The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Part 1 by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Part 1

by Neil Gaiman

An irresistibly-brilliant graphic novel adaptation of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, adapted by award-winning illustrator P. Craig Russell. This is the first of two volumes.

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 dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard. But it's in the land of the living that the real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives, and he has already killed Bod's family.

Each chapter is illustrated by a different artist, with contributions from P. Craig Russell, Kevin Nowlan, Tony Harris and Scott Hamptom, Galen Showman, Jill Thompson and Stephen B. Scott.

Reviewed by Kelly on

4 of 5 stars

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The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel is incredibly charming and eerily beautiful. Having not read the original and also being my first graphic novel, I absolutely adored it. It follows the story of Bod, short for Nobody. As an infant, he was marked to be murdered along with the rest of his family, but miraculously escaped his fate. The incredibly beautiful comic type illustrations take the reader on a journey through Bod's physical and emotional growth.

Each chapter comes courtesy of a different illustrator, P. Craig Russell, Kevin Nowlan, Tony Harris and Scott Hamptom, Galen Showman, Jill Thompson and Stephen B. Scott, and range from uplifting and bright, to dark and brooding, complimenting the storyline brilliantly. The visuals are stunning, often using no or very little dialogue to tell the story and made for an incredible experience.

I loved the mixture of supernatural and paranormal beings, from his Vampire caretaker to the ghosts that inhabit the graveyard, each having a hand in raising Bod. It was so incredibly engaging that I couldn't put it down. I found myself immersed in the illustrations, one point I absolutely loved was the facial expressions of each character, they were not only expressive, but told the story in itself.

Highly recommended for fans of the original and lovers of graphic novels. The mixture of Gothic style illustrations shaded in night and day were incredible. Not only am I now eagerly awaiting the second volume, but it's spurred me to purchase the original novel. It was simply incredibly charming and brilliant.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 August, 2014: Finished reading
  • 12 August, 2014: Reviewed