Inquiring readers,I must admit I have not ordered or read Pride and Prejudice #1 from Marvel Comics. I simply am not that interested. But some of our readers have evinced a curiosity.
Comic Book Bin offers a well considered review that confirms my suspicions. Here are a few observations:
The Wizard of Oz is getting eight issues to faithfully adapt L. Frank Baum’s children’s classic, but Pride and Prejudice only gets five. So everything feels very fast, cramming so much into these twenty-three pages. Transitions across a lot of time and space happen without any warning or direction, giving a very muddled feel to the whole book as well.
This link will allow you to view a sneak peak of several pages. To my way of thinking the art work is too modern and overblown, and not at all reminiscent of the regency period. As for the cover, here's what the reviewer said:
As for the art, I really did not like it, the cover especially was simply a terrible idea. The cover attempts to look like an old-fashioned version of an issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, but with the language of a modern day issue. As you can see on the left, phrases like “Bingleys Bring Bling to Britain” grace the cover and the whole thing makes the book feel as cheap as one of those magazines.
As you can see from this image, even Mary Bennet has been turned into a babe 21st Century Style. And what's with the vampira lipstick?
One of things that sticks out to me is that in the books, Jane is supposed to be the pretty one, but in these comics, Kitty is the prettiest followed by Lizzy.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because it's a comic book, I went into this with pretty low expectations - and because of that, I enjoyed it. Am I nuts about it? No. It certainly isn't great by any stretch of the imagination. However, I'm glad to see this type of project being put out there, so I'm glad I subscribed.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it--and it did just what I hoped: made me laugh. Sure it isn't spot on authentic, that is why it is a COMIC book. Just another form for some smaller minded folks (like myself) to enjoy another avenue of JA's brilliant work. So, don't worry. JA's literatry masterpeice isn't going to be written off anytime soon because of a Comic book adaptation. Just smile and chuckle and then hope maybe some JA newbie will pick it up and fall in love with her fantastic story in this form, drawing them to read the original for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI liked it as well. It's clearly not great litteratur and some of the pictures are no that great, but overall it was nice. I think the part that I like was more the idea of P&P as a comic book and a Marvel one... kind of like the Jane Austen action figire, it's not so much the actual this as what it represent... or something...
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a Barbie-doll version of the story. But just from looking at the panels available on the link you provided, at least they got the costumes right. . .and that one picture of Mr. Darcy looks almost interesting enough to make me want to look through the whole thing. (Buy it, maybe not. But borrow Ruth's copy, probably.)
ReplyDeleteI purchased the series from a collector standpoint - and then my husband opened the package before he realized what it was so it *gasp* was no longer covered in plastic. His punishment was reading it (he doesn't read very often) and I put photographic evidence on my blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jessaluknits.com/2009/04/08/so-far/
...good thing he loves me. ;o)
I thought the cover was pretty hilarious - taking it as a tongue in cheek, insiders joke. I don't think this was meant as serious lit in first place.
ReplyDeleteMy singular objection is to the portrayal of Mrs. Bennett - she does not look like my imagined Mrs. B to look!
I stand by my original thoughts on this subject. If it gets young and old interested in reading the classic story even in this form, I'm all for it.
ReplyDeleteAs for the comic book images of the 5 Bennet sisters, they look like the glamed up version of goths...or vampires !