SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

September 19, 2012 by Mike Pawuk

Review: Crogan’s Loyalty by Chris Schweizer

September 19, 2012 by Mike Pawuk   1 comments

Crogan’s Loyalty
Written and Illustrated by Chris Schweizer
Oni Press, 2012
ISBN 978-1-934964-40-8.

Crogan's Loyalty

The adventures of the Crogan family continue…

Since the first book in the series, Crogan’s Vengeance, was released in 2008, Chris Schweizer has set out to tell the ambitious family history of the Crogans from the days of pirates, with “Catfoot” Crogan, to the humble 21st century Crogan family that bookends each historical adventure. The second book, Crogan’s March told the tale of Peter Crogan in the French Foreign Legion. In his third book, Crogan’s Loyalty, Chris takes a unique look at the American Revolution from the point of view of two older teenage brothers caught up in the revolution in 1778. Charlie Crogan is a loyalist – a citizen who wished the country to remain under English control with a loyalty to the crown. Meanwhile, William Crogan is a patriot who longs for the country to break free of the tyranny of England. This simple but important disagreement led to them going separate ways.

Months after they parted company, they become reunited in the woods near their home. Charlie is a ranger for the loyalists and Will is scouting in the countryside where they grew up to seek the aid of the Maquachake tribe in hope that they’ll support the patriots. Along the way they meet Will’s girlfriend Bess and her family, and then the two of them are attacked by a rogue Indian named Two-Tomahawk while en route to Will’s mission with Maquachake tribe leader Chief Jonah Two Legs. While the brothers spend more time together on their travels, they reminiscence about their youth, funny stories with their dad, and the scars they both earned while fighting, and they learn they really haven’t grown that far apart after all. Soon Charlie parts with Will to rejoin the loyalists, who are headed by a Hessian soldier named Captain Unterbrüsch, but soon enough, Will is captured by the loyalists, who accuse him of being a spy. Meanwhile, Two-Tomahawk burns Bess’s house to the ground, slays her parents, and drags her away as compensation for the loss of his wife at the hands of the white man. Will and Charlie must break free of Captain Unterbrüsch’s command and do whatever they can together to save Bess, even if it might cost one of them their lives or their loyalty to their side of the war.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

As with the other Crogan Adventures stories, Schweizer’s art style is highly animated and cartoonish but he still accurately depicts the clothing of the time period, the weapons used during the Revolutionary War, and the forest terrain that plays a huge role in the storyline. The material is appropriate for teens and does feature some violence, but when death happens, it’s handled with respect.

Schweizer once again tells a fantastic tale of heroism in a historic setting that evokes the time period, using the language of the time, which can be quite humorous (such as when Will asks Bess’ dad if he can ‘bundle’ with her), and exploring complexities of the Revolutionary War that are seldom discussed. Having a focus on the loyalists in comparison to the patriots was a really brilliant idea. It’s not that often that the other side of the Revolutionary War is seen and treated with respect.

Just because someone has a difference of opinion doesn’t mean they’re wrong and you’re right. In this current political climate, as we head towards Election Day, both sides of the aisle are playing ugly politics and alienating a good many voters with negative ads, media cohorts waiting to publish the next gaffe a candidate makes, and vicious attacks. Pundits accuse the other side of being out of touch and treated with almost inhuman disrespect. By placing Will and Charlie on opposite sides of the conflict, Schweizer helps to show that the truth is neither left or right, but a compromise that has give and take for all parties.

I’m looking forward to more adventures of the Crogan family, and another volume cannot come out soon enough.

Filed under: Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
American RevolutionChris Schweizergraphic novelOni Press

About Mike Pawuk

Mike Pawuk has been a teen services public librarian for the Cuyahoga County Public Library for over 15 years. A lifelong fan of comic books and graphic novels, he was chair for the 2002 YALSA all-day preconference on graphic novels, served as a judge for the Will Eisner Awards in 2009, as well as helped to create the Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection committee for YALSA. He is the author of Graphic Novels: A Genre Guide to Comic Books, Manga, and More, and co-author of the follow-up book Graphic Book II both published by Libraries Unlimited/ABC-CLIO Publishing.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

March 2023

Nayra and the Djinn | Review

by Mike Pawuk

March 2023

Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Donald's Happiest Adventures | Review

by Mike Pawuk

February 2023

Insomniacs After School, vol. 1 | Review

by Mike Pawuk

February 2023

Review: A Visit to Moscow

by Mike Pawuk

February 2023

Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements | Review

by Mike Pawuk

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

2023 Caldecott Jump

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Ben Mortara and the Thieves of the Golden Table | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

March suggestions: early Mock Newbery possibilities

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

New Reports Show a Decline in YA Book Sales and I Have Some Thoughts as to Why That Might be Happening

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Newbery Medalist Amina Luqman-Dawson visits The Yarn

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

'Himawari House' Wins 2022 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature

Superheroes Meet Real-Life Science in DC’s ‘Flash Facts’

A Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Book Challenge | Most Popular Posts on SLJ

10 Standout Graphic Novels by AAPI Creators

Jarod Roselló on the Magic Behind his 'Red Panda and Moon Bear' Sequel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Herman says

    February 2, 2018 at 8:46 am

    Sup dude yo books are coo

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023