Book Log #41: Jim Butcher’s the Dresden Files: Storm Front, by Jim Butcher and Ardian Syaf

[annathepiper]

I am of course a huge fan of the Dresden Files, and Storm Front, its first installment, holds a special place in my heart. I have not only the original novel, but also the audio version read by James Marsters, and I was particularly interested in seeing how the short-lived TV version of the Dresden Files would adapt that story. So naturally, when I learned that it was being adapted into graphic novel form, I had to check it out.

Volume 1 of the graphic novel version covers somewhere between the first third and the first half of the story, and does a credible job of it. Some of the smaller details are left out, but they’re streamlined well to account for the needs of the medium. Happily, Ardian Syaf’s art is a little more solid than in the earlier Dresden graphic novel Welcome to the Jungle, although for my money, the gentleman still needs to work on his ability to draw female faces. Most of the women still look strangely masculine in his style, although Murphy looks more like a blonde Dana Scully now and less like a German beermaid, and that’s a step in the right direction–which is to say, towards Butcher’s description of Murphy as looking like a cute little cheerleader.

Thumbs up though for Syaf’s depiction of Harry, which is quite nice and manages to convey Harry as suitably tall without making him particularly bulky. I also very much liked the panels featuring the fairy Toot-Toot, and the fight scene at the end with the demon that tries to attack Harry’s apartment is fun (even if it’s choregraphed with all sorts of conveniently placed distractions to hide the fact that Harry is stark naked during the whole scene).

So yeah, nothing really new here to anyone who’s familiar with the story, but it’s a fun read nonetheless and worth looking at for any Dresden Files fan. Three stars.

Mirrored from annathepiper.org.

Comments

[denelian.livejournal.com]

I WANT THIS!!! *sob*

money is so bad right now - i still haven't bought *your* book, which has been #1 on my list since it came out - i can't afford this yet. *cry*

i will have money in August. i *hope* !!! this one of only 4 books i *must* have, along with yours and a couple others... i am jealous...

sorry, just random whining...

[mamishka.livejournal.com]

I think things will get tricky once Thomas hits the pages. Cause, um, in comparison to Thomas he's supposed to look skinny and stringy. ;-) That's gonna be hard to pull off, what with Harry being a chiseled, muscled, bronze skinned demi-God and all right now. ;-)

[annathepiper]

*snerk!* Yeah, unless the artist wants to assume that the four or five books between the beginning of the series and Thomas' first appearance beat up on Harry enough that Harry is in shitty condition by then, it will be kinda hard. ;)