Book Review: The Graveyard Book, Volume 1

For the full version of this review, head over to Starburst.

Nobody Owens grows up in a graveyard full of ghosts, ghouls, a witch, a werewolf and a very tall man, neither alive nor dead, in a very long black cloak. The Graveyard Book is classic Neil Gaiman, all right. Originally released as a young adult’s novel in 2008, this fantastic fable returns to bookshelves this summer in the form of a two-part graphic novel, adapted by P. Craig Russell and illustrated by a number of artists, each in their own distinctive styles.

After almost an entire family is murdered by a mysterious figure known as Jack, the surviving toddler pegs it to a derelict graveyard where he is taken in by the ghostly inhabitants. This first volume sees Nobody (Bod for short) growing up in this weird and wonderful world and going on a series of adventures. He finds ancient treasure in the tomb of a Celtic warrior; he becomes the captive of ghouls on a trip to Hell and back; he goes on a quest to find a headstone for an unjustly murdered witch and he dances the danse-macabre. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Jack is on the hunt for his escaped victim.

Gaiman is one of the most acclaimed writers working in fantasy today and it’s not hard to see why. Masterfully weaving together influences from history, myth and fantasy, his stories capture a childishly adventurous spirit – spooky but not terrifying and dark but not gory. With an expert knowledge of the format, Russell has done a masterful job with the adaptation, remaining faithful to Gaiman’s prose and yet always finding the perfect way to cut it down and foreground the visuals. Simultaneously a childish adventure, a fantastic fairytale and a haunting horror; The Graveyard Book will make you think twice about what lies beyond the fences of that old cemetery down the road.