Normally, when a new book comes out from Clive Bryant’s Classical Comics I’m quite enthusiastic. Not this time.
This time I’m overjoyed!
It’s been about forty years since I read Dracula as a novel. A very thick book with more pages than I care to remember. But I did read it in a week. And at my age I have seen many comic book adaptions of the novel -some quite fun some pretty poor. Don’t get me started on the 1970s BBC TV adaption (19…77? with Louis Jordan).
Now, there is a certain Classical omics writer who repeatedly took me to task over not bigging up his writing. But I think I always mention the writers fairly -or I hope I do. Now a onfession. When I heard Jason Cobley was to write the adaption I thought “Oh!” I know of his work in the Small Press but I questioned whether he could adapt such a huge work into 150 pages.
In fact, he’s done an excellent job.
Staz Johnson’s art is probably the best I have seen from him in his long career. The colour work by Offredi is spot on. The combination of both men’s work and Cobley’s script make this probably the most commercial book so far. The story pacing as well as the art should appeal to the general comic fan and certainly to American fans who might like to see more action and well paced stories but who are not into the classic works of English literature.
I do seriously doubt that either Marvel or DC comics could have produced a better adaption.
There is also the Bram Stoker biography at the rear of the book and for schools I think this is excellent because the art alone will catch the eye of pupils and, craftily, lure them into reading a classic. As usual the number of projects a school could make as a spin-off from this book are only limited by the teachers imagination!
If the term “graphic novel” has to be applied to a comic strip adaption then Dracula is that book.
And all in time for Christmas! If you are a horror film/comic/book fan then this is the graphic novel you need to grab. In fact I’d just say “buy the book!!” and if you see it pop up in any comic award lists -VOTE!
Proof that UK creators CAN produce great comics.
check out the links to see sample art.
 Original Text Preview |
 Quick Text Preview |
 |
 |
||||
|
|||||
| Original Text Version ISBN: 978-1-906332-25-9Click here to buy from:amazon.co.uk  |
Quick Text Version ISBN: 978-1-906332-26-6Click here to buy from:amazon.co.uk  |
||||
|
|||||
| Original Text Version ISBN: 978-1-906332-67-9 (pub date: February 2012) |
Quick Text Version ISBN: 978-1-906332-68-6 (pub date: February 2012) |
||||
Bram Stoker
“I went down into the vaults. There lay the Count!
He was either dead or asleep, I could not say which –
for the eyes were open and stony but without the glassiness of death.”
Bram Stoker’s gothic masterpiece was first published in 1897, and has spawned so many classic films, all based on the character he invented when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Like Frankenstein, the films have pushed the characters into the very fabric of our society, so it is with great pride that we bring you a visual treatment that is true to the original – made even more exciting by the wonderous talent that is Staz Johnson!
| Script Adaptation: | Jason Cobley |
| Linework: | Staz Johnson |
| Colouring: | James Offredi |
| Lettering: | Jim Campbell |
| UK Publication Date: | 21st November 2011 |
| Format: | 152 pages full colour paperback 246x168mm |
| Versions: (click here for info) |
Original Text (abridged) Quick Text |
No comments:
Post a Comment