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cathybbookshelf's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
celtic_oracle's review
4.0
This was a really good read - and I loved seeing the original notes from Jim Butcher at the back of the book. Interesting to see how the story evolved - I think the changes made in the final version are much better than the outline.
geekwayne's review
4.0
Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden gets an original graphic novel and it's pitch perfect. The story (idea from Jim Butcher) takes place right after the book Fool Moon. In that book, Harry has survived werewolf attacks that have led to an unexpected loss.
When Harry gets the chance to leave Chicago and investigate a series of murders in a small Missouri town, he jumps on it. Packing his staff and, of course, Bob, he finds himself in the middle of a family curse that began in Egypt a number of years before. Harry finds himself stuck between a ghoul and a goblin who are set on eliminatig the family. Harry finds unusual allies, and, as always, gets pretty beat up along the way.
It's a great standalone story and works well as a graphic novel. Story by Jim Butcher and Mark Powers and illustrated by Joseph Cooper, it's exactly how I picture the world of Harry Dresden to look. The book includes the original story treatment and rough script as well as pencil sketches of the main characters. If you're a Harry Dresden fan like me, you should definitely check this out.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
When Harry gets the chance to leave Chicago and investigate a series of murders in a small Missouri town, he jumps on it. Packing his staff and, of course, Bob, he finds himself in the middle of a family curse that began in Egypt a number of years before. Harry finds himself stuck between a ghoul and a goblin who are set on eliminatig the family. Harry finds unusual allies, and, as always, gets pretty beat up along the way.
It's a great standalone story and works well as a graphic novel. Story by Jim Butcher and Mark Powers and illustrated by Joseph Cooper, it's exactly how I picture the world of Harry Dresden to look. The book includes the original story treatment and rough script as well as pencil sketches of the main characters. If you're a Harry Dresden fan like me, you should definitely check this out.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
ericthec's review
4.0
Probably more a 3.5 rating. The art improved and it's a good story. True to detective and fantasy.
kirstensviews's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jkenna1990's review
5.0
This was so good! The story was amazing and the artwork was really well executed
ericbuscemi's review
4.0
I stopped reading [a:Jim Butcher's|10746|Jim Butcher|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1205261964p2/10746.jpg] Dresden Files series somewhere during the fourth book, and that oddly tailors this graphic novel to me perfectly, as it is set not too far from that point in the series.
But the true triumph of this graphic novel is that the complaints that led me to stop reading the series were totally alleviated by the change in format. The compression of a full-length story into a 150-page graphic novel eliminates a lot of the repetition from the books, and the switch from first person narration to the graphic format means this is not taking place entirely in Dresden's headspace, which can get a bit tedious at times.
Don't get me wrong, the Harry Dresden character is still there -- the humor, the issues with technology, the White Knight complex -- and that is a great thing. Butcher's idea for the wizard detective character was and is a highlight of the urban fantasy genre, my mileage just ran out at some point during [b:Summer Knight|91478|Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4)|Jim Butcher|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1345557469s/91478.jpg|912988].
This graphic novel, which is an original story and not an adaptation of one of Butcher's Dresden novels, has a lot to recommend it -- solid artwork, faithfulness to the characters it borrowed, a strong storyline, some nice character development (for both the protagonist and some of the minor character players), some unexpected twists and turns, and even a little fish-out-of-water adjusting for Dresden, who is in small town Missouri and not his usual stomping grounds in Chicago.
While reading this did not spark a desire in me to pick up the Dresden novels again, it certainly has me looking forward to the next graphic novel in the series.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
But the true triumph of this graphic novel is that the complaints that led me to stop reading the series were totally alleviated by the change in format. The compression of a full-length story into a 150-page graphic novel eliminates a lot of the repetition from the books, and the switch from first person narration to the graphic format means this is not taking place entirely in Dresden's headspace, which can get a bit tedious at times.
Don't get me wrong, the Harry Dresden character is still there -- the humor, the issues with technology, the White Knight complex -- and that is a great thing. Butcher's idea for the wizard detective character was and is a highlight of the urban fantasy genre, my mileage just ran out at some point during [b:Summer Knight|91478|Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4)|Jim Butcher|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1345557469s/91478.jpg|912988].
This graphic novel, which is an original story and not an adaptation of one of Butcher's Dresden novels, has a lot to recommend it -- solid artwork, faithfulness to the characters it borrowed, a strong storyline, some nice character development (for both the protagonist and some of the minor character players), some unexpected twists and turns, and even a little fish-out-of-water adjusting for Dresden, who is in small town Missouri and not his usual stomping grounds in Chicago.
While reading this did not spark a desire in me to pick up the Dresden novels again, it certainly has me looking forward to the next graphic novel in the series.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
nglofile's review
1.0
I wasn't overly impressed by the first Dresden graphic novel I sampled, and now I'm convinced I just need to give these adaptations wide berth. They cheapen what is one of my favorite series, and that doesn't just frustrate me, it makes me angry.
Obviously the storylines will need to be more stripped-down for this format, but they still undersell. All that is wondrous in the novels is missing here, even more so because Dresden is isolated from his friends, allies, and even his home setting of Chicago. Despite the steady flow of action scenes, the story experience is flat and unsatisfying.
The art not only doesn't add to the story, but it is formulaic. To add insult to injury, the female characters are all hypersexualized in their illustration, and Butcher's work need never stoop to that level, even in collaboration.
Obviously the storylines will need to be more stripped-down for this format, but they still undersell. All that is wondrous in the novels is missing here, even more so because Dresden is isolated from his friends, allies, and even his home setting of Chicago. Despite the steady flow of action scenes, the story experience is flat and unsatisfying.
The art not only doesn't add to the story, but it is formulaic. To add insult to injury, the female characters are all hypersexualized in their illustration, and Butcher's work need never stoop to that level, even in collaboration.