The Book of Ballads

I finally bought this book after having wished for the hard cover book for several months. This book has a bunch of different ballads, shown in comic book version written by several well known authors. It's not as pretty as the hardcover edition, but I think it's wonderful to have a cheaper version so more people will buy it. I think it's worth the money.

This book is absolutely gorgeous and I hope Mr. Vess makes more like it. His stunning illustrations and ability to tell a story through pictures weaves a music all alone. Mr. Vess's art coupled with stories inspired by ancient and new ballads and written by some of the greatest storytellers of our time, such as Neil Gaiman and Charles De Lint, makes for a one of a kind book that can be enjoyed on many levels. A great read for anyone who likes Art, music, good writing or needs some more magick on their bookshelf.

In this book, Vess has taken a number of classical and modern ballads, and filled in the visual story around them. The drawn narrative is a varied as the stories. Some pictures, like the whole-page birth scene, are entire stories in themselves. Not many people can put as much into black and white a Vess, as this book demonstrates.I wish I could give this book five stars, but this isn't the greatest presentation of his work. His best work has a very delicate line. Maybe it was just the printing process, but this book came through in a coarser style. His black and white work is outstanding, but I like his color work too - this book was not able to show any of Vess' skill as a colorist.These short stories fit nicely with Vess' renderings of operas and other long pieces. I recommend this book to anyone who already like his art. If you're a newcomer, though, other books give a better idea of why his work is so special.

I have loved Charles Vess' work since I first saw him do a Spider-Man/Wendigo story for Marvel in the 80's. Elegant linework accentuates the fantastical nature of these "ballads and sagas". This is a labor of love for the artist and it shows in every panel. I own the individual issues and wait with bated breath for further work by this extremely talented individual.

"Ballads" is the trade paperback collection of Vess' four-issue "Book of Ballads and Sagas" comic book. Writers include Neil Gaiman, Charles deLint, Jane Yolen, and Sharyn Crumb. The stories are all based upon songs such as "Twa Corbies," "Barbara Allen," and "Tam Lin." They are all exceptionally well-written, and the illustrations are beautiful, sensitively drawn pen and ink work by one of today's finest proponents of fantasy art. Mr. Vess' work has been compared to Arthur Rackham's, and believe me, he certainly doesn't suffer by the comparison. This book will be loved and treasured not just by afficionados of fantasy, but also by fans of folk music, and by all those who appreciate truly fine artwork.