House Divided

"Beautifully drawn, great facial expressions, great humor and mystery and fun, all the things you want an adventure fantasy comic to be!" -Kate Beaton The life of Henrietta Achilles is about to change. After years of living as an orphan, she receives a summons to the strange town of Malrenard. To her surprise, she's the only living relative of Ornun Zol-a notorious wizard, now deceased, who leaves Henrietta with his house and everything in it. With Ornun Zol gone, escaped creatures and misfired curses have been spilling out into Malrenard. If that's not enough, Henrietta will discover countless squabbling squatters inside her uncle's abode: soldiers, bandits, tiny monsters, and more. Then there's the matter of the strange black cat following Henrietta around . . . "{A}n absolute delight." -Entertainment Weekly "This story is full of adventure and is perfect for those that enjoy role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons...a joy to read." -Comicbuzz.com https://www.slj.com/?reviewDetail=the-accursed-inheritance-of-henrietta-achilles Gr 6 Up–"Henrietta Achilles has had it rough: Because of the war, she grows up in an orphanage. But her life changes when she learns she had an uncle, the great wizard Ornun Zol, who died and left her his house. Henrietta is brought to Malrenard, a run-down town where even the sheep give her the side-eye-and where she discovers her uncle's house is really a tower stretching high into the sky. Each floor has different themes and labyrinths, and adventurers routinely enter to seek treasure. Henrietta is now responsible for any and all damage caused by her inheritance-easier said than done. This is a delightful romp through a lusciously illustrated fantasy world. Hörnig and Pawlitza draw inspiration from Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Saturday morning cartoons. Characters' expressive faces and body language make this goofy graphic novel incredibly fun. This first installment in a series introduces characters almost up until the cover closes; readers looking for a self-contained tale might be disappointed, but those seeking a new series to dive into will be pleased. VERDICT A charming graphic novel, and a definite recommendation where fantasy circulates." –School Library Journal Online https://ew.com/books/april-2020-best-new-comics/ Even amid the coronavirus crisis, there are still new comics being released. Here are some of our recommendations. At the beginning of every month, we here at EW like to provide you with a short list of cool comics coming out, both individual issues and trade collections alike, that we think deserve a look. Unfortunately, the coronavirus crisis has scrambled the comic industry, as it has everything else. With Diamond Comic Distributors, the main distributor of comics to specialty comic stores in what is known as the direct market system, currently halting its operations in the midst of widespread quarantine, there are hardly any new comic issues on stands - and even if there were, almost no comic stores are still open for walk-ins to buy them (though several are offering mail delivery or curbside pick-up; you can check the Comic Shop Locator to find contact information for stores near you). That said, not all comics go through the direct market. These days, some comics are exclusively available digitally, while others are distributed to booksellers as well as comic shops (usually when they're graphic novels or collections of previously published issues). As a result, this month we only have three recommendations for you instead of the usual five. Worry not, though, they are all worth checking out. Check out the list below. A House Divided Book One: The Cursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles (Lerner Publishing Group) Haiko Hörnig (writer), Marius Pawlitza (artist) This German comic has now been translated into English, and it's an absolute deligh

Henrietta Achilles, the heir of a legendary wizard, has a serious plumbing problem. When flooding from the wizard's house threatens to destroy everything around it, Henrietta must rally a group of unlikely allies to stop the deluge. Alongside Captain Booner's soldiers and Nate Flemming's motley bandits, Henrietta travels into the house's depths, a journey that brings danger...and discovery. Soon Henrietta encounters one of her uncle's lost creations-and he's a little suspicious about Henrietta winding up in charge. Meanwhile, secrets from Flemming and Booner's shared past explode into view, and the house's volatile magic threatens to sink the rescue mission... "{A}n absolute delight." -Entertainment Weekly, for book 1 "The action and wonder never stop in this intriguing sequel."-Kirkus Reviews "The action and wonder never stop in this intriguing sequel."-Kirkus Reviews

The adventures of Henrietta Achilles continue... After saving her inherited home from a supernatural flood, Henrietta Achilles is settling in for the winter. Her allies, thieves and soldiers alike, have packed up and said farewell. But a new threat is coming into view. Stone statues are marching toward the manor. Like the house itself, these sculpted soldiers are creations of Henrietta's uncle, a notorious wizard-but some other force has them under its command. Henrietta's only hope is that the house's magic can help her stop the stone horde. To find out for sure, she'll have to go exploring with some of her home's oddest inhabitants . . . Praise for The Accursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles: "An absolute delight" -Entertainment Weekly "Hörnig and Pawlitza work beautifully together" -CBR "Humor abounds . . . {and} Pawlitza's breathtaking illustrations of the skyscraper-sized house will delight" -Kirkus Reviews "A fantastic continuation of an action-packed series."-Kirkus Reviews

Henrietta Achilles is making her last stand. As mysterious stone warriors invade Henrietta's inherited home, she'll use the last traces of the house's magic to protect the friends around her. But even if she survives the battle, nothing can prepare her for the shocking returns of two figures from her past.