[Note: apologies for the delay on posting this review! I had it mostly written well in advance, but then I forgot to finish cleaning it up and adding images and getting it scheduled to post on Saturday as usual. *sigh*]

For a change of pace, I thought I’d talk a bit about a few graphic novels I’ve read in the last few months. I’ve been following this artist/comics illustrator on Twitter named Ethan M. Aldridge (@ethanmaldridge) for AGES. I really love his style — all hand-drawn line art and watercolor with this really great dreamy quality to it.

He sells prints online, and I’ve been meaning to grab a few but funds are tight so I have to keep frivolous purchases to a minimum. But I did finally grab his first two graphic novels last autumn: Estranged, and Estranged: The Changeling King. And I loved those so much I went ahead and pre-ordered his most recent publication, the new graphic novel The Legend of Brightblade.

Title: Estranged, & Estranged: The Changeling King
Author: Ethan M. Aldridge
Release Dates: 2018, 2019
How I Got Them: bought them from my local comic shop
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In Estranged Vol 1, the main characters are Edmund and The Childe — Edmund is a changeling, a magical being sent to replace a human infant by his biological mother, the Queen of the Fae. Edmund knows what he is, that he is not human, but he has long kept that secret from his human parents and older sister for fear of their reaction. He desperately wants to keep the secret safe, but also he wants to know why his biological parents sent him away in the first place. The Childe is the human that Edmund was sent to replace, who has been living among the Fae all his life as a kind of foster-son/pet for the royal family. He has spent his life trying his best to earn the respect and affection of the Fae, but they largely dismiss him as just a cute, powerless oddity.

When the King and Queen of the Fae are attacked and overthrown by a powerful sorceress named Hawthorne, The Childe escapes to the surface world of the humans and, with his companion the wax golem Wick, enlists the help of Edmund and his/their sister Alexis. They must work together to struggle past the complexities of their shared families and destinies, and save the fae kingdom of the World Below from Hawthorne.

Estranged Vol 2: The Changeling King, brings us back months later, with The Childe and Edmund switching back to their original worlds after the end of the previous volume. The Childe has now reclaimed his name, Edmund. And the changeling once known as Edmund is now called Cinder. Cinder has become the new king of the World Below, but when the magic begins to drain from their world, Cinder returns to his adoptive family for help. Together, Cinder, Edmund, and their sister Alexis — as well as Cinder/Edmund’s very confused human parents — must travel through the labyrinthine World Below to fight enemies old and new, and find a way to restore magic to the kingdom.

These two graphic novels are so wonderful. The relationship that develops between the three “siblings” – Cinder, Edmund, and Alexis — is truly delightful and one of my favorite things. I particularly love Alexis: she loves both the brother she was raised with and the biological one she comes to know over the course of Vol 1. She is protective, caring, and kick-ass (and she starts to learn some magic in the 2nd volume, which is awesome!). The art style remains beautiful throughout, and the creativity of some of the fae creature designs are very cool. I also really love the ending of Vol 2 (I’m not giving it away! You’ll have to read to find out!). I’m really hoping Aldridge writes a third volume, but there’s been no news on that yet.

Title: The Legend of Brightblade
Author: Ethan M. Aldridge
Release Date: March 2022
How I Got It: ordered online
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Ethan M. Aldridge’s newest graphic novel, The Legend of Brightblade, is not in the same universe as the two Estranged graphic novels. It takes place in a high fantasy realm, clearly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons aesthetics, and features a team of adventuring bards. This graphic novel opens with a little backstory: the hero Brightblade and her two companions saved the land from a highly powerful dragon, bringing about a new era of peace. Years later, Brightblade is the ruler of the land, attempting to forge a treaty with the trolls with whom they have long feuded. Brightblade has three children: two daughters and a son, whom she expects to fulfill their roles as rulers and peacemakers, but the son, Prince Alto wants nothing more than to be a bard and go on adventures.

So, he runs away. With little knowledge of the outside world and only his instrument and the magic he can control by playing, he dashes off and forms his own little troupe with two other misfit bards: a self-taught troll bard, and an apprentice blacksmith who would much rather play her violin. These three intrepid bards run into trouble, accidentally uncover a plot to sew chaos at the human-troll treaty-signing, and discover that their misfit natures are precisely what they need to win.

Like the two Estranged graphic novels, The Legend of Brightblade is hand-drawn and watercolor, in a beautiful fairy-tale-like style that I just can’t stop raving about. All of these graphic novels are technically middle-grade, and though they are not (for the most part) explicitly queer, they have that feeling. If that makes sense. All three graphic novels have similar themes threaded through them as well: issues of family obligation versus personal goals and desires, featuring characters who are all trying to find their own identities and be true to themselves. Each one is a quick read, great for a nice relaxing afternoon with a cup of tea. They are utterly delightful and light-hearted and fun, all about finding yourself and forging your own path. They make me smile, and I highly recommend all three!