308. Graphic Classics V.15: Fantasy Classics

Fantasy Classics edited by Tom Pomplun  (US) - (Canada)
Graphic Classics, Vol. 15

Pages: 144
Ages: 12+
Finished: Nov. 14, 2012
First Published: 2008
Publisher: Eureka Productions
Genre: graphic novel, YA, short stories, anthologies, horror, fantasy
Rating: 2.5/5







First sentence: "It really was a dark and stormy night."

Publisher's Summary: "Frankenstein – Mary Shelley’s fantastic fable of science gone wrong, adapted by Rod Lott and illustrated in comics painted by by Skot Olsen with an introduction illustrated by Mark A. Nelson The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath H.P. Lovecraft’s epic dream fantasy adapted by Ben Avery and illustrated by Malaysian artist Leong Wan Kok Rappaccini’s Daughter –Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fantasy of forbidden love adapted and illustrated by Lance Tooks The Glass Dog –A tale by “Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum adapted by Antonella Caputo and illustrated by Brad Teare Plus poems by fantasy masters Lord Dunsany and Clark Ashton Smith, illustrated by Rachel Masilamani and Evert Geradts" 

Acquired:  Borrowed a copy from my local library.

Reason for Reading:  I'm working on reading the complete series.

I'd say this is my least favourite of this series that I've read so far too date.  First I'll start off with the art.  I found it all incredibly enjoying and each artists style was perfect for each story they illustrated.  I especially liked the representation of "Frankenstein's Monster"; truly hideous and yet his eyes show his human emotions: sadness, despair, anguish, anger and madness.  As to the stories themselves I found them a motley example of the theme topic "fantasy".  Overall from this series, the genre collections are my least favourite as they seem to be a questionable lot labelled under the titular genre.  I'm more fond of the broader themes related to specific topics or collections such as Halloween, Christmas, African-American authors; and most fond of the author specific volumes.

This collection starts with Frankenstein, first a retelling of the evening when Mary Wollstonecraft along with Shelley, Byron and others agree to a challenge to each write a "ghost story.  Frankenstein is not a ghost story, but this is where she came up with the idea. Secondly is a retelling of the Frankenstein story.  As said I enjoyed the art and also the retelling here, but its inclusion is dumbfounding.  Frankenstein is not fantasy at all; it is horror or science fiction, separately or combined.  My favourite story in the book is a retelling of Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter. I've read a bit of his work but this was new to me and I found the story spooky as well as fantastical; the art gorgeous.  Baum's The Glass Dog was another satisfactory entry.  Two poems are included but I'm no great connoisseur of poetry and found them each ok.  The book then ends with a long adaptation of HP Lovecraft's "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath"  I find myself hit miss with Lovecraft.  I've read a few short stories here and there, but most commonly come upon him in this situation; a graphic adaptation.  Suffice it to say,  I either just don't get Lovecraft or I get but can't see the point.  It was the latter situation with this story and frankly, it bored me to tears.  Great art but aside from "Rappaccini's Daughter" and the non-fantasy "Frankenstein", none that I loved.