Customer Reviews

Moby Dick

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There have been several comic book versions of Moby-Dick down through the years and this is by far the worst. The illustrations are a travesty. Will Esner obviously did no research into whales or whaling and it would appear that his reading of Moby-Dick was cursory at best. If you want a good comic version of Moby-Dick then seek out the Classics Illustrated version from the 1950s.

With his adaptation of Moby Dick, Will Eisner seems to be reaching out to younger readers, but anyone who appreciates a great story and wonderful art should enjoy it.

The adaptation is brief, so Eisner boils the story down to the bare bones- Man vs. Nature. Eisner's art is (as usual) amazing. Since his work is usually published in black-and-white, the painted color is a real treat. The climactic battle between Ahab and the White Whale is stunning.

If this beautiful book makes someone want to try Melville's classic novel, then so much the better.

It's hard to easily categorize Will Eisner's Moby Dick: this classic of American literature by Herman Melville is here translated to the graphic novel form, translating the story of one man's obsession with a huge whale into a series of color panels which bring the classic alive. Reluctant readers as well as fans of graphic novels will find this illuminating.

There are better childrens' illustrated versions of Mody-Dick out there. It is obvious that Eisner did no research on whales on whaling. Sperm whales with visible teeth in their upper jaws? Harpoons being thrown with one hand instead of two? Whaleboats that are shaped more like bathtubs instead of the sharp-ended craft of reality? Eisner has trashed a great story with his cartoonish incompetence.