Graphic Classics: Edgar Allan Poe (4th Edition) (Graphic Classics - Eureka Productions)

Reader Reviews
Edgar Allan Poe is a natural choice as the first volume of the Graphic Classics volumes, a series partially inspired by the Classic Illustrated collection of comic books, which attempted to lure young readers into reading respectable, "classic" authors through the comics medium. This new incarnation, however, takes an entirely different tact, combining fantastic literary stories with equally talented artists for something that is far more Entertainment than education. Also, while these are "comic books," the illustrators are far more "New Yorker" than "Fantastic Four." Creative, individualistic and highly stylized, each artist leaves their own distinctive mark on their story, creating a unique experience, a collaboration between author and artist. This 3rd Edition of "Graphic Classics: Volume 1 - Edgar Allan Poe" assembles nine short stories and three poems of the master, including his most famous works as well as some less well-known. Each is given a different treatment, ranging from illustrated text pieces to full comic strips. Each is of very high quality, making this book highly recommended. Included in this volume are: "The Tell-Tale Heart" - My first Edgar Allan Poe story, that I was assigned to read in Jr. High School, is still a provocative and powerful piece. Artist Rick Geary gives us a straight-forward rendition, including a lovingly detailed picture of The Eye. "King Pest" - A story of plague-ridden London, where two hapless sailors find themselves guests at the table of the King and Queen of pestilence. Anton Emdin's grotesque illustrations add a nice comic flair to the tale. "The Premature Burial" - A claustrophobic tale of fear of premature burial, and how we often create the demon's that haunt us. Joe Ollman does a splendid job of creating atmosphere, and the panic of being buried alive. "El Dorado" - This one I liked a lot. A semi-humorous cartoons style brings the point of the sad poem home even more fiercely. "Spirits of the Dead" - A surrealistic adaptation of a quiet Poe poem, ruminating on death. "The Imp of the Perverse" - Like "The Tell-tale Heart," a story of the sting of guilt, and how a perfect murder is never as perfect as we would like to think. "The Raven" - A new adaptation of Poe's masterpiece, this is an assemble version with a different artist doing a different stanza. It comes off beautifully, allowing Poe's words to be the true star of the show. "The Masque of the Red Death" - A text-and-pictures adaptation,full of the stunning delights of Propero's hidden Bohemia, and the plague of the Red Death that intrudes on their party. "Never Bet the Devil Your Head" - A wild and funny adaptation of a wild and funny story. An excellent ending. "Hop-Frog" - The text is presented in its entirety, and the artists is so completely well-suited to this story that I think I will forever see the foolish fat king and his eight fat friends as portrayed by artist Lisa K. Weber. "The Cask of Amontillado" - My favorite Poe story is well treated, keeping the essential dialog and tension, even while being distilled down to a few pages. "The Fall of the House of Usher" - Mostly a text-and-pictures piece with some dialog, the artist captures the haunted Roderic Usher's lonely fate. As well as his sisters'.


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