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Crogan Adventures #1
Crogan's Vengeance
The debut volume in an ongoing series of historical adventures focusing on the various branches of the fictional Crogan Family Tree. In CROGAN'S VENGEANCE, "Catfoot" Crogan is an able-bodied mariner plying his trade for a dastardly "legitimate" captain with a grudge against Crogan for a slight committed well before he was born. But when his ship is taken by pirates, will Crogan stay loyal to his law-abiding, if despicable, captain or will he find a new life on the high seas living by the "Pirate's Code"?
189 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 22, 2021
Schweizer's first book in what looks to be a continuing series, so I'll cut him some slack and round up from 3.5 - but not nearly as good as his follow-up, Last of the Legion, (although that may be partly due to my having much greater interest in the Foreign Legion and North Africa than in "Pirates of the Caribbean").
August 14, 2021
This wonderful tale took me back to Treasure Island; it reminded me of The Mutiny on Board Hms Bounty; had all the humor of (the better) Pirates of the Caribbean movies - fun summer book that has some important observations on the difference between formal/informal authority - wonderful art - child friendly - highest recommendation.
August 29, 2024
I was excited to see my local library had a 2015 volume of The Crogan Adventures that I hadn't seen before, but then I opened the cover and found it was actually a retitled and revised version of the first graphic novel I had read in 2009, now with color and slightly revised art and lettering.
Oh, well. There are worse things than being tricked into reading a good book a second time.
Catfoot Crogan finds himself on a ship in the West Indies in 1701 with a captain who has it in for him. All the stuff you expect in a naval adventure are here: a big storm, a brewing mutiny, pirates, and cannon broadsides galore.
Fun and exciting!
I'm sad that this series only lasted three volumes, but in researching this review, I discovered that Chris Schweizer has released a free PDF of the unfinished version of the never-to-be-published fourth volume: Crogan's Escape. I'll be checking that out soon.
Oh, well. There are worse things than being tricked into reading a good book a second time.
Catfoot Crogan finds himself on a ship in the West Indies in 1701 with a captain who has it in for him. All the stuff you expect in a naval adventure are here: a big storm, a brewing mutiny, pirates, and cannon broadsides galore.
Fun and exciting!
I'm sad that this series only lasted three volumes, but in researching this review, I discovered that Chris Schweizer has released a free PDF of the unfinished version of the never-to-be-published fourth volume: Crogan's Escape. I'll be checking that out soon.
October 4, 2014
Crogan's Vengence
BY:Chris Schweizer
In Crogan's Vengence by Chris Schweizer, the story line is very simple. Basically, there is this guy named "Catfoot" Crogan who is enslaved on a ship until pirates come aboard and stab their captain. That's when Catfoot jumps overboard and promises he will have vengence.Through the plot events, we see the author's message that vengence is not the answer. We understand this theme through events such as when Catfoot seeks revenge by going to find Tom Dander who can help him.Some of the important points that prove this message are when Catfoot and Tom Dander go to see the Govener of Kingsport who is in charge of a docking bay. An important qoute from the book that reinforces the theme is "Like i said Vengence be a fools game, and ill have no part in it." on page 138. This is important because Tom Dander is telling Catfoot you shouldn't try to get revenge.This book is very interesting because it is a page turner, and is very addictive. I couldn't put it down. It keeps you interested I guarantee you won't get tired of reading it. Although this was a fast read, it is worth the time because it teaches you the revenge is not the answer to any problem.
April 3, 2010
It starts a little moralistic, but quickly gets past then an on to an gripping adventure on the high seas. Crogan is a young sailor who's persecuted for his family history by an insane round-head captain. Soon, their ship is attacked by pirates and Crogan makes some decisions that save himself and the crew, but have troubling implications further along the story. There are lessons to be learned here, but they aren't simple or sugary. People get hurt and people are killed. These are pirates, not priests. Overall, a story I took a chance on and was pleased with the results.
Allegedly, this is only the first in a series of Crogan books to come. If the pictures on the flypapers of Crogan and his descendants are any indication, we should be in for some excellent adventures.
Allegedly, this is only the first in a series of Crogan books to come. If the pictures on the flypapers of Crogan and his descendants are any indication, we should be in for some excellent adventures.
September 18, 2017
I loved the premise of this series. A dad try's to teach lessons to his two sons by telling them stories of their distant relatives and how they had to go through some relevant adventure. Not only did I love the premise but also the execution. This is a really good swashbuckling tale of pirates and morality. I must recommend this.
July 11, 2017
Great flow to the story, with a charismatic lead. Having the 'true story' aspect makes it more engaging, with relatability to the young kid hearing the story about his ancestor. The illustrations are well done, the characters easy to keep track of. I want to read more in the series!
July 11, 2019
I liked it.
December 3, 2009
Reason for Reading: Cybils nominee.
Summary: The first in a proposed series to chronicle the adventures of the fathers and sons of a family throughout history. This book tells the story of how "Catfoot" Crogan became a pirate, starting off as an honest sailor.
Comments: This is a book for boys; there is not a single female character in sight and that's all right because the world aboard a 1701 English sailing ship is no place a woman would be found. All the horrible aspects of sailing life are experienced as the ship is captained by a madman reverend who will punish, whip or shoot anyone who he even thinks has been insubordinate to him. Then the swashbuckling action starts as they are met and boarded by pirates, from this point on the book is a series of rip-roaring action.
While we follow the adventures of Crogan there is another side here and the reason for the tale in the first place. The story is being told by a father to his son who has just been through a situation where he got in trouble because rather than fleeing the scene he made a moral decision to do the right thing. The story of "Catfish" is the story of a sailor dragged into the violent world of pirates, a man who participates in that violence, and yet retains a moral code he won't step over. That may sound a little preachy written out in words like that but the book is not by any means. Crogan is the good guy and it just shows in the way he acts and reacts.
Boys are certain to eat this one up and any girl who loves a good dose of swashbuckling action will too. The teen rating is due to the plethora of violence (what can you expect with pirates) though none of it is gory or overly disturbing. A really fun, engrossing, well-written yarn.
Summary: The first in a proposed series to chronicle the adventures of the fathers and sons of a family throughout history. This book tells the story of how "Catfoot" Crogan became a pirate, starting off as an honest sailor.
Comments: This is a book for boys; there is not a single female character in sight and that's all right because the world aboard a 1701 English sailing ship is no place a woman would be found. All the horrible aspects of sailing life are experienced as the ship is captained by a madman reverend who will punish, whip or shoot anyone who he even thinks has been insubordinate to him. Then the swashbuckling action starts as they are met and boarded by pirates, from this point on the book is a series of rip-roaring action.
While we follow the adventures of Crogan there is another side here and the reason for the tale in the first place. The story is being told by a father to his son who has just been through a situation where he got in trouble because rather than fleeing the scene he made a moral decision to do the right thing. The story of "Catfish" is the story of a sailor dragged into the violent world of pirates, a man who participates in that violence, and yet retains a moral code he won't step over. That may sound a little preachy written out in words like that but the book is not by any means. Crogan is the good guy and it just shows in the way he acts and reacts.
Boys are certain to eat this one up and any girl who loves a good dose of swashbuckling action will too. The teen rating is due to the plethora of violence (what can you expect with pirates) though none of it is gory or overly disturbing. A really fun, engrossing, well-written yarn.
June 6, 2015
Eric find himself in trouble because of going back to fix a problem he and his friends caused at a neighbor’s house. As he talks to his dad about it, his dad shares a story about one of their ancestors, Cat-Foot Crogan, who faced a similar dilemma…
The captain of the ship Cat Foot Crogan is shipmate of has a grudge towards Crogan because he and his grandfather had political differences. The captain constantly accuses Crogan of being arrogant and mocking him when in fact, Crogan does all he can to prove the opposite while at the same time doing what he feels is right. The ship gets taken over by pirates, and Cat Foot Crogan again finds himself the target of unfair treatment and has to prove himself and right any wrongs he is involved in.
This graphic novel was a quick read with plenty of swashbuckling action and adventure: pirates, sword fighting, sharks, greed, gunfights, etc. and will impress a tween and teen audience (especially boys). I would have loved to see this graphic novel in color, but understand that it would just make the price of the book higher, and the illustrations still served their purpose in telling the story. I also liked the idea of the graphic novel being part of a series in which the adventure will continue about another ancestor- this novel however, works well as a standalone read too.
(2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens)
The captain of the ship Cat Foot Crogan is shipmate of has a grudge towards Crogan because he and his grandfather had political differences. The captain constantly accuses Crogan of being arrogant and mocking him when in fact, Crogan does all he can to prove the opposite while at the same time doing what he feels is right. The ship gets taken over by pirates, and Cat Foot Crogan again finds himself the target of unfair treatment and has to prove himself and right any wrongs he is involved in.
This graphic novel was a quick read with plenty of swashbuckling action and adventure: pirates, sword fighting, sharks, greed, gunfights, etc. and will impress a tween and teen audience (especially boys). I would have loved to see this graphic novel in color, but understand that it would just make the price of the book higher, and the illustrations still served their purpose in telling the story. I also liked the idea of the graphic novel being part of a series in which the adventure will continue about another ancestor- this novel however, works well as a standalone read too.
(2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens)
October 9, 2016
Swashbuckling action on ships in the 1700s Carribean, evil pirates, and some good pirates with ambiguous moral choices, a lightfooted hero, and a few sharks and storms at sea... this book has everything you need in a graphic novel about pirate adventure!
Crogan, a simple sailor with a good heart, is pressed into a pirate gang and has to keep his wits about him to stay on the winning side when pirates turn against each other.
I love the artwork (very comic style), and the action, but the characters and plot are what really pull this story forward.
Crogan is a wonderful character, because he is not the "perfect" hero, but has his own moral code of goodness and justice that he relies on to give him direction in some very sticky situations where right and wrong blend into gray. When you're dealing with pirates, who have their own laws and sense of fairness, the hero has some difficult choices to make, but Crogan is tough enough to handle anything they throw at him.
The plot rolls along with barely a stop, and every circumstance flows into the next with beautiful harmony, weaving a story of betrayal, murder, plunder, and ultimately "vengeance". But it's all clean pirate fun, so this book would be great for kids!
Crogan, a simple sailor with a good heart, is pressed into a pirate gang and has to keep his wits about him to stay on the winning side when pirates turn against each other.
I love the artwork (very comic style), and the action, but the characters and plot are what really pull this story forward.
Crogan is a wonderful character, because he is not the "perfect" hero, but has his own moral code of goodness and justice that he relies on to give him direction in some very sticky situations where right and wrong blend into gray. When you're dealing with pirates, who have their own laws and sense of fairness, the hero has some difficult choices to make, but Crogan is tough enough to handle anything they throw at him.
The plot rolls along with barely a stop, and every circumstance flows into the next with beautiful harmony, weaving a story of betrayal, murder, plunder, and ultimately "vengeance". But it's all clean pirate fun, so this book would be great for kids!
January 22, 2011
Summary: To entertain and illustrate a moral to his young son, a father tells the story of their ancestor Catfoot Crogan, a turn-of-the-18th-century pirate! Crogan begins as an honest sailor but is impressed into a pirate ship's crew, where he witnesses all manner of bloodshed, mayhem, and mutiny.
Verdict: It shivered me timbers! That's fake-pirate-talk for, awesome!
Yay!: Crogan could kick Jack Sparrow's butt all the way to world's end. The art is black and white but easy to follow. Somehow it manages to be cute and serious at the same time. The story packs a heavy wallop with violence, vengeance, moral questions, and general swashbucklery. Crogan is a hothead with easily offended honor, but he's also a standup young guy that the reader will root for.
Nay!: I'm not sure the frame story of the father and child is necessary. Crogan doesn't need a preface or an excuse!
Also: Why didn't my dad tell me pirate stories? All I ever got was a lecture and sent to my room.
Verdict: It shivered me timbers! That's fake-pirate-talk for, awesome!
Yay!: Crogan could kick Jack Sparrow's butt all the way to world's end. The art is black and white but easy to follow. Somehow it manages to be cute and serious at the same time. The story packs a heavy wallop with violence, vengeance, moral questions, and general swashbucklery. Crogan is a hothead with easily offended honor, but he's also a standup young guy that the reader will root for.
Nay!: I'm not sure the frame story of the father and child is necessary. Crogan doesn't need a preface or an excuse!
Also: Why didn't my dad tell me pirate stories? All I ever got was a lecture and sent to my room.
January 7, 2011
The only thing I liked more than Crogan's Vengence is the concept of the series: a man with a very extensive family tree telling the stories of his adventurous family to his kids. There's a definite "moral" or "lesson" in this book, and I'd assume it follows in the later volumes of the series (note from the future: it does), but it was handled well without being too heavy-handed.
Crogan's Vengence specifically concerns one of the earliest members of the Crogan family, the pirate Catfoot Crogan, who never wanted to be a pirate in the first place, as he sails the Spanish Main. I would have aimed this series at middle grade due to the ages of the modern-day Crogan kids, but looking at a couple reviews to refresh my memory it seems the recommendations skew a bit older. Definitely recommended!
Crogan's Vengence specifically concerns one of the earliest members of the Crogan family, the pirate Catfoot Crogan, who never wanted to be a pirate in the first place, as he sails the Spanish Main. I would have aimed this series at middle grade due to the ages of the modern-day Crogan kids, but looking at a couple reviews to refresh my memory it seems the recommendations skew a bit older. Definitely recommended!
August 29, 2017
I'm not usually into "cartoony' art. But that's why I subscribe to Comic Bento. So I can get comics that I normally wouldn't pick up for a great price. So the art wasn't my taste, but the story definitely was.
I really liked the adventure that took place in this book. It was fast-pased and the characters, especially Catfoot, were well developed.
I also really like how there is an entire series based off of a family tree of Crogan ancestors. The modern day Father tells his sons these stories to teach them valuable lessons about life as well as teaching them about where they came from.
This edition was in full color, which I really liked. In the introduction, the author explains that he had originally made this comic in black and white and it has now been adapted to color.
I really liked the adventure that took place in this book. It was fast-pased and the characters, especially Catfoot, were well developed.
I also really like how there is an entire series based off of a family tree of Crogan ancestors. The modern day Father tells his sons these stories to teach them valuable lessons about life as well as teaching them about where they came from.
This edition was in full color, which I really liked. In the introduction, the author explains that he had originally made this comic in black and white and it has now been adapted to color.
April 17, 2011
Rollicking adventure of Catfoot Crogan who reluctantly became a pirate in the 18th century. This is the first of a sixteen volume series chronicling the adventures of the Crogan men (and only men) as told by the present-world Dr. Crogan to his sons. Oh, there's supposedly a moral to all the stories but I hardly noticed what with all the buckling of swashes, firing of cannons and stabbing of a shark. Well the moral was that even when you're in dire circumstances you must still do the right thing even at the risk of your personal loss or injury. Or something like that.
The art is cartoonish which may turn off some people but I love it.
The art is cartoonish which may turn off some people but I love it.
May 27, 2012
brief notes for bigger review later (maybe): this is the first book in a series about Crogan's family and it's framed as a father telling his sons aspects of the family's history. It does have some morals to it, but mostly they're morals about being true to yourself (or in the case of pirates being true to the code.) The characters are well rounded and the story is engaging, especially to young male readers (there aren't any female characters, but that's to be expected due to the time period and location of the setting.) I also particularly like Chris's artwork, it's relatively simple line work, but it allows for some great facial expressions to the characters.
September 12, 2011
This is the first book in what will hopefully be an extensive series; the framing device is a father tells his children about their adventurous ancestors, and valuable lessons their lives illustrate. In Vengeance, we meet 'Catfoot' Crogan, a sailor who is forced into piracy by some really horrendous bad luck. From here Crogan has to make some terrible choices, but always stays true to trying to do the right thing, which pays off in the end. There are lots of fun sword fights, crazy storms, and pirate battles on the way. I dug Schweizer's very cartoon-y style, but I could see how it would rub some folks the wrong way. Looks to be a inheritor to classic adventure series like Tintin, fun!
July 12, 2016
A fun historical graphic novel series for about 4-7th graders. Each book in the Crogan Adventures tells the story of a member of the Crogan family - Crogan's Vengeance concerns a pirate. This one was my favorite and in my opinion the most fun. Each title starts with the present day Crogan kids fighting or something of that nature, and their father tells them a story about their ancestors (who were all somehow super interesting guys!).
December 7, 2017
This book was very good I felt involved in the story. It was about a boy who learned abut his ancestors who were pirates. His ancestors are on a boat with a horrible captain. They all agree on the boat that the captain is horrible. So one day a guy on the ship gets sick and then the captain calls him up for work. The pirates got mad. Then other pirates find the ship and take it over. That was the end of the Crogan legacy for then.
October 8, 2012
This is the start of a great series. I recommend this for anyone looking for a good graphic novel kids who are in upper elementary to middle school. From what I can tell of this book and the second in the series, Schweizer embeds different character lessons, but he does so without being preachy. The stories are action-packed, but full of depth and each character is rounded out nicely.
May 12, 2013
Young Shannon would have gobbled up this whole series. I picked this up because one of the newer books was an Eisner nominee this year and I figured I'd start at the first book. A bit violent for my 2nd/3rd graders, but nothing excessive, and the pirate does try to do the right thing as much as a pirate can.
June 3, 2017
Another pull from the graphic novel section of the library, another light, fun read. Schweizer's artistic stylings are solid, wit nice clean line work and good panel composition. The idea of a series of these familial historical vignettes is deeply appealing, especially if they are all as good as this one.
August 26, 2017
A fun, all-ages book about a young man who finds himself a pirate and has to live the swashbuckling lifestyle with some sense of honor he never had before. As told by a father to his son, apparently there have been Crogans having adventures for centuries. Catfish is just one of them, and this was simply a fun book put together well.
February 6, 2019
I do love me some swashbuckling, sea-worthy historical fiction. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to reading this. I've read book 3 in the series (Crogan's Loyalty) but I'm going to re-read it and also read the 2nd in the series (Crogan's March).
August 29, 2018
Maybe 4.5.
Wonderful, characterful artwork. Every character was fully developed just by look. The writing was also well crafted in that it revolved around moral/ethical choices by the characters.
Wonderful, characterful artwork. Every character was fully developed just by look. The writing was also well crafted in that it revolved around moral/ethical choices by the characters.
September 10, 2018
Very enjoyable swashbuckling tale!
November 20, 2021
This was a little young for me but I liked it. The parts with the contemporary family in the beginning were...nice, but not something I expected from a pirate adventure, and started off the story on a bit of a boring note. This isn't something I'd go out of my way to read but if my library had more volumes I might pick up the next one. I do really like the family tree on the front page, I hope he eventually makes a story about Ben Crogan, the gunfighter, since I like wild west stuff a lot. That's something I might ask the library to pick up! Ultimately this gets a 3 and not a 2 because I do like pirates and the art was fun.
February 14, 2020
I would recommend reading this book because it’s really funny and I feel like kids at least my age and a little bit younger would love this book because of the setting and the whole pirates theme thingy.
I also like the character D’OR in the book because I feel like he’s a savage who doesn’t fear anything , and I feel like if I was to be one of the characters in the book The Crogan Adventures “catfoot’s vengeance” I would be D’OR because I have a I don’t care what other people think mentality just like the character D’OR.
I also like the character D’OR in the book because I feel like he’s a savage who doesn’t fear anything , and I feel like if I was to be one of the characters in the book The Crogan Adventures “catfoot’s vengeance” I would be D’OR because I have a I don’t care what other people think mentality just like the character D’OR.
November 11, 2023
Então, sabe aquela série que não é lá das melhores, mas tem um protagonista carismático que se envolve em várias confusões; a vibe é essa.
Catfoot Crogan é uma marinheiro que vira pirata, se mete num monte de confusões, acaba se tornando um corsário - uma espécie de pirata legal da marinha britânica na época da guerra com a Espanha, ou algo assim. Não tem nada de particular, mas é bobinho, divertido, violento cartunescamente, ótimo para ler num sábado de tarde com uma xícara de café e, possivelmente, uma massagem nos pés.
Mas, de vez em quando, só tem um quadrinho divertido mesmo.
Catfoot Crogan é uma marinheiro que vira pirata, se mete num monte de confusões, acaba se tornando um corsário - uma espécie de pirata legal da marinha britânica na época da guerra com a Espanha, ou algo assim. Não tem nada de particular, mas é bobinho, divertido, violento cartunescamente, ótimo para ler num sábado de tarde com uma xícara de café e, possivelmente, uma massagem nos pés.
Mas, de vez em quando, só tem um quadrinho divertido mesmo.
April 13, 2021
I really liked the idea of the framing story being a family's trove of family history, pulled out to support special moments or moral lessons the family wants to carry on. The art was lively and good, and I can see this being popular.
I'm terrible at graphic novels so it was a bit hard for me to follow the action sometimes. This is completely a me problem!
I'm terrible at graphic novels so it was a bit hard for me to follow the action sometimes. This is completely a me problem!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews