Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Top Ten Video Games of 2011

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      January 7, 2012
      Columns, Top 10
    Recent
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • Comictober 2020: DRACULA MOTHERF**KER

      Daniel Gehen
      October 27, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Crisis #9 Old Timers' Review: Go, go, go!

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      July 28, 2015
      Crisis in Infinite Comics, DC Comics, The Full Run
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Stan Lee

      nguyen ly
      November 7, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Exclusive IDW Preview: "Tet" #2

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      October 2, 2015
      IDW, Previews
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.0

      Shadowflame #1

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      November 6, 2010
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Interview: Chynna Clugston Flores Fills Us in on Her "Inbetween Days"

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      July 31, 2017
      Image, Indie, Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Steve Mitchell Pt.II - "Artists can be Sensitive and Neal was a Drill Sergeant"

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      January 22, 2016
      Classic Interviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Exclusive Advance Preview: Shadowman #9 from Valiant Comics

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      October 27, 2018
      News, Valiant
    Recent
    • 2020 Ringo Awards Winners Announced

      Daniel Gehen
      October 26, 2020
    • BAD IDEA Announces 2021 Publishing Slate

      Daniel Gehen
      September 29, 2020
    • A Full Replay of NCSFest 2020 is now Available

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2020
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Renegade: Martin Luther: the Graphic Biography'

      Jason Jeffords Jr.
      October 27, 2017
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Powerball, I will buy Amazing Fantasy 15
  • DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)
  • Collecting Profile: Batwoman
  • Collecting Profile: Daredevil
  • Collecting Profile: Floronic Man
  • Review of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Indie

Review: “When I Arrived At The Castle” Beckons You To Revisit Multiple Times

Jason Jeffords Jr.
April 24, 2019
Indie, Reviews

Koyama Press

(w/a) Emily Carroll

I always remembered the saying as a kid, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” But like any kid, would I never listen. This worked out most of the time, but sometimes it lead me to straight up trash (with really good covers). The reason I bring this up is because I totally judged When I Arrived At The Castle by its gorgeous art when I saw it online, which persuaded me to buy it. Thankfully, this was one of those times when it worked.

Emily Carroll’s story is hard to explain. At first, the words didn’t even register completely because I was so enamored by the lush gorgeous art. Also, it appears initially that not much care or attention is given to the plot. Carroll thrusts the reader into what seems to be the ending of a saga, never explaining who you should root for, or why a certain cat lady wants to kill this world’s Countess. Even after sequential re-reads, I believe I may have come to somewhat of a my own conclusion, which may differ from others. A cat and human traded skins with the cat in human skin going to a castle that she supposedly sent many to but none returned. She does this to kill the monstress vampire Countess that lives there. Yep, that’s what I came out believing and I’m sticking with it.

It may sound like a narrative mess, but it’s truly by design – one that Carroll excels at. She writes in a vague yet intriguing way that makes it up to one’s own opinion what it’s all about. Ending with each reader coming down to their own conclusion. In an age where everything needs to be explained or have a backstory, this coyness is appealing. As a reader, it feels good to consume the story and possibly have a different interpretation to discuss with a friend. Throughout the book, she will go pages without dialogue, leaving the art alone to tell the story. Other times she’ll have a few pages that are virtually all prose. As far as vampire stories go, this one should be on your to read list, and your re-read list.

Now to the thing that made me seek it out, the art. Carroll’s art is sublime, with red as the only color blending perfectly with black, grey, or white. Forgoing the traditional panels she draws her own way which makes beautiful peaces of art that get lodged into your brain you’ll never forget. A fair amount of the art can be considered erotic, but it’s done so gratefully and elegantly that it flows along with the story. Each page on it’s own is a work of beauty showing how much love and effort she put into it all, thus paying off in the end. Every part she draws as a meaning and a reason for being on the page. The art feels vastly different from other artists that in a line up you could tell what was hers and what emotions the characters are feeling while teasing a plot.

I had never heard of Emily Carroll before picking up When I Arrived At The Castle (Editor’s Note: shame on you Jason, go read Through the Woods). Now after reading such a visual beautiful and cryptic story I long to read whatever she comes out with next.

Review: "When I Arrived At The Castle" Beckons You To Revisit Multiple Times
If your in the mood for an erotic vampire mystery that holds great beauty in it's art then When I Arrived At The Castle is perfect for you. With a story that tells little and leaves it up to the readers interpretation making you want to return to the castle.
4.5Overall Score

Emily CarrollKoyama PressReviewWhen I Arrived At the Castle

Share On:
Tweet
Monday Morning Pick ‘Em – April 24th 2019: Time to Ascend
Singles Going Steady 4/25/2019: War! What is it Good For?!

About The Author

Jason Jeffords Jr.
Contributor

Jason resides in the cold crime-ridden town of Anchorage, Alaska. When he isn't running away from murderers he "chills" at home reading comics/books, watching films/TV, and playing games with his three-legged cat Lucky. Oh, he has also written for websites such as Monkeys Fighting Robots, Comicbookyeti, Multiversity.

Related Posts

  • 3.5

    Review: Transformers #12 takes a detour from Cybertron

    Stephen Cook
    September 17, 2019
  • 4.5

    Review: SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 Entertains The Adults

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    September 3, 2019

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders