{"id":35149,"date":"2026-03-27T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T09:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=35149"},"modified":"2026-03-26T19:04:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:04:33","slug":"pandora-in-puzzlevale-volume-2-call-of-the-crow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2026\/03\/27\/pandora-in-puzzlevale-volume-2-call-of-the-crow\/","title":{"rendered":"Pandora in Puzzlevale: (volume 2) Call of the Crow"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Paul Duffield<\/strong>, Poqu<\/strong>, Siobhan McKenna<\/strong> & various (DFB\/Phoenix)<\/p>\n

ISBN: 978-1-78845-3769 (TPB)<\/p>\n

These days, kids are more likely to find their formative strip narrative experiences online or in specially tailored graphic novels than the anthological, pick \u2018n\u2019 mix of pictorial periodicals that defined my long-dead youth. Such was not always the case, but at least comics like The Phoenix<\/strong> are still plugging away, blending the best of the old days with modern appurtenances of all types, just like this splendid sequel saga, culled from the sagacious periodical\u2019s pages.<\/p>\n

Pandora in Puzzlevale: The Secret Town<\/a><\/strong> debuted a comic strip mystery that progressed as our plucky protagonist solved assorted tests and conundra to recover the parents who had vanished from her side as they all enjoyed a little road trip.<\/p>\n

It began as the aspiring crimebuster and Detective Crow<\/strong> C<\/strong> fan was dragged from her comic long enough to realise the tedious drive to their holiday home had been paused. Although the route to the much-anticipated \u201csecrets-themed\u201d village seemed straightforward, the road was long, winding and confusing. When heavy mists descended and the satnav packed in, Mum & Dad pulled up at a petrol station for directions. Engrossed in reading, Pandora eventually looked up to discover she was all alone. Her parents were gone\u2026<\/p>\n

Her catalogue of confusion and casebook of ratiocinative deduction filled up quickly as she was drawn into a schema apparently designed to test her physical and mental abilities. That meant taking up precarious residence in a strange hamlet with all odd cons: somewhere everyone had a secret that they wouldn\u2019t share unless Pandora played their games…<\/p>\n

In case you\u2019re still wondering, this book – like its predecessor – is all about active participation. By accessing these pages and selecting an action at a critical moment in each episode, you\/Pandora are directed to another page to experience the ramifications of that choice. The final objective is still to find the folks uncover the nested truths of the village… and escape Puzzlevale… but it\u2019s you who will be doing the work.<\/p>\n

In-world, seemingly helpful people are plentiful in the mist-shrouded village – like fortune tellers, tea shop staff, rambling bystanders and potential witness\/gossip Granny Garnett<\/em> and enigmatic rhymer Rita<\/em> Idyll<\/em>, but most welcoming and useful is a were-wolfly hotel clerk. Max\/Monster Max<\/em> is positively friendly but in truth everyone\u2019s motives and accounts are unverifiable and not to be trusted, so Pandora is ultimately left to fend for herself.
\n\"\"
\nAt least in this very strange and mutable place, she increasingly has Magically Real Detective Crow<\/em> by her side and steering her path, and relative stability in a room at local hotel The Veil. Pandora\u2019s methodology includes clue finding, location identification, map-making, maze-defeating, symbol deciphering, wordsearch weaving, witness statement verifying, code-breaking, rune reading, message translating, riddle-solving, character assessing, crossword completing, key & lock retrieving, object unearthing, back-story compiling and comparison testing as well as frequent odd behaviour explanation, with facts meticulously forming a working hypothesis and dictating her plan of action: all jotted down in her trusty, ever-present notebook. She needs all that and more, this time\u2026<\/p>\n

After a moody recap, the next morning sees Pandora and her crow companion reviewing the case and wishing the ever-encroaching mists would let up, before a querulous, decision-loaded morning learning the hotelier\u2019s secrets from Max\u2019s sister ensues. This belatedly occurs in The Grand Gardens<\/strong> of Blatherwick Manor<\/em>. However, getting to the silent sibling means foiling snooty question master\/butler Reeves<\/em>, and steadfast truth obstacle\/fount of knowledge Lord Blatherwick<\/em>…<\/p>\n

As unceasing enigmas unfold. Pandora and former fictional detective Crow Boy<\/em> join new ally (or is she?) Aunty Amethyst <\/em>in overcoming intellectual and physical challenges, but there are so many! She still hasn\u2019t solved the old ones, like why do the buildings shift, and why do so many wear masks and all-concealing costumes? It isn\u2019t long before she decides \u201cwhen in Rome…\u201d
\n\"\"
\nPandora\u2019s quest is divided into 25 sequential \u2018Mysteries\u2019<\/em> undertaken across four chapters – \u2018Trapped in Puzzlevale\u2019<\/em>, \u2018A Family Secret\u2019<\/em>, \u2018Bridging the Divide<\/em>, and \u2018To Raven City\u2019 <\/em>– each with its own set of tests and challenges contributing to a Big Picture solution, but even after Pandora completes them, she\u2019s left with more to solve and another weird path to follow\u2026<\/p>\n

Now with an abrupt hard-earned elevation to official status, magical transformation and the end in clear sight, how can this be anything but To Be Continued\u2026<\/p>\n

Pandora in Puzzlevale: Call of the Crow<\/strong> is the second in a serialised sleuth-fest offering a dazzling display of cartoon virtuosity and brain-busting challenges co-composed by writer\/art director Paul Duffield, graphic staging scenarist Poqu & illustrator Siobhan McKenna. Their compelling blend of Story! Games! & Action! offers beguiling mystery to be unravelled in the manner of multiple-choice decisions and all there in the irresistible shape of entertaining pictures. How much cooler can a book get?<\/p>\n

Well, quite a lot actually, since this tome devotes posterior pages to related activities and features offered under the aegis of the Phoenix Comics Club<\/strong>. Here are tips by Duffield & McKenna on \u2018Drawing Crow Boy\u2019<\/em>, \u2018Building blocks\u2019<\/em> to \u2018Final details\u2019<\/em> as well as how to craft puzzles, whilst Poqu shares constructing \u2018Secret woodland\u2019<\/em>, before we conclude with a full list of solutions, clues and hints in closing glimpses at \u2018The Final<\/em> Mystery\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Pandora\u2019s Notes\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

Bring paper, pencils and your intellectual A-game, and have the time of your life\u2026
\nText and illustrations \u00a9 The Phoenix Comic, 2026. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1893 Josette Frank<\/strong> was born. Go look her up now. She earned it. In 1901 Carl Barks<\/strong> was born. Absolutely him too.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not all worthied out, Hy Eisman<\/strong> (who walked in giants\u2019 footsteps on Popeye <\/strong>and Katzenjammer Kids<\/strong>) arrived in 1927 as did writer\/entrepreneur\/ publisher\/agent Mike Friedrich<\/strong> in 1947.<\/p>\n

We lost attorney, psychologist and Wonder Woman<\/strong> co-creator Elizabeth Holloway Marston<\/strong> today in 1993 – so look her up too – as well as Dick Giordano<\/strong> who died in 2010. Italian spaghetti westerner Leone Cimpellin<\/strong> AKA \u201cGhilbert<\/em><\/strong>\u201d (Red Carson<\/strong>, Casey Ruggles<\/strong>, Jonny Logan<\/strong>) bit his last bullet in 2017.<\/p>\n

In 1982 Eagle<\/strong> relaunched in Britain. It was pretty good, had lots of cool contributors, but just wasn\u2019t the same…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paul Duffield, Poqu, Siobhan McKenna & various (DFB\/Phoenix) ISBN: 978-1-78845-3769 (TPB) These days, kids are more likely to find their formative strip narrative experiences online or in specially tailored graphic novels than the anthological, pick \u2018n\u2019 mix of pictorial periodicals that defined my long-dead youth. Such was not always the case, but at least … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Pandora in Puzzlevale: (volume 2) Call of the Crow”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[109,291,42,97,396,225],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to-books","category-activity-book","category-best-of-british","category-kids-all-ages","category-monsters","category-mystery"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-98V","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35149"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35153,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35149\/revisions\/35153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}