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An original graphic novel, set in official canon with the ongoing Dresden Files novel series, created exclusively for comics! A war is raging between the vampire forces of the Red Court and the White Council - a war that the wizards are losing. So desperate are the Council that they've dragooned the experienced and the outcast to reinforce their thinning ranks of Wardens. One of these draftees is one Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard-for-hire and a guy who's long been looked upon with suspicion by the supernatural authorities. Now, he's one of them, and his first big mission as a Warden is a doozy: take a small team of greenhorns to a frigid town in the middle of nowhere to rescue a handful of mortals who've been targeted by the Red Court. The question is, why exactly are these particular mortals so crucial to the outcome of the war? The answer will come only if Harry can keep them, and his team, alive for one very long night.
This graphic novel collects the critically acclaimed five-issue series in one volume, and features a bonus section with Jim Butcher's original story outline, sketchbook artwork from Carlos Gomez, cover gallery with roughs from Stjepan Sejic, and more!
This graphic novel collects the critically acclaimed five-issue series in one volume, and features a bonus section with Jim Butcher's original story outline, sketchbook artwork from Carlos Gomez, cover gallery with roughs from Stjepan Sejic, and more!
140 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2014
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2714 people want to read
About the author
Mark Powers
166 books22 followersMark Powers is the writer who created several of the graphic novels adapted The Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher and co-writer of The Encoded from Devil's Due comics. He is a writer at Mega Powers Entertainment and a producer at Volta. At Mega Powers Entertainment he has written comic books and graphic adaptations for various companies including Drafted, Rest, GI Joe, and adaptations of The Dresden Files. He was also a Senior Editor at Marvel managing the X-Men line of titles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
February 1, 2025
This is a comic collection of a long running series that includes full length novels, short stories and graphic novels. In this one Harry and some wardens are assigned to travel to Iowa to protect some people who have a secret. The threat is the Red Court of vampires want this secret.
I really enjoyed this collection that essentially is a one off story that does not add much to the story arc. I do offer a word of caution as I would not use this as a jumping point into this series. I recommend having at least read the first seven books of this series before diving into this collection. What sold this particular piece was seeing some characters visually. What I liked about this is seeing the relationship between characters on paper instead of me imagining it. This was a nice change up to these dynamics for me. Another positive about this story being visually told is that we have a gigantic battle. I thought the illustrator did a terrific job depicting this battle especially portraying the power of magic. The only gripe I had this book was the drawing of Harry and this could be more on me. It did not match my imagination of him. I needed him to be a little more gruff and I thought previous comic collections did a better job with this. That being said it really did not have any affect on my enjoyment of this collection.
It seems like I am at the point in this series where it can do no wrong. That includes this comic collection. I am enjoying the novels immensely and the short stories with the graphic novels are providing entertainment. I thought this was one of the better comic collections even though it has no tremendous impact on the arc. Just a fun time with my favorite wizard detective.
I really enjoyed this collection that essentially is a one off story that does not add much to the story arc. I do offer a word of caution as I would not use this as a jumping point into this series. I recommend having at least read the first seven books of this series before diving into this collection. What sold this particular piece was seeing some characters visually. What I liked about this is seeing the relationship between characters on paper instead of me imagining it. This was a nice change up to these dynamics for me. Another positive about this story being visually told is that we have a gigantic battle. I thought the illustrator did a terrific job depicting this battle especially portraying the power of magic. The only gripe I had this book was the drawing of Harry and this could be more on me. It did not match my imagination of him. I needed him to be a little more gruff and I thought previous comic collections did a better job with this. That being said it really did not have any affect on my enjoyment of this collection.
It seems like I am at the point in this series where it can do no wrong. That includes this comic collection. I am enjoying the novels immensely and the short stories with the graphic novels are providing entertainment. I thought this was one of the better comic collections even though it has no tremendous impact on the arc. Just a fun time with my favorite wizard detective.
February 27, 2018
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
The Dresden Files: War Cry is a comic collection of the series written by Jim Butcher and Mark Powers. And while I have just begun my travels with Harry Dresden, I have to say that this tale was just as gripping and entertaining as Storm Front (which is the only book I’ve read in the series thus far.)
The story itself is set four months after the events depicted in Dead Beat, the 7th novel in The Dresden Files. As constant readers of the series will know, at this time, the White Council is waging what appears to be a losing war against the vampire forces of the Red Court. In fact, things are so desperate that they’ve “drafted” the inexperienced and the outcast wizards to help reinforce the ever thinning ranks of the Wardens.
Naturally, Harry Dresden, a wizard for hire from Chicago, is one of the misfits enlisted, even though the White Council has long viewed him with suspicion for things that happened in his past. But the threat from the Red Court being what it is, all that is temporarily forgiven, and Harry is sent out on a Warden mission.
And boy what a mission it is! Harry is dispatched with a small team of inexperienced Wardens to rescue a handful of mortals who live in a snow-covered town in the middle of nowhere.
Naturally, things start going wrong from the get-go for the group. First, Harry’s ever dependable car breaks down. Then they find that they have no time to evacuate the premises but must make their stand at the mortals home. And worst of all, no one, not even Harry, knows why they are doing this? Why these people are so important to the Red Court? Why the White Council wants to save them? And if these mortals are important, why did the Council only send Harry and a few misfit Wardens to protect them?
The story that develops from this setup is pure Harry Dresden fun. It reads like a comic version of a Dresden book. The dialogue between characters is the same. Harry’s internal monologue is the same. But here, that great Jim Butcher story is complimented by stellar artwork by Carlos Gomez, who absolutely captures the frenetic nature of the tale, bringing to life all the magic fights, the mystical creatures, and the characters themselves. And always, Jim Butcher adds just the right amount of narration and explanation to move the story along without detracting from the artwork.
To make it perfectly clear, I loved this comic collection. As a new fan of Harry Dresden, I found this story to be yet another example of how Jim Butcher has caught lightning in a bottle with this urban fantasy hero, allowing him to turn even the simplest story into something very Wow! worthy. I highly recommend this one to all Dresden fans, urban fantasy fans, and lovers of great stories!
I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them both for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
The Dresden Files: War Cry is a comic collection of the series written by Jim Butcher and Mark Powers. And while I have just begun my travels with Harry Dresden, I have to say that this tale was just as gripping and entertaining as Storm Front (which is the only book I’ve read in the series thus far.)
The story itself is set four months after the events depicted in Dead Beat, the 7th novel in The Dresden Files. As constant readers of the series will know, at this time, the White Council is waging what appears to be a losing war against the vampire forces of the Red Court. In fact, things are so desperate that they’ve “drafted” the inexperienced and the outcast wizards to help reinforce the ever thinning ranks of the Wardens.
Naturally, Harry Dresden, a wizard for hire from Chicago, is one of the misfits enlisted, even though the White Council has long viewed him with suspicion for things that happened in his past. But the threat from the Red Court being what it is, all that is temporarily forgiven, and Harry is sent out on a Warden mission.
And boy what a mission it is! Harry is dispatched with a small team of inexperienced Wardens to rescue a handful of mortals who live in a snow-covered town in the middle of nowhere.
Naturally, things start going wrong from the get-go for the group. First, Harry’s ever dependable car breaks down. Then they find that they have no time to evacuate the premises but must make their stand at the mortals home. And worst of all, no one, not even Harry, knows why they are doing this? Why these people are so important to the Red Court? Why the White Council wants to save them? And if these mortals are important, why did the Council only send Harry and a few misfit Wardens to protect them?
The story that develops from this setup is pure Harry Dresden fun. It reads like a comic version of a Dresden book. The dialogue between characters is the same. Harry’s internal monologue is the same. But here, that great Jim Butcher story is complimented by stellar artwork by Carlos Gomez, who absolutely captures the frenetic nature of the tale, bringing to life all the magic fights, the mystical creatures, and the characters themselves. And always, Jim Butcher adds just the right amount of narration and explanation to move the story along without detracting from the artwork.
To make it perfectly clear, I loved this comic collection. As a new fan of Harry Dresden, I found this story to be yet another example of how Jim Butcher has caught lightning in a bottle with this urban fantasy hero, allowing him to turn even the simplest story into something very Wow! worthy. I highly recommend this one to all Dresden fans, urban fantasy fans, and lovers of great stories!
I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them both for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
April 17, 2018
The White Court of Wizards has become needy enough to make Harry Dresden a Warden. They are in conflict with the vampires of the Red Court and it is not going well.
This graphic novel reflects one event where Harry takes some newby wardens with him on a rescue mission to Iowa. Yes, Iowa, where Harry had his childhood (and nothing is said about that in the whole book).
There, they find a group of “special” (no spoiler alert) humans who are being attacked by the Red Court and they must find a way to get them out against great odds.
The mortals are hiding something in their refuge and Harry’s group has no knowledge of what that might be. The plot plays out from there.
I found it kind of tepid and the lines lacking the Butcher sparkle in this Mark Power’s adaptation. Carlos Gomez is the lead illustrator and I guess I just prefer the style of Ardian Syaf. Nothing quite clicked for me, but maybe it will for you.
This graphic novel reflects one event where Harry takes some newby wardens with him on a rescue mission to Iowa. Yes, Iowa, where Harry had his childhood (and nothing is said about that in the whole book).
There, they find a group of “special” (no spoiler alert) humans who are being attacked by the Red Court and they must find a way to get them out against great odds.
The mortals are hiding something in their refuge and Harry’s group has no knowledge of what that might be. The plot plays out from there.
I found it kind of tepid and the lines lacking the Butcher sparkle in this Mark Power’s adaptation. Carlos Gomez is the lead illustrator and I guess I just prefer the style of Ardian Syaf. Nothing quite clicked for me, but maybe it will for you.
October 27, 2014
I did not read the Graphic novel but bought all 5 installments through my comics dealer, the major disadvantage of this approach is the waiting between each comic every month.
This particular episode in Harry Dresdens adventures is rather action packed which is rather enjoyable, Harry being rather good in the dialogues has more to do than jabbering at the baddies, the Red Court Vampires in this case.
A quick and condensed story in 5 installments that makes you remember why Harry Dresdens outings are so much fun, and this story does not waste too much time in explaining.
A really nice addition to the world of Harry Dresden and as a fan one cannot but enjoy these comic outings while waiting in anticipation of Jims next book on this subject matter.
The fun thing about the comics is how easy they are to re-read, which I did when the last installment arrived to finish of with that installment.
This particular episode in Harry Dresdens adventures is rather action packed which is rather enjoyable, Harry being rather good in the dialogues has more to do than jabbering at the baddies, the Red Court Vampires in this case.
A quick and condensed story in 5 installments that makes you remember why Harry Dresdens outings are so much fun, and this story does not waste too much time in explaining.
A really nice addition to the world of Harry Dresden and as a fan one cannot but enjoy these comic outings while waiting in anticipation of Jims next book on this subject matter.
The fun thing about the comics is how easy they are to re-read, which I did when the last installment arrived to finish of with that installment.
November 14, 2014
I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley.
Dresden rocks! It is so very cool to get a dose of the Dresden Files during the wait between novels of the main series.
In this one, we go back a few books. This story is set after Dead Beat, so spoilers will appear in this review and in the graphic novel if you haven't read that far.
Here, we return to the time that the White Council were at war with the Red Court and Harry had just been made a Warden. Here, Dresden is joined by Ramirez, Wild Bill Meyers, and Yoshimo to take on a group of Red Court vampies led by a typically sinister baddie. Excitement and lots of fighting ensue.
I really don't know how much a new person to the Dresden universe would get out of this, but to a fan that's read everything available, it's a treat. The artwork is excellent and Butcher's voice is definitely there among the writers. (Audio fans might appreciate that I could hear James Marsters in my head when Harry talked.)
A great chapter to help us get by until Peace Talks.
Dresden rocks! It is so very cool to get a dose of the Dresden Files during the wait between novels of the main series.
In this one, we go back a few books. This story is set after Dead Beat, so spoilers will appear in this review and in the graphic novel if you haven't read that far.
Here, we return to the time that the White Council were at war with the Red Court and Harry had just been made a Warden. Here, Dresden is joined by Ramirez, Wild Bill Meyers, and Yoshimo to take on a group of Red Court vampies led by a typically sinister baddie. Excitement and lots of fighting ensue.
I really don't know how much a new person to the Dresden universe would get out of this, but to a fan that's read everything available, it's a treat. The artwork is excellent and Butcher's voice is definitely there among the writers. (Audio fans might appreciate that I could hear James Marsters in my head when Harry talked.)
A great chapter to help us get by until Peace Talks.
January 30, 2021
Awesome art and story
I love Harry Dresden and seeing him in full color makes him even better. The art work is amazing. I can’t recommend enough.
I love Harry Dresden and seeing him in full color makes him even better. The art work is amazing. I can’t recommend enough.
June 13, 2017
War Cry is an original story in graphic novel form set between books seven and eight of the prose novel series. It takes place in a single night, with Harry and three of his young charges set to defend a house of mortal scholars in Iowa from an army of evil. The only other main member of Harry's core support group who appears in the book is Thomas. (Unless you count the Blue Beetle.) It's a nice story and seemed to me to fit in well with the established chronology, though the narrative tense in the last section fluctuated a bit and became jarring. The art is okay, though the characters seemed to be a bit more young and attractive than could reasonably be expected, and the female characters were all a bit top heavy and not properly clothed for the cold weather. As a rule, I enjoy original stories more than adaptations, and this was a fun diversion.
October 29, 2015
-Original Story. Set after Dead Beat (Dresden Files #7)-
Iba a ponerle 4,5-4.75 pero despues me dije hay cosas mucho peores, y este es nuestro Harry, con un poco menos de referencias pops y de su chauvinismo, asi que muy bien ;)
En medio de la cruenta guerra contra los vampiros de la Corte Roja, Dresden es reclutado como Warden y se le encomienda una misión junto a 3 otros Warden novatos: Ramirez, Yoshimo y Wild Bill. Deben ir por unos archivistas. Como siempre, las cosas no son tan simples.
Love the image. (check capitan Luccio)
Yoshimo rocks.
Ramirez rocks.
The no-so-good: too easy solution for the ending.
Iba a ponerle 4,5-4.75 pero despues me dije hay cosas mucho peores, y este es nuestro Harry, con un poco menos de referencias pops y de su chauvinismo, asi que muy bien ;)
En medio de la cruenta guerra contra los vampiros de la Corte Roja, Dresden es reclutado como Warden y se le encomienda una misión junto a 3 otros Warden novatos: Ramirez, Yoshimo y Wild Bill. Deben ir por unos archivistas. Como siempre, las cosas no son tan simples.
Love the image. (check capitan Luccio)
Yoshimo rocks.
Ramirez rocks.
The no-so-good: too easy solution for the ending.
August 11, 2024
This original story is set after book 7 and takes us to another small town where Warden Harry Dresden leads a team of young wardens to evacuate some scholars but obviously, things turn out to be different and whatnot. I love the Dresden series and it's awesome to see Harry in full action I am enjoying these original stories as they expand the world of the Dresden Files and also keep the story in the graphic novels fresh. So then let's Keep on Reading.
I have always loved comics, and I have I can. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and hope always to love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.
I have always loved comics, and I have I can. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and hope always to love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.
March 13, 2015
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel collects issues #1-5 in the War Cry series with the story picking up several months after the end of the last novel and sees the White Council up against the Red Court in what seems to be a losing battle. After one battle wipes out many of the councils wardens they are forced to recruit inexperienced wizards as wardens as well as the 'black sheep' of the wizard world, Harry Dresden.
Dresden soon finds himself on a mysterious mission to help a group of mortals, his fellow wardens are all inexperienced and with only 4 in their group they are grossly outnumbered for the inevitable attacks. Their mission also seems highly suspicious with hardly any information pertaining as to why the humans need to be rescued. It soon becomes apparent that there is something far more important at stake and something that the Red Court are eager to get their hands on.
I'm not familiar with the world of Dresden and the story doesn't seem to require any previous knowledge of characters and situation, holding up very well as a stand alone series that newcomers can immerse themselves into.
The artwork was visually quite stunning but personally I like something a little more raw, not a major issue just personal preference. At time I thought it was difficult to tell some of the characters apart especially the female characters, this impacted with the flow of the story. The read was paced well and there was lots of action which meant that any character development was fairly minimal.
I very much enjoyed the read and would definitely recommend this for urban fantasy fans.
November 4, 2023
Spoiler alert! Do NOT read this graphic novel if you have not read Turn Coat, unless you want a significant plot twist spoiled.
I put this on a wish list and a friend gifted me with it.
My analytical writerly mind and non-graphic-novel expert self says to give it 3 stars, my heart says to give it 4 stars, my eyes (dislike of monsters/grotesque images) say to mark down 1 star for the Shoggoth and Black Court vampires. I know the BCVs are in the novels, but reading descriptions of them is different from seeing them rendered in icky detail. The Shoggoth is kind of like the Kraken from Pirates of the Caribbean crossed with the Star Wars sarlacc on meth and steroids—gross!
This story is a detailed version of one of the missions with junior Wardens that Harry refers to in novels after Dead Beat. What delighted me about it was seeing Harry, young wizard Warden Carlos Ramirez and Harry’s White Court vampire half-brother, Thomas, together in a story. I’m very fond of all three, and I’ve especially been wanting to see Ramirez in another Dresden story. The way they interact, with smart-assedness tempering their crazy courage, is a lot of fun.
The story is pretty good, although necessarily simplified for the confines of a graphic novel. I liked the mix of magical and conventional weapons. It’s always been great that Harry carries a gun, because he can’t always get out of situations using magic. Not that I wanted massive casualties, but the action does tend toward the Bad Guy Rule of Lousy Marksmanship and the convenient fact that significant characters somehow escape being mortally wounded, turned by BCVs or eaten by the Shoggoth. The text would’ve benefitted from one more pass by a proofreader. There are some errors, including a major grammar mistake and the misspelling of a character’s name; plus there’s some weird shifting of verb tenses.
The art—aside from the monster stuff I’ve already complained about—is good. Harry and Ramirez especially look good and are pretty true to their written descriptions. There’s also a fabulous alternate steampunk-style cover included in the extras. Thomas probably could’ve been better-looking, as that’s something that Harry tends to harp on in the books. But there’s an especially cute two-page montage of scenes from the other books, including Thomas in the infamous Buffy the Vampire Slayer t-shirt during the fight with the Red Court in Death Masks and Harry reacting with bewilderment to Thomas lazing about the apartment. At least the Venatori Umbrorum are an assortment of ages, genders, body types and races; though one of the women has a gratuitously naughty secretary look going on. I would’ve liked it if Warden Yuki Yoshimo had looked more Asian.
Overall, quibbles aside, I was glad to have a copy of it to help tide me over until the next installment of the regular novel series arrived and it was good to revisit the story later.
I put this on a wish list and a friend gifted me with it.
My analytical writerly mind and non-graphic-novel expert self says to give it 3 stars, my heart says to give it 4 stars, my eyes (dislike of monsters/grotesque images) say to mark down 1 star for the Shoggoth and Black Court vampires. I know the BCVs are in the novels, but reading descriptions of them is different from seeing them rendered in icky detail. The Shoggoth is kind of like the Kraken from Pirates of the Caribbean crossed with the Star Wars sarlacc on meth and steroids—gross!
This story is a detailed version of one of the missions with junior Wardens that Harry refers to in novels after Dead Beat. What delighted me about it was seeing Harry, young wizard Warden Carlos Ramirez and Harry’s White Court vampire half-brother, Thomas, together in a story. I’m very fond of all three, and I’ve especially been wanting to see Ramirez in another Dresden story. The way they interact, with smart-assedness tempering their crazy courage, is a lot of fun.
The story is pretty good, although necessarily simplified for the confines of a graphic novel. I liked the mix of magical and conventional weapons. It’s always been great that Harry carries a gun, because he can’t always get out of situations using magic. Not that I wanted massive casualties, but the action does tend toward the Bad Guy Rule of Lousy Marksmanship and the convenient fact that significant characters somehow escape being mortally wounded, turned by BCVs or eaten by the Shoggoth. The text would’ve benefitted from one more pass by a proofreader. There are some errors, including a major grammar mistake and the misspelling of a character’s name; plus there’s some weird shifting of verb tenses.
The art—aside from the monster stuff I’ve already complained about—is good. Harry and Ramirez especially look good and are pretty true to their written descriptions. There’s also a fabulous alternate steampunk-style cover included in the extras. Thomas probably could’ve been better-looking, as that’s something that Harry tends to harp on in the books. But there’s an especially cute two-page montage of scenes from the other books, including Thomas in the infamous Buffy the Vampire Slayer t-shirt during the fight with the Red Court in Death Masks and Harry reacting with bewilderment to Thomas lazing about the apartment. At least the Venatori Umbrorum are an assortment of ages, genders, body types and races; though one of the women has a gratuitously naughty secretary look going on. I would’ve liked it if Warden Yuki Yoshimo had looked more Asian.
Overall, quibbles aside, I was glad to have a copy of it to help tide me over until the next installment of the regular novel series arrived and it was good to revisit the story later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2015
[Note: This is the first time I've reviewed a graphic novel.]
I thought this story made for an interesting Dresden Files tie-in in a place where the series definitely needed it. Because the novels only focus on short periods of time with long skips in between, we only ever hear of Harry's non-novel escapades in passing, if at all. So, in that regard, I enjoyed reading this graphic novel because it added a little more dimension to the largely off-screen war with the Red Court. Most of that supposedly awful warfare was ignored in favor of more local issues in the Dresden-verse -- this graphic novel helped flesh it out a lot more and really showed how terrible the fighting got at times.
The original characters were pretty interesting, if not a little on the generic side (but then, I almost always have that issue with vampires antagonists). I liked Harry's team, and the idea of the creepy-looking outsider creature the Red Court was after. The fighting scenes were pretty well done, and I didn't really think the story lagged anywhere.
On the other hand, I wasn't super pleased with the "easy" resolution of the conflict, and I think a few of the plot threads were fairly underdeveloped. Things were compressed in places they should have been expanded, and some minor scenes went off for far too long. It other words, the pacing was a bit off for me.
Finally, and this is a criticism unique to graphic novels, I just...didn't like the art style of this graphic novel. A lot of the character designs struck me as really weird, and I felt the scenes depicted left out a lot of the important details to focus on the less important ones (in line with the plot pacing issue). That being said, there were several awesome panels that really did capture the spirit of the story being told, and the full page spreads were gorgeous.
So, I did this think was a fun tie-in for the Dresden-verse, but I also thought it could have been improved in a few places.
_____
Rating
3.5/5
_____
...// Disclosure
I received a free ebook copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this story made for an interesting Dresden Files tie-in in a place where the series definitely needed it. Because the novels only focus on short periods of time with long skips in between, we only ever hear of Harry's non-novel escapades in passing, if at all. So, in that regard, I enjoyed reading this graphic novel because it added a little more dimension to the largely off-screen war with the Red Court. Most of that supposedly awful warfare was ignored in favor of more local issues in the Dresden-verse -- this graphic novel helped flesh it out a lot more and really showed how terrible the fighting got at times.
The original characters were pretty interesting, if not a little on the generic side (but then, I almost always have that issue with vampires antagonists). I liked Harry's team, and the idea of the creepy-looking outsider creature the Red Court was after. The fighting scenes were pretty well done, and I didn't really think the story lagged anywhere.
On the other hand, I wasn't super pleased with the "easy" resolution of the conflict, and I think a few of the plot threads were fairly underdeveloped. Things were compressed in places they should have been expanded, and some minor scenes went off for far too long. It other words, the pacing was a bit off for me.
Finally, and this is a criticism unique to graphic novels, I just...didn't like the art style of this graphic novel. A lot of the character designs struck me as really weird, and I felt the scenes depicted left out a lot of the important details to focus on the less important ones (in line with the plot pacing issue). That being said, there were several awesome panels that really did capture the spirit of the story being told, and the full page spreads were gorgeous.
So, I did this think was a fun tie-in for the Dresden-verse, but I also thought it could have been improved in a few places.
_____
Rating
3.5/5
_____
...// Disclosure
I received a free ebook copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2014
ARC received from NetGalley
I must admit I gave up on the Dresden Files after I read book two in the series. Urban noir fantasy and first person narration is just not to my liking. But I was willing to give this graphic novel a shot and was pleasantly surprised. Chronologically it's set after the 8th book, but a lot of previews knowledge is not needed and it's even very viable for newcomers to the series. It had a lot of spoilers of the previous books, but it was ok for me since I didn't plan to read them in the first place. So be aware!
The story itself is very entertaining and well paced. The single issues have good endings and are worth to buy. For example the single Saga issues, another graphic novel I read over the last months, are absolutely not worth it's money, because the story arc is so short and incoherent.
The artwork is well done, but of course tastes will differ here, especially the appearance of Dresden, but I think it's well made.
I must admit I gave up on the Dresden Files after I read book two in the series. Urban noir fantasy and first person narration is just not to my liking. But I was willing to give this graphic novel a shot and was pleasantly surprised. Chronologically it's set after the 8th book, but a lot of previews knowledge is not needed and it's even very viable for newcomers to the series. It had a lot of spoilers of the previous books, but it was ok for me since I didn't plan to read them in the first place. So be aware!
The story itself is very entertaining and well paced. The single issues have good endings and are worth to buy. For example the single Saga issues, another graphic novel I read over the last months, are absolutely not worth it's money, because the story arc is so short and incoherent.
The artwork is well done, but of course tastes will differ here, especially the appearance of Dresden, but I think it's well made.
October 15, 2018
I have to say that the writer hasn't succeeded in anything but taunting me.
{SPOILER ALERT}
1-Instead of running into the house ASAP, the heroes stand in the open for some time in the openning bravado...pointless.
2-Bravosa's keen vampire senses failed to detect the SHAGGOTH behind him, his role also completely diminished and minusculed from the beginning.
3- The shaggoth was supposed to be a tool of apocalypse and oh its so powerful and Dresden was mad to unleash this unstoppable monster, then we see it incapable and too small compared to what it looked like when it attacked Hamurabi and I felt really taunted when some barrels and explosives did it in...just what the **** was Jim Butcher thinking ?!
This HAS TO be the WORST chapter of the whole series!
{SPOILER ALERT}
1-Instead of running into the house ASAP, the heroes stand in the open for some time in the openning bravado...pointless.
2-Bravosa's keen vampire senses failed to detect the SHAGGOTH behind him, his role also completely diminished and minusculed from the beginning.
3- The shaggoth was supposed to be a tool of apocalypse and oh its so powerful and Dresden was mad to unleash this unstoppable monster, then we see it incapable and too small compared to what it looked like when it attacked Hamurabi and I felt really taunted when some barrels and explosives did it in...just what the **** was Jim Butcher thinking ?!
This HAS TO be the WORST chapter of the whole series!
October 3, 2015
I liked this one, liked Harry realizing he has been played, how he and the "baby wardens" he is supervising are vastly out numbered. Yet they didn't stop fighting, even when they realized the odds. I loved that Thomas showed up and just in time too. He and Harry are a force and they came up with a great way to win the battle and get rid of the horrible thing.
November 13, 2018
Nice artwork.
November 21, 2020
4.5* - I loved this!! Harry &Thomas!! 🤗
January 15, 2015
I was given an opportunity to read an arc by netgalley.com but sadly I was unable to download it to my device. After the book was released I was upset that I didn't get to it sooner. While I have been reading the dresden files for years this was my first time delving into the graphic novels. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is certainly a different experience than reading a novel but by no means does different mean less.
In War Cry we get to follow along with Dresden and a team of wardens on an assignment handed down from the White council. Each of the wardens involved have graced the pages of the Dresden files before , some to a larger extent than others but they are names we know none the less, and that makes it all the more intriguing a read. Ramirez has had a good bit of screen time, Wild Bill a phone call and a word here and there but the third, Yoshimo,had been little more than mentioned and all three are worth reading about. The venatori umbrorum are another large part of the story and again a group we know little about that gets filled in a bit more in this series.
I had some reservations going in due to the fear that what is essentially a comic book would hold up to the standard of the regular novels but I was very pleased with the outcome and would have to admit I enjoy the visual part of it nearly as much as imagining the scenes as I read them. The artist did a wonderful job with everything from the look of the characters to the way the powers they used were shown. I can only assume Mr. butcher has done such a fantastic job in his descriptions that the authors vision and my own imagination made the characters look very much like I expected. The storyline was witty and brilliant as always. Anyone familiar with the series or Jim Butchers Codex Alera likely had no doubt but with much less writing space the concern was there that it would lack in depth. To the contrary the images to go with the snark, the action, the one liners and the typical Dresden looney tunes plans made it every bit as deep as a full fledged novel.
My one criticism would be that it does take place about 8 novels ago and so much has happened since that it takes a moment to adjust. Harry is a much different person, his knowledge better rounded and he has in fact managed to clear the field of a major player in this novel. While it can be a bit jarring at the start it does not detract from the pleasure of the story nor does it feel pointless just because you know what's happened past this point. People who are deeply into the series will still enjoy the hints into the wider world of Dresden.
All things considered I'd suggest this to any fan of the Dresden files and wouldn't hesitate to send it to someone looking for a new series. It shows what Dresden is about and is short enough that a casual reader will be able to get through it, gain an understanding into the series and then no doubt go grab storm front and keep on going. For me personally I'll be going back through the list of Mr. Butchers other graphic novels now that I realize how good a "comic book" can be even to an adult reader.
In War Cry we get to follow along with Dresden and a team of wardens on an assignment handed down from the White council. Each of the wardens involved have graced the pages of the Dresden files before , some to a larger extent than others but they are names we know none the less, and that makes it all the more intriguing a read. Ramirez has had a good bit of screen time, Wild Bill a phone call and a word here and there but the third, Yoshimo,had been little more than mentioned and all three are worth reading about. The venatori umbrorum are another large part of the story and again a group we know little about that gets filled in a bit more in this series.
I had some reservations going in due to the fear that what is essentially a comic book would hold up to the standard of the regular novels but I was very pleased with the outcome and would have to admit I enjoy the visual part of it nearly as much as imagining the scenes as I read them. The artist did a wonderful job with everything from the look of the characters to the way the powers they used were shown. I can only assume Mr. butcher has done such a fantastic job in his descriptions that the authors vision and my own imagination made the characters look very much like I expected. The storyline was witty and brilliant as always. Anyone familiar with the series or Jim Butchers Codex Alera likely had no doubt but with much less writing space the concern was there that it would lack in depth. To the contrary the images to go with the snark, the action, the one liners and the typical Dresden looney tunes plans made it every bit as deep as a full fledged novel.
My one criticism would be that it does take place about 8 novels ago and so much has happened since that it takes a moment to adjust. Harry is a much different person, his knowledge better rounded and he has in fact managed to clear the field of a major player in this novel. While it can be a bit jarring at the start it does not detract from the pleasure of the story nor does it feel pointless just because you know what's happened past this point. People who are deeply into the series will still enjoy the hints into the wider world of Dresden.
All things considered I'd suggest this to any fan of the Dresden files and wouldn't hesitate to send it to someone looking for a new series. It shows what Dresden is about and is short enough that a casual reader will be able to get through it, gain an understanding into the series and then no doubt go grab storm front and keep on going. For me personally I'll be going back through the list of Mr. Butchers other graphic novels now that I realize how good a "comic book" can be even to an adult reader.
December 1, 2014
I got a copy of this to review through NetGalley. This TP compiles issues 1-5 of the War Cry story arc of the Dresden Files Graphic Novel series. This is an original story and takes place during the war between the White Council and the Red Court.
The White Council and the Red Court are at war and as more and more Wardens fall Harry Dresden is called in to lead a strike group of Wardens. Harry’s first mission is a tough one. He is supposed to take a group of rather green Wardens to a isolated town where the Red Court has targeted a bunch of civilians. Unfortunately the bunch of civilians being targeted have a pretty big secret of their own.
This was a very well done graphic novel. I loved the story; it is action packed and we get to see a lot of awesome fighting and magic on both sides of the conflict. I loved the secret that the civilians were hiding, it was amazing and very entertaining.
The story is mostly a stand-off between Dresden’s Wardens and the Red Court. There are lots of shoot-outs and hand to hand combat. The graphic novel moves quickly, the story is easy to follow, and things never get boring.
The weakest part of this graphic novel is the illustration. It’s not hard to follow, but sometimes the characters faces look awkward...especially when drawn from side angles. It’s not awful but it’s definitely not up to the quality of earlier books in the series. I miss Ardian Syaf’s illustration.
Overall this was a great continuation of this series. I enjoyed the original story and loved all the action and some of the twists in the story. It was exciting to read and fast-paced. I thought the illustration was a bit weak and continue to miss Ardian Syaf’s illustration. I think fans of both the Dresden Files book series and the graphic novel series will enjoy this. Recommended to graphic novel fans who love urban fantasy.
The White Council and the Red Court are at war and as more and more Wardens fall Harry Dresden is called in to lead a strike group of Wardens. Harry’s first mission is a tough one. He is supposed to take a group of rather green Wardens to a isolated town where the Red Court has targeted a bunch of civilians. Unfortunately the bunch of civilians being targeted have a pretty big secret of their own.
This was a very well done graphic novel. I loved the story; it is action packed and we get to see a lot of awesome fighting and magic on both sides of the conflict. I loved the secret that the civilians were hiding, it was amazing and very entertaining.
The story is mostly a stand-off between Dresden’s Wardens and the Red Court. There are lots of shoot-outs and hand to hand combat. The graphic novel moves quickly, the story is easy to follow, and things never get boring.
The weakest part of this graphic novel is the illustration. It’s not hard to follow, but sometimes the characters faces look awkward...especially when drawn from side angles. It’s not awful but it’s definitely not up to the quality of earlier books in the series. I miss Ardian Syaf’s illustration.
Overall this was a great continuation of this series. I enjoyed the original story and loved all the action and some of the twists in the story. It was exciting to read and fast-paced. I thought the illustration was a bit weak and continue to miss Ardian Syaf’s illustration. I think fans of both the Dresden Files book series and the graphic novel series will enjoy this. Recommended to graphic novel fans who love urban fantasy.
February 7, 2018
War Cry is nice addition to the existing Dresden Files canon. It should be read after Dead Beat and relies upon the reader having knowledge from the story arc leading up to it. It's been long enough since I'd read it that the details were fuzzy, but Powers & Butcher did a good job dropping enough backstory info that I didn't flounder. This novel felt like Butcher finally has gotten his feet under him & adjusted to this format, delivering a story that felt more like what he's written with his full length novels. The humor was there, the action, and the expected dose of unexpected. There was one character that seemed like she was supposed to have a bigger part in the storyline, other than just being a warm body for the main villain to explain all his plans to, but they never ended up using her.
The war with the Red Court vampires has accelerated and the good guys aren't winning. Things have gone badly enough that the White Council has recruited Harry to be a Warden (basically a wizard cop), as well as young & inexperienced wizards. By anyone's standards, Harry is considered a loose cannon, but he's been given the task of training and leading this green group of Wardens. They've been given an assignment to protect some White Council scholars in a house that will soon be overrun with vampires, but nothing is ever as simple as that.
Two illustrators are credited for the work on this one & they both do an exceptional job. If you enjoy the novels, pick this one up.
The war with the Red Court vampires has accelerated and the good guys aren't winning. Things have gone badly enough that the White Council has recruited Harry to be a Warden (basically a wizard cop), as well as young & inexperienced wizards. By anyone's standards, Harry is considered a loose cannon, but he's been given the task of training and leading this green group of Wardens. They've been given an assignment to protect some White Council scholars in a house that will soon be overrun with vampires, but nothing is ever as simple as that.
Two illustrators are credited for the work on this one & they both do an exceptional job. If you enjoy the novels, pick this one up.
June 7, 2020
Basic Plot: Warden Harry Dresden and his new trainees are sent out to the middle of Iowa to save a bunch of scholars and find more than they expected.
I love the art in these Dresden graphic novels, but while solid, the stories are too short to be truly satisfying. They have everything we expect from a Dresden story: snark, magic, fast pace; however, it's something akin to being forced to only eat one cookie when your sweet tooth is acting up. One is never enough, matter of fact it only makes you want even more.
I really loved the visual depictions of Ramirez, Yukie, and Bill in this book. I also enjoyed the hidden Lovecraftian monster in the basement. That made me terribly happy. I always enjoy when my favorite things intersect in logical ways.
All said, it was a fun little tale, and probably the best of the graphic novels put out for the series.
I love the art in these Dresden graphic novels, but while solid, the stories are too short to be truly satisfying. They have everything we expect from a Dresden story: snark, magic, fast pace; however, it's something akin to being forced to only eat one cookie when your sweet tooth is acting up. One is never enough, matter of fact it only makes you want even more.
I really loved the visual depictions of Ramirez, Yukie, and Bill in this book. I also enjoyed the hidden Lovecraftian monster in the basement. That made me terribly happy. I always enjoy when my favorite things intersect in logical ways.
All said, it was a fun little tale, and probably the best of the graphic novels put out for the series.
October 3, 2014
Terrific, fantastic, exciting both the history and the designs, also Harry Desden has been in my TBR list for years!
Bellissimo, fantastico, entusiasmante sia la storia che i disegni, inoltre Harry Desden é nella mia TBR list da anni!
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Bellissimo, fantastico, entusiasmante sia la storia che i disegni, inoltre Harry Desden é nella mia TBR list da anni!
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS FOR THE PREVIEW!
March 7, 2015
A swell Dresden romp with lots and lots of action. Not all the characters are drawn the way I wanted (I never imagined Thomas so muscle-bound), but the artists did a great job portraying the action, which, as noted, was most of the book. I liked this story a lot more than the last Dresden comic I read.
October 25, 2016
Situado entre el séptimo y octavo libro de la saga, este cómic ayuda a los seguidores de la saga a comprender mejor la relación entre Harry y Thomas y la carga que representa para Dresden ser el protector de Chicago.
Historia entretenida, como todo lo de Butcher.
Historia entretenida, como todo lo de Butcher.
January 3, 2021
So the issues with all these comic adaptations is very simple - they aren't written by Butcher himself. He just provides the outline for the story and someone else writes everything else. This makes the entire pacing and character work seem jarringly off, especially when you read them in the reading order instead of the publication order - The entire premise of a house under siege by Vampires seems too implausible and overstretched to warrant 5 entire comic books worth of material. Dresden feels completely different and the last minute machinations seem ridiculous.
The artwork is decent but that is about it.
It is worth reading for completionists but otherwise you aren't missing anything. Stay away.
The artwork is decent but that is about it.
It is worth reading for completionists but otherwise you aren't missing anything. Stay away.
November 11, 2019
Well this was quite fun to read . I still don't think they have gotten the characterization of Harry right , as he still appears to be a grim and macho dude instead of his usual "make-jokes-in-front-of-danger" character that book readers have come to know and love .
That said the plot felt more like a Dresden files book than ever before , with a fast paced , apocalyptic plot with a lot of punishment for Harry and some real kick-ass strategy .
The art was also very good and overall I had loads of fun reading this. It genuinely feels like a good side book for the series . 😁😁😁😁
That said the plot felt more like a Dresden files book than ever before , with a fast paced , apocalyptic plot with a lot of punishment for Harry and some real kick-ass strategy .
The art was also very good and overall I had loads of fun reading this. It genuinely feels like a good side book for the series . 😁😁😁😁
April 6, 2024
I really wanted to give this 4 stars. Maybe even 5. But there were too many errors. The story and illustrations are fantastic. The problems I have with it are simple editorial errors. There’s a line where Harry mentions Bravos wearing a cape, when he is clearly not wearing a cape. At all. Bravos’ character design is really neat - I wouldn’t change a thing. But I would change that line. Harry’s glove is black in this story, but brown for a single cell. One character is killed about halfway through the story, and then just shows up again later on. No reason is given; they’re just there. Frequent typos. If this comic publisher is looking for a good proofreader, I’m available.
November 3, 2017
I war beginning to forget how much I love the Harry Dresden books but this short story was enough to remind me. The graphics were fun but it's always been the character and the stories themselves that make the Dresden series so exceptional in my eyes. This quick novel was written well with the same spirit and voice as the novels and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While not quite as good as the novels, it is still very much a welcome edition to the universe of Harry Dresden.
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