GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: NEVERMORE - A Book of Adapted Stories by Edgar Allan Poe!

GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: NEVERMORE: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION OF EDGAR ALLAN POE’S SHORT STORIES

This collected volume of illustrated Edgar Allan Poe short’s is a great addition to lover’s of the great writer’s works. Some of the stories featured in Nevermore: A Graphic Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories include The Raven, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Masque of the Red Death. Each story is tackled by a different creative team and the only unifying agent is that they are all adapted from Poe’s work.

Some are more satisfying then others as The Raven (by Dan Whitehead & Stuart Tipples; art by Stuart Tipples) was easily one of my favorites, but The Oval Portrait (by David Berner; art by Natalie Sandells), which I had never read before in any form, and The Tell-Tale Heart (by Jeremy Slater; art by Alice Duke) were also very good additions.

The great thing about this collection is the fact that it brings to life some of Poe’s greatest works for a new generation to appreciate. Poe’s work has been adapted throughout the ages in many different forms from comics to movies to television and audio books but it never ceases to amaze me how many emerging artists still find his work so inspirational. I grew up reading Poe at an early age and his work has been a great influence on me (even if I haven’t read everything he wrote). Another great addition to this collection is the Edgar Allan Poe’s Biography segment at the end of the collection with art & script by Laura Howell, which gives a few key insights about the man to new readers. Also, the book gives historical context for each of the stories just prior to their presentations, which is great knowledge for the young readers who have only a passing knowledge of the man & his work.