Nightmares & Fairy Tales, Volume 3: 1140 Rue Royale

Nightmares & Fairy Tales #3

by Serena Valentino, Crab Scrambly (Illustrator)

This tale belongs to the dead and the house they dwell in. Madame Lalaurie inflicted unspeakable acts upon her slaves at 1140 Rue Royale, and now their tortured souls are seeking revenge on the house's new occupants: an elderly woman named Victoria and her young niece Rebecca. Rebecca must fight for their lives as she learns of the house's horrifying past, encounters monstrous nuns with a deadly secret in the attic and becomes possessed by one of the spirits in her new home.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Historical Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2007

About the author

Serena Valentino is best known for weaving tales that combine mythos and guile with her work on the comic book series GloomCookie and Nightmares & Fairy Tales, and her best selling Disney Villain Novels which have earned her critical acclaim for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty and extraordinary female protagonists.

Her Disney Villain novel series would be best enjoyed if read in this order: Fairest of All: The Story of the Wicked Queen, The Beast Within: The Story of Belle’s Prince, Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch, Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy. Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch and The Odd Sisters: A Villains Book to be released in Summer 2019. Book 7 will be out Summer 2020, Book 8 summer of 2021, and Book 9 Summer of 2022.

Serena lives in New Orleans with her dog Gozer, and a very tiny kitty named Momma.



Contact: Serena@serenavalentino.com

Reviews

[Nicolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book because it was published by Slave Labor Graphics, a purveyor of independent graphic novel titles that carry mature themes. I am a great fan of superhero comics, but I'm always eager to expand my tastes beyond the ordinary.

This is the third volume of a series of books by Serena Valentino of macabre tales of the supernatural. I am not familiar with the preceding volumes and I probably won't be unless I find those books in a bargain shelf in the the near future.

The story has a Tim Burtonesque appeal, which is embodied by the sequential art by Crab Scrambly. His emaciated character figures are clearly inspired by the Burton opus, The Nightmare Before Christmas. The story is spooky, it tells of an old house haunted by the spirits of the tortured victims of its former occupants. They've laid down quietly, but restlessly and easily awakened when an old woman and her niece come to live among them.

This being the third in a series, I may have missed a lot of references to the prior volumes. The convent the aunt and niece seek sanctuary has a dark secret its own, and I got never understand why it was necessary for that twisted order of nuns to exist and their connection to the old woman.

Still this was a light and easy read. The torture scenes were dampened a bit because the art was a bit cartoony, but the suffering was pretty evident in the victims' faces.

[Kore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This comic book was really fun to read. I now need to find the other volumes and add them to my collection. The writing and illustrations all the way down to each panel remind me of another writer/artist whom I absolutely love, his name is Roman Dirge, he created Lenore. It’s awesome to find gems like this which you know may be inspired by Tim Burton and when you read them you are never disappointed. So if you like Tim Burton check out Serena Valentino’s story writing and Crab Scrambly’s artwork, I promise you will not be disappointed. 10/10

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully scary!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another take on Madame Lalaurie and all her horrific crimes. To be creeped out and sad, the impact of this one is definitely felt. But the "twist" was predictable and the motivations of the various ghostly people were oddly uneven. I don't even know what the nuns were about. Could have been good, but left me cold in the end.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-CycleAn odd tale of darkness and revenge.Overall, I thought the story was just okay. I didn't find it very original and much of it was very confusing. Some aspects relied too heavily on the artwork in furthering the story, making it vague and unclear at times. The "twist" at the end was very predictable, so much so that I picked up on it when first introduced to the character and thought it was supposed to be known the whole time. It was a very obvious choice and not very creative.Also, the whole nun storyline could have been excluded. It didn't really add to the overall story and just made things more confusing. This book tried to do a little too much and was unable to execute it all well. It tried combining too many aspects of horror and scary stories (ghosts, possession, torture, creepy convent) that just resulted in a bit of a mess.However, the artwork is splendid. The story itself was a strong 2 stars, but I bumped my rating up to 3 stars solely for the artwork. I love the eeriness and creepy feel of every page. The artwork is just fantastic. It definitely elevates the story and I really enjoyed it. But the story just wasn't strong enough to make it a very interesting read.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stylistically I enjoyed this graphic novel very much to the point I'm going to seek out more of Crab Scrambly's work. The story line itself was an interesting premise grounded in history but I think the execution was a bit disjointed. It is a quick read so if you like the macabre then it is worth it.

[Emily Stiffler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible illustrations and what a story. I enjoyed this graphic interpretation on the tale of Madame Delphine Lalaurie. I should have seen the twist but I was so engulfed by the illustrations and storytelling that I didn’t necessarily see it coming. I also liked the ending and how the author was able to twist the story to give the slaves peace in the end.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Serena Valentinon "1140 Rue Royale" (SLG Publishing, 2007) on löyhästi tositapahtumiin perustuva kummitusjuttu, joka ei jaksa hetkauttaa sen enempää sekavan tarinansa kuin Tim Burton -vaikutteisen taiteensa puolesta. Lalaurie Mansionin tragedia olisi tarjonnut ainekset kiinnostavampaan tarinaan.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A graphic novel set in an older house that is haunted and has plans for any new inhabitants or visitors.Young Rebecca learns its past and does what she needs to to try to make it out alive.Creative artwork.It reminded me of the Corpse Bride.The same era I believe.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be in my top 3 favorite GNs of all time. Absolutely loved the artwork. The story was gross and horrifying--even worse it's based on something that actually happened--but dang did the author get those victims their well-deserved justice!

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great subject matter, ok treatment.

[Jessica Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter and stylistically, I enjoyed 1140 Rue Royale but the execution was a bit lacking.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this is all one story and love what it's based on! Really good read and as always great characters and artwork

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is, as far as I can recall, the first thing I have read by Serena Valentino (as I have not yet read Gloom Cookie) and certainly the first entry of Nightmares & Fairy Tales. While the series in general is an anthology title, with different stories in each issue, this third volume collecting issues #13-18 contains a full six-issue arc (the only one in the whole series, if I am not mistaken), which deals with an old woman, Victoria, and her young niece, Rebecca, who move into a house on 1140 Rue Royale in Antebellum New Orleans. The house is haunted by the slaves who perished there, gruesomely, at the hands of Delphine Lalaurie, and they now seek to balance the scales with just retribution.

Valentino has carefully crafted the plot of the narrative and Crab Scrambly brings it hauntingly to life with his black and white art, which is both cartoonish and heavily infused with Victorian Gothic.

I am not entirely sure what I expected from the book, but I enjoyed it and I would not mind reading previous volumes to see how the shorter stories are.

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serena Valentino's wonderfully macabre series Nightmares & Fairytales takes a different turn in this volume. Where previous volumes had several different stories per chapter, all tied in by the tortured tale teller Annabelle, this story takes up the entire volume & is told in first person by the main character. (Annabelle makes a cameo, but isn't really in this volume.)

The story surrounds Rebecca and her aunt Victoria as they move into a beautiful & spooky old mansion in the heart of New Orleans. Soon after they move in however, ghosts start to haunt them... with aunt Victoria as their main target. With ghosts around every corner & a troop of menacingly demonic seeming nuns, Rebecca will be hard pressed to keep her wits (and her skin) about her!

Like other users have said, this volume takes a bit of getting used to. Not only is the storytelling so drastically different, but the artwork is also quite different from the last two volumes. The artwork in this volume is more broody & gothic, which frankly suits the story much better than if they were to have kept the more lighthearted stylings of the previous volumes. The storyline is the biggest change, with it stretching over one whole volume as opposed to the usual one chapter. While this serves the story very well, at the same time there's a few areas it seemed like the plotline was stretched a little too thin for all of the chapters. Still, the flaws of this volume are very thin & most fans will enjoy this volume. Some fans will miss the fairytale edge of the last few volumes, but most will be willing to give this volume the chance it deserves.

[Sarai · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Booklist
Victorian-era New Orleans is the setting for this chilling ghost story. It starts, as so many such stories do, with a house. Rebecca moves into it with her aunt Victoria, and it doesn't take long at all for the pair to suspect that the rumors of haunting ghosts might be true. Frightened and tormented by the spirits of slaves murdered by their owners, Rebecca is drawn into a mystery that reveals the history of not only the house but also her aunt. The third Nightmares & Fairy Tales arc sparkles with gothy spookiness. Valentino's unhurried storytelling allows readers to get caught up in the tale and the atmosphere of 1140 Rue Royale. Scrambly's art--lots of crosshatched shadows and Tim Burton-esque angles--complements the narrative with a dark ambience and stylish exaggeration that are reminiscent of Edward Gorey.

I enjoyed this and will be looking for others in the series. I did not realize this was the third until I just read the summary above. I also did not know ahead of time that the story was set in New Orleans, but when I started to read it and saw the art, I knew immediately. New Orleans' aura and kind of gothic spookiness is captured perfectly in the drawings. Good read.

[Nicole Bunge · Rating 4 out of 5]

***UPDATE- Finally found a show that details the historical events from this story! I.D. Channel's "Deadly Women" series - Season 1 - Episode 1 - "Obsession." It's streaming on Netflix (and occasionally rerun on t.v.)
The woman's name is Delphine LaLaurie. ***

I enjoy Valentino's "Nightmares & Fairy Tales" comics, they put the fear back in fairytales- a la the original Grimm & Anderson stories. This was no exception.
Based partially on historical events (which I'm going to have to research now), the story takes place in antebellum New Orleans.
This is not for the faint of heart. It begins with enough whimsy & sweetness (for a 'ghost' story) but gets... frankly, very close to "House of 1000 Corpses" via the artwork of Edward Gorey*. (It takes a lot to turn my stomach - this did it.)
*Artwork is actually by Crab Scrambly- which is awesome.

[Izlinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I explicitly am giving spoilers, but some may figure out what will happen if they read my review before they read this book.

This was a very dark story line. It basically jumps straight into the action, though the fainting scenes got a little repetitive, though they did give valuable visions of the past. I suppose that may have been another expository technique besides the coachman telling them horror tales of the house at 1140 Rue Royale.

Some questions were left unanswered about characters in the town. I got a little frustrated with Rebecca near the end because I had already figured out what had happened, but this is a YA book so maybe I'm giving myself too much credit. :-P

[erry · Rating 2 out of 5]

selingan diantara meede n my name is red yg ga kelar2. ini komik apa novel grafis ya?? gw ga tau bedanya. yg pasti ini adalah buku cerita bergambar...he3x :D
dari judulnya udah nightmare. gw baca malem2, malem jum'at pula.bikin gw ga bisa tidur. lumayan serem, atau lebih tepat kalo dibilang penuh adegan kekerasan, penyiksaan (klo dibikin versi fim banyak sensornya). walaupun gambarnya ga terlalu bagus bin aneh. maklum, gw kan penggemar manga2 jepang yg gambarnya bagus tapi ga realis :P
secara keseluruhan...lumayanlah. not too bad

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this has been my favorite of the series. I found the take on the story of Madame LaLaurie and the Old Ursuline Convent quite interesting if a bit incomplete feeling. A few more direct answers would have been appreciated, but it doesn't really take away from the overall effect of the story to leave so much implied and suggested instead of spelled out completely.
The art was the most consistent so far and was vaguely reminiscent of Edward Goery, it felt like an homage to his work.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delphine Lalaurie was a slave owner who tortured and murdered her slaves in her house at 1140 Rue Royale. Many years later, when new owners, elderly Victoria and her niece Rebecca, move into the house, the trapped spirits awaken and seek revenge.

Rebecca gradually learns about the house's gruesome history and sets out to help the spirits rest in peace at last.

I loved the illustrations, but found the storyline a bit hard to follow.

[HeavyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another book that I picked up on a whim at work. The story is based on a true New Orleans event, but I didn't even realize that until I actually started reading the book. The art is just incredible! WOW! The whole package is very macabre, but also very lovely in a way. I can't even explain it, but fans of art and death should check it out for sure.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty cool. Really the art saved it though. The story was interesting if a little sparse. The "surprise" ending was surprising enough, although I can't say that it didn't strike me as one of the possibilities. I wouldn't go out looking to buy these but definitely worth a read for free (from the library).

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, grizzly, gory, lovely. The main character moves into a house in New Orleans with her aunt that's haunted by the slaves who were murdered by their master. Ze moral of ze story: thy sins shall return upon thee. In a very horrible manner!

[Earline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this book looked gothy so I picked it up and was not disappointed. Haunted houses, evil nuns killing babies, blood dripping out of everything, AMAZING artwork, what more could you want? I will definitely seek out the earlier volumes of this series.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art and to an extent was Tim Burton style creepy. It's more so because it has a real historical premise. It's well written and quite horrifying, but when something like this happens to people, I feel like I don't have the luxury of ignoring or forgetting it to make myself feel better.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the artwork, which is creepy, macabre and Victorian. As is usual with me and graphic novels, I did not understand what was going on much of the time, but I got the gist of the story. I enjoyed the presence of a doll.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different from the first two books, this is one longer story rather than a series of short stories. It was a fascinating tale, and I like that it fleshed out the background of a story from book 1.

[Mira Domsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A twisted little tale of hauntings and revenge from beyond the grave. The illustrations say so much more than the words, and the story is so strange that it could only be based on the truth.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. It was a quick read while in the bookstore. I wouldn't recommend buying it, but if you'd like a short ghost story, it was an alright read.