Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Volume 1
by
Neil Gaiman & P. Craig Russell
Order:
USA
Can
HarperCollins, 2014 (2014)
Hardcover, e-Book
Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto
N
eil Gaiman, with the help of P. Craig Russell, has taken one of his popular novels,
The Graveyard Book
, and turned it into a two-volume graphic novel. Much like he did with his seminal
Sandman
series, Gaiman has used a different artist on each chapter, taking this compelling story and turning into a true showcase.
A
s this is the first book in a two-parter, it covers the first half of
The Graveyard Book
, where we meet Bod – short for Nobody - the baby who ran from a murderer and ended up in the graveyard. Bod is a curious child, constantly finding trouble and worrying his adoptive ghost parents and his vampire guardian. Each chapter finds him a little older and little wiser, but this volume ends before we learn what is so special about Bod that the murderer is still after him.
W
hile Russell handled the overall graphic adaptation, he only illustrated Chapter Two. The other four chapters and the interlude were all done by separate artists. While everyone's individual style shines forth, they are all close enough to the same school to create a unified novel, which is important since this is the adaptation of a story and it would be unwise to throw the reader out for a chapter due to sequential art preference. All six of the artists do an excellent job bringing Gaiman's work to life and staying true to his voice.
W
hether you have already read the
The Graveyard Book
novel or not, the graphic novel is a must for Neil Gaiman fans. I, myself, have not read the original, so I am eagerly awaiting the second volume, not only to see what I am sure will be six more wonderful artists, but also to find out how Bod's story ends.
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