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Polly & the Pirates (single issues) #1-6
Polly and the Pirates, Volume 1
Polly is caught between the prim-and-proper boarding school set she's grown-up with and the legendary legacy of the Pirate Queen that she never knew she was a part of! But which is the cruel, cold world and which is the care-free paradise? And does it even matter when there's a dashing pirate prince involved? Hoist the sails and batten the hatches on this brand new adventure!
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
About the author
Ted Naifeh
196 books257 followersTed Naifeh is an American comic book writer and artist who gained notoriety for his illustrations in the goth romance comic Gloomcookie. Naifeh has since become most known as the creator of the Eisner-Award-nominated series Courtney Crumrin, published by Oni Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
February 21, 2015
Drawn in a style very much like Courtney Crumrin, except that Polly gets to have a nose, this is a very light, wish fulfillment sort of pirate story. Polly is improbably capable at pirating, once she puts her mind to it, but I still like her for being clever and capable and generally decent. Yes, it makes Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean look positively gritty, but it was still fun to read. Not quite fun enough to continue with the series, though.
June 12, 2020
I read this volume because I had read a few snippets of the story waaaaay back when some physical magazines included little excerpts of comic stories on every issue, making you buy the next issue if you wanted to read the rest of the story. I saw that the volume was on a [popular site for books] on a very low price, so I bought it, just to get to know the ending of this.
I was surprised that the volume was in B&W, because the story excerpts in the magazine were in full colour; from looking into Google, it seems that weirdly only the French edition of the story was coloured, and it was probably the one that the magazine had (the magazine was in Greek). Nevertheless, I was kinda disappointed.
It's a cutesy story, very farfetched (a sweet, naive and cowardly 12-year-old schoolgirl has a "natural" penchant for swinging around on ropes like an acrobat, toting pistols, negotiating with people in ill-lit taverns, and exploding the Navy's ships, and all that just after a simple change of clothes; yeah, right) but ultimately very harmless wish fulfillment. It's kinda like "A Little Princess", but with.... pirates!
I was surprised that the volume was in B&W, because the story excerpts in the magazine were in full colour; from looking into Google, it seems that weirdly only the French edition of the story was coloured, and it was probably the one that the magazine had (the magazine was in Greek). Nevertheless, I was kinda disappointed.
It's a cutesy story, very farfetched (a sweet, naive and cowardly 12-year-old schoolgirl has a "natural" penchant for swinging around on ropes like an acrobat, toting pistols, negotiating with people in ill-lit taverns, and exploding the Navy's ships, and all that just after a simple change of clothes; yeah, right) but ultimately very harmless wish fulfillment. It's kinda like "A Little Princess", but with.... pirates!
September 8, 2018
A fun, kid-friendly adventure story with satisfying pirates! However, I do think Polly’s character development was unsatisfactory. Too rushed. She goes from prim schoolgirl to swashbuckling pirate princess with very little in between. One of her new seamates asks, “Will shumbuddy
tell
me ‘ow a chit uv’a girl what shpent ‘er
‘ole life
inna shtuffy ol’
boardin’
school ended up shuch a bloody
amazin’ poirit?”
It’s a fair question. But aside from that, it was a lot of fun, sweet and not too edgy. I can’t wait to read the next one!
October 28, 2008
Think Rebecca from Sunnybrook Farm meets Long John Silver. Or, better yet! "Legally Blonde" meets "Pirates of the Caribbean"!
If only Reese Witherspoon were younger she would be perfect to play Polly. This graphic novel has all charm of Ms. Witherspoon and all the adventure an hijinks of Pirates with a good measure of Peter Pan thrown in. Though there is no magic and not even one fairy, "Polly & The Pirates" has the same feel and flavor as those old Disney movies like "Peter Pan", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", and "Mary Poppins". I could not believe how much I enjoyed this book!
I will have to look through my shelves and read it again!
If only Reese Witherspoon were younger she would be perfect to play Polly. This graphic novel has all charm of Ms. Witherspoon and all the adventure an hijinks of Pirates with a good measure of Peter Pan thrown in. Though there is no magic and not even one fairy, "Polly & The Pirates" has the same feel and flavor as those old Disney movies like "Peter Pan", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", and "Mary Poppins". I could not believe how much I enjoyed this book!
I will have to look through my shelves and read it again!
November 19, 2017
Bottino di Lucca 2017!!
Beh, questo mi è piaciuto. A Lucca ho visitato due volte lo stand della Renoir: la mattina per farmi firmare Delilah Dirk e il pomeriggio per Don Camillo. Il pomeriggio, mentre aspettavo Maresta che stava disegnando sul mio volume, ho visto questo e mi sono incuriosita.
Intanto devo dire che son due volumi ma sembra che la Renoir - come al solito - non abbia intenzione di finire la serie. Comincia a succedere un po' troppo spesso con loro, però. La cosa positiva è che mi ha spinto finalmente a leggere in francese ma son insoddisfatta lo stesso. Perché poi i volumetti, oltre che in lingua diversa, avranno anche dimensioni diverse. Sì, va beh, son un pochino pignola.
Comunque.
La protagonista di questo fumetto è Polly che, mentre frequenta un noioso collegio inglese, scopre di essere la figlia della più grande piratessa mai esistita. Viene rapita dalla vecchia ciurma della madre e insieme si mettono alla ricerca del tesoro dei pirati. Non tutto va come vorrebbero ovviamente.
La protagonista è un po' strana però è perfetta per il suo ruolo. Certo, mi chiedo come faccia a trasformarsi in un pirata eccellente in tre giorni ma evidentemente buon sangue non mente. Ma forse son tutti i personaggi che son strani, mica solo lei.
Anche i disegni sono strani e non ho ancora deciso se mi piacciono o no. Però sono interessanti. Mi piacciono molto gli sfondi e Polly (anche se ha dei piedini che ricordano quelli delle cinesine con i piedi bendati). Un po' meno i pirati della ciurma.
Beh, vado a leggermi anche il secondo volume. Non mi piace lasciare le cose in sospeso.
Beh, questo mi è piaciuto. A Lucca ho visitato due volte lo stand della Renoir: la mattina per farmi firmare Delilah Dirk e il pomeriggio per Don Camillo. Il pomeriggio, mentre aspettavo Maresta che stava disegnando sul mio volume, ho visto questo e mi sono incuriosita.
Intanto devo dire che son due volumi ma sembra che la Renoir - come al solito - non abbia intenzione di finire la serie. Comincia a succedere un po' troppo spesso con loro, però. La cosa positiva è che mi ha spinto finalmente a leggere in francese ma son insoddisfatta lo stesso. Perché poi i volumetti, oltre che in lingua diversa, avranno anche dimensioni diverse. Sì, va beh, son un pochino pignola.
Comunque.
La protagonista di questo fumetto è Polly che, mentre frequenta un noioso collegio inglese, scopre di essere la figlia della più grande piratessa mai esistita. Viene rapita dalla vecchia ciurma della madre e insieme si mettono alla ricerca del tesoro dei pirati. Non tutto va come vorrebbero ovviamente.
La protagonista è un po' strana però è perfetta per il suo ruolo. Certo, mi chiedo come faccia a trasformarsi in un pirata eccellente in tre giorni ma evidentemente buon sangue non mente. Ma forse son tutti i personaggi che son strani, mica solo lei.
Anche i disegni sono strani e non ho ancora deciso se mi piacciono o no. Però sono interessanti. Mi piacciono molto gli sfondi e Polly (anche se ha dei piedini che ricordano quelli delle cinesine con i piedi bendati). Un po' meno i pirati della ciurma.
Beh, vado a leggermi anche il secondo volume. Non mi piace lasciare le cose in sospeso.
February 21, 2020
I requested this because I really enjoyed the author's Princess Ugg Vol. 1. This has a very different feel.
It's a sweet story, although not terribly exciting.
I am struggling to like it more, because I'm weirded out by some of the drawing choices. First, some of the pirate deck hands look like maybe they were supposed to be goblins. I spent half the book trying to figure out what magical elements I was missing, until one of the other characters calls the pirate in question an Englishman. That seemed like a weird stylistic choice. And I'm pretty freaked out by the main character's feet. They are never any longer than the width of her calf, but her shoes are drawn with a distinct heel and a tiny sole. Every time you can see her shoes, they look like shoes for bound feet. The story takes place in a made-up quasi-English/European port city without any prominent Asian cultural elements. I couldn't get foot binding out of my head, though, because of the repeated illustrations.
It's a sweet story, although not terribly exciting.
I am struggling to like it more, because I'm weirded out by some of the drawing choices. First, some of the pirate deck hands look like maybe they were supposed to be goblins. I spent half the book trying to figure out what magical elements I was missing, until one of the other characters calls the pirate in question an Englishman. That seemed like a weird stylistic choice. And I'm pretty freaked out by the main character's feet. They are never any longer than the width of her calf, but her shoes are drawn with a distinct heel and a tiny sole. Every time you can see her shoes, they look like shoes for bound feet. The story takes place in a made-up quasi-English/European port city without any prominent Asian cultural elements. I couldn't get foot binding out of my head, though, because of the repeated illustrations.
July 20, 2018
My Review: I was on the hunt for a pirate comic and came across this graphic novel. I love women pirates and had to give this a try. Though I found Polly to be a little young, it was a fun and exciting book to read. I loved the art style and what seems to be an alternate United States shore line. I loved Polly's character development throughout the story and her clever, outside the box ideas. It was quite the adventure and one I really want to continue reading.
May 20, 2018
Cute, charming, and a lot of fun. I really enjoyed watching prim Polly try to figure out how to use her finishing school manners get her out of sticky situations, and I loved her character growth throughout the story. It also took some surprising turns that made it very refreshing for me. I'm definitely on board for more--no pun intended.
June 28, 2018
I thought this book was Phenomenal. I wanted to jump straight into volume 2. I thought it was a fun pirate adventure with the subtle hints of choosing was is the right the to do versus what will protect your reputation. I loved the art style and would highly recommend.
September 1, 2017
Quick read and quite entertaining. I enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the world as well as the character design. Would gladly continue reading the series.
November 6, 2017
Aww, yeah, queen of the pirates!
November 6, 2017
Pirates, ladies, and adventure what more can I say?
March 15, 2018
Overall a cute story that wraps up nicely. The ending leaves open a plot for anyone more interested than I in continuing this series. A quick read with heavily accented spellings.
June 9, 2018
Another amazing work by Ted Naifeh, I just loved how this story unfolded.
April 25, 2019
Really amazing book!! There's so many lovable characters and lots of adventure!
September 17, 2019
What a fun and charming adventure!
Ted Naifeh never disappoints.
Ted Naifeh never disappoints.
December 21, 2019
I'll admit, I don't have a very clear memory of this one. It's good, as Naifeh tends to be, but I preferred Crumrin and Princess Ugh over this one; it felt a little slighter.
January 9, 2021
A fun graphic novel about a young lady of quality who absconds from boarding school with pirates to fill in the role of her mother, the Pirate Queen.
March 19, 2023
3.5 Stars.
July 22, 2023
I've read this many times, and it impresses me every time.
March 14, 2017
Man, Ted Naifeh is a creator directly in my wheelhouse. The writing has all the charm and wit of the Crumrin series, only now with Pirates! I loved every minute of this and now I need the second volume.
August 26, 2019
This book was totally fantastic.
September 26, 2011
I’ve read the opening book for another of Mr. Naifeh’s manga/comic stories and enjoyed it, so I figured I’d pick Polly and give it a whirl. I’m unsure whether this is a complete story or whether there will be more beyond the five chapters in this book, but it’s interesting. Polly is a wimpy girl who’s in a boarding school with other, richer girls (playing on that plotline). Her best friend, Anastasia (who doesn’t seem to be much of a friend), goes on about the romance of being a pirate queen, like Meg Malloy. Anastasia doesn’t think much of being punished for talking in class and even less of Polly’s offer to help her complete her punishment chores (though Mrs. Gout, who oversees this punishment, seems to take no notice of it). The girls go to bed after another mishap and Polly awakens…on a pirate ship.
There she meets with Scrimshaw, the first mate of the Titania who gives her word that the Titania needs a new captain and, Polly being Meg Malloy’s daughter, wouldn’t she be perfect for the position? The story that follows makes me think less of pirates than what might’ve happened if Wendy had been the leader of the Lost Boys rather than Peter. The storyline is engaging enough but the art is somewhat offputting to me. The pirates all look like gnomes and Polly’s proportions are…strange (feet do not seem to exist on girls in this universe. They have round, stumpy legs that end in…well, stumps). The whole story seemed to move along in a dreamlike fashion and I’m afraid my reactions to the art itself has pretty much taken the storyline out of my head, though there is a missing treasure (Meg Malloy’s) that her crew want to retrieve and, of course, a turncoat in her crew has promised to the oily, handsome rival captain who is supposedly the son of the “king of the pirates” (by then, I was casually humming Gilbert and Sullivan under my breath while reading).
Polly leads a double life for a short time in this book though at the end, I’m not sure if she returns to the boarding school or decides to do something else as that seems left up in the air. I’m not sure I’d recommend this story unless you can look past the peculiar art style. Polly, though clichéd, is an engaging heroine, though one must suspend one’s disbelief over some of the antics that happen to and with her. I also could never quite figure out her age – I’d have put her at around ten, if that, but according to the pirates, Meg Malloy has been missing for fifteen years. The “dumpling art style” for the girls just made me shudder and the pirates, rather than being frightening, were just sort of…cute in a malevolent way (sort of like the goblins in Labyrinth). It seemed altogether a little too pat in its conclusion, as well, but for an attempt to get girls into reading comics, it might do well.
There she meets with Scrimshaw, the first mate of the Titania who gives her word that the Titania needs a new captain and, Polly being Meg Malloy’s daughter, wouldn’t she be perfect for the position? The story that follows makes me think less of pirates than what might’ve happened if Wendy had been the leader of the Lost Boys rather than Peter. The storyline is engaging enough but the art is somewhat offputting to me. The pirates all look like gnomes and Polly’s proportions are…strange (feet do not seem to exist on girls in this universe. They have round, stumpy legs that end in…well, stumps). The whole story seemed to move along in a dreamlike fashion and I’m afraid my reactions to the art itself has pretty much taken the storyline out of my head, though there is a missing treasure (Meg Malloy’s) that her crew want to retrieve and, of course, a turncoat in her crew has promised to the oily, handsome rival captain who is supposedly the son of the “king of the pirates” (by then, I was casually humming Gilbert and Sullivan under my breath while reading).
Polly leads a double life for a short time in this book though at the end, I’m not sure if she returns to the boarding school or decides to do something else as that seems left up in the air. I’m not sure I’d recommend this story unless you can look past the peculiar art style. Polly, though clichéd, is an engaging heroine, though one must suspend one’s disbelief over some of the antics that happen to and with her. I also could never quite figure out her age – I’d have put her at around ten, if that, but according to the pirates, Meg Malloy has been missing for fifteen years. The “dumpling art style” for the girls just made me shudder and the pirates, rather than being frightening, were just sort of…cute in a malevolent way (sort of like the goblins in Labyrinth). It seemed altogether a little too pat in its conclusion, as well, but for an attempt to get girls into reading comics, it might do well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2018
- This was a fun little graphic novel! I've been wanting more pirate stories, so I was excited to pick this up. It definitely filled the pirate void.
- The illustrations are really fun. Polly's character design is really cute. I loved her anime buns and tiny feet.
- I had a hard time reading Naff's dialogue. It is written phonetically, and it was hard to understand. I had to be okay with not understanding what he was saying sometimes.
- There were a few things that were a bit of a stretch. Polly starts off as a proper and shy do-gooder girl, and then all of sudden she knows how to sword fight, plan escapades, and do fancy acrobats. There was nothing in the middle. She just magically knew how to do stuff.
- Overall, it was a fun and adventurous story. I liked it, and I was excited to read the second book.
- The illustrations are really fun. Polly's character design is really cute. I loved her anime buns and tiny feet.
- I had a hard time reading Naff's dialogue. It is written phonetically, and it was hard to understand. I had to be okay with not understanding what he was saying sometimes.
- There were a few things that were a bit of a stretch. Polly starts off as a proper and shy do-gooder girl, and then all of sudden she knows how to sword fight, plan escapades, and do fancy acrobats. There was nothing in the middle. She just magically knew how to do stuff.
- Overall, it was a fun and adventurous story. I liked it, and I was excited to read the second book.
October 11, 2016
My dad had told me about this book a while back and it looked interesting, so he got it for me for Christmas. (Mostly because he wanted to read it too! hah!) It was a cute, quick read but I wish it had been longer. I hope it at least is going to have more volumes in the future.
Polly Pringle is a prim and proper young girl at a boarding school in England until she and her bed are kidnapped by pirates in the middle of the night! Lol...I thought it was amusing they took her straight out the window, bed and all.
Understandably, Polly is a little perturbed at being stolen away to a pirate ship by a bunch of crazy old men with claw hands and really bad accents. Plus they curse...like, uh, pirates. Luckily, it turns out they don't want to besmirch her innocence; they just want her to become the captain of their ship!
Polly decides they're cuckoo-bananas and escapes back to her boarding school. Hehe...until that night, when the pirates once again steal her away. Adventure and mayhem ensue, but I'm not going to give too much away!
This was a good read, the illustrations were well done...except for those odd claw hands I mentioned earlier. Apparently the author has issues drawing hands? (I'm not one to criticize though, I can barely draw stick figures!) And also, Polly's feet. She has funny little nubs for feet. I kept noticing it in every picture lol...
Whew...this was picture heavy for such a short review! I guess that's what you get for a graphic novel review though! Enjoy! :)
Blogged: SeeJennRead
Polly Pringle is a prim and proper young girl at a boarding school in England until she and her bed are kidnapped by pirates in the middle of the night! Lol...I thought it was amusing they took her straight out the window, bed and all.
Understandably, Polly is a little perturbed at being stolen away to a pirate ship by a bunch of crazy old men with claw hands and really bad accents. Plus they curse...like, uh, pirates. Luckily, it turns out they don't want to besmirch her innocence; they just want her to become the captain of their ship!
Polly decides they're cuckoo-bananas and escapes back to her boarding school. Hehe...until that night, when the pirates once again steal her away. Adventure and mayhem ensue, but I'm not going to give too much away!
This was a good read, the illustrations were well done...except for those odd claw hands I mentioned earlier. Apparently the author has issues drawing hands? (I'm not one to criticize though, I can barely draw stick figures!) And also, Polly's feet. She has funny little nubs for feet. I kept noticing it in every picture lol...
Whew...this was picture heavy for such a short review! I guess that's what you get for a graphic novel review though! Enjoy! :)
Blogged: SeeJennRead
February 1, 2011
A cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and Princess Bride, Naifeh has created another fun, strong female character. Polly's life suddenly becomes complicated when she's kidnapped by pirates, who claim her mother was the Pirate Queen. Polly can't believe it, but she soon is embroiled in a plot to find a map and the treasure it leads to. Throughout, Polly is concerned with honor, and learns a couple of lessons about relationships.
This graphic novel is a fun story, relying heavily on the illustrations, which sometimes makes the storyline get lost. A couple of chapters end abruptly, and sometimes points of view change within a couple of pages. But those reading closely will be able to catch on quickly. And anyone complaining that graphic novels are too simple, this one has a few different dialects to translate into English! ("An' if yeh thinksh that chit uva girl'sh gonna be 'lected cap'n, yer dafter than oi thort.") Naifeh wrote the Courtney Crumrin books, and this heroine is very similar in her courage and temperament, though Polly is a little more reluctant to accept a life change. An enjoyable adventure.
This graphic novel is a fun story, relying heavily on the illustrations, which sometimes makes the storyline get lost. A couple of chapters end abruptly, and sometimes points of view change within a couple of pages. But those reading closely will be able to catch on quickly. And anyone complaining that graphic novels are too simple, this one has a few different dialects to translate into English! ("An' if yeh thinksh that chit uva girl'sh gonna be 'lected cap'n, yer dafter than oi thort.") Naifeh wrote the Courtney Crumrin books, and this heroine is very similar in her courage and temperament, though Polly is a little more reluctant to accept a life change. An enjoyable adventure.
September 28, 2012
Polly is away at boarding school. One of her friends is very adventurous and the other one is a goody two shoes tattle tale. When Polly is abducted by pirates who claim her mother was the pirate queen and they believe she can lead them to her mother's treasure, Polly does everything in her power to try and maintain her reputation. Of course once she has maintained her reputation she realizes that she may have called her honor into question. This leads Polly to step up and help both the pirates and herself in ways that are unexpected to her but the others clearly knew was there.
I absolutely loved this. I loved the illustration style which I think keeps the story from getting too serious. There is great adventure here and character development. I love watching Polly learn about honor vs reputation. I also wish I could find the next volume because I would love to know how the conversation with Polly's father ended. I also liked what the Pirate Queen's treasure was. I thought that was very sweet although it does seem to imply that Polly's mother did not in fact die in child birth.
I absolutely loved this. I loved the illustration style which I think keeps the story from getting too serious. There is great adventure here and character development. I love watching Polly learn about honor vs reputation. I also wish I could find the next volume because I would love to know how the conversation with Polly's father ended. I also liked what the Pirate Queen's treasure was. I thought that was very sweet although it does seem to imply that Polly's mother did not in fact die in child birth.
March 21, 2009
In my review of The Good Neighbors, I said that I preferred Ted Naifeh's work when he was being a little more cartoon-y. This is a perfect example.
Polly and the Pirates is half boy's adventure novel (only also for girls) and half console RPG. If it were a video game, it would be by the team behind Rhapsody, Disgaea, and La Pucelle Tactics. If you're familiar with those titles, that probably tells you everything you need to know.
It's also perfect. The characters, the art, the adventure. Everything about it is a joy. Seldom have I read anything that gave me such unalloyed pleasure. Highest possible recommendation.
Polly and the Pirates is half boy's adventure novel (only also for girls) and half console RPG. If it were a video game, it would be by the team behind Rhapsody, Disgaea, and La Pucelle Tactics. If you're familiar with those titles, that probably tells you everything you need to know.
It's also perfect. The characters, the art, the adventure. Everything about it is a joy. Seldom have I read anything that gave me such unalloyed pleasure. Highest possible recommendation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews