WOW! what a conversion! - Rated 
Superb. The story translates VERY well, and the guile and craft is maintained expertly.
Read it, whether you've read the original book or not.
I read graphic novels and this one stand out as a great one, good story and, for once, fine art, not any sketchy rubbish!
It's not Emis, it's Art !! - Rated 
Having borrowed the first Artemis Fowl novel (from a friend who implored me to read it), I'd never actually owned a copy. It didn't seem right to adore a book so much and not actually own one, so I faithfully visited Amazon.co.uk to set this to rights. When I saw that a graphic novel had been just been released for AF1 there really was no decision to make; it was as good as mine.
And what a terrific job Colfer and Co have made of this electrifying story by putting it into a comic strip format. The original novel was extremely fast paced and had an action film feel to it, yet the graphic novel has taken this premise and run with, very quickly!
The visuals suit the story perfectly; sharp, modern, funky and perceptive. The varying size and the scope of these images really help to capture the drama of the narrative. Especially impressive is the use of light and dark and the way these two polar opposites are paralleled (good vs. evil / surface vs. subterranean).
On the negative side, the story does lose some of its depth (unfortunately, this is to be expected). The characters are not so vivid and realised in picturesque format and if I were reading this as a first time Fowl voyeur, I would not have such an appreciation for the amazing inventions of Colfer. Nor would I be as desperate to pursue a sequel.
Yet the differences between the written story and the comic ironically are the reasons why this HAS to be purchased by Fowl fanatics, or simply by anyone who enjoys terrific fast-paced fiction. Seeing Haven City and Holly Short for the first time was first class, and my first look at the Neutrino 2000.... well, it was riddled with jealously - why can't I have one?
Highly recommended.
Fairy Gold Dust - Rated
I imagine that there were a few Artemis fans who groaned inwardly at the prospect of a graphic novel adaptation of Eoin Colfer's imaginative, engaging and hugely successful books. No wonder, as in the wrong hands, fondly imagined scenes can be ruined and the whole magic of the original tainted.
Lucky for them then, this is a really superb retelling of the early adventures of boy genius and criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. Colfer's witty novel has been made flesh by some very tight, smart editing and well-crafted storytelling by Colfer and co-scripter Andrew Donkin. Remarkably, the care and disciplined attention to pace and page layouts compare favourably even with the industry Gold Standard of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' `Watchmen' series, which speaks volumes for the whole team involved.
Of course, if your script is of a high standard, any reasonable art should function pretty well, but the art of Giovanni Rigano is a revelation. I'm unfamiliar with his prior work, but based on this evidence he's a very talented guy and is an inspired choice for this project (and hopefully for future instalments). His very elegant, almost spidery line style makes the Manga-inspired character designs far more textured than the bulk of the work it's derived from. It's a great combination of Asian and European graphic styles and some of the backgrounds are mind-bogglingly detailed.
Icing on this particular cake: the colouring. Paolo Lamanna's sophisticated palette and very careful use of colour effects really enhance the artwork and make the whole piece look like a book that should cost twice as much as it does. Hyperion really have to be congratulated for publishing a book of such high standard rather than going for a cheap knock-it-out cash-in.
In fact, forget the kids (who should be so lucky to get this as a present); if you're an adult, treat yourself to this, read it and leave it lying casually on your coffee table for kids to chance upon; they'll be staggered at your cool.
Flippin Marvellous! - Rated
Having read all but one of the Artemis series, I'm probably guilty of being a bit of a fan. I bought the graphic novel for completeness really, rather than with much of an expectation of it being as good as the novels, but I was actually really impressed. The artwork is lovely and adds to the story (which is of course already flippin marvellous). I especially liked spotting all the in-jokes that only us proper fans will get (and I thought Butler was even more handsome than I had imagined...) All in all - let's have more of the same!
Oh, and I suppose I should add that my son likes it too (but it's too good for kids!!)
It's A Hit. - Rated
Inspired by Oein Colfer's highly entertaining talk at Bath Literary Festival, I bought this book for my sons, one severely dyslexic aged 13 and the other a prolific reader aged 10. Result....... punch up over who got to read it first.
I suppose this means it's a hit!
|
