Customer Reviews

Graphic Classics Volume 6: Ambrose Bierce (Graphic Classics (Eureka))

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a big fan of graphic storytelling and a big fan of Bierce, but not a particularly big fan of this volume. This is the first of the "Graphic Classics" series I've come across, and I like the concept of harnessing a wide range of underground cartooning talent in the service of great literature of the past. This showcase for Bierce begins promisingly enough, with a well-written biographical introduction by S.T. Joshi, supported by a cartoony four pages about Bierce's legendary disappearance. This is followed by John Coulhart's lovely ten page adaptation of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", a story widely read in American high schools.

Alas, from here on, it's a much more mixed bag. A forgettably sketched five page adaptation of "The Race at Left Bower" is followed by six pages of entries from "The Devil's Dictionary" which are broken up with lame graphics from greeting card illustrator Leslie Murray. "An Imperfect Conflagration" is a great story, but Rich Geary's eleven pages of panels doesn't quite do it justice. Conversely, "The Stranger" is only a so-so story, but Mark Nelson's seven pages of stark, high-contrast art gives it some real atmosphere. Francesca Ghermandi brings a European sensibility to the grave robber story "One Summer Night", but it doesn't really work. "Moxon's Master" is the longest read, with some ten text-heavy pages with one or two inset illustrations per page. These are by Stanley Shaw, and while they're nice in a mid-'90s comic book style, there's not a whole lot in the text for him to work with.

Next are a bunch of Bierce's "Fables"--29 spread out over 36 pages of wildly varying style and quality. These encompass artists from the US, Canada, England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Australia. The best of these are probably those by Skip Williamson, Simon Gane, William Brown, and Lesley Reppeteaux. Following these are four more stories, including "The Boarded Window" and "The Hypnotist", neither of which are illustrated in a style I found compelling. "Oil of Dog" is a dark, dark story, with suitably gloomy and evocative art by Annie Owens. "Curried Cow" ends things on a bad note, with goofy cartoony panels by Milton Knight.

On the whole, if you're interested in the work of Ambrose Bierce, you're better off thumbing through a copy of The Devil's Dictionary or picking up a volume of his complete short stories. Fan's of the graphic medium will find such a variety of art that something is bound to please, even if much else isn't.

Of all the Graphic Classics series that I have read, Ambrose Bierce is the author that I am least familiar with. I knew him as the author of "The Devil's Dictionary," and I knew the story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" although I did not know he was the author. In fact, I knew it mainly as an episode of "The Twilight Zone." With this in mind, it was one of the most exciting volumes to explore, as I was discovering the author and his writings for the first time, through the Graphic Classics vehicle.

First off, the very cool cover was definitely a lure for this lesser-known author. Satan sipping blood cocktails and going over the latest entries in his dictionary was just too good to pass up. Due to the short nature of Bierce's stories, there is a much wider variety of styles and interpretations inside the book. It is almost too much to take in one sitting, and I found myself reading a story here and there instead of straight through. With so much variation, not everything is going to please, but overall I was completely entertained by the author and the artists.

This volume contains:

"The Disappearance of Ambrose Bierce" - A nice biographical piece. Even more interesting as I knew nothing of the story and little of Ambrose Bierce himself.

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" - An excellent adaptation of his most-famous story, using what looks like computer graphics. Very shadowy and with a nice feel.

"The Race at Left Bower" - A funny little bit, with amusing illustrations.

"The Devil's Dictionary" - A selection of entries from the cynical author, juxtaposed with Leslie Murray's own cynical brand of humor. Very nicely done.

"An Imperfect Conflagration" - Victorian horror illustrator Rick Geary handles this tale of a father-and-son thief team, murder and a fireproof cabinet. Exactly up Geary's alley.

"The Stranger" - An old west ghost tale, fully illustrated in the style of 1950's Western comics. Chilling.

"One Summer Night" - A grave robber's tale. Surrealistic illustrations add to the grim, short tale.

"Moxon's Master"- Cautionary Sci Fi, a text-and-pictures piece with art-deco illustrations that look as if they came from a fashion magazine. Not my favorite tale over all.

"Bierce's Fables" - The ultimate mixed bag. 29 stories by just as many different artists. Something to please, and something to annoy, everyone. Just the way Bierce would have liked it, I imagine.

"The Boarded Window" - Gahan Wilson handles this odd tale of the dead and not dead. Almost like "The Fall of the House of Usher" in a log cabin.

"The Hypnotist" - An odd tale, with an odd artist. A good combination.

"Oil of Dog" - One of my favorites. Great, gloomy illustrations perfectly compliment a disturbing tale of baby-killers and Oil Makers.

"Curried Cow" - Not the food dish, curry, as I was expecting. A twist-ending funny story, with cartoonish illustrations by Milton Knight.

Graphic Classics is a rousing and impressive anthology of the illustrated stories by Ambrose Bierce, tales of war, satire, the occult, and more. Bringing together contributions from a very wide variety of artists, Graphic Classics features sharp wit, biting insight, and a vast range of illustrative styles. Enhanced with an Introduction by S. T. Joshi, Graphic Classics is very highly recommended for graphic novel enthusiasts, and a "must read" for the legions of fans of the literary legacy of Ambrose Bierce.

The graphics and story are pretty true to the originals that I have read. The stories are condensed a bit, and are easier to digest for young folks.

I purchased this for my 7 yr old as he likes reading graphic novels.It is somewhat mature for a 7 year old, but certainly more interesting than what most 7yr olds could typically read.I've read it, too and have started branching out a bit into Bierce's work.I would recommend all the graphic classics.