The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher
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Book Reviews of The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle
Book Review: Excellent graphic novel! A great read.
Summary: 4 Stars
Welcome to the Jungle, based in the Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files universe, is one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a long time. I'm one of those annyoing people who tends to read books based on very specific standards-- if it's unoriginal in general, I don't care, but if it's identical to other books in the series or books written by the same author, it'll drive me up a wall.
As such, I approached this book, with which I had little to compare it to (I'm not a big graphic novel reader, but I am a huge fan of the regular books), with an open mind and LOVED IT. There are very few things to be actively annoyed by-- the art is very good, and varys in tone well (one thing I have noticed in comic books as a whole is that the tone of the art tends to remain the same throughout the book). The story is, well. It was written by Butcher, and as anyone who's given his books a go will know, that means fantastic.
Said plot is set before Storm Front, the first book in the Dresden Files books. It features Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, in his role as the consultant Karrin Murphy (head of CPD's Special Investigations unit) calls when things get weird, and things are definately weird. A man if found mauled to death near the gorilla enclosure, and the beast is blamed. However, some things just don't click, and so Harry sets off in his coat to find the truth. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens, and doing that is something I highly recommend. The one thing about this book that set me off a little was in 4 instances, the artist reuses panels-- I don't know if thats an industry standard or what, but it just rubbed me wrong. Anyway, if you don't have a rabid hatred of graphic novels, this is something you should definately consider reading.
As a side not to all the whiners who gave this book 1 star revues because you "didn't know it was a comic book": a, you should read the description, b, you should at least give it a shot before sending it back, c, do a forum post or something so people who actually know what the product is don't get a misrepresentation from the ratings, and d, read the description, morons! (did I mention that already?)
Book Review: Graphic Novel "Prequel" to main series
Summary: 4 Stars
This book has taken some knocks from readers who purchased expecting a full-length novel rather than a graphic novel aka "comic book." When I first saw this listed I too thought it might be a new book but when I read the description I found out what it truly was.
So, let's focus on the contents of the story and not the type of media. I thought that Jim Butcher and Ardian Syaf have done an excellent job bringing Harry Dresden to illustrated form. In fact, I think this brings Mr. Butcher's vision of Dresden more the way I (and hopefully many readers) imagined rather than the Sci-Fi series. We see Harry as described, with the leather duster, the staff, blasting rod and scruffiness. Murphy looks as described in the books rather than some politically correct diversity-friendly version on the tube. Bob is a skull with glowing eyes. The blue beetle, the apartment building and his cellar pad all look more or less as I imagined.
The story is a good initiation to Dresden's world, focusing on a fairly straightforward adventure involving night hags at a zoo attempting to obtain great power. It introduces Harry and Murphy with hints at the dynamics of their relationship. There are also flashbacks of Harry's upbringing. The reader even gets a taste of Harry's internal monologue and wisecracks.
The illustration is outstanding, with some very creepy nasties wreaking havoc on Harry's world and Harry doing magic.
If you enjoy the Dresden Files series and like graphic novels, this is a definitely a treat. There was a tease at the end about a Storm Front version premiering in October 2008. So far I have not seen this anywhere unless it is currently in serial form and will be collected into a full book later.
Book Review: Harry's comic transition
Summary: 4 Stars
I have to say that in spite of my current manga obsession, comic books have never been a preferred medium of choice for me. Because of this, along with my not so wonderful experiences with manga/graphic novel interpretations of books I've read so far, it is true to say I was a bit apprehensive about starting this. However, over the last couple months I've become quite fond of Harry Dresden and his universe so my curiosity won out over any reluctance I may have had.
I was actually surprised that I kind of enjoyed the story. I wasn't thrilled with the artwork generally speaking (not saying anything was wrong with it, it just doesn't jive with my personal preferences) but Dresden's ironic, self-depreciating wit managed to come through in the short narratives and dialog and the mystery itself was interesting. I especially liked Moe the gorilla.
There are some interesting tidbits at the end of the graphic novel, or comic book as Mr. Butcher insists it be called, such as a cover gallery and concept artwork. Although the comic book feel artwork wasn't my cup of tea I will admit that I did like the "variant covers" which appeared to take both the artwork of the original Dresden novels along with some real life photography, and with a bit of photoshopping made them quite atmospheric and something I really wouldn't mind seeing turned into wall posters.
Overall, this is one of the better book to comic/manga adaptations I've seen so far and I would be willing to take a peek at more original Dresden stories in this format.
Book Review: Graphic Novel Prequel
Summary: 4 Stars
As a story written just for comics, Welcome to the Jungle is supposed to be a prequel for Butcher's Storm Front. (The first issue of the comic adaptation of Storm Front is available now in comic shops.) In this story, Harry Dresden, Wizard P.I., is called in by the Chicago police to investigate a mysterious killing at the local zoo. As Dresden soon discovers, something magic and evil is behind the grizzly murder. And he's the only man that can hunt down the killer.
True to feel of the novels, this urban fantasy noir transitions well to comic form, and can open up to a wider audience. With several familiar characters, such as Lt. Murphy and Bob the talking skull, long-time fans will enjoy the attention to details as well. The story itself is exciting and action-packed, much like the novels. Of course, the comics have to be a bit more fast-paced and skip over some of the character development to keep to standard length. But the story doesn't suffer for it.
The artwork by Syaf was a good choice, with his attention to detail and the ability to capture scenes without the need for long narrative. This is an exciting new media that will hopefully keep the series going, while we have to wait for longer periods between novels.
Book Review: A Good Addition to the Dresden Files
Summary: 4 Stars
/Welcome to the Jungle/ is a collection of the previously published comic mini-series exploring the world of Harry Dresden, the only wizard to advertise in the Chicago phone book. Butcher already has numerous novels in the series, and a short-lived Sci Fi Channel TV series. So, for old fans of Harry, this may or may not be of interest, depending on your willingness to read comics. However, for potential fans, this is a well-written early story (it takes place before the first novel), and the art is top-notch. A body is found at the Chicago Zoo, and Harry is called in to rubber-stamp it as a gorilla attack. After a spell shows Harry that the gorilla is innocent, he's off to track down the killer in less than 24 hours. The story is good, especially when you realize that it was written by Butcher himself in his comic debut. The art is good, and this hardcover collection is well-produced. The covers from the mini-series are reproduced, both the regular and variant versions. So, to recap, an all-original Harry Dresden story taking place before the novels, written by Butcher. Good art, complete story, nice hardcover collection.