INTO THE OUTLANDS

What secrets and perils lie in the outlands of Crutonia?

Capt. Quenterindy Quirk, who’s not as qualified as he thinks, is given command of the HMS Gwaniimander by King Hoonkl and charged with exploring and charting the lesser-known northern areas of the kingdom. A few days into the mission, they encounter carnivorous, four-eyed giants that destroy the ship and eat several crew members. The survivors take up residence in a cave, but it’s not uninhabited. The sorceress Hukka will allow them to stay only three days, but the giants, the Hooklm, are still about. Quirk’s cartographer, Nersel Bukubay, stumbles upon another indigenous species, the happy, friendly Yoon (who are poisonous to the Hooklm). Meanwhile, Hukka kidnaps one of Quirk’s injured crew. Can the survivors escape magic users and hungry giants while still working to complete their mission? Christie and Lang met as kids in New York and began writing and illustrating tales set in Crutonia. Now the duo debut a series of graphic novels with an aesthetic that looks as though it was inspired by Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock. Several furry species—some with as few as two legs and others with as many as six—inhabit their eccentric, medieval-feeling land. The colorful cartoon panels are inviting, and the adventure tale will draw readers further in. The goofy names are a bit much, but a handy character list is provided at the close.

Fans will be glad of the ominous ending that portends more adventures to come.