Northern Lights: The Graphic Novel

His Dark Materials: The Graphic Novels #1

by Stéphane Melchior-Durand (Adapted by), Clément Oubrerie (Illustrations), Philip Pullman

Follow Lyra's story once again in a way you've never experienced it before, as the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle — a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armoured bears.

Lyra hurtles toward danger in the cold far North, never suspecting the shocking truth, that she alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Comics, Fiction, Adventure, Graphic Novels Comics

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2007

About the author

Stéphane Melchior, né le 1er septembre 1965 à Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), est un écrivain et scénariste français de dessin animé et de bande dessinée.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

We finished the first season of the BBC/HBO His Dark Materials series based on Phillip Pullman's trilogy, and I thought I would read the complete adaptation of the graphic novel focused on the first volume of Pullman's series, The Golden Compass (The Northern Lights was what Pullman wanted it to be called) by Stephane Melchior and illustrated by Clement Oubrerie.

Here's some Finnish Northern Lights (you're welcome):

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2020...

I had read the first volume of the graphic novel adaptation and liked it, so I finally took the time to read it all through. It's great that there are so many terrific versions of this fantasy series. The original by Pullman is great, of course. I liked the movie with Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman. I like the BBC/HBO series. I like this graphic novel adaptation, efficiently done and beautifully illustrated. I say let a thousand versions bloom of a great story.

The first volume is my favorite as it has the best adventure line and Lyra is clearly featured. I like Iorek Byrnison, that big bear. I the like northern lights as the best and clearest instance of "dust," and the fact that a child with intuition is the best reader of the alethiometer, that truth telling magic machine. I like Pullman's aim to make it clear that the physical and spiritual worlds are richer and more complex than any of us ever learned in school or church. The tale also has some moments of real horror as we see that the hearts and minds and souls (and daemons) of children are at stake in all these issues.

[Manybooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a huge graphic novel fan anyhow (although I have certainly read some in the recent past that I have enjoyed and managed to appreciate). And with regard to graphic novel adaptations, well, these will indeed have to be pretty darn special and spectacular for me to consider a high star rating (not to mention that I personally would also rather not have these types of adaptations in any case, that I would much more want the original texts being read instead of graphic novels about them).

But I was still willing to try The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Complete Edition just to see how Stéphane Melchior-Durand has adapted Phillip Pullman's text and how Clément Oubrerie's artwork appealed to me. Honestly though and NO, NO, NO, I absolutely and totally do very much despise everything about The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Complete Edition, both textually and illustratively. For even the way that the text appears on the pages of The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Complete Edition, this already makes me want to scream, since the writing is so ridiculously tiny and lacking in visual contrast that even with my reading glasses, I cannot really make out any of the words with ease and have generally had to guess at meanings. And thus, I also cannot of course truly tell how Stépahne- Melchior-Durand's adaptation of Phillip Pullman works except to say that especially in the beginning, with oh so much of the original storyline being redacted, instead of The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Complete Edition appearing as a simpler and more easily understood version of The Golden Compass, Stéphane Melchior-Durand's graphic novel text actually makes everything much more confusing, and that the combination of tiny, unreadable words with said narrational distraction makes me not only totally annoyed but has also given me such as massive eyestrain headache that after about sixty pages or so, I have to quit The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Complete Edition (and indeed, with absolutely no feelings of either contrition or guilt).

And I cannot really consider just ignoring the text and only using Clément Oubrerie's illustrations either for The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Complete Edition. Because aside from the text still being required (in my opinion), I also on an aesthetic level do not AT ALL enjoy the artwork and think that in particular Lyra and her uncle have been depicted and drawn by Clément Oubrerie in a way that I personally consider visually grating and totally NOT how I saw both characters in my mind whilst reading The Golden Compass (and that therefore, my rating for The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Complete Edition is a very annoyed one star, and that I really do have to wonder why so many graphic novels tend to have texts that are visually a nightmare to read for those of us with ageing eyes and/or issues with contrast).

[Kirsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing wrong with the story - I enjoyed the Golden Compass and the rest of the series well enough - but as I was already familiar with the premise and plot, there wasn't anything new for me here. I also found the artwork in this graphic novel to be quite unappealing, so the overall impression was, unfortunately, very 'meh' and I struggled to finish.

[Elena Coorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una gran adaptación de la primera parte de la trilogía de Phillip Pullman. El arte me ha recordado mucho a los dibujos de los libros de Roald Dahl y el guión adaptado a las viñetas es perfecto para releer la historia y que te llene su magia sin que te cansen las descripciones.

Todo un acierto de la editorial Astronave, estoy deseando leer la segunda parte ❤️

[Bradley]

I’m surprised at the comics I’m reading with…tasteless art. Credit to the artist for having something better than stick figures, and therefore being better than myself, I just can’t understand why choose a graphic novel path, ESPECIALLY with source material in the written world, and be okay with pages of this art as your companion. It kinda grew on me…LOL.

Best way to sum it up: odd companion piece. I have no way to approach the story with a blank slate as I’ve seen the movie. The comic explores more material than the movie if I'm remembering correctly (been a minute). There are too many panels without any want to be original or explorative on its own in a way it should that’s not just attributable to “ART”, y’know what I mean?

I enjoy Pan a lot. I like the daemon’s they're a lot like Pokemon. I didn’t realize how bonkers the story shapes up, still it’s enjoyable. I don’t know where I sit on the fence with Golden Compass. It’s odd. Makes it hard to review.

Still the comic misses more than makes its mark.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good artwork. The story does a good job of illustrating Philip Pullman's original story. I found that just like when I read the book many years ago, I enjoyed parts of the story, but was mostly unmoved, except by the pretty illustrations.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this as a stunning graphic novel - I will be reading this repeatedly!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having simply adored and been enchanted by The Golden Compass, I enjoyed getting to see the story in a graphic novel format. Fans of abridged books may enjoy this one greatly since it manages to distill the wonderful story to its essential points. All the elements that made the original story's so compelling are here but without the detail that some like me might find essential. Still, the story is just as captivating here as it was the first time around. It might be interesting for some fans to compare the two versions and pull out strengths and favorites from both versions. As in the original, readers will find themselves thinking about the allure of power and the impact of passion and thrill at the loyal friends and allies who surround Lyra, the book's feisty protagonist.

[Alice Caryer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't feel I need to review the actual storyline of this because everybody knows I love Northern Lights (and imo it's the best book of the trilogy, the other two don't quite live up to the initial brilliance). I'm not entirely sure this graphic novelisation would work on its own but as I've read the book three times, it works for me. I also loved the illustrations; some readers below didn't, but that's completely subjective and I'm glad I enjoyed them.

[Jesse (Jaythebookbird) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m such a fan of this series but the GN adaptation felt disjointed and rushed. It was all sharp edges and far too few moments that tied you to the characters. If I had lot read the series I think I would have been completely lost.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic-novel doesn't do justice to the story. Too abridged, too little of the character development and motivations.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this extremely wordy for a graphic novel, and didn’t love the illustrations that much.
Perhaps in an attempt to stay true to the story, this is bogged down by a great many words and details that could have been more concise.
Basically, this was better as a book.

[Jamie Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accurate to the book but something gets lost in translation. Book is still the way to go. But if you've read the book and want to give the story another go this might be worth the read. 4 stars.

[Commodore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t get me wrong, I was hugely on board with a graphic novel adaptation when I saw it in the library. I liked that it didn’t try to adapt every dialogue and action into a 1:1 representation. I like an adaptation that truly adapts the source material into its new medium, which is unfortunately where this graphic novel falls flat. I wanted to see details in illustrations that a text-only novel couldn’t address, background details of Oxford and London, or the Royal Arctic Institute, but the art style is... almost lazy. The backgrounds are usually little more than colored scribbles. There’s no continuity in face shapes. Lyra’s hair changes color halfway through, and neither time is it her actual color (she’s a dark blonde, which Mrs. Coulter later has slightly lightened). John Faa looks like an idiotic Skwisgar Skwigelf knockoff, and Farder Coram’s Dæmon, described in the original novel as the most beautiful cat Lyra has ever seen, looks like fucking Garfield. The spy-fly is sealed into a tube, instead of a small round tin meant to mimic the shape of the alethiometer, so Ozymandias and Mrs. Coulter being nearly desperate to open it doesn’t make any sense in the comic. Little attention is paid to the rules of the universe. Dæmon converse with humans regularly and easily (it’s stated that they talk to humans who aren’t “theirs” very rarely under normal circumstances) and people touch other people’s Dæmons almost as casually, so the hideous reveal of the scientists at Bolvangar grabbing Pan loses almost all impact. It doesn’t even work as a stand alone comic; if I hadn’t read HDM first I’d have no clue of the scope of anything. A big disappointment overall. I know we all hated the movie adaptation, but I’d watch it a dozen times before reading this again. I actually feel a little kinder to the movie now, which I never thought would happen.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of the Northern Lights graphic novel from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. This is the first book from the His Dark Materials trilogy.

I have read the book, Northern Lights, but it was a few years ago now. I did really enjoy it but I never did get around to reading the other two books in the trilogy. And then I’d left it too late and forgot most of what happened. So when I saw that a graphic novel was going to be released I thought it would be a great way to refresh my memory and also read a graphic novel. I haven’t read a lot of graphic novels.

I will admit that I thought the story jumped ahead out of nowhere. I get that this is a graphic novel and not everything from the book can fit but it just changed scenes with no warning and I also felt like conversations were cut off and didn’t come to an end. I can’t say how much of the story is missing from the book but I did feel like the biggest parts were included. Maybe it’s just me and the fact I haven’t read a graphic novel in years…

I did enjoy the illustrations. I thought they added to the story and made me think of the movie. I have only seen the movie once and all I remember from that is the actors and that insane orange monkey. I loved the detail in the illustrations. I do wish I’d taken some photos for my review but it just slipped my mind.

Overall I did enjoy reading this edition of Northern Lights and it did bring enough of the story back for me to pick up the next book. Which is great! Now I just have to actually pick it up. I want to know what’s next for Lyra and Pan.

If you’re a fan of the His Dark Materials trilogy and haven’t checked this out then I definitely recommend picking up a copy!

[Marzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I learned there was a graphic novel of Northern Lights (The Golden Compass) I had to order it. (Book Depository, US buyers! ). I was eager to see how the book had been adapted for a graphic novel. Unfortunately, I feel that it doesn't really live up to the wonder of Pullman's world. I felt like it compressed so much action into such a short space and the visuals didn't manage to convey a greater depth of information within that short space. I also had mixed feelings about the art, which somehow didn't capture the beauty of Lyra's world.

Because of the vast compression factor of the storyline, I would only recommend the graphic novel to those who have read the source novel.

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★✰✰ (3.5 stars)

On the one hand, I enjoyed Clément Oubrerie's style. On the other, I couldn't help in thinking that it did not mediate Pullman's world. It was at once too simple and too adult. It didn't emphasise the strong suits of the novel, giving the story a different tone. Nevertheless, I did like it and once I started it I became more adjusted to Oubrerie's 'vision'.

[Sneha Jaiswal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading book number 5 this year – Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. I read this magical graphic novel version adapted by Stephane Melchior, with some stunning artwork by Clement Oubrerie.

It follows the journey of the unruly but brave Lyra to the north to rescue children who’ve been abducted by ‘gobblers’. It’s a fascinating world of witches, shape-shifting animals & beer chugging armored bears. It felt like a mix of a lot of books. Lyra was projected as an orphan-child at the beginning and the arc reminded me of the works of Dickens. However far from the bleak world of Dickens’ classic novels, Northern Lights is bright, shiny and filled with colours.

In Pullman’s world, every human has a ‘daemon’, a creature that is perpetually with them, like a soul-animal. If the daemon is attacked, its human feels the pain too and vice-versa. Lyra is always up to some mischief or the other with her daemon and the two go on a journey to the end of the earth to find the evil ‘gobblers’ and free the innocent children kidnapped by them. She is gifted a golden compass that can answer any question, but very few can interpret the answers. Our protagonist however manages to crack the mystery of the compass and thus gets a lot of help in her perilous journey.

The most likable character in the book for me was the ‘drunkard’ bear called Lorek Byrnison, who is banished from his kingdom, despite being the heir to the throne. Despite being a giant animal, Byrnison’s character is almost human and very lovable. He in some ways in the true hero of the book, despite having a terrifying introduction.

Just one thing kept bothering me, and that was the motivations of the antagonist. All we know is that the villain is doing evil things, but what exactly spurs them on is never clear. I wish there was some more back-story or more space for us to understand the antagonist. There is quite some violence in the book and I think some of the themes are slightly dark for children. However it’s perfect for comic loving adults!

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am trying to finish reading the second His Dark Materials novel, but I find these stories just too plot-driven for my taste. To make matters worse, is that there are so many characters and moving parts and I feel a bit detached from the events going on. After reading this graphic novel, I finally understand the appeal of the story, and I wish I could have read these graphic novels before diving into the novels.

I think the illustrations are splendid and wonderful to look at. Everyone is so expressive and there's a soft feeling through the color palette that I think Phillip Pullman's prose lacks in expressing. His prose is uninteresting to me, so this graphic novel makes up for what I find rather lackluster in reading.

Similar to The Dark Tower, I kind of feel a story like this makes for a better visual story than a prose story. Perhaps it is because His Dark Materials and The Dark Tower do not have prose that interests me, and most of what I like about the two series are the visuals that they conjure up (like daemons, flying ships, warrior polar bears, other worlds, expeditions, gunslingers, giant cyborg bears, maniacal suicidal trains, stuff like that). When I read The Dark Tower, I keep imagining how amazing it would be as a television show, rather than these long, exhausting, novels (which King himself said are 'one long novel' which is sadly, too true). The only character in The Dark Tower that I enjoy reading about are Jake and Randall Flagg. Other than that, there's not really anyone in His Dark Materials or The Dark Tower that I find myself really caring about. I know there's a television series adapting His Dark Materials. I tried watching it a year or two ago, and it was good. I got through a few episodes. But I have become very particular about what tv shows I watch now, which is something I am beginning to try to do with my reading.

[amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m annoyed about the odd changes this book has compared to the original novel. Like why does Lyra dunk her face in porridge so that Coulter doesn’t recognize her? That makes no sense, and it’s not in Lyra’s personality to do that. The pacing is a little weird too, and some scenes were cut short. Important scenes especially were just way too short. but I still loved this novel nonetheless because of the beautiful artwork and character design. Also the golden compass is awesome and will always be five stars in my opinion. I’m so so SO PLEASED WITH FHE IOREK AND IOFUR FIGHT. That’s my favourite scene in the whole book and this is the first time I got to see it NOT be dumbed down to pg-13. Thank you to the editor and illustrator of this book for actually making it as gruesome and awesome as it was in the book.

[RhiannaH · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic 'refresher' of Northern Lights. After reading the novel several years ago and before commencing on reintroducing myself with the His Dark Materials, I felt that I needed a refresher as such to remind myself of the story plot. The graphic novel provided as much detail as the novel and recaptured my love and interest into this amazing story trilogy. Would highly recommend to anyone who may seem intimidated by the series or novel - this is a perfect introduction to the masterful collection.

[Mariletta Letta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the original trilogy greatly, this novel provided me with an enjoyable way to relax, probably because I already knew what was going to happen throughout it. You get used to the art, I really loved the atmosphereric work, it really puts you under the night sky, or in an eery London street. Some characters didn't look how I imagined them, sure, but it didn't stop me from finishing.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely.

This is an adaptation of the first book- no interpolations from the more recent Book of Dust (which makes the story of Lyra’s infancy here an oversimplification) - and with some changes. Very good, especially for fans like me..

[Gretchen Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to prep for reviewing The Subtle Knife for SLJ. I freaking loved this series as a young teen and it didn't quite capture me the same way this time around. Still, the graphic novel is lovely and does a good job at packing an incredibly intense story into a shorter format.

[Ella Dincă · Rating 4 out of 5]

After trying this story in all sorts of forms, including the serials, I feel it has something broken, it's somehow incomplete. This graphic novel is just another try to fix it.

[Lo Inquieto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una hermosa forma de revivir la narrativa de Pullman. Genial y muy intenso.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

veldig spanande å sjå kva val illustratøren har teke når boka har blitt omsett til ein grafisk roman

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Piirustustyyli ei ihan iskenyt. Daemoit oli hienosti piirretty.

[elbow ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

surprisingly accurate to the movie (not sure about the book), very easy to follow. i hadn't read/watched the end so that was pretty cool to see.

[Victoria Nika · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations really bring the story to life!