewitched toy, and a wrathful spirit. This graphic offering constructs an intriguing world where women hold the power, although that power has ultimately trapped them. At times, narrative details can feel a bit rushed, however readers are likely to find this a minor quibble. Featuring a grayscale palette with striking daubs of color, the art is wonderfully atmospheric. Characters are impeccably styled with a keen sartorial eye. Many of the female characters have enviably flowing tresses, ranging from swirling otherworldly tendrils to freshly styled locs. Main characters Bucky and Cham present as white and slender, however secondary characters encompass a more diverse spectrum of skin tones and body size. Brooding gothic fare brimming with style. (Graphic fantasy. 12-adult)

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July 1, 2019
Grades 7-10 Set in Blackwell, a town established as a closed-off safe-haven for witches, this noir-inspired comic follows Bucky, the son of the town sheriff, as he secretly investigates the disappearance of his little sister. Only women in Blackwell have magic abilities, and there's a sort of detente between magic-wielding families and nonmagic town officials. Bucky's dad's hands are tied in the search, but intrepid Bucky has a feeling that one of the more powerful covens has kidnapped his sister and takes it upon himself to dig deeper than he probably should. Gradually, he uncovers secrets about not only the origin of the town but also the politics of the covens, secrets his former best friend has been keeping, and the surprising role his sister plays in it all. Murky scenes in black, gray, and subtle touches of luminous color add to the noir mood, while floating curlicues and dusky shadows give it an unmistakable macabre-fantasy feel. Occasionally some plot points get muddled, but the goth-lite atmosphere and mystery plot might appeal to fans of witch stories.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)