Beowulf : a graphic novel

Beowulf A graphic novel

Santiago García, 1968-

Book - 2016

SANTIAGO GARCIA and DAVID RUBIN unite to bring forward the myth of Beowulf, which has endured for a thousand years and inspired an epic poem of the same name, became a foundational piece of English literature, and inspired generations of authors, from Tolkien to a good number of Hollywood screenwriters. BEOWULF tells of the tale of a Scandinavian hero in lands that would become what is now Denmark and Sweden: A monster, Grendel, has arrived in the kingdom of the Danes, devouring its men and women for 12 years until Beowulf arrives to save them. GARCIA and RUBIN faithfully follow the original story for a new version that is neither revisionist nor postmodern, but captures the tone and important details of the poem, translating its potent, ep...ic resonance and melancholy into a contemporary comic that isn't standard swords and sorcery or heroic fantasy fare, but rather an ancient story with a modern perspective that remains respectful of the source material.

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Subjects
Beowulf, > King of the Geats > Comic books, strips, etc.
Beowulf > Adaptations > Comic books, strips, etc.
Epic poetry, English (Old) > Adaptations > Comic books, strips, etc.
Epic poetry, English (Old) > Modernized versions > Comic books, strips, etc.
Comics (Graphic works)
Graphic novels.
Genres
Comics (Graphic works)
Graphic novels
Published
Berkeley, California : Image Comics 2016.
Language
English
Spanish
Corporate Author
Image Comics
Main Author
Santiago García, 1968- (-)
Corporate Author
Image Comics (editor)
Other Authors
David Rubín, 1977- (illustrator), Joe Keatinge (translator), Sam Stone
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : chiefly color illustrations ; 31 cm
ISBN
9781534301207
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This is a dramatic, visceral reinvention of the familiar tale of King Hrothgar's violent night visitor, Grendel, and arriving hero, Beowulf. Garcia's script is fast-paced and spare. Rubin's illustrations capture the harshness of the warrior's life, constantly gritty with snow, dirt, and blood. His visual pacing is richly varied, utilizing wide, gloomy cinematic panels and tense, fragmented action sequences. Grendel's vision as he stalks into the hall is portrayed by a series of x-ray panels that render the sleeping warriors as muscle and veins, waiting to be reduced to meat. Especially effective are the full-page spreads overlaid with scatterings of small framed moments: the crunch of boots on stone, the tightening of a belt, drops of sweat forming on the warrior's brow. Garcia (The Neighbor) and Rubin (The Rise of Aurora West) have set themselves an epic task, but they live up to it with a vibrant, visually stunning adaptation that shows why this story has stayed alive for over 1,000 years. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review by Library Journal Review

Just when it seemed that this 1,000-year-old Old English epic poem by an anonymous author, detailing the adventures of the legendary Scandinavian hero Beowulf, has been translated and adapted in every conceivable fashion, along comes this stunning graphic retelling to breathe new life into the story. After a dozen years at the mercy of the monstrous Grendel, a Danish kingdom is saved with the help of Beowulf. But our protagonist isn't merely altruistic, he sees an opportunity to gain greater glory for himself by dueling the beast. And it's this conflict in his character that writer García (On the Graphic Novel) and artist Rubín (The Hero: Book One) exploit in order to bring a fresh, modern spin to the text. García's script hews closely to the events of the original, inventing only some dialog and moments of reflection to deepen the characters, and Rubin's dynamic illustration combines slightly cartoonish figures with moments of visceral horror and expert pacing. -VERDICT Whether you're a fan of Beowulf or new to the work, this beautiful retelling should stir the imagination and remind us why people have been reading the poem for a millennium.-TB © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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