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geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Metaphrog's Bluebeard' by artistic duo Metaphrog is a variant of the classic fairytale.
Eve lives in a village with her family and her sweetheart Tom. Looming over the village is the creepy castle owned by the mysterious Bluebeard. It is rumored that he has married many women, but no one knows what happened to them. When tragedy hits Eve's village, she is forced in to marriage with Bluebeard and starts to unravel his secrets.
I love the Metaphrog works I've read, and their nice illustrations style. The story works well here and I don't mind the revisions. The art has details that surprised me throughout.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Eve lives in a village with her family and her sweetheart Tom. Looming over the village is the creepy castle owned by the mysterious Bluebeard. It is rumored that he has married many women, but no one knows what happened to them. When tragedy hits Eve's village, she is forced in to marriage with Bluebeard and starts to unravel his secrets.
I love the Metaphrog works I've read, and their nice illustrations style. The story works well here and I don't mind the revisions. The art has details that surprised me throughout.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
droar's review against another edition
3.0
The illustrations are very moody and lovely but this fairy tale retelling just felt vaguely lackluster to me. Maybe it's the weird feminist labeling (with only very minor edits to the story), maybe it's the long introduction that does little for the characters or plot, either way this one just didn't click for me.
bookymac95's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
cupcakesandsmut's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review! Metaphrog's Bluebeard is a feminist retelling of the fairytale bluebeard. Eve enjoyed her childhood playing with her best friend and true love Tom. When she comes of age she must marry Bluebeard, who has had many wives who have disappeared. The story line was amazing and the illustrations were gorgeous. I would recommend to a friend.
namelesssam_'s review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely loved it.
I don't really have anything more concrete to say besides the fact that the art was gorgeous, the colors made all the pages look like a dream the reader was living picture after picture. It was whimsical, it was creepy and it gave justice to one of my favorite tales ever.
I loved the characters, I LOVED the melancholy that i felt whilst reading the story from the main character's point of view and I loved Bluebeard, as usual. I can't and never will get enough of the many version of this story that exist out there, and this one is definitely one of the best I've ever read!
Definitely recommended!
I don't really have anything more concrete to say besides the fact that the art was gorgeous, the colors made all the pages look like a dream the reader was living picture after picture. It was whimsical, it was creepy and it gave justice to one of my favorite tales ever.
I loved the characters, I LOVED the melancholy that i felt whilst reading the story from the main character's point of view and I loved Bluebeard, as usual. I can't and never will get enough of the many version of this story that exist out there, and this one is definitely one of the best I've ever read!
Definitely recommended!
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.
Bluebeard is and is not a strange. A modern reader sees it as a warning tale for women but the whole “rein in one’s curiosity thing’ gets more than a raised eyebrow from today’s woman. I mean, she at least didn’t kill anyone. The Brothers Grimm are a bit better. But there is something about Bluebeard – the castle, the beard, Angela Carter’s short story. Who knows?
Metaphrog’s retelling, in graphic novel form, combines these various versions and presents something that is pretty darn good.
In this version of the story, the center, the part that holds is the love that the family has for each other, this is particularly true of the sisters. By filling in, or better answering questions versions, that the original versions raise, Metaphrog not only makes the story more engrossing but more modern. There are issues besides the question of curiosity vs feminism. There are also the issues of rich and poor that that are raised in the original but dealt with in passing.
The artwork is glorious. But the stand out winning aspect is the use of the name Eve for the heroine. It is reclaiming the story in so many different ways, moving it beyond the curiosity evil original and taking it further than Angela Carter’s “Bloody Chamber”.
Bluebeard is and is not a strange. A modern reader sees it as a warning tale for women but the whole “rein in one’s curiosity thing’ gets more than a raised eyebrow from today’s woman. I mean, she at least didn’t kill anyone. The Brothers Grimm are a bit better. But there is something about Bluebeard – the castle, the beard, Angela Carter’s short story. Who knows?
Metaphrog’s retelling, in graphic novel form, combines these various versions and presents something that is pretty darn good.
In this version of the story, the center, the part that holds is the love that the family has for each other, this is particularly true of the sisters. By filling in, or better answering questions versions, that the original versions raise, Metaphrog not only makes the story more engrossing but more modern. There are issues besides the question of curiosity vs feminism. There are also the issues of rich and poor that that are raised in the original but dealt with in passing.
The artwork is glorious. But the stand out winning aspect is the use of the name Eve for the heroine. It is reclaiming the story in so many different ways, moving it beyond the curiosity evil original and taking it further than Angela Carter’s “Bloody Chamber”.
inkslinger's review against another edition
3.0
ARC provided by NetGalley and Papercutz. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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02-26: Metaphrog (known collectively as Franco-Scottish graphic novelists Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers) will be releasing 'Metaphrog's Bluebeard' on May 5, 2020 through Papercutz -- a retelling of the French folktale with a feminist bent told through a unique art style that looks at times, almost as if it's discreetly stitched together. It's not.. of course. It's an illustrated comic, classified as children's fiction.
Whereas the original tale was an incredibly dark story about a wealthy nobleman who marries over and over, only to have each wife disappear and the experience of his newest wife as she attempts to avoid the same outcome that befell each of them.
Though this version makes no effort to extract that dark atmosphere, horrific things have certainly occurred in the nobleman's castle, there are some differences here and there as well. Otherworldly influence seems to abound throughout the story and the sisters are no mere damsels in distress.
All in all, if you're comfortable with the violence that is often present in a traditional folktale, this is a pretty good comic for a child that isn't easily upset. If your kids like dark stories like creepy pastas and games like Bendy, this might be the story for them.
Bear in mind, the unusually cutesy sort of.. paper doll art style really contrasts with the edginess of the story.. but it's still fun.
PRE-ORDER LINKS:
AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | WATERSTONES
readbetweenthespine's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
yokaiakito's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mouseg's review
4.0
This is a really cute graphic novel. It’s a retelling of the classic fairy tale, Bluebeard. But this retelling has a feministic twist and maybe a happy ending?
The art is lovely and reminds me a bit of rosiethorns88. It’s not your traditional graphic novel art, it’s very digital. And also, very soft for a tale normally considered horror. I love the juxtaposition. The story suffers from a few pacing issues.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The art is lovely and reminds me a bit of rosiethorns88. It’s not your traditional graphic novel art, it’s very digital. And also, very soft for a tale normally considered horror. I love the juxtaposition. The story suffers from a few pacing issues.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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