Comics Features Reviews

“Paranorthern” Is A Hop, A Skip, And A Jump Into An Adorably Paranormal Feel-Good Story

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Barista-witches, talking pumpkin-people, and the curse of Morrigan. This is Paranorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse by writer Stephanie Cooke and artist Mari Costa. Cooke is an award-nominated writer and editor based at Toronto, Canada. Costa is a Luso-Brazilian cartoonist and 2D animator currently residing in Denmark. Paranorthern is the first collaboration between Cooke and Costa; a single-issue graphic novel with a target audience of children ages 8-12 years old.

Paranorthern begins with a brief summary by the author:

It’s Fall Break in the supernatural town of North Haven and young witch Abby’s plans include pitching in at her mom’s magical coffee shop, practicing her potion-making, and playing board games with her best friends–a pumpkinhead, a wolf girl, and a ghost. But when Abby finds her younger sister being picked on by some speed demons, she lets out a burst of magic so strong, it opens a portal to a realm of chaos bunnies. And while these bunnies may look cute, they’re about to bring the a-hop-calypse (and get Abby in a cauldron-ful of trouble) unless she figures out a way to reverse the powerful magic she unwittingly released. What’s a witch to do?

The opening few pages of Paranorthern waste no time explaining the creatures of its world. Instead, they drop readers right into the thick of North Haven. The paranormal citizens of North Haven mingle inside the local witch-run coffee shop. There are more wolves, a woman with snakes for hair, and a shaggy fur monster. One of the wolf people orders a latte with a shot of a luck potion. The coffee shop is special because the witches infuse homemade potions in the coffee.

Unfortunately, readers that enjoy expansive worldbuilding may get disappointed. Paranorthern isn’t concerned with getting into the details of its world. These paranormal creatures are all humanoid. The story requires you to accept them as is and not think too much about them. There is, however, an amusing bit established with one of Abby’s friends who is a ghost. In Paranorthern, ghosts are not dead people. Rather, they are beings from other dimensions that move into new worlds. Thus, they need “corporeal” charms to have physical interactions with this new world.

The plot and characters shine through because the world isn’t explained. Paranorthern focuses on Abby and her struggle to be a good daughter, sister, friend, and witch. Abby feels like a failure when her malfunctioning powers unleash chaos on her town. She’s a sympathetic and easy character to root for. While it’s for children, Paranorthern is also fun for older readers. The themes are easy to digest: familial bonds, believing in oneself, and relying on the help of others. Abby’s problems get worse as she tries to take them on all on her own and be the perfect daughter/friend/witch. It’s only when she allows her friends and family to help her that she’s able to come into herself as a witch.

Even though it’s a longer book, the illustrations guide the story along and make for a fast-paced read. Saturated hues of purples, blues, oranges, and reds are frequent. Costa often tints an entire panel to set a specific mood. The human-like faces of the paranormal creatures help normalize them in this world. Additionally, the most interesting visuals are the bright lights of the witches’ powers.

Paranorthern is a cute story about a young witch who learns to act on her values instead of her fears. The story has a positive message for kids, is funny, and can also be fun for older readers. The illustrations are exciting and easy to understand. Though it is contained, Paranorthern could continue with a second book.

What did you think? Would you read the Paranorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse sequel? If you liked this graphic novel, be sure to check it out over on Amazon. Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter!

About the author

Elijah Johnson