The title of my review of Orchard of the Tame by Marlo Meekins and Nick Cross is that line from the book because it is funny and a counter to the rest of the book. There are several good one-liners here and there, but overall, the story is dark. Even sometimes physically, as the illustrations are all black with just some white spots. Or this could be because it was an online reader copy (by the time I publish this review, it should be available). There is talk of blue, so maybe at least that color will be used? Either way, they are clever images that set the tone of the story. They are mostly minimalistic, but even the wordless panels speak to what is happening. 
Which is fairly simple: River Siren is a mermaid that is trapped in what looks like an old bomb with a hatch. She has been there forever, being held captive by Ainsprid (a frog or toad-like creature. There is a sort of running joke with this is it a frog or toad thing). She is, of course, cruel, evil, always put upon and just not nice. She flies around in a cooking pot from the moon she lives on. The world she flies to looks as if humans have disappeared; or at least not in the area as the two bird characters, Crower and Birdt, are surprised to see what they think is a human upon finding River Siren. It is after River Siren leaves “home” to explore the “big bad world” (paging Mother Gothel in Disney’s Tangled please … .Paging Mother Gothel….) And yes, River Siren has the “Rapunzel Woes” (with two birds, Crowver and Birdt, instead of a chameleon).
I was a little over half way when I started writing my review. I then got over half way and the action was moving into the idea of River Siren going into a well to see if she can stop Ainsprid and help her new friends. The themes of fear, friendship, family, love along with the classical fairytale elements all come together up to this point and I’m really hoping things “turn out” okay or at least ends so I am “okay” with it!
Review Quotes:
“Orchard of the Tame is a wonderfully strange, personal, funny, dark, moving fairytale created by two of my favorite people in the world, brilliantly realized in gorgeous black & white. Ainsprid is one of the weirdest, creepiest villains ever.” Patrick McHale, Over the Garden Wall
Review Quotes:
“Eye opening, frightful and full of life, Orchard of the Tame by Meekins & Cross is teeming with the DNA of fairy tales and thousands of cartoons, and yet it feels elementary and new. Not only that, but the drawings of trees alone is worth the price of admission. We love blue!” Jeff Smith, Creator of BONE, RASL, TUKI and THORN