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Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte 

“I scorn your idea of love and the counterfeit sentiment you offer.

And I scorn you when you offer it.”

The Bronte classic from 1847, is brought to vibrant life by the artist John M Burns. His sympathetic treatment of the classical romance will delight any reader with its strong emotions and wonderfully rich atmosphere.

Script Adaptation:  Amy Corzine

Artwork:  John M Burns

Lettering:  Terry Wiley

   

UK Publication Date: 29th September 2008

Format: 144 pages

full colour

paperback

246×168mm

Versions:

Original Text (abridged)

Quick Text

Cover Price: £9.99

 

   

What can you say when the artist is John M. Burns?!  I’d love to see an original page of this artwork –it looks like colour ink/ink washes though,possibly some water colour?  That’s just me as an artist.  These things concern me!  And,I have always considered Mr. Burns the guv’nor when it comes to colour artwork.

That said,why bother worrying how it was coloured!  Just sit back and feast on the art and,if you are a budding artist/illustrator,dream of one day becoming 30% as good as this!

Now,normally,mention Jane Eyre or any Bronte book and I’ll say: “Sorry. I cannot read” –my god their lives were bad enough but I just could not read one of their books!  However,I read this [because it had pictures!] and found it quite enjoyable. My sister,who has no interest in comics what-so-ever,read it from cover-to-cover and even the background info.  That was something!!

The adaption,I’m told by sister,is accurate.  The superb art is,well,superb.  The biographical notes and information are very useful to anyone not versed in the Brontes.  Again,it will be very useful in a class room situation.  And there is the Quick Text and Original Text versions that can only add to their educational usefulness.

All-in-all,this is a quality book  and I love how Jane Eyre reveals herself to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. Live Model Decoy out to infiltrate the Skrull invasion force.

Actually,that last bit I added on the off-chance that some super hero fan boy will rush out and buy a copy.  Will he get a surprise as he slurps down his cola and triple cheese burger!  And if it sells extra copies:fellas –think how great the chicks will think you are if you tell them you’ve read “Jane Eyre” –but don’t mention it was in comic book format!

10 out of 10

 

 

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley 

Script Adaptation:  Jason Cobley

Pencils:  Declan Shalvey

Inks:  Declan Shalvey

Art Direction:  Jon Haward

Colouring:  Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson

Lettering:  Terry Wiley

   

UK Publication Date: 29th September 2008

Format: 144 pages

full colour

paperback

246×168mm

Versions:

(click here for info) Original Text (abridged)

Quick Text

(2 different books)

Cover Price: £9.99

“Cursed be the hands that formed you!”

True to the original novel (rather than the square-headed Boris Karloff image from the films!) Declan’s naturally gothic artistic style is a perfect match for this epic tale. Frankenstein is such a well known title, yet the films strayed so far beyond the original novel that many people today don’t realise how this classic horror tale deals with such timeless subjects as alienation, empathy and understanding beyond appearance. Another great story, beautifully crafted into a superb graphic novel.

I actually missed the chance of talking to Declan at the May Comic Expo but he seemed so busy I didn’t want to interrupt him!

Reading the company blurb above you think of other comic book attempts at Frankenstein from companies such as Marvel and DC and even Burlyman Press’ “Doc Frankenstein” –and the great Dick Briefer’s 1940s classic comic.  Well,put all of that out of your mind.

As a horror comic and film buff was I going to find this interesting?  Yes,I did. If you have not read the Shelley book [hefty or abridged versions] then I’d suggest you get this book.  I actually liked the black embossed cover on the Original Text version.  And I think if you are a horror book fan you’ll enjoy the Original Text version because it seems to add more to the creepy feel of the art.

I’d best point out that there is nothing wrong with the Quick Text version!

I have absolutely no complaints about the artwork;Declan has done an excellent job on what most young artists,even with a great script,might baulk at.  I can see him rising to the top of the comic book artist pile if he continues this way!

What adds to Declan’s art is the excellent use of colour. And for that we have Jason Cardy and Kat Nicholson to thank.  Very atmospheric.

Oh,and the background information! If only this had been available when I was at school but in the dark days of 1973,the streets were shrouded in fog and Jack the Ripper walked the streets of

Bristol and we only had a bulky thing called a “book”.

But then,I left school in 1973 and I’m old enough to remember a ten shilling note.

Perhaps I wandered a bit there?  Anyhow,if school teachers have cottoned on to the fact that comics tend to help childrens literacy [at a time when there are not many mainstream comics!] then they should get this book into their school library.  If there is one thing designed to get a youngster reading it is a horror book in picture form,because that way they forget they are also reading a story and learning! 

Maybe Classical Comics ought to get in touch with Teachers TV about doing a feature on using these books in the class.  Yes,I do watch Teachers TV now and again.

So,having read the original novel [full and unabridged] over thirty years ago and countless comic book versions,Hammer Horror films and many,many other films and TV versions,what do I think?

I think that this is a great book. The crew at Classical Comics have put so much into this,and their other books,that I can see the titles never going out of print.  And there is so much appeal,not just to horror fans or schools,but also to overseas markets who I am quite sure are going to want to license these –and Frankenstein will be on their list.

Excellent.

 

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens 

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.”

The original Christmas Tale set in Victorian England. Highlighting the social injustice of the time we see one Ebeneezer Scrooge go from oppressor to benefactor.

Our second Dickens title is probably his best-loved story. Scrooge gets a rude awakening to how his life is, and how it should be. Full of Christmas Spirit(s), this is a book that you’ll read all year round!

Script Adaptation:  Sean Michael Wilson

Pencils:  Mike Collins

Inks:  David Roach

Colouring:  James Offredi

Lettering:  Terry Wiley

   

UK Publication Date: 13th October 2008

Format: 160 pages

full colour

paperback

246×168mm

Versions:

Original Text (abridged)

Quick Text

(2 different books)

Cover Price: £9.99

In 1951,Alastair Simm portrayed Ebeneezer Scrooge in the classic black and white film and vocally reprised the role in a 1971 30 minute TV animated version.  And there have been many other film and TV versions as well as comic adaptions over the decades.  I know. I’m old.  I’ve seen them.

So,dusting the spiders webs from my head,I sat down to read Classical Comics version because I had seen some artwork back in May but I really wondered whether the full version would work –could the team add a little extra or a twist to make this better than any other version?

No.

And by “no” I mean that there was no need to add a little something extra or twist. This is the original Dickens story that gave us goosebumps when the teacher read it to us all those years ago in school.

Mike Collins and David Roach [who I believe used to produce a Small Press mag titled “Hellfire” back in the 1980s] will be familiar to comic fans.  But could they adapt Mr. Dickens’ classic?

Of course they can! I could imagine receiving this as a Christmas present and sitting down to read it after dark. It’s everything you expect from A Christmas Carol and fun to read and look at.

Collins and Roach. Fantastic art.  And the colourist,James Offredi does a really great job that adds so much more to the art –look at Marley’s Ghost. Wonderful.

Original Text is great but I think for younger readers it has to be Quick Text. 

I have to honestly say that I do,for some reason,look for faults or something not quite right.  Why I have no idea.  The logo “Classical Comics” says it all.

As with the other titles there are the list of characters the Dramatis personae,a lot of information on the author,how the book was drawn,lettered and even Teachers Resources notes.  Perhaps the government ought to invest money by buying and distributing these books to schools to educate children but it seems they don’t have that kind of money [only the kind for bailing out crooked bankers].

Reading for fun or otherwise,these books,whether Henry V,MacBeth,Jane Eyre or A Christmas Carol,cannot be faulted and here’s to the companies continued success!