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Alex Rider: The Graphic Novels #2
Point Blanc: The Graphic Novel
Investigations into the "accidental" deaths of two of the world's most powerful men have revealed just one both had a son attending Point Blanc Academy, a school for rebellious rich kids run by the sinister Dr Grief and set high in the French Alps. Armed with a new collection of gadgets, Alex must infiltrate the academy as a pupil and establish the truth about what is really happening there...Featuring full-colour, action-packed, Manga-style art, this graphic novel is ideal for encouraging reluctant readers.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
71 people are currently reading
1657 people want to read
About the author
Antony Johnston
337 books387 followers** Sign up for Antony's newsletter at http://ajwriter.substack.com **
Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. The Brigitte Sharp spy thrillers are in development for TV. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. The Brigitte Sharp spy thrillers are in development for TV. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
July 18, 2011
Alex Rider is a fictional teenage spy created by British author Anthony Horowitz. I loved this book because this is in graphic form and made my reading quite a different experience. My first graphic novel was Watchmen by Alan Moore and comparing Point Blanc with that, Point Blanc is more enjoyable, engrossing and grappling. It may not have the philosophy and symbolisms that Alan Moore incorporated in the book for it to deserve a slot in Time 100. But, I don’t always look for philosophy and symbols in the books that I read. Otherwise, I will become a philosopher or maybe a symbologist like Robert Langdon and run all over Paris or Washington in search of clues regarding a crime or a mystery and my weak knees would not allow me to do that.
Okay, that is an exaggeration.
Blame it on Point Blanc for making me happy and when I am happy I tend exaggerate things. This book is easy read yet it brought back memories of my teenage years or not so distant years when I was reading Dan Brown novels. 5-8 years ago? It does not matter. This one is lighter though because the protagonist is not a symbologist but an ordinary British young man who has his share of tantrums and teenage angst. Alex played the role of a wayward son of a rich man who has to be put in a far flung (as in on top of a mountain in the Alps) academy far far away from the civilization and they are not allowed to have mobile phones or to contact their relatives including their rich fathers. The owner of the school Dr. Hugo Grief is a madman who clones these rich scions of business magnates and powerful politicians so he can rule the world. He incarcerates the real sons and plans to free the cloned ones who follow every word he says. The rest of the story, I will not reveal to you so as not to put too much spoilers in this review.
But I am not exaggerating when I say that this is a nice book with this pictures and drawings. Good for a half-day read in a lazy Saturday afternoon. When the two Alex appear and fight? Whoa, what a scene! They are so similar that you can’t tell who is the real Alex and who is the clone.
What am I saying? Gee, just read this one.
Okay, that is an exaggeration.
Blame it on Point Blanc for making me happy and when I am happy I tend exaggerate things. This book is easy read yet it brought back memories of my teenage years or not so distant years when I was reading Dan Brown novels. 5-8 years ago? It does not matter. This one is lighter though because the protagonist is not a symbologist but an ordinary British young man who has his share of tantrums and teenage angst. Alex played the role of a wayward son of a rich man who has to be put in a far flung (as in on top of a mountain in the Alps) academy far far away from the civilization and they are not allowed to have mobile phones or to contact their relatives including their rich fathers. The owner of the school Dr. Hugo Grief is a madman who clones these rich scions of business magnates and powerful politicians so he can rule the world. He incarcerates the real sons and plans to free the cloned ones who follow every word he says. The rest of the story, I will not reveal to you so as not to put too much spoilers in this review.
But I am not exaggerating when I say that this is a nice book with this pictures and drawings. Good for a half-day read in a lazy Saturday afternoon. When the two Alex appear and fight? Whoa, what a scene! They are so similar that you can’t tell who is the real Alex and who is the clone.
What am I saying? Gee, just read this one.
March 28, 2016
It was so much fun to read this and remind myself of the plot after not having read the original book for years! Although I definitely preferred the original book, this was a fun, enjoyable and extremely quick read.
April 9, 2018
Synopsis: Teenage spy Alex Rider is sent on a mission to investigate Point Blanc, a finishing school for boys. Posing as the son of a rich business owner, Alex finds that the school is overly guarded, and most of his classmates seem to act exactly the same. Who could be behind this...and why?
The Good: This is mostly true to the book, with one or two exceptions: The part about the rich business owner's teenage daughter is left out...but isn't missed; that was my least favorite part about the original novel. Also, Sabina appears at the start, but only briefly.
The Bad: The language and drug content that plagued the original is also still present here.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Kissing.
Nudity: Alex is seen shirtless.
Language: Name-calling; two uses of the h-word.
Violence: Multiple action sequences, though they're not bloody at all.
Drugs: Alex brings down a known drug dealer, whose lab is seen; a drugged Coke; smoking is seen.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Scary villain; emotional intensity.
The Good: This is mostly true to the book, with one or two exceptions: The part about the rich business owner's teenage daughter is left out...but isn't missed; that was my least favorite part about the original novel. Also, Sabina appears at the start, but only briefly.
The Bad: The language and drug content that plagued the original is also still present here.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Kissing.
Nudity: Alex is seen shirtless.
Language: Name-calling; two uses of the h-word.
Violence: Multiple action sequences, though they're not bloody at all.
Drugs: Alex brings down a known drug dealer, whose lab is seen; a drugged Coke; smoking is seen.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Scary villain; emotional intensity.
January 6, 2025
Oohhh cliffhanger! I’m enjoying the graphic novels but am excited to read the full books now 😉
June 9, 2019
Alex has been given an all new assignment: become the next student at a prep school for rebellious boys to investigate the assassination of two fathers, and survive his classes - and encounters with the bad guys - long enough to get the answers. Johnston and Damerum brings fans another colourful adventure with the next fast-paced graphic novel in the popular "Alex Rider" series. Will Alex be able to keep up the right appearance long enough to get him and the other students out alive?
May 5, 2019
GOOOOOOOOOD!
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Point Blanc is another solid adaptation of the popular "young James Bond" series of books by Anthony Horowitz. As with the first graphic novel, the essence of the story is ably captured and the flow excellent. The over-the-top quality of the characters especially shine in the graphic format.
Alex Rider, fresh from uncovering the Stormbreaker plot, decides he doesn't want to work for Mi6 after all. But a new job calls him back and he finds himself undercover in a remote Swiss Alps at a prestigious reform school for boys of wealthy parents. Two of the parents have wound up dead and Alex needs to find out what is happening at the mysterious school.
Stormbreaker was often about the gadgets and felt more like the modern Bond movies. Point Blanc, on the other hand, is more about Alex Rider's ingenuity and inquisitiveness and feels more in line with the earlier Bond films. The villains are more over the top and Alex gets into quite a few physical scrapes in dealing with them.
The illustrations are again solid and the story very easy to follow. Unlike other book adaptations I've read, the editors continue to strike a good balance between dialogue and images. I never felt lost in the story and didn't have to comb through excessive dialogue just to get the point of the plot.
This book 2 in the series seamlessly continues from the first book, with no great changes in illustration style.
October 19, 2010
ok, this book was way better than what the last graphic novel.
the previous one had not been true to the story and had been extremely silly, this time, however, the book stuck true to the original plot and was way more engrossing. the chracter of ms.stellenbosch, was extremely difficult to imagine while reading the book, but the graphic novel depicted her wonderfully. also, the fights were less confusing.
[!!!SPOILER ALERT !!! ]
they absolutely left out the character of daivd friend's daughter and the adventure alex had had with her. a real shame.
i was looking forward to the harry potter book which would have been a gadget.
the previous one had not been true to the story and had been extremely silly, this time, however, the book stuck true to the original plot and was way more engrossing. the chracter of ms.stellenbosch, was extremely difficult to imagine while reading the book, but the graphic novel depicted her wonderfully. also, the fights were less confusing.
[!!!SPOILER ALERT !!! ]
they absolutely left out the character of daivd friend's daughter and the adventure alex had had with her. a real shame.
i was looking forward to the harry potter book which would have been a gadget.
February 13, 2014
This book made me fell scared because Alex the main character loses control going down a ski hill and a train is on the tracks at the bottom of the hill. Will he survive? Read the book to find out.I think this book would be suitable for grade 6 - grade 8. I would recommend this book to kids that love adventure and drama. I loved this book because there was so much action in this book that you will never be bored, well once you get near the end .You can go check it out your self in the school library at St.Francis middle school in Red Deer.
November 12, 2014
Written by Anthony Horowitz this book takes place in Point Blanc school and present day. The main charterers of the novel are Alex rider and a evil scientist that wants to take over the world. Alex Rider need to go under cover and stop this evil villain from cloning people. I liked the charterers and the well drawn pictures, but it had a confusing plot and it was hard to keep on top of it.
October 13, 2015
I read this book because I read stormbreaker the first book of the series and I enjoyed it, I liked because he's older and gets better gadgets and missions, I learned that Alex Ryder's parents died as a child and he is the only child. The most interesting part of the book was when Hugo grief made a clone of Alex Ryder
December 9, 2008
I did not finish it now but it seams very good and interesting for smaller kids. You got all the invormation in a comic. There is also the same book not in comic but much thiger.
August 5, 2013
I really enjoy the Alex Rider novels (and the movie, for that matter), but I wasn't very impressed with this graphic adaptation.
April 7, 2025
1 MILLION EAGLE CAWS RESONATE THROUGHOUT THE CANYON WHERE I LIVE I LOVE ALEX RIDER
June 4, 2018
This was much better than Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel. I am happy to say that it stayed true to the original plotline much more than the aforementioned book did. Obviously, it did miss some key parts but nothing too noteworthy - just me being a little nitpicky. I still found the characters frustrating however. Alex is impulsively childish and stupid, Jack is freakin' annoying with all her drama queen panicking and screaming and Dr Grief wasn't as "evil genius" as he should have been. The plot was also still a little rushed and I wasn't as big a fan of James in this then I was in the original. The missing prologue pissed me off more than I care to admit - it such an amazingly written chapter and one of the most memorable scenes in any book I have ever read.
I am definitely more inclined to recommend this sequel to Alex Rider fans than I am of Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel - maybe you should just skip it over if you want to read this one?
I am definitely more inclined to recommend this sequel to Alex Rider fans than I am of Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel - maybe you should just skip it over if you want to read this one?
April 4, 2024
This was just a whole lotta spy-kid fun made even better with Japanese-style comic-book art.
Basic premise: Alex Rider, teen and spy, has been sent to infiltrate a remote boarding school after the parents of a couple of the kids have met with fatal "accidents". Working undercover, Alex throws himself all in to figure out what's really going on at the school.
I listened to the first Alex Rider book on audiobook, and really enjoyed it. Trouble was, I couldn't find the Point Blank (book 2) on audio, but I did see the graphic novel. So I gave it a try. And I'm so glad I did.
Sure, I probably missed some nuances the full book would provide, but the pacing graphic novels provide really kept this story churning, and I loved the style of the drawings. And I was surprised how much tension the creators were able to sustain.
I'll definitely be hunting down this format as I continue the series.
Basic premise: Alex Rider, teen and spy, has been sent to infiltrate a remote boarding school after the parents of a couple of the kids have met with fatal "accidents". Working undercover, Alex throws himself all in to figure out what's really going on at the school.
I listened to the first Alex Rider book on audiobook, and really enjoyed it. Trouble was, I couldn't find the Point Blank (book 2) on audio, but I did see the graphic novel. So I gave it a try. And I'm so glad I did.
Sure, I probably missed some nuances the full book would provide, but the pacing graphic novels provide really kept this story churning, and I loved the style of the drawings. And I was surprised how much tension the creators were able to sustain.
I'll definitely be hunting down this format as I continue the series.
May 20, 2017
I caught this one at a Hasting Close Out Clearance, and read it before donating it to my local library. It looks like manga style, but the format is more like an American comic, so American readers won't be too confused, but manga afficionados might have a bit of confusion at first. It contains violence, but nothing too extreme; no scantily dressed women. Clearly formulated to fit American sensibilities. Great for reluctant readers, because you might be able to get them interested in the original book version.
November 1, 2017
Very thrilling intense fun book for kids who like action and mystery. The book is not confusing like normal average chapter books While these books are great for kids because there is a chapter book of this book but this version is just great and really helps the reader(Myself) understand the situation or scenario. Overall I really loved this book and afterwards I'm definitely going to be reading more of this series while also reading more comic books.
August 18, 2022
This book is about Alex Rider, who gets recruited by MI6 once again. He is sent to Point Blanc Academy in France because MI6 think that the headmaster, Dr. Grief, is planning something bad. My favourite part is when Alex is skiing down the mountain. My favourite character is Smithers, the guy in charge of gadgets and gizmos. I learned that rich people have a lot of influence and power over the world.
January 17, 2018
Leuk actieverhaal weer! Leest écht als het kijken naar een actiefilm. Ook al is het verhaal niet bijster origineel ofzo, het pakt toch omdat het zo lekker snel consumeert.
Ik snap best dat de markt voor het kopen van graphic novels heel anders is dan die van 'gewone' boeken. Je hebt het zo veel sneller uit!
En wat een cliffhanger.. *vraagt deel 3 aan bij de bibliotheek
Ik snap best dat de markt voor het kopen van graphic novels heel anders is dan die van 'gewone' boeken. Je hebt het zo veel sneller uit!
En wat een cliffhanger.. *vraagt deel 3 aan bij de bibliotheek
March 27, 2018
27/03/18
Honest really enjoying reading these. I will say though, and I noticed this when I read the first gn in this series, you definitely miss a lot from the story & plot. Unless you've read the books you will probably be a bit confused because quite a lot gets let out. This would be a great starting point to get kids to read the series (or books in general), though.
Honest really enjoying reading these. I will say though, and I noticed this when I read the first gn in this series, you definitely miss a lot from the story & plot. Unless you've read the books you will probably be a bit confused because quite a lot gets let out. This would be a great starting point to get kids to read the series (or books in general), though.
April 3, 2025
I really liked the original book so I had high hopes for this graphic novel and I was not disappointed. The character were drawn well and although not exactly as I expected them they were still accurate enough to be close enough to the story. Obviously, this book did not have all the details the orginal book had but it was still a very good read.
June 7, 2025
IT WAS AMAZING.
Everything was perfect. I loved it!
It is like books 📚, but different. I NEED part 3!!!
I mean, Alex 🧡 didn't change, but he shouldn't.
BUT WHY DID YOU CUT HIS HAIR?!?!
I liked James 💚, but I thought they did an operation on his brain (they didn't, by the way).
All together, the author is a genius!
Amazing 👏.
AND THE ENDING!!! IT'S A CLONE?!?!?!
(But is it...?)
🌻
Everything was perfect. I loved it!
It is like books 📚, but different. I NEED part 3!!!
I mean, Alex 🧡 didn't change, but he shouldn't.
BUT WHY DID YOU CUT HIS HAIR?!?!
I liked James 💚, but I thought they did an operation on his brain (they didn't, by the way).
All together, the author is a genius!
Amazing 👏.
AND THE ENDING!!! IT'S A CLONE?!?!?!
(But is it...?)
🌻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2017
I thought this book was pretty good, I enjoyed this book as it was pretty action packed and was interesting. I also enjoyed all of the spy stuff that was in it as it made you feel like you were going on the mission with the character as it showed all the thoughts etc.
February 23, 2018
I got this for my kids to read and I think I'll skip future issues. All of the books have the same story line: Alex reluctantly agrees to participate in an investigatory mission only; things quickly go sour and he's forced to take action; he ingeniously saves the day, but gets no credit.
February 9, 2022
It's kind of trippy to read the book in English and the graphic novel in Dutch, but hey what'ya know.
I'd forgotten they used the plotline of the Stormbreaker movie as the Graphic novel, and therefore Sabina is already in here.
I'd forgotten they used the plotline of the Stormbreaker movie as the Graphic novel, and therefore Sabina is already in here.
Read
August 31, 2022When teenager dreaming about being the spy like in the tv, a young teenager called Alex Rider looking forward to becoming back a schoolboy. He had been forced to employ by the Mi6. For his second mission, he had to fight against a total devil. How will he blocked Doctor Grief's evil plans?
January 17, 2023
This book was amazing Alex shows that he can handle pressure and he is smart and really brave and courageous to be willing to climb up the chimney/ fireplace and shows his smarts when he uses his ear piece/bomb to get out
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2023
This book was dry. It was a mystery and an interesting one at that. It didn't introduce any new ideas or stories. needles to say I didn't like it that much but it was an ok book if you enjoy misterys and graphic novels.
September 28, 2017
It was a pretty fascinating book but it had long slow parts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews