Egmont got us used to beautifully published comics. Czarolina impresses with the cover (seriously, you can stare at it endlessly!), The aesthetics of the inserts and the accurate arrangement of comic strips. It looks beautiful, but what's inside? You can read about it in this magical review!
The magical world of comics
Czarolina is a comic that immediately caught my attention. Reading the announcements for 2020, I was hoping that I would have the opportunity to watch the series “from the inside”. And we did it. But let’s start at the beginning. The heroine of this comic book series is Czarolina, who comes to the island of Vorn. The girl takes part in a summer course focused on fantastic creatures (cryptids). The course is conducted by professor Archibald Baltazar and the mysterious Madame S. You will not be surprised if I tell you that every participant of the course is in great danger. The island of Vorn, a coveted destination for any wizard, may turn out to be a destination from the darkest nightmare.
Franco-Italian idea
Sylvia Douyé, author of comic book offers such as Marie-Lune or Girlz , works primarily for young people. For her latest work – Czarolina – she received the Readers’ Grand Prix, funded by Le Journal de Mickey, a well-known French magazine. Italian graphic artist – Paola Antista – prepared illustrations for which we also deserve a lot of applause! Although the characters resemble the characters from the Italian WITCH series , which were illustrated by Monica Catalano, they are more an advantage than a disadvantage.
Czarolina it is – also due to the Egmont edition – an interesting story enclosed in a beautiful setting. The story unexpectedly engages the reader at the very beginning – we quickly remember the names of the heroes, get to know magical creatures, see emotions (curiosity, infatuation, jealousy, fear) and mysterious disappearances. Much for a start huh? Then things start to get complicated. We have a cryptid on her deathbed, nymphs that resemble zombies (as they are described by comic book characters) and a mysterious (biting!) Vampire – the main character recognizes her immediately, other course participants not necessarily, despite the obvious vampire features. In addition, the author weaves the topic of adoption and hypnosis into the plot. Moreover, from time to time there appears characteristic for Czarolina “Let him go to hell!”, Functioning in some circles as a curse.
Magic heroes and scenery
Czarolina’s story may be intriguing, but unfortunately our interest in her adventures inevitably diminishes. Forty-eight pages is not enough to tell such a complex story and evoke positive emotions in the reader. The leaps in time mean that at some point in the story we no longer know at what stage the investigation is and who is included in the group of the missing. The heroes represent archetypes known in pop culture and the reader realizes from the very beginning that Czarolina is unique and surpasses his peers in experience, knowledge and eloquence. The end of the first issue is, admittedly, surprising, but by the time we get to the end of the comic, we can already feel tired of the whole adventure. As I mentioned before, the graphics remain the greatest advantage of the comic – beautiful night landscapes are a graphic masterpiece. Antista pays attention to the details of the character’s appearance, but fails in the creation of fantastic creatures – there are fairies, a rabbit pigeon (?), A fox squirrel (?), A Gorgon and one vampire. Not much and not surprisingly for a story about fantastic creatures.
Is it worth it?
All in all, teenagers should like the story of Czarolina. The graphics are eye-catching and every reader will surely find their favorite character. The pace is tremendous, but it doesn’t cause weariness. Maybe it’s worth giving Czarolina a chance? Despite the aforementioned author’s mistakes, I will gladly read the next notebook. Who knows, maybe it will be better in the continuation?
