War of the Worlds

I really enjoyed this graphic novel, which is as cinematic a book as any I've read. The pages almost turn themselves! I've read quite a few manga books, and War of the Worlds shared an uncluttered writing style with the best of them. It reads like the storyboard for a movie, very exciting and with a good deal of humor and insight into the human condition. The characters are exceptionally well-drawn and the dialogue is spot-on. The story has a real New York feel, like the newsvendor saying, "First terroritsts, now freakin' ETs!" Ya gotta love it. The action never stops, and yet this adaptation retains enough of the Wells book to satisfy someone like myself who is familiar with it, having read it twice, once in school many years ago, and more recently, when I read that there was a movie coming out. I just read the above review from Publisher's Weekly, and all I can say is, they "just don't get it." I for one look forward to more books from this company.

I read this graphic novel straight through, in about an hour and twenty minutes. It's very cool and contemporary, with a gritty New York feel. Example: the owner of a pizzeria who says, "Any Martian comes into my restaurant, he's gonna get a taste of the shotgun I keep behind the counter." I was very impressed with the clever way in which it updated the Wells original, making it very relevant to today and a bit edgy, including a reference to 9/11 which really hit home. There are several deft touches, such as the explanation of how the aliens are indeed MARTIANS (and not generic aliens, as they apparently are in the Spielberg film). This is an exciting, nonstop read whose style of graphic storytelling reminded me of 'Road to Perdition'. I recommend it highly.