Adapted by P. Craig RussellÂ
Illustrated by Kevin Nowlan, P. Craig Russell, Tony Harris, Scott Hampton, Galen Showman, Jill Thompson, & Stephen B. ScottÂ
Back of Book:Â
It Takes a Graveyard to Raise a Child.
Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead.
There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy— an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack— who has already killed Bod's family.
Each chapter in this adaptation by P. Craig Russell is illustrated by a different luminary from the comic book world, showcasing a variety of styles from a breadth of talent. Together, they bring Neil Gaiman's award-winning, nationally bestselling novel The Graveyard Book to new life in this gorgeously illustrated two-volume graphic novel adaptation.
Volume One contains Chapter One through the Interlude, while Volume Two includes Chapter Six to the end.Â
Book Number: OneÂ
Genre: Young Adult | Graphic Novel | Horror | FantasyÂ
Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Â
Neil Gaiman's classic tale of Nobody Owens and the graveyard that he calls home brought to life in a stunning graphic novel format.Â
Nobody "Bod" Owens is a boy like any other. Well, except for the fact that his parents are ghosts, his caretaker is a solitary type vampire, and he lives in a graveyard. There is always something exciting waiting to be explored around the graveyard, especially due to the fact that Bod isn't allowed to leave its premises.Â
It was so much fun revisiting "The Graveyard Book" in this new format! It has been quite some time since I've read the original novel, so there were many parts of this book that felt like I was reading it for the first time. On the other hand, reading this graphic novel adaptation felt like revisiting an old friend that I hadn't seen in forever, which was also quite pleasant.Â
The fact that each chapter of this book was illustrated by a different artist was pretty neat. They did a wonderful job of fitting Bod's story and meshing together nicely so it wasn't terribly jarring from one snippet to the next. This reminded me how much Gaiman's work means to so many people, and it's cool to see people who are passionate about his writing come together and present it to a different target audience.Â
As for content, this book is the same story that I have always known and loved. Neil Gaiman is a master at his craft, and his writing throughout this novel is as gripping and eerie as I remember it. The humor woven throughout is also quite jovial, and the way that this story explores different mythological creatures and being always had me interested to see what would happen next.Â
I remember my time with the first half of Bod's story quite fondly. This may be the slower portion of the book in which Bod is mainly just wandering around and getting into childish mischief. I find the slice of life nature of this story to be a great change in pace, but it is still super exciting due to all the supernatural elements that this book entails.Â
Overall, "The Graveyard Book: Volume 1" is a wonderfully adapted version of an already amazing story. It was quite nostalgic to revisit this tale, and I found myself loving it just as much this time as I did the first time around. The art is quite fitting and gives it an even eerier vibe, which I'm definitely not complaining about. I'm looking forward into diving into the second half and watching the rest of Bod's story unfold!Â
Adapted by P. Craig RussellÂ
Illustrated by David Lafuente. Scott Hampton, P. Craig Russell, Kevin Nowlan, & Galen Showman
Back of Book:Â
It Takes a Graveyard to Raise a Child.
Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead.
There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy— an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack— who has already killed Bod's family.
Each chapter in this adaptation by P. Craig Russell is illustrated by a different luminary from the comic book world, showcasing a variety of styles from a breadth of talent. Together, they bring Neil Gaiman's award-winning, nationally bestselling novel The Graveyard Book to new life in this gorgeously illustrated two-volume graphic novel adaptation.
Volume One contains Chapter One through the Interlude, while Volume Two includes Chapter Six to the end.Â
Book Number: Two (Last Book)Â
Genre: Young Adult | Graphic Novel | Horror | FantasyÂ
Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Â
Neil Gaiman's classic tale of Nobody Owens and the graveyard that he calls home brought to life in a stunning graphic novel format.Â
Nobody "Bod" Owens is a boy like any other. Well, except for the fact that his parents are ghosts, his caretaker is a solitary type vampire, and he lives in a graveyard. But his time as an inhabitant of the graveyard is nearing its end and the people that put him there in the first place are still out for his blood. . .Â
I forgot how amazing "The Graveyard Book" truly is. It's a story of fitting in and standing out, facing your past, and finding the strength to walk into your future once childhood is finally over. On top of the nuanced narrative of discovering oneself and growing up, this book is also an intense thriller that had me on the edge of my seat, despite already knowing the ending. Gaiman is truly a genius, and I will always treasure Bod's story. Reading this story as a young adult rather than a child really enhanced the emotional appeal of this story, but it is still as beautiful as I remember it being.Â
The second half of this story is a million more intense than the first section, but I find them both to be charming in their own right. Learning more about why Jack tried to murder Bod is quite exhilarating and the return of Scarlett is a welcome surprise. The twists and turns were just as exciting the second time around, and I can't wait to see how I react to this story in the future when I return back to "The Graveyard Book."
Overall, I am still in love with "The Graveyard Book" after all this time. Revisiting it in a graphic format and seeing the intense action in this book brought to life in a new style was super fun. The horror elements were done wonderfully in this second installment; truly creepier than I imagined some of these things being. This story does take place in a graveyard, so there's no shock that it's pretty eerie. The part that I will always love the most is the sentimental ending. Gaiman knows how to write a poetic ending that is both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Gaiman is a master at his craft, and I can't wait to read more of his books in the future.Â