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Once Upon A Time Machine #1
Once Upon a Time Machine by Lee Nordling
Fairy tales have fueled our dreams and fired our imaginations for centuries. Step inside a time machine built by a collection of today's finest storytellers, and enter a range of futures where familiar tales are reimagined in an astonishing variety of styles. This collection of twenty-five retold tales delivers a reading experience that will delight generations young, old, and yet to come, featuring the next wave of leading writers and illustrators.
Paperback
First published October 10, 2012
11 people are currently reading
1079 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Carl
18 books21 followersAndrew Carl is an Eisner & Harvey Award-winning editor & writer for comics and co-founder of Locust Moon Press. He is currently based in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
May 4, 2020
A very uneven series of stories by different authors and illustrators, using fairy tales as the basis. Some of these will be known to readers, while others will not. All readers will find stories they like, but overall, I found the collection to be a very bleak picture of the future.
July 7, 2012
Disclaimer: Copy recieved via Netgalley.
Once Upon a Time Machine is what all good retellings of beloved tales should be. The basic premise is a series of tales transported to Sci-Fi settings that, in part, ensure employment of a comics department in a large corporation. Perhaps a comment on today's publishing world? If so, it seems to be an accurate one.
And you can believe it.
The various stories used include American folklore such as John Henry, Aesop, Asian tales such as “The Peach Pit Boy”, European fairy tales such as “Billy Goats Gruff” and classic literature such as the works of Dumas. It works. It works brilliantly and is not a copy of Fables.
In short, the only thing setting this collection of retellings from those short stories collections edited by Datlow and Windling is the medium used.
Each story is retold using a different style, and between the stories is artwork depicting scenes from other tales. While the settings are in the future, they range from spaceships to bio-domes and a future Nigeria. If you are a parent or a librarian looking for something depicting more than just white men, this collection more than fulfills that demand.
The collection starts very strong with a retelling of the American legend of John Henry. John Henry is a folk hero who does not get the attention he deserves, at least currently, and it is a joy to see him in a beautiful and powerful retelling. The framing device used in the tale works perfectly, and this is one of those comic stories that transcend comics. The power and pathos of the John Henry story is more than equaled by tales such as “Pinocchio or the Stars are Not Wanted Now”, “The Five Chinese Brothers”, and “The Last Leaf”, a retelling of an O. Henry story . These stories show that too often comics move beyond the medium that is seen most often in the movies and racks. They are equal of anything by Eisner, who gets a nod in the beginning of the collection.
Not every story in the collection is serious and heart-breaking. “Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or Silver-Hair and the Three Xairs” will delight any science fiction fan as well as lovers of Roald Dahl. Thought Mickey and the Brooms was a bit cute in Fantasia, try “Sweet Porridge”.
What is most interesting is how some of the tales are transformed. “The Billy Goats Gruff; or, The Crossing” keeps the testing of the original but becomes a quest for a girl undertakes to save her grandfather. “The Three Musketeers” have to help their king in a future Nigeria, where their enemies consist of robots that remind one of Star Wars droids. The changes or twisting of some of the stories is very imaginative and works – “The Tortoise and the Hare” as a soapbox derby for instance. The best twist, in my mind, is “The Billy Goats Gruff”. I would buy a series of stories about Billie. Where was she when I was growing up? “The Billy Goats Gruff” story will please fans of Robin Mckinley.
Even those stories such as “The Last Leaf” and “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” that stick most closely to their sources keep the spirit of the source and hence work extremely. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a favorite story of mine, and I liked this retelling as much as I liked the original.
The artwork is varied, including artwork that is clearly inspired by anime and magna. There is super-hero artwork in “Peach Pit Boy”, which of all the stories is the closest to a tradition comic super-hero. In most of the cases, the artwork suits the style and tone of the story perfectly. The only art I didn’t particularly like was that with “The Three Musketeers”, I loved the story but at times I found the artwork a little hard to follow. Even there, however, in many panels you could see the connection between the story and the art.
I do have to say the only time I was disappointed was the fact that the “Three Little Pigs” picture that referenced both Power Rangers and Star Wars was just that. While the pig story was good, I wanted to see the story that went with that picture.
Ah well, hopefully there will be a volume two. This is an excellent book. If you love fairy tales, read it. If you have a daughter, get for her. Get if for your libraries. It really is a work of art on all levels.
Once Upon a Time Machine is what all good retellings of beloved tales should be. The basic premise is a series of tales transported to Sci-Fi settings that, in part, ensure employment of a comics department in a large corporation. Perhaps a comment on today's publishing world? If so, it seems to be an accurate one.
And you can believe it.
The various stories used include American folklore such as John Henry, Aesop, Asian tales such as “The Peach Pit Boy”, European fairy tales such as “Billy Goats Gruff” and classic literature such as the works of Dumas. It works. It works brilliantly and is not a copy of Fables.
In short, the only thing setting this collection of retellings from those short stories collections edited by Datlow and Windling is the medium used.
Each story is retold using a different style, and between the stories is artwork depicting scenes from other tales. While the settings are in the future, they range from spaceships to bio-domes and a future Nigeria. If you are a parent or a librarian looking for something depicting more than just white men, this collection more than fulfills that demand.
The collection starts very strong with a retelling of the American legend of John Henry. John Henry is a folk hero who does not get the attention he deserves, at least currently, and it is a joy to see him in a beautiful and powerful retelling. The framing device used in the tale works perfectly, and this is one of those comic stories that transcend comics. The power and pathos of the John Henry story is more than equaled by tales such as “Pinocchio or the Stars are Not Wanted Now”, “The Five Chinese Brothers”, and “The Last Leaf”, a retelling of an O. Henry story . These stories show that too often comics move beyond the medium that is seen most often in the movies and racks. They are equal of anything by Eisner, who gets a nod in the beginning of the collection.
Not every story in the collection is serious and heart-breaking. “Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or Silver-Hair and the Three Xairs” will delight any science fiction fan as well as lovers of Roald Dahl. Thought Mickey and the Brooms was a bit cute in Fantasia, try “Sweet Porridge”.
What is most interesting is how some of the tales are transformed. “The Billy Goats Gruff; or, The Crossing” keeps the testing of the original but becomes a quest for a girl undertakes to save her grandfather. “The Three Musketeers” have to help their king in a future Nigeria, where their enemies consist of robots that remind one of Star Wars droids. The changes or twisting of some of the stories is very imaginative and works – “The Tortoise and the Hare” as a soapbox derby for instance. The best twist, in my mind, is “The Billy Goats Gruff”. I would buy a series of stories about Billie. Where was she when I was growing up? “The Billy Goats Gruff” story will please fans of Robin Mckinley.
Even those stories such as “The Last Leaf” and “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” that stick most closely to their sources keep the spirit of the source and hence work extremely. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a favorite story of mine, and I liked this retelling as much as I liked the original.
The artwork is varied, including artwork that is clearly inspired by anime and magna. There is super-hero artwork in “Peach Pit Boy”, which of all the stories is the closest to a tradition comic super-hero. In most of the cases, the artwork suits the style and tone of the story perfectly. The only art I didn’t particularly like was that with “The Three Musketeers”, I loved the story but at times I found the artwork a little hard to follow. Even there, however, in many panels you could see the connection between the story and the art.
I do have to say the only time I was disappointed was the fact that the “Three Little Pigs” picture that referenced both Power Rangers and Star Wars was just that. While the pig story was good, I wanted to see the story that went with that picture.
Ah well, hopefully there will be a volume two. This is an excellent book. If you love fairy tales, read it. If you have a daughter, get for her. Get if for your libraries. It really is a work of art on all levels.
September 3, 2012
This lush anthology explores fairy tales (and some fictional classics) through the lens of science fiction. By turns grim, biting, enchanting, and wistful, the stories and imagery reshape our understanding of the significance of these long-cherished stories and tropes: Hansel and Gretel as bees, Pinocchio as a holographic truth-teller, John Henry as the final frontier "against" the introduction of robotic workers, Goldilocks facing justice for what she's done to a planet's native life-forms...
Like the original stories, these are not necessarily intended for a young audience. Happily-ever-after does not always greet the protagonists.
The art is variegated--ranging from extremely stylized and comic to superhero-style to reminiscent of traditional folktale illustrations--but always impressive. In fact, some of the story "retellings" consist of only one or two frames of imagery.
I appreciated the chance to review this via NetGalley at the invitation of one of the contributors. I do feel that the electronic version probably pales in comparison to the print version--the resolution of the ebook pages is insufficient to read some of the fine print clearly, and some of the spreads are clearly meant to be read in the book's analog format, not electronically.
Like the original stories, these are not necessarily intended for a young audience. Happily-ever-after does not always greet the protagonists.
The art is variegated--ranging from extremely stylized and comic to superhero-style to reminiscent of traditional folktale illustrations--but always impressive. In fact, some of the story "retellings" consist of only one or two frames of imagery.
I appreciated the chance to review this via NetGalley at the invitation of one of the contributors. I do feel that the electronic version probably pales in comparison to the print version--the resolution of the ebook pages is insufficient to read some of the fine print clearly, and some of the spreads are clearly meant to be read in the book's analog format, not electronically.
July 7, 2012
Once upon a Time Machine is a graphic novel collection of futuristic retellings of some of the popular fairy tales. Some of the illustrations, as well as the stories, as really good. I particularly enjoyed the re-tellings of Pinocchio, Sweet porridge, The Last Leaf and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.
One complaint though. The graphic novel was not properly rendered in Adobe Digital Editions so everything was a bit blurry which made it difficult for me to read the dialogue often.
ARC received from NetGalley and Dark Horse Comics.
One complaint though. The graphic novel was not properly rendered in Adobe Digital Editions so everything was a bit blurry which made it difficult for me to read the dialogue often.
ARC received from NetGalley and Dark Horse Comics.
December 2, 2014
Without giving too much away, as this great title doesn't actually release until later this year, I want to tell you what a fun read this was! I was skeptical at first when I realized that it was a comic book. Not that I dislike comics. I used to read them all the time when I was younger, I just wasn't in the mood for one and wasn't sure how they were going to pull that one off...
But they did! I zoomed through the 400+ pages of AMAZING illustrations and FANTASTIC fable twists. It took a creative bunch of people to come up with such different perspectives on such old fables.
I can't tell you how impressed I was with the presentation of these stories. Just as the synopsis stated this comic is for both young and old. There is nothing particularly disturbing drawn so parents should have no problem with youngins picking it up, but there's enough meat in the story that older readers will find enjoyment just as readily.
Every fable rewritten is set to take place in the future. Very futuristic settings, very tremendously imaginative landscapes and backgrounds for the stories that most of us already know by heart. It gives you an idea of how strong a fable/legend is, how long lasting, how powerful it is even in its age. These are stories that are known throughout the world and ones that will probably not soon be forgotten. "Once Upon a Time Machine" seems to be a guesstimate of just how strong and timeless these stories really are.
I have to tell you my favorite story and my favorite depiction. My favorite story in the bunch was "Rikki Tikki Tavi" (I watched that movie over and over and over again as a little girl) and my favorite depiction was "Little Red Riding Hood."
While I was extremely pleased with this comic there were a few stories that I found to be rather on the boring side, but that's only because they weren't my setting preference. That doesn't mean that another person won't LOVE the stories I didn't enjoy as much. I know almost certainly that my younger brother would gobble up the stories that I didn't prefer. "Once Upon a Time Machine" has something for everyone.
I do very much recommend that you snatch this up when it becomes available in October.
But they did! I zoomed through the 400+ pages of AMAZING illustrations and FANTASTIC fable twists. It took a creative bunch of people to come up with such different perspectives on such old fables.
I can't tell you how impressed I was with the presentation of these stories. Just as the synopsis stated this comic is for both young and old. There is nothing particularly disturbing drawn so parents should have no problem with youngins picking it up, but there's enough meat in the story that older readers will find enjoyment just as readily.
Every fable rewritten is set to take place in the future. Very futuristic settings, very tremendously imaginative landscapes and backgrounds for the stories that most of us already know by heart. It gives you an idea of how strong a fable/legend is, how long lasting, how powerful it is even in its age. These are stories that are known throughout the world and ones that will probably not soon be forgotten. "Once Upon a Time Machine" seems to be a guesstimate of just how strong and timeless these stories really are.
I have to tell you my favorite story and my favorite depiction. My favorite story in the bunch was "Rikki Tikki Tavi" (I watched that movie over and over and over again as a little girl) and my favorite depiction was "Little Red Riding Hood."
While I was extremely pleased with this comic there were a few stories that I found to be rather on the boring side, but that's only because they weren't my setting preference. That doesn't mean that another person won't LOVE the stories I didn't enjoy as much. I know almost certainly that my younger brother would gobble up the stories that I didn't prefer. "Once Upon a Time Machine" has something for everyone.
I do very much recommend that you snatch this up when it becomes available in October.
July 30, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this one. I wasn't sure at first. Sometimes I have issues with remakes of classics. But overall I think the authors and artists did a great job.
Some of the ones I really loved....Goldilocks and the Three Bears...The Tortoise and The Hare...Momotaro...The Five Chinese Brothers (even though it was sad!) , Vasilissa the Beautiful...
Well in thinking about it I pretty much enjoyed all of the stories.
I really liked that each story had different art styles. It made every story feel different. Plus if I wasn't crazy about how one story was drawn, I wasn't stuck with it for the whole book.
I also liked how they futurized each story. I'm not saying modernized because they didn't just bring them into the present day, but went into the future with all the stories. Some seemed really close to the originals and some just the bare bones of the original tales are left...but still...wow. Humpty Dumpty for example...just wow. (don't want to ruin it for you)
And the portraits between the stories...LOVED them! The Three Little Pigs-ninja style and Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, just to name a few all of them awesome though!
The biggest problem I had with the book itself was that I was reading a downloaded version that I got from NetGalley and I was reading it on Adobe Digital Editions. The reason I had a problem with it was because while I could make the pages bigger I couldn't really get them to adjust to the size I wanted to and it was kinda hard to read some of the stories because I couldn't get the letters to come through clearly.If I made the page fit the screen so I could see all of it at once it would make the words too small to read. Also for some of the bigger portrait pictures it was obvious that they were two pages, but I couldn't get them to show up side by side on the Adobe Digital Editions reader.
I think this graphic novel was great over all. If I had a chance I would definitely pick up a print copy of it. However if you are only going to be able to read it on Adobe Digital Editions I'm warning you ahead of time that it might get annoying and just to pick up a print copy.
Some of the ones I really loved....Goldilocks and the Three Bears...The Tortoise and The Hare...Momotaro...The Five Chinese Brothers (even though it was sad!) , Vasilissa the Beautiful...
Well in thinking about it I pretty much enjoyed all of the stories.
I really liked that each story had different art styles. It made every story feel different. Plus if I wasn't crazy about how one story was drawn, I wasn't stuck with it for the whole book.
I also liked how they futurized each story. I'm not saying modernized because they didn't just bring them into the present day, but went into the future with all the stories. Some seemed really close to the originals and some just the bare bones of the original tales are left...but still...wow. Humpty Dumpty for example...just wow. (don't want to ruin it for you)
And the portraits between the stories...LOVED them! The Three Little Pigs-ninja style and Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, just to name a few all of them awesome though!
The biggest problem I had with the book itself was that I was reading a downloaded version that I got from NetGalley and I was reading it on Adobe Digital Editions. The reason I had a problem with it was because while I could make the pages bigger I couldn't really get them to adjust to the size I wanted to and it was kinda hard to read some of the stories because I couldn't get the letters to come through clearly.If I made the page fit the screen so I could see all of it at once it would make the words too small to read. Also for some of the bigger portrait pictures it was obvious that they were two pages, but I couldn't get them to show up side by side on the Adobe Digital Editions reader.
I think this graphic novel was great over all. If I had a chance I would definitely pick up a print copy of it. However if you are only going to be able to read it on Adobe Digital Editions I'm warning you ahead of time that it might get annoying and just to pick up a print copy.
August 3, 2012
This is an extremely cool collection of short stories (in the form of comics/graphic novels), Once Upon A Time Machine takes a huge selection of stories we all grew up with and turns them into futuristic or entirely reinvisioned versions. There were a few stories I didn't recognize (that may have been appropriate additions of newer stories, I'm not sure) which were great, but my favorites were always the stories with hilarious new interpretations of my favorite fables.
While I genuinely enjoyed the vast majority of the stories, there were definitely a few that just had me scratching my head or anxious to get to the end of but I can see how they might appeal to a different audience. There is something in here for everyone. I should also note that I wasn't able to read three of the stories via the digital ARC I received but there should be no issue with a physical copy (I was reading on an iPad).
Some of my favorites included retellings of Hansel & Gretel, Pinocchio and an in between image of the Three Little Pigs. Awesome! The nuances of The Tortoise and The Hare was totally lost on me, I fully didn't get the robots racing for tea storyline. That being said, 100% of the art was amazing. I loved it ALL.
While I am not a collector of graphic novels in any sense, Once Upon A Time Machine seems like a great piece to add to any fairy tale collection and is absolutely a must read for anyone who loves both scifi and fables.
While I genuinely enjoyed the vast majority of the stories, there were definitely a few that just had me scratching my head or anxious to get to the end of but I can see how they might appeal to a different audience. There is something in here for everyone. I should also note that I wasn't able to read three of the stories via the digital ARC I received but there should be no issue with a physical copy (I was reading on an iPad).
Some of my favorites included retellings of Hansel & Gretel, Pinocchio and an in between image of the Three Little Pigs. Awesome! The nuances of The Tortoise and The Hare was totally lost on me, I fully didn't get the robots racing for tea storyline. That being said, 100% of the art was amazing. I loved it ALL.
While I am not a collector of graphic novels in any sense, Once Upon A Time Machine seems like a great piece to add to any fairy tale collection and is absolutely a must read for anyone who loves both scifi and fables.
September 18, 2014
Once Upon a Time Machine was a whole lot of fun! Retellings and Pictures of classic tales with a Sci-Fi/Futuristic twists. There are 50 total; 25 Retellings/Stories (Comic Style) and 25 Illustrations. The artwork was amazing and the stories were great - I enjoyed the vast majority of them. Some were a little confusing and I just didn't get. I wish that all (or perhaps most) of the illustration only parts were stories because some of the pictures were great and I really wanted a story behind them (The Three Little Pigs - I mean Power Rangers and Star Wars references how could you not include a story with that picture?).
Most of them I enjoyed, however my favorites were: "Pinnochio or The Stars Are Not Wanted Now", "The Tortoise & The Hare or The Tea Garden Park Soap Box Grand Prix", "Sweet Porridge or Sweet Science", "The Shepherd and The Weaver Girl", "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" "The Five Chinese Brothers" & "Vasilissa the Beautiful".
There is a little something for everyone, from the more serious to the light-hearted, each told in a different and unique way.
Complete list of all retellings featured in this book:
Most of them I enjoyed, however my favorites were: "Pinnochio or The Stars Are Not Wanted Now", "The Tortoise & The Hare or The Tea Garden Park Soap Box Grand Prix", "Sweet Porridge or Sweet Science", "The Shepherd and The Weaver Girl", "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" "The Five Chinese Brothers" & "Vasilissa the Beautiful".
There is a little something for everyone, from the more serious to the light-hearted, each told in a different and unique way.
Complete list of all retellings featured in this book:
August 5, 2012
Per riassumere:
Idea: 10
Realizzazione: 10
Tavole: 10
Illustrazioni fuori testo: 10
Il rischio, quando nei fumetti si decide di affrontare dei retelling delle fiabe, è di richiamare troppo Fables: un rischio che in questo meraviglioso volume è stato evitato.
Non mi si fraintenda: io adoro Fables, e aspetto ogni volumetto con un'avidità poco encomiabile, ma ancora di più apprezzo la capacità di discostarsi da un modello così di successo: Once upon a time machine ci riesce, con quattrocento pagine dense di storie, e scegliendo quasi sempre di mettere in scena (una scena sempre fantascientifica) retelling di quelle meno (a volte leggermente meno: Pinocchio e Alice hanno un bellissimo episodio a testa) note al grande pubblico.
Mentre invece Biancaneve, La Bella e la Bestia, Cappuccetto Rosso e innumerevoli altre fanno capolino dalle spettacolari illustrazioni fuori testo.
Spettacolari quanto le bellissime tavole, in stile diversissimo da episodio a episodio ma sempre meravigliosamente curate e adatte alla storia, che illustrano il volume.
Giusto per sembrare equilibrata vorrei poter trovare una pecca a questo volume, ma l'unica che mi venga in mente, giuro, è che non so se verrà tradotto in Italia.
Per il resto, chapeau!
Idea: 10
Realizzazione: 10
Tavole: 10
Illustrazioni fuori testo: 10
Il rischio, quando nei fumetti si decide di affrontare dei retelling delle fiabe, è di richiamare troppo Fables: un rischio che in questo meraviglioso volume è stato evitato.
Non mi si fraintenda: io adoro Fables, e aspetto ogni volumetto con un'avidità poco encomiabile, ma ancora di più apprezzo la capacità di discostarsi da un modello così di successo: Once upon a time machine ci riesce, con quattrocento pagine dense di storie, e scegliendo quasi sempre di mettere in scena (una scena sempre fantascientifica) retelling di quelle meno (a volte leggermente meno: Pinocchio e Alice hanno un bellissimo episodio a testa) note al grande pubblico.
Mentre invece Biancaneve, La Bella e la Bestia, Cappuccetto Rosso e innumerevoli altre fanno capolino dalle spettacolari illustrazioni fuori testo.
Spettacolari quanto le bellissime tavole, in stile diversissimo da episodio a episodio ma sempre meravigliosamente curate e adatte alla storia, che illustrano il volume.
Giusto per sembrare equilibrata vorrei poter trovare una pecca a questo volume, ma l'unica che mi venga in mente, giuro, è che non so se verrà tradotto in Italia.
Per il resto, chapeau!
August 21, 2012
Background: Once Upon a Time Machine is a collection of children’s tales retold through the guise of the future. The collection includes classics like, the three little pigs, Goldilocks and the three bears, and Pinocchio.
Review: This was a masterfully done piece, the short stories were engaging and beautifully illustrated. I loved that they were all set in a futuristic world; it was a very interesting take on each of the tales. In between each there were even pieces of art depicting some of the tales not put into short stories here in the collection, for example The Gingerbread Man, The Little Mermaid, Red Riding Hood etc. They were even done up in this futuristic fashion. There were even some stories I was unfamiliar with, which were a pleasure to read. I was able to read the stories quite quickly and enjoyed them very much. They are for a more adult audience, not to share with children as there is some violence in some of the stories.
E-Copy provided by Netgalley and Dark Horse Comics for review.
Review: This was a masterfully done piece, the short stories were engaging and beautifully illustrated. I loved that they were all set in a futuristic world; it was a very interesting take on each of the tales. In between each there were even pieces of art depicting some of the tales not put into short stories here in the collection, for example The Gingerbread Man, The Little Mermaid, Red Riding Hood etc. They were even done up in this futuristic fashion. There were even some stories I was unfamiliar with, which were a pleasure to read. I was able to read the stories quite quickly and enjoyed them very much. They are for a more adult audience, not to share with children as there is some violence in some of the stories.
E-Copy provided by Netgalley and Dark Horse Comics for review.
July 6, 2012
NetGalley ARC
Loved the art and the different take on story telling! Not copying Fables like so many others! If you like graphic novels and fairy tales, bookmark this to read later.
Loved the art and the different take on story telling! Not copying Fables like so many others! If you like graphic novels and fairy tales, bookmark this to read later.
November 25, 2012
Fairy tales updated with a sci-fi twist? I was sold on this premise so hard I didn't even finish reading the description before I put in an order for it. And I'm glad I got it, but the quality of this book is highly uneven, and I think a lot of the enjoyment will be out of what presses your artistic and storytelling buttons over what's just flat-out good. there's a lot to enjoy here, but you have to have certain tolerances for other stories.
Reviews of each story under the spoiler tag for... well, spoilers.
I also suggest it jsut for the one- or two-page spreads of ideas about other updates. Some of them were very striking and imaginitive and beautiful.
Overall, a great book, but at its size and cost, it may have difficulty justifying itself for purchase.
Reviews of each story under the spoiler tag for... well, spoilers.
I also suggest it jsut for the one- or two-page spreads of ideas about other updates. Some of them were very striking and imaginitive and beautiful.
Overall, a great book, but at its size and cost, it may have difficulty justifying itself for purchase.
July 24, 2012
If you haven’t gotten an ear-full from me yet about faerie tales, you are in luck! I found the perfect thing to spread my wonderful love of faerie tales and folktales far and wide. It’s no surprise that Dark Horse Comics are the publishers for it either. I’m talking about the soon to be released in October this year, Once Upon a Time Machine. They didn’t just do a retelling of folktales, they took folktales and threw them into the future with such rich degree and imagination devoted to it. They are by far some of the most original faerie tale re-tellings I’d read with my particular favorite being their re-imagining of Hansel and Gretel.
Now, I’ve actually stated I’m something of a faerie tale nerd. I definitely don’t know them all, as there are thousands of them, but I’ve heard and read the majority solely for research some time ago for the novel series I’m writing. And when I mean that I’ve read the majority, I’ve read not just one version of many of these stories, but hundreds of versions; because, quite truthfully, a new version of a faerie tale comes out almost every single day in some new facet. It can be as simple as someone speaking a different version of the tale. I’ve read all kinds of re-imaginings of the same tales from famous authors even, like Neil Gaiman, who has written an original faerie tale as well; but, I’ve never seen an original futuristic spin to many of these tales and they were absolutely amusing to see in Once Upon a Time Machine.
There are such things as space spiders that live in a black hole and look like Oni (Japanese Ogre), who steal away children from a family. The children are saved by Momotaro the peach boy with the help of his bio-mechanical monkey and giant dog from the giant animal clan. In another, Hansel and Gretel are actually bees, not in their own story, but in a tale of Hansel being defeated by a mayfly group who had been seeking revenge on him ever since he swatted down their extremely great-grandfather at the beginning of the story. The Hansel and Gretel re-imagining seized me even more by actually having a moral to the story at the end, which is one of the most unique yet obvious kind of morals: ‘And that’s why you should always treat others with care, even if they seem small and insignificant to you, because you never know whose story you’re in’.
It was because of this graphic novel that I found more folktales I hadn’t even known about before. Which just goes to show, you haven’t seen everything!
Anyone who loves faerie tales, (who doesn’t love a faerie tale here and there?) will absolutely find something enjoyable with this particular graphic novel. If you especially like the science fiction kind of things you’ll enjoy this even more, because it often takes many of the old magic-based faerie tales and uses science and technology to replace those. Like the tale of Vasilissa the Beautiful, who originally had some kind of voodoo doll that her mother gave her, instead has a mechanical bear who talks with her and ends up saving her from the Baba Yaga. The only thing I could honestly really say that was bad about finding this piece was that the sample they gave me didn’t include all the stories! And there were so-o-o-o-o many stories that I didn’t get to read. Which is only gonna push me to fork over the cash for this one, just so I can actually read all the tales.
There is one particular thing I have to mention that I’ve always come to love and largely the reason why it can often be found that I’ll do reviews on Anthologies of different kinds. It is collaboration. Final pieces like Once Upon a Time Machine have been crafted from at least twenty authors that I found at the end, but even just two authors can produce a collaboration work (Good Omens anyone?) that are absolutely amazing to read. This faerie tale piece was actually just like an anthology, each author was given the premise of “write a faerie tale, but in the future” and each author produced wonderful worlds that were all particularly unique in some way, yet all seemed to somehow actually fit as if they were happening in the same world. Which is why I say this was a brilliant collaboration piece rather than an anthology. Each author gave a small piece of this different world, maybe on a planet or a space station or just somewhere in the cosmos. And that is truly what sold this entire book to me, you don’t always get to see multiple authors come together to produce the same world and with faerie tale stories no less!
Before I start totally ranting people’s faces off about all the mad and funny folk tales I found in here or just folk tales in general, I’m going to send myself away with just a simple statement.
There are so many faerie tales in the world, that there is guaranteed to always be at least one that will ring true with your heart; because faerie tales don’t teach us that magic is real, they show us that anything can truly be possible in this world, no matter who you are.
Now, I’ve actually stated I’m something of a faerie tale nerd. I definitely don’t know them all, as there are thousands of them, but I’ve heard and read the majority solely for research some time ago for the novel series I’m writing. And when I mean that I’ve read the majority, I’ve read not just one version of many of these stories, but hundreds of versions; because, quite truthfully, a new version of a faerie tale comes out almost every single day in some new facet. It can be as simple as someone speaking a different version of the tale. I’ve read all kinds of re-imaginings of the same tales from famous authors even, like Neil Gaiman, who has written an original faerie tale as well; but, I’ve never seen an original futuristic spin to many of these tales and they were absolutely amusing to see in Once Upon a Time Machine.
There are such things as space spiders that live in a black hole and look like Oni (Japanese Ogre), who steal away children from a family. The children are saved by Momotaro the peach boy with the help of his bio-mechanical monkey and giant dog from the giant animal clan. In another, Hansel and Gretel are actually bees, not in their own story, but in a tale of Hansel being defeated by a mayfly group who had been seeking revenge on him ever since he swatted down their extremely great-grandfather at the beginning of the story. The Hansel and Gretel re-imagining seized me even more by actually having a moral to the story at the end, which is one of the most unique yet obvious kind of morals: ‘And that’s why you should always treat others with care, even if they seem small and insignificant to you, because you never know whose story you’re in’.
It was because of this graphic novel that I found more folktales I hadn’t even known about before. Which just goes to show, you haven’t seen everything!
Anyone who loves faerie tales, (who doesn’t love a faerie tale here and there?) will absolutely find something enjoyable with this particular graphic novel. If you especially like the science fiction kind of things you’ll enjoy this even more, because it often takes many of the old magic-based faerie tales and uses science and technology to replace those. Like the tale of Vasilissa the Beautiful, who originally had some kind of voodoo doll that her mother gave her, instead has a mechanical bear who talks with her and ends up saving her from the Baba Yaga. The only thing I could honestly really say that was bad about finding this piece was that the sample they gave me didn’t include all the stories! And there were so-o-o-o-o many stories that I didn’t get to read. Which is only gonna push me to fork over the cash for this one, just so I can actually read all the tales.
There is one particular thing I have to mention that I’ve always come to love and largely the reason why it can often be found that I’ll do reviews on Anthologies of different kinds. It is collaboration. Final pieces like Once Upon a Time Machine have been crafted from at least twenty authors that I found at the end, but even just two authors can produce a collaboration work (Good Omens anyone?) that are absolutely amazing to read. This faerie tale piece was actually just like an anthology, each author was given the premise of “write a faerie tale, but in the future” and each author produced wonderful worlds that were all particularly unique in some way, yet all seemed to somehow actually fit as if they were happening in the same world. Which is why I say this was a brilliant collaboration piece rather than an anthology. Each author gave a small piece of this different world, maybe on a planet or a space station or just somewhere in the cosmos. And that is truly what sold this entire book to me, you don’t always get to see multiple authors come together to produce the same world and with faerie tale stories no less!
Before I start totally ranting people’s faces off about all the mad and funny folk tales I found in here or just folk tales in general, I’m going to send myself away with just a simple statement.
There are so many faerie tales in the world, that there is guaranteed to always be at least one that will ring true with your heart; because faerie tales don’t teach us that magic is real, they show us that anything can truly be possible in this world, no matter who you are.
October 7, 2012
The blurb promised a collection of 24 tales twisting and playing with beloved fairy tales. However I did not realize that it would actually be retellings of familiar stories. I just thought they would be fantastical and fairy-tale-esque. But no, I recognized most of the stories, which allowed me to seat back and enjoy the beautiful drawings and the science-fiction twists placed on most of them.
I'm not going to cover every story as that would take a really long time but I do have four that really worked for me, style of art combining with the story to resonate deeply.
First up would be "Pinocchio or The Stars Are Not Wanted Now" written by Jason Rodriguez , where an inventor makes his creation who struggles with the dual competing directives of being honest and being human. I wasn't entirely sure how this one was going to turn out but it was a bittersweet yet appropriate resolution to me.
Next would be "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi", based on that great Kipling story and written by Mike Exner III. I was already a fan and immediately perked up when I saw the title. I also really loved the artwork for this one-I have no idea how to describe it but it fits with my preferences.
Next is "The Five Chinese Brothers" from Justin Hughes, another familiar story that similarly to the Pinocchio one was bittersweet. I believe I am familiar with the story it is based on although I cannot remember what it is called. This story also has an inventor father and his mechanical sons in addition to one flesh and blood one, utilizing the science-fiction aspect well.
The last one I want to mention is "Hansel and Gretel or Bombus and Vespula" by Josh O'Neill. Unfortunately I can't tell you my favorite part of this story as it is the twist within-definitely worth seeking out!
As I flipped through my copy to pick out my favorites, I was reminded about how hard it was to choose. I liked pretty much every story as well as the various styles of art. Another cool bonus is that there are standalone scenes interspersed between the stories (off the top of my head, I remember seeing some princesses represented here like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the Little Mermaid.)
One last note is that this would probably be better in a hard copy; there were a few stories where it was a little hard to read the font and even when I zoomed in, the resolution wasn't much better. Particularly hard for me were "The Puppet-Show Man or No Strings" and "The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl." Because of that, I don't think I gave these stories their proper attention. When I pick up a hard copy, I will be sure to read them first!
Overall: A really great collection-everyone a winner and something to please all tastes!
I'm not going to cover every story as that would take a really long time but I do have four that really worked for me, style of art combining with the story to resonate deeply.
First up would be "Pinocchio or The Stars Are Not Wanted Now" written by Jason Rodriguez , where an inventor makes his creation who struggles with the dual competing directives of being honest and being human. I wasn't entirely sure how this one was going to turn out but it was a bittersweet yet appropriate resolution to me.
Next would be "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi", based on that great Kipling story and written by Mike Exner III. I was already a fan and immediately perked up when I saw the title. I also really loved the artwork for this one-I have no idea how to describe it but it fits with my preferences.
Next is "The Five Chinese Brothers" from Justin Hughes, another familiar story that similarly to the Pinocchio one was bittersweet. I believe I am familiar with the story it is based on although I cannot remember what it is called. This story also has an inventor father and his mechanical sons in addition to one flesh and blood one, utilizing the science-fiction aspect well.
The last one I want to mention is "Hansel and Gretel or Bombus and Vespula" by Josh O'Neill. Unfortunately I can't tell you my favorite part of this story as it is the twist within-definitely worth seeking out!
As I flipped through my copy to pick out my favorites, I was reminded about how hard it was to choose. I liked pretty much every story as well as the various styles of art. Another cool bonus is that there are standalone scenes interspersed between the stories (off the top of my head, I remember seeing some princesses represented here like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the Little Mermaid.)
One last note is that this would probably be better in a hard copy; there were a few stories where it was a little hard to read the font and even when I zoomed in, the resolution wasn't much better. Particularly hard for me were "The Puppet-Show Man or No Strings" and "The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl." Because of that, I don't think I gave these stories their proper attention. When I pick up a hard copy, I will be sure to read them first!
Overall: A really great collection-everyone a winner and something to please all tastes!
August 17, 2012
Another marvelous form of back to basics fairytales with a twist - marvelous indeed. Presenting
Once Upon A Time Machine by Lee Nordling, Jason Rodriguez, and Tara Alexander.
Here is the summary of the book:
Fairy tales have fueled our dreams and fired our imaginations for centuries. Step inside a time machine built by a collection of today’s finest storytellers, and enter a range of futures where familiar tales are reimagined in an astonishing variety of styles. Editors Andrew Carl and Chris Stevens bring you the next wave of leading writers and illustrators working alongside superstar creators like Farel Dalrymple (Pop Gun War), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Khoi Pham (Daredevil), and Brandon Graham (King City) to deliver a reading experience that will delight generations young and old.
Its back to basics folks. Another one adding itself to the list of successful fairytales and classics re-imaging. Thats right this is a perfectly lucid and geniously crafted re-imagined collection to the classics and the fairytale. "One hundred and one nights", "Peter Pan", "Goldilock and the three bears", "The Three Musketeers", "Alice in Wonderland" and more..... all are present here and with a new life and a new twist. Every story down to the minute details is re-written, all the while maintaining the originality of the story they are inspired from.
All the stories written, illustrated and colored by different artists, you really get a color explosion and variety as you go through all the stories. Clearly meant for and older crowd seeking for a reintroduction to the classics with a twist, this book is not meant for those kids who are looking to step into the world of stories. My only problem here was the format, a book with a collection of stories this engaging is not meant to be read in digital format but felt through your fingers as you leaf through each page. Regardless you need to get this book to marvel at the extravagance within.
Here is the summary of the book:
Fairy tales have fueled our dreams and fired our imaginations for centuries. Step inside a time machine built by a collection of today’s finest storytellers, and enter a range of futures where familiar tales are reimagined in an astonishing variety of styles. Editors Andrew Carl and Chris Stevens bring you the next wave of leading writers and illustrators working alongside superstar creators like Farel Dalrymple (Pop Gun War), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Khoi Pham (Daredevil), and Brandon Graham (King City) to deliver a reading experience that will delight generations young and old.
Its back to basics folks. Another one adding itself to the list of successful fairytales and classics re-imaging. Thats right this is a perfectly lucid and geniously crafted re-imagined collection to the classics and the fairytale. "One hundred and one nights", "Peter Pan", "Goldilock and the three bears", "The Three Musketeers", "Alice in Wonderland" and more..... all are present here and with a new life and a new twist. Every story down to the minute details is re-written, all the while maintaining the originality of the story they are inspired from.
All the stories written, illustrated and colored by different artists, you really get a color explosion and variety as you go through all the stories. Clearly meant for and older crowd seeking for a reintroduction to the classics with a twist, this book is not meant for those kids who are looking to step into the world of stories. My only problem here was the format, a book with a collection of stories this engaging is not meant to be read in digital format but felt through your fingers as you leaf through each page. Regardless you need to get this book to marvel at the extravagance within.
"A re-imaging of the age-old classics - this is one book you don't want to miss out on - Go Buy it folks!"
September 7, 2013
(A long-due review, considering I got an ebook copy through NetGalley over one year ago, but got sidetracked and forgot about reading it before it was archived there. Well, I can still give my opinion, though.)
This comic-book/graphic novel is about retellings with a sci-fi/futuristic twist—fairy tales and heroic deeds, but not only European ones: it also contains it shares of stories inspired by Asian folklore. As with every anthology-type book, quality varies, some stories being really good, and others leaving me cold; overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Every story is by a different author, too, and so you'll get very different styles, both in drawing and storytelling (here, too, you might like or dislike a given style, depending on what your tastes are like).
Among my favourite ones, I would list:
- 1001: An interesting beginning, playing, of course, on the "1001 Nights".
- John Henry: I admit I didn't know about him before reading this book, and then researching him... No matter what, it was a strong story, even without previous knowledge of the original one, and proved to be a good way of illustrating the man/machine conflict.
- The Stars are not Wanted Now: Pinocchio as an AI who doesn't know how "it" should behave. I liked how the part about lying was revisited.
- The Three Musketeers, in an unexpected setting where it's indeed "all for one", and where they either work together or don't work at all.
- The Three Little Pigs: Highly unusual, especially regarding the role played by the wolf, who doesn't go around destroying houses, but reputations. I loved the ending.
- Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: My favourite, even though it deals with a theme I'm not at ease with. The original one had always been one of my favourites, and it remains so here.
- The Five Chinese brothers also left a strong impression on me.
- Bombus and Vespula: Really creepy in its ending, and not where I thought it would take me... yet it made its point pretty well.
This comic-book/graphic novel is about retellings with a sci-fi/futuristic twist—fairy tales and heroic deeds, but not only European ones: it also contains it shares of stories inspired by Asian folklore. As with every anthology-type book, quality varies, some stories being really good, and others leaving me cold; overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Every story is by a different author, too, and so you'll get very different styles, both in drawing and storytelling (here, too, you might like or dislike a given style, depending on what your tastes are like).
Among my favourite ones, I would list:
- 1001: An interesting beginning, playing, of course, on the "1001 Nights".
- John Henry: I admit I didn't know about him before reading this book, and then researching him... No matter what, it was a strong story, even without previous knowledge of the original one, and proved to be a good way of illustrating the man/machine conflict.
- The Stars are not Wanted Now: Pinocchio as an AI who doesn't know how "it" should behave. I liked how the part about lying was revisited.
- The Three Musketeers, in an unexpected setting where it's indeed "all for one", and where they either work together or don't work at all.
- The Three Little Pigs: Highly unusual, especially regarding the role played by the wolf, who doesn't go around destroying houses, but reputations. I loved the ending.
- Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: My favourite, even though it deals with a theme I'm not at ease with. The original one had always been one of my favourites, and it remains so here.
- The Five Chinese brothers also left a strong impression on me.
- Bombus and Vespula: Really creepy in its ending, and not where I thought it would take me... yet it made its point pretty well.
November 19, 2012
Once Upon a Time Machine is a collection of fairy tales that we're all familiar with, set in time periods that are unfamiliar to these stories. Each of the fairy tales holds true to its origins, but they are retold in a a whole new fashion, with each of the tales taking on a science fiction flare. Told by some of the new, up and coming writers and illustrators in the comics business, these fairy tales are both familiar and fresh at the same time.
I wouldn't recommend reading them all at once. Take your time reading the tales, as rushing through them (like I did, unfortunately, for the first half of the book) seems to take something away from the. It's when I would read one or two and set the book down that I was able to really appreciate the storytelling that went into the retelling of the fairy tales. I'd have to say my favorite of the tales is actually the first story in the collection, Pinocchio. It really keeps the innocence of Pinocchio intact while transporting him to an entirely new time.
Recommended for fans of fairy tale re-imaginings.
I wouldn't recommend reading them all at once. Take your time reading the tales, as rushing through them (like I did, unfortunately, for the first half of the book) seems to take something away from the. It's when I would read one or two and set the book down that I was able to really appreciate the storytelling that went into the retelling of the fairy tales. I'd have to say my favorite of the tales is actually the first story in the collection, Pinocchio. It really keeps the innocence of Pinocchio intact while transporting him to an entirely new time.
Recommended for fans of fairy tale re-imaginings.
September 13, 2012
If you like graphic novels or science fiction then you should give this book a try. The concept is fun and the execution offers something for everyone. Once Upon a Time Machine is a series of fairy tale type stories that have been reworked into a future setting. Each story is written and drawn by different authors and artists so if you don't like one style then you can pass onto something more suited to you.
I enjoyed this. I liked the changes to many of the stories. I, also, discovered stories that I had no previous knowledge of. The stories span multiple cultures and often have unexpected twists. I think my favorite twist was in Hansel and Gretal. I'd share but that would ruin the surprise.
I enjoyed this. I liked the changes to many of the stories. I, also, discovered stories that I had no previous knowledge of. The stories span multiple cultures and often have unexpected twists. I think my favorite twist was in Hansel and Gretal. I'd share but that would ruin the surprise.
October 20, 2012
Absolutely AMAZING!!!! I do not want to go into great depth in this review in that a large part of the joy in experiencing this wonderful compilation is going into each story fresh. Dark Horse Publishing is to be commended for putting together such a fantastically imaginative compilation of sci-fi reinterpretations of fairy tales and in some cases, classic literature.
Some of the stories take on a surprisingly profound meaning as well. Everything about this read was unexpected and utterly delightful. I found it sitting in a rack at my local comic shop and thought...hmm..this looks interesting. I waited until the next time I was there to pick it up and I am SO SO SO GLAD I DID!!!
Absolutely amazing!
Well worth your time!!!
I will be ordering several copies for the library:-)
Some of the stories take on a surprisingly profound meaning as well. Everything about this read was unexpected and utterly delightful. I found it sitting in a rack at my local comic shop and thought...hmm..this looks interesting. I waited until the next time I was there to pick it up and I am SO SO SO GLAD I DID!!!
Absolutely amazing!
Well worth your time!!!
I will be ordering several copies for the library:-)
August 21, 2012
MITNG reviews Once Upon A Time Machine
http://mediocrityisthenewgenius.com/2...
http://mediocrityisthenewgenius.com/2...
October 9, 2022
Fabulous collection of twisted fairytales. Some better than others but overall collection is strong.
August 5, 2014
I was super excited to read this and maybe I set myself up for failure, but I was somewhat disappointed. First off I made the assumption that time travel would be a factor in at least some of the stories, despite the title, this was not the case.
All of the stories are sci-fi fairy tale re-tellings some of which I was familiar with others which I had never heard of, but I think this added to the diversity. The art and story telling were different for each story but the futuristic element stayed the same. Aside from the stories there are also one-shot illustrations spread throughout which was cool but also kind of bummed me out. Often the concepts behind these pictures seemed to be more interesting than half of the actual stories.
In was really a mixed bag, with some great stories and others that were hard to get through despite the small page count.
I think that the absolute must-read story in this collection is "Pinocchio; or, The Stars Are Not Wanted Now" - this story was absolutely brilliant, it took the original concept and turned it on its head. It had something real to say about the human condition and it left a single tear trickling down my cheek.
Here are my other favorites that made the book worth reading-
The Last Leaf - A moving story about sisters and sacrifice and the power that hope brings.
The Shepard and the Weaver Girl - This was a Chinese fairy tale about love against all odds. The art was especially beautiful.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Five Chinese Brothers
Vasilissa the Beautiful
All of the stories are sci-fi fairy tale re-tellings some of which I was familiar with others which I had never heard of, but I think this added to the diversity. The art and story telling were different for each story but the futuristic element stayed the same. Aside from the stories there are also one-shot illustrations spread throughout which was cool but also kind of bummed me out. Often the concepts behind these pictures seemed to be more interesting than half of the actual stories.
In was really a mixed bag, with some great stories and others that were hard to get through despite the small page count.
I think that the absolute must-read story in this collection is "Pinocchio; or, The Stars Are Not Wanted Now" - this story was absolutely brilliant, it took the original concept and turned it on its head. It had something real to say about the human condition and it left a single tear trickling down my cheek.
Here are my other favorites that made the book worth reading-
The Last Leaf - A moving story about sisters and sacrifice and the power that hope brings.
The Shepard and the Weaver Girl - This was a Chinese fairy tale about love against all odds. The art was especially beautiful.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Five Chinese Brothers
Vasilissa the Beautiful
December 18, 2012
[I have a bit of a personal connection to this book, so might be biased. Nevertheless...]
Really delightful collection of comic-book versions of fairy tales -- or rather, more generally, beloved children's stories, including things like Peter Pan and The Three Musketeers -- retold in sci-fi settings. All the stories are by different authors and artists, and there don't seem to have been any real rules about how they had to treat the source material, which allows for a lot of variety in style and content. A few of my favorites:
"Goldilocks & the Three Bears; or, Silver-Hair and the Three Xairs": a fun, mostly wordless version that follows the plot of the original story up until an extremely goofy punchline.
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf; or, The Venusian Shepherd Boy Who Cried Space Wolf": an absolutely straight retelling, except everyone's an alien in a space suit, and the wolf shoots lasers. I'm not sure why this is so hilarious.
"Alice in Wonderland; or, A.L.I.C.E.": strange, haunting illustrations attached to snippets of Lewis Carroll.
"The Five Chinese Brothers": a really good blending of sci-fi elements into the original -- instead of super-powered identical brothers, the boy has various organs replaced with robotic parts, making the story a bit more disturbing throughout, and finally quite grim.
"Humpty Dumpty": Basically just a good science fiction story, having to do with egg-shaped machines and things that break and can't be put back together.
Also, in between the stories are a number of single-page illustrations of fairy-tale stories and characters, which add a lot to the collection.
I'm now trying to think of kids I know who would like this as a present; I enjoyed it now, but I think if I'd had it when I was 11 I would have been absolutely obsessed.
Really delightful collection of comic-book versions of fairy tales -- or rather, more generally, beloved children's stories, including things like Peter Pan and The Three Musketeers -- retold in sci-fi settings. All the stories are by different authors and artists, and there don't seem to have been any real rules about how they had to treat the source material, which allows for a lot of variety in style and content. A few of my favorites:
"Goldilocks & the Three Bears; or, Silver-Hair and the Three Xairs": a fun, mostly wordless version that follows the plot of the original story up until an extremely goofy punchline.
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf; or, The Venusian Shepherd Boy Who Cried Space Wolf": an absolutely straight retelling, except everyone's an alien in a space suit, and the wolf shoots lasers. I'm not sure why this is so hilarious.
"Alice in Wonderland; or, A.L.I.C.E.": strange, haunting illustrations attached to snippets of Lewis Carroll.
"The Five Chinese Brothers": a really good blending of sci-fi elements into the original -- instead of super-powered identical brothers, the boy has various organs replaced with robotic parts, making the story a bit more disturbing throughout, and finally quite grim.
"Humpty Dumpty": Basically just a good science fiction story, having to do with egg-shaped machines and things that break and can't be put back together.
Also, in between the stories are a number of single-page illustrations of fairy-tale stories and characters, which add a lot to the collection.
I'm now trying to think of kids I know who would like this as a present; I enjoyed it now, but I think if I'd had it when I was 11 I would have been absolutely obsessed.
February 23, 2013
Theme: I have loved fairy tales since I was child and experiencing them in graphic novel format is always a thrill. Adding a twist of science fiction into this beautiful graphic novel only made it more appealing for me. The elements of science fiction change the stories in a way that was quite captivating. I especially loved the one of Pinocchio (The Stars Are Not Wanted Now) who was a machine made to tell the truth, but started to lie because he found it was too hard to tell the truth.
Stories: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is one of my favorite childhood tales and I loved how it was transformed into graphic novel form. This made it a favorite of mine in the compilation. The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl was a tale I do not remember hearing before, but it was beautifully drawn and had an epic feel to it throughout. The Billy Goats Gruff was another of my favorites and I loved the retelling with more modern danger involved for the young girl trying to cross to safety. And the last of my favorites from this volume was Vasilissa the Beautiful which was a Cinderella retelling of sorts, that had Vas looking for a ship part which her stepmother probably did not need, having to face a vicious witch to gain the item.
Graphics: With so many different illustrators, the stories vary in graphic style, but I found that they matched their stories so well. Some were more gruesome in nature and others more soft. I loved the panels in between which were of characters and stories that were not featured.
Final Verdict: Something fairy tale, graphic novel, and sci-fi lovers will embrace and love. I love how thick this graphic novel is and how many stories it contains. The variety includes tales less known along with the most popular ones. Overall, a fantastic graphic novel with lots of talent involved in the creation of these stories.
Stories: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is one of my favorite childhood tales and I loved how it was transformed into graphic novel form. This made it a favorite of mine in the compilation. The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl was a tale I do not remember hearing before, but it was beautifully drawn and had an epic feel to it throughout. The Billy Goats Gruff was another of my favorites and I loved the retelling with more modern danger involved for the young girl trying to cross to safety. And the last of my favorites from this volume was Vasilissa the Beautiful which was a Cinderella retelling of sorts, that had Vas looking for a ship part which her stepmother probably did not need, having to face a vicious witch to gain the item.
Graphics: With so many different illustrators, the stories vary in graphic style, but I found that they matched their stories so well. Some were more gruesome in nature and others more soft. I loved the panels in between which were of characters and stories that were not featured.
Final Verdict: Something fairy tale, graphic novel, and sci-fi lovers will embrace and love. I love how thick this graphic novel is and how many stories it contains. The variety includes tales less known along with the most popular ones. Overall, a fantastic graphic novel with lots of talent involved in the creation of these stories.
January 21, 2013
Appeal Characteristics: STYLISTIC ART, fractured fairy tales, science fiction, fantasy, stories, morals
This should be the new Flight Anthologies for Fairy-Tales/Folklore. I mean it's one thing to see a beautiful cover art for beauty and the beast, but it's another thing to read about a crazy updated version of the John Henry story (AND I LOOOOVE JOHN HENRY)and a creepy Humpty Dumpty one. I like the brief bio of all the illustrators and writers who contributed to this massive volume. I hope that it received enough recognition to make further volumes...maybe? Some stories I didn't really care for...just like I didn't really like all art. It's definitely subjected. I did give all the stories a try and were just blown away by the artistic storytelling ability talented illustrators have. Some of my top favorites include: THE UGLY DUCKLING; THE UGLY PART!!! I mean that story nailed it!!! Other favorites include: 1) John Henry, 2) Goldilocks & The Three Bears 3) Pinocchio, 4)The Tortoise and the Hair 5)Humpty Dumpty 6)Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, 7)The Shepard & The Weaver Girl 8)The Puppet Show Man 9)The Five Chinese brothers 10)The Lion & The Mouse I could actually keep going.
Vasilissa the Beautiful...the bear THE MINI BEAR... was adorrrraable!I do want you to know the top scary story was Hansel & Gretel. The artwork at the end. FREAKED. ME. OUT. If the book Wonder doesn't want to make you nicer, than this tale should definitely steer you in the right direction of being nice. Besides the creep factor, I'm not sure why it's in the adult graphic novel collection. It is probably safer that way...but any teen that reads graphic novels or a general anyone...will want to check this out!
Red Flags: Visualizations, Mild Language, Mild Violence
This should be the new Flight Anthologies for Fairy-Tales/Folklore. I mean it's one thing to see a beautiful cover art for beauty and the beast, but it's another thing to read about a crazy updated version of the John Henry story (AND I LOOOOVE JOHN HENRY)and a creepy Humpty Dumpty one. I like the brief bio of all the illustrators and writers who contributed to this massive volume. I hope that it received enough recognition to make further volumes...maybe? Some stories I didn't really care for...just like I didn't really like all art. It's definitely subjected. I did give all the stories a try and were just blown away by the artistic storytelling ability talented illustrators have. Some of my top favorites include: THE UGLY DUCKLING; THE UGLY PART!!! I mean that story nailed it!!! Other favorites include: 1) John Henry, 2) Goldilocks & The Three Bears 3) Pinocchio, 4)The Tortoise and the Hair 5)Humpty Dumpty 6)Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, 7)The Shepard & The Weaver Girl 8)The Puppet Show Man 9)The Five Chinese brothers 10)The Lion & The Mouse I could actually keep going.
Vasilissa the Beautiful...the bear THE MINI BEAR... was adorrrraable!I do want you to know the top scary story was Hansel & Gretel. The artwork at the end. FREAKED. ME. OUT. If the book Wonder doesn't want to make you nicer, than this tale should definitely steer you in the right direction of being nice. Besides the creep factor, I'm not sure why it's in the adult graphic novel collection. It is probably safer that way...but any teen that reads graphic novels or a general anyone...will want to check this out!
Red Flags: Visualizations, Mild Language, Mild Violence
January 21, 2013
Appeal Characteristics: STYLISTIC ART, fractured fairy tales, science fiction, fantasy, stories, morals
This should be the new Flight Anthologies for Fairy-Tales/Folklore. I mean it's one thing to see a beautiful cover art for beauty and the beast, but it's another thing to read about a crazy updated version of the John Henry story (AND I LOOOOVE JOHN HENRY)and a creepy Humpty Dumpty one. I like the brief bio of all the illustrators and writers who contributed to this massive volume. I hope that it received enough recognition to make further volumes...maybe? Some stories I didn't really care for...just like I didn't really like all art. It's definitely subjected. I did give all the stories a try and were just blown away by the artistic storytelling ability talented illustrators have. Some of my top favorites include: THE UGLY DUCKLING; THE UGLY PART!!! I mean that story nailed it!!! Other favorites include: 1) John Henry, 2) Goldilocks & The Three Bears 3) Pinocchio, 4)The Tortoise and the Hair 5)Humpty Dumpty 6)Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, 7)The Shepard & The Weaver Girl 8)The Puppet Show Man 9)The Five Chinese brothers 10)The Lion & The Mouse I could actually keep going.
Vasilissa the Beautiful...the bear THE MINI BEAR... was adorrrraable!I do want you to know the top scary story was Hansel & Gretel. The artwork at the end. FREAKED. ME. OUT. If the book Wonder doesn't want to make you nicer, than this tale should definitely steer you in the right direction of being nice. Besides the creep factor, I'm not sure why it's in the adult graphic novel collection. It is probably safer that way...but any teen that reads graphic novels or a general anyone...will want to check this out!
Red Flags: Visualizations, Mild Language, Mild Violence
June 27, 2016
I chose this book for our high school book club. Two students who don't read a ton said it was their favorite book ever! Two other students who read a lot said they thought it was just ok.
Like most compendium books, there were stories that I liked a lot, and stories that I hated. If nothing else, I really liked this book for the the different illustration styles, and I really liked the 1-page drawings that were interspersed between the stories. I wish I had been more familiar with some of the fairy tales; some of them seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember the original material. When we discussed it at our book club, some of the students were able to fill me in, as between all of us we could remember most of the original stories.
My favorite two stories were in fact the last two in the book: A Destiny Earned (happiest ending), and Bombus and Vespula (best ending). The Goldilocks story also had a last panel that made me chuckle. My favorite writing style was for The Billy Goats Gruff.
Other stories I liked:
John Henry
Pinnochio
Tortoise and the Hare
The Last Leaf
Humpty Dumpty
Pretty unamiously, the least favorite stories were Kid Yimage and the Really Big Hole, and A.L.I.C.E. - The former because it was so short, the latter because it was so weird. But, it was definitely a unique take on Alice in Wonderland - usually every Alice adaptation has tons of bright colors; this was the first one I've seen that used no color...very different and unexpected.
My favorite 1-page drawings were:
Peter Pan + Captin Hook
Three Little Pigs (are they Jedi, or Power Rangers?)
Rip Van Winkle
Chang'e
Thoughts on these two:
Humpty Dumpty (reminds me of Krang from TMNT)
Rapunzel (Looks scary --> like some tentacle monster.
Like most compendium books, there were stories that I liked a lot, and stories that I hated. If nothing else, I really liked this book for the the different illustration styles, and I really liked the 1-page drawings that were interspersed between the stories. I wish I had been more familiar with some of the fairy tales; some of them seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember the original material. When we discussed it at our book club, some of the students were able to fill me in, as between all of us we could remember most of the original stories.
My favorite two stories were in fact the last two in the book: A Destiny Earned (happiest ending), and Bombus and Vespula (best ending). The Goldilocks story also had a last panel that made me chuckle. My favorite writing style was for The Billy Goats Gruff.
Other stories I liked:
John Henry
Pinnochio
Tortoise and the Hare
The Last Leaf
Humpty Dumpty
Pretty unamiously, the least favorite stories were Kid Yimage and the Really Big Hole, and A.L.I.C.E. - The former because it was so short, the latter because it was so weird. But, it was definitely a unique take on Alice in Wonderland - usually every Alice adaptation has tons of bright colors; this was the first one I've seen that used no color...very different and unexpected.
My favorite 1-page drawings were:
Peter Pan + Captin Hook
Three Little Pigs (are they Jedi, or Power Rangers?)
Rip Van Winkle
Chang'e
Thoughts on these two:
Humpty Dumpty (reminds me of Krang from TMNT)
Rapunzel (Looks scary --> like some tentacle monster.
December 18, 2012
I think I'm going to let this one sit a bit and then consider maybe changing my ranking from a 4 to a 5. First off, it has some of the best art I've seen in a graphic novel. It has the same great variety as Trickster and Explorer: The Mystery Boxes but some of the individual pieces in this are much more sophisticated. I especially like the pieces that use what appears to be watercolor, although many of the more traditional ones have a nice balance of simplicity and detail, something which I find really important in comics since the detail can easily overwhelm the viewer/reader with multiple panels per page as well as with the all-caps type (which, come to think of it, is difficult enough to read on its own). The narratives seem to range a bit more in quality- many I really liked and a couple just didn't really touch me. The topic is pretty good, especially if you known enough tales to understand the playful details such as Sherri/ Scheherazade. Many of the tales do end up taking darker approaches to the future than not, almost touching on dystopian. The book is also pretty appealing to both genders with a couple strong female heroines in these retold tales but there is still an underlying male-orientation wherein there are more male heroes and the women are often over-sexualized. I appreciate the attempt at multiculturalism with many Chinese and Japanese tales and one set in Lagos, Nigeria with black characters but I think that this could have gone further. In particular the Asian tales seem to be strongly historical in comparison to the more futuristic European tales.
July 28, 2014
A variety of graphic stories linked by their re-interpretation of various fables, myths and fairy tales. There are twists on Hansel and Gretel involving giant insects, Humpty Dumpty finally finding his identity (leaving another broken in his place) and John Henry as a mech pilot just to name a few of the numerous and various stories in the anthology.
I enjoyed the varied, often eye-catching, artwork, as well as the different takes on the familiar stories. Some were easily recognized, and others worlds away and took some re-reading to connect with the source.
Among my favorites were the take on Rikki-tikki-tavi, where nanites replace the mongoose in a future where new cancer treatments are being discovered, as well as The Billy Goats Gruff (or the Crossing) about one Slick Gruff (who lives in the GRF) trying to steal from the rich to get by in a dystopian future and the MarioKart-like take on the tortoise and the hare, which was very fun.
I also loved the humor in the Shepard Boy Who Cried Space Wolf! The space wolf had a laser eye. It was cool. I also really enjoyed Vasilissa the Beautiful which not only had Baba Yaga in but was also a neat combination of many different stories and had great characters, not to mention a very strong heroine.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the collection and would recommend to anyone, either comic fan or lover of fairy tales.
I enjoyed the varied, often eye-catching, artwork, as well as the different takes on the familiar stories. Some were easily recognized, and others worlds away and took some re-reading to connect with the source.
Among my favorites were the take on Rikki-tikki-tavi, where nanites replace the mongoose in a future where new cancer treatments are being discovered, as well as The Billy Goats Gruff (or the Crossing) about one Slick Gruff (who lives in the GRF) trying to steal from the rich to get by in a dystopian future and the MarioKart-like take on the tortoise and the hare, which was very fun.
I also loved the humor in the Shepard Boy Who Cried Space Wolf! The space wolf had a laser eye. It was cool. I also really enjoyed Vasilissa the Beautiful which not only had Baba Yaga in but was also a neat combination of many different stories and had great characters, not to mention a very strong heroine.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the collection and would recommend to anyone, either comic fan or lover of fairy tales.
January 16, 2016
This was a super fun collection of fairy tales, fables, and nursery rhymes retold using various genres and creative liberties. The art was fantastic for most of the stories and I spent just as much time looking at the illustrations as I did reading the stories. As with all things of this nature, some of the stories and re-tellings were better than others. Some of my favorites were:
The Three Musketeers
Sweet Porridge or Sweet Science
The Three Little Pigs (by Jamie Roberts)
The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
The Gold Piece or A Destiny Earned
Hansel and Gretel or Bombus and Vespula
Some others I didn't like much because I couldn't really understand what was going on and others I thought the illustrations weren't up to par with some of the other artists. But, it's a great collections with a wide variety of styles.
The Three Musketeers
Sweet Porridge or Sweet Science
The Three Little Pigs (by Jamie Roberts)
The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
The Gold Piece or A Destiny Earned
Hansel and Gretel or Bombus and Vespula
Some others I didn't like much because I couldn't really understand what was going on and others I thought the illustrations weren't up to par with some of the other artists. But, it's a great collections with a wide variety of styles.
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