The Nixie of the Mill-Pond and Other European Stories (Cautionary Fables and Fairytales #3)

Ten indie comics creators reimagine nine folktales, most well-known, in this robust introduction to classic European and Russian stories. Some, such as Mary Cagle’s caricatured “Jack and the Beanstalk,” are relatively faithful to their original renditions; others’ creators add their own flair, as in Kory Bing’s “The Nixie of the Mill-Pond,” in which the Nixie is portrayed as a grotesque creature rather than a pre-Raphaelite beauty. The breadth of art styles, all rendered in black-and-white, complements the stories’ variety. In “The Singing Bone,” K.C. Green’s antic-filled expressions lend cruel hilarity to the tale of fratricide; Kate and Shaggy Shanahan’s “Tatterhood” telling uses an energetic line to portray two sisters with opposite personalities; and Jose Pimienta’s “Hamelin’s Piper” weaves a silent story in sweeping visuals. This collection succeeds as an introduction to both the sometimes brutal stories and the wide variety of comics styles. A table of contents notes each tale’s provenance. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 10–12. (May)