-
"I was completely charmed by the 'Hereville' series. It’s a wonderful vehicle for a
coming-of-age story with a female protagonist who’s both relatable and likable."
Rabbi Joshua Breindel
-
"Without a doubt, this is the best graphic novel of 2010 for kids. Bar none."
Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal
-
"Unique, laugh-out-loud funny, and thoroughly engrossing. Sequel, please!"
Tanya Auger, Horn Book Magazine
-
"Mirka is the heroine that girlhood dreams are made of… Hereville is pure enchantment."
Barbara M. Moon, School Library Journal
-
"Deutsch creates a beautiful, detail-rich world with a muted, ethereal palette that
masterfully blends faith and fantasy with astounding harmony. Undoubtedly one of
the cleverest graphic novels of the year."
Kirkus Reviews
-
"This is a terrific story, told with skill and lots of heart, that readers of all ages will enjoy."
Publishers Weekly
-
"I have finally fallen in love with my first graphic novel… the perfect bat mitzvah gift."
Sonja Bolle, Los Angeles Times
-
"An elegant, subtle examination into the gender roles, deep religious roots, and everyday
cultural elements of an Orthodox Jewish society, while also being a witty,
enormously clever adventure quest... "
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
-
"Comics, and the rest of the world, for that matter, need more girl heroes like Mirka.
She will have readers cheering for her every step of the way. "
Raina Telgemeier
-
"Author/illustrator Barry Deutsch offers up a mitzvah — a graphic novel which has joy,
style, lots of Yiddishkeit, adventure, and magic."
Jane Yolen
-
"What do you get when you cross Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Isaac Bashevis Singer?"
The Washington Post
Haha, brilliant!
Haha, brilliant!
This is positively… dammit, Nella took the word I was going to use… this is great. I was actually kind of scared for Mirka there, which was probably silly of me.
This may come across as a compliment or not, actually, but recently I read Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline.” I remember that he once said that adults who read the book were typically fairly freaked out, but not the small kids he read it to: the kids knew everything would work out fine, because they trusted in the structure of stories.
I should have known Mirka wasn’t in any real danger. That’s not how stories like this work.
(Or is it? Damn my being broke, I hate waiting for the next page!)
This is positively… dammit, Nella took the word I was going to use… this is great. I was actually kind of scared for Mirka there, which was probably silly of me.
This may come across as a compliment or not, actually, but recently I read Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline.” I remember that he once said that adults who read the book were typically fairly freaked out, but not the small kids he read it to: the kids knew everything would work out fine, because they trusted in the structure of stories.
I should have known Mirka wasn’t in any real danger. That’s not how stories like this work.
(Or is it? Damn my being broke, I hate waiting for the next page!)
On the contrary, despite being broke, I’m loving having to wait for each new page – it allows for speculation and guessing!
I love how this all ties back into her real life saga. While she was knitting she was fighting with her stepmother (who’s something of a benign troll), and now while she’s fighting with a troll (who seems somehow sort of benign) she has to remember the knitting she learned from her stepmother. I love it. This just keeps getting better and better! And the witch was obviously lying, or at least lying by omission. Unless this isn’t the troll at all?
On the contrary, despite being broke, I’m loving having to wait for each new page – it allows for speculation and guessing!
I love how this all ties back into her real life saga. While she was knitting she was fighting with her stepmother (who’s something of a benign troll), and now while she’s fighting with a troll (who seems somehow sort of benign) she has to remember the knitting she learned from her stepmother. I love it. This just keeps getting better and better! And the witch was obviously lying, or at least lying by omission. Unless this isn’t the troll at all?
Absolute, unmitigated win!
I think the troll (presumably, but Yochva’s reservation is noted) still has the upper hand, all four of them.
It did say that it would kill and eat her if it lost.
Absolute, unmitigated win!
I think the troll (presumably, but Yochva’s reservation is noted) still has the upper hand, all four of them.
It did say that it would kill and eat her if it lost.
Thanks, Nella!
Falstaff, as Daran says, Mirka’s not out of trouble yet!
Daran, one slight correction: The troll said it would kill and eat her if she (Mirka) lost, not if “it” (which I assume means, the troll) lost.
Yochva, why do you say the witch lied? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just wondering what specifically you think the witch lied about.
Thanks, Nella!
Falstaff, as Daran says, Mirka’s not out of trouble yet!
Daran, one slight correction: The troll said it would kill and eat her if she (Mirka) lost, not if “it” (which I assume means, the troll) lost.
Yochva, why do you say the witch lied? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just wondering what specifically you think the witch lied about.
Er, yeah, I meant if Mirka loses she’ll be killed and eaten.
The witch said that the troll had a sword (true, assuming that this is the troll, and the troll itself is telling the truth about having a sword.), that Mirka could learn what she needed to know from her step-mother (true, just not in the way Mirka and we thought), and that Mirka needed to go round a particular tree sixteen times on the way. (Status unknown.) I see no indication (yet) that the witch was lying.
Moreover, we have 1. The front cover showing Mirka standing triumphantly on a ball of wool, 2. the opening scene with her knitting, 3. the scene where Mirka questions Fruma about troll-killing, where Fruma is knitting. Barry has given us clue after clue after clue to this and still managed to surprise us. That is why this is such a win. Sheer genius.
Er, yeah, I meant if Mirka loses she’ll be killed and eaten.
The witch said that the troll had a sword (true, assuming that this is the troll, and the troll itself is telling the truth about having a sword.), that Mirka could learn what she needed to know from her step-mother (true, just not in the way Mirka and we thought), and that Mirka needed to go round a particular tree sixteen times on the way. (Status unknown.) I see no indication (yet) that the witch was lying.
Moreover, we have 1. The front cover showing Mirka standing triumphantly on a ball of wool, 2. the opening scene with her knitting, 3. the scene where Mirka questions Fruma about troll-killing, where Fruma is knitting. Barry has given us clue after clue after clue to this and still managed to surprise us. That is why this is such a win. Sheer genius.
Well, the witch DID tell her that Fruma would be able to tell her how to defeat the troll! Now if only she’d paid better attention….
Well, the witch DID tell her that Fruma would be able to tell her how to defeat the troll! Now if only she’d paid better attention….
Perhaps I’m misremembering, which the more I think about it, I think I am. I thought she had to get the sword first, then kill the troll. But I think I got caught up in the story, and forgot that she had to get the sword from the TROLL in order to kill the DRAGON. I think. Right? I just have to read it all over from the beginning, I guess! Huh. That’ll teach me to go around making blithe statements…
Perhaps I’m misremembering, which the more I think about it, I think I am. I thought she had to get the sword first, then kill the troll. But I think I got caught up in the story, and forgot that she had to get the sword from the TROLL in order to kill the DRAGON. I think. Right? I just have to read it all over from the beginning, I guess! Huh. That’ll teach me to go around making blithe statements…
I don’t think it’s been extablished that she’s going to kill a dragon, (or even that there is a dragon) merely that she dreams of killing dragons. She’s going to get a sword because a hero needs one.
Prediction time: I think the troll will turn out to be very good at knitting, and Mirka, as we know, drops stiches.
I don’t think it’s been extablished that she’s going to kill a dragon, (or even that there is a dragon) merely that she dreams of killing dragons. She’s going to get a sword because a hero needs one.
Prediction time: I think the troll will turn out to be very good at knitting, and Mirka, as we know, drops stiches.
Easy for YOU to forget. I was checking something like every five minutes since Wednesday!
I can see now why the witch told Mirka to go to her step-mother. Looks like Mirka should have spent Knitting Hour knitting instead of arguing!
And by the way, AMAZING comic. I can’t wait for the next installment. But don’t you think we should get an extra page, since you updated this page so late? *puppy dog eyes*
Easy for YOU to forget. I was checking something like every five minutes since Wednesday!
I can see now why the witch told Mirka to go to her step-mother. Looks like Mirka should have spent Knitting Hour knitting instead of arguing!
And by the way, AMAZING comic. I can’t wait for the next installment. But don’t you think we should get an extra page, since you updated this page so late? *puppy dog eyes*
This has got to be THE weirdest comic I’ve read to date. And there are a LOT of weird comics out there…
This has got to be THE weirdest comic I’ve read to date. And there are a LOT of weird comics out there…
Hee! The troll being the love-child of the Comic Book Guy and the Eternal Spider-Jew is a delightful and unexpected surprise. I have to say, on a conceptual level, that is my favorite character ever.
Hee! The troll being the love-child of the Comic Book Guy and the Eternal Spider-Jew is a delightful and unexpected surprise. I have to say, on a conceptual level, that is my favorite character ever.
Thanks, everyone. 🙂
Alec, that is an extremely accurate description of how I think of the troll character.
Thanks, everyone. 🙂
Alec, that is an extremely accurate description of how I think of the troll character.