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Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven & Other Tales: A Graphic Novel
A collection of Edgar Allan's Poe's stories done in the format of a graphic novel. Featuring The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, The Black Cat, and The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.
160 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
9 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Pete Katz
11 books22 followersPete Katz is a half-Irish, half-Greek illustrator & writer, born in the East End of London. He has been a freelance illustrator for almost twenty years and has worked for clients including; Image Comics, Oxfam, Harvey Nichols, Barnes & Noble and the British Museum. As well as illustrating his graphic novels, he wrote the scripts for; The Prophet, The Art of War, The Raven, Frankenstein and Beauty & The Beast. As well as working on graphic novels he also produces portraits, t-shirt graphics and other commissions.
YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @nutkin
YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @nutkin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
October 15, 2020
Poor lonely soul. Gone forever is his Lenore, as he sits in a stupor, mourning her, gaze all gaunt and lost. The raven is the reminder that he will not see her again, nevermore. A maddening poem with intertwining hidden meanings.
The Fall of the House of Usher is definitely one of those tales of macabre, gloom, and death. A lingering dread resides over the house and it is up to Usher’s prestigious friend to help assist and somewhat solve the malady of melancholy over Usher. The problem is, the curse lingers, destroying basically the entire line of the Ushers. If you’ve never experienced this story, it’s certainly one to add to your list. The art work is phenomenal and really captures the gothic doom that is this iconic story. Gaunt cheek bones protruding from the face, dark shadow and sagging eyes to further elude to the readers delight of a horrible foreboding fear.
I can’t help but seem to see how The Masque of Red Death is relatable to our current situation. Mocking that of the plague during the dark ages, red death symbolizes that which we cannot escape, no matter the status of man. Death is eminent and there is no hiding from it. “Just as life finds a way” quote from Jurassic Park, so does Death. The illustrations were just as eerie as the other stories, each scenario being washed in solid color which has some ominous relation to the tone of mood.
Such a horrid tale of a man tormenting his cat. The Black Cat. Truly a horror story of classical proportion. Abuse to the highest nature, and this is what eventually draws him to his doom. The cat haunts him all day long to the point of madness. Enough to slay his own wife and cause him insanity of the dreaded type. I say never take things for granted and enjoy the things you have, for there will never be enough in this world to satiate the appetite of more and more things...
The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether is quite a unique tale of deception. The sysmbolism is on par throughout the story and little foreshadowing is dropped in bit by bit. The beginning is set up quite convenienetely when Marcel states he will stay in the next town over for two days and move on is Claude doesn’t arrive. The perfect means for an asylum house to accomplish its ultimate goal: turn visitors who come into victims. If you’ve never read this story before, you will be tricked for certain. Just wait for it.
An excellent 5 selections for this graphic rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s works. If I had to pick one that was my favorite, based off the content, illustration, mystery and horror, I would choose The Fall of the House of Usher. It really made an impact for me. Great autumn selected reads for the season.
5 out of 5 Stars.
F. D. Gross
The Fall of the House of Usher is definitely one of those tales of macabre, gloom, and death. A lingering dread resides over the house and it is up to Usher’s prestigious friend to help assist and somewhat solve the malady of melancholy over Usher. The problem is, the curse lingers, destroying basically the entire line of the Ushers. If you’ve never experienced this story, it’s certainly one to add to your list. The art work is phenomenal and really captures the gothic doom that is this iconic story. Gaunt cheek bones protruding from the face, dark shadow and sagging eyes to further elude to the readers delight of a horrible foreboding fear.
I can’t help but seem to see how The Masque of Red Death is relatable to our current situation. Mocking that of the plague during the dark ages, red death symbolizes that which we cannot escape, no matter the status of man. Death is eminent and there is no hiding from it. “Just as life finds a way” quote from Jurassic Park, so does Death. The illustrations were just as eerie as the other stories, each scenario being washed in solid color which has some ominous relation to the tone of mood.
Such a horrid tale of a man tormenting his cat. The Black Cat. Truly a horror story of classical proportion. Abuse to the highest nature, and this is what eventually draws him to his doom. The cat haunts him all day long to the point of madness. Enough to slay his own wife and cause him insanity of the dreaded type. I say never take things for granted and enjoy the things you have, for there will never be enough in this world to satiate the appetite of more and more things...
The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether is quite a unique tale of deception. The sysmbolism is on par throughout the story and little foreshadowing is dropped in bit by bit. The beginning is set up quite convenienetely when Marcel states he will stay in the next town over for two days and move on is Claude doesn’t arrive. The perfect means for an asylum house to accomplish its ultimate goal: turn visitors who come into victims. If you’ve never read this story before, you will be tricked for certain. Just wait for it.
An excellent 5 selections for this graphic rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s works. If I had to pick one that was my favorite, based off the content, illustration, mystery and horror, I would choose The Fall of the House of Usher. It really made an impact for me. Great autumn selected reads for the season.
5 out of 5 Stars.
F. D. Gross
February 14, 2017
Overall, the graphic novel did a pretty good job of portraying the gothic style of writing of the famous Edgar Allan Poe. It could have been better, but the artist does an admirable job of illustrating these stories. I will definitely be revisiting the stories I had already read and reading the others I was unfamiliar with. Solid 4/5 stars.
November 3, 2017
Amazing artwork! I want a graphic novel for all of Poe's work. I'm completely in love with this.
*Oct. 2017 reread. Obviously I still love this, because Poe and I are buddies and this artwork is so good.
*Oct. 2017 reread. Obviously I still love this, because Poe and I are buddies and this artwork is so good.
July 3, 2016
5 stars for the writing! Of course. 3 stars from the graphics. I would give it more stars for the drawings, but I recently read a graphic novel of "Interview with the Vampire," and that one was so beautiful that this one can't even compare.
January 31, 2018
This was a Christmas present and I was thrilled to read some of Poe's classic tales set in illustrated form.
November 1, 2017
I liked the art, and my favorite story was The Raven and The Black Cat, although that one was disturbing. My least favorite was the system of Doctor Tarr. It was more dependent on the dialogue and didn't end the whole book with a scare or "boo" kind of ending.
April 15, 2021
Some of these were amazing but some left me scratching my head. Art and design were good
November 2, 2018
I loved the art style and the choice in stories that were used in this graphic novel. If you like Poe, and know these stories, this would be a great read for you!
February 18, 2018
Pete Katz did a great job illustrating the darkness of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories. A full review on lauranap12.blogspot.com to come soon!
September 5, 2016
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
Inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, illustrator Pete Katz brings to life, "The Raven," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Black Cat," and "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" all in vivid detail that will make you look at these old classics in a new way.
Love me some Poe so of course I had to pick up this graphic novel collection of some of my favorite stories. The artwork by Pete Katz is subtle, but effective, really delivering on the dark mood and atmosphere of Poe. Katz mostly relies on using black, white, and grey for the artwork, but does some great things with color when needed. I think this graphic novel collection is a great way to get into Poe if you haven't already. Poe can be quite dark, dense, and symbolic, so this allows a nice gentle gateway. My only negative with this collection mostly has to do with Pete Katz not quite catching the nuances of Poe and a lot of the symbolism, especially with something like "The Fall of the House of Usher." A lot of these stories have been condensed and simplified for the sake of the graphic novel format, which is a shame, but totally understandable. If I had to pick a favorite though, I'd probably say "The Black Cat." Katz manages to catch the creepiness and horror of that story perfectly. And jeez, quite graphic too, haha! Katz doesn't hold back on the gore with some of these stories, which I loved.
Overall, I really liked this. A fun way to re-experience these stories. So definitely a must for fellow Poe fans and also a nice recommendation for teenage readers maybe having a difficult time getting into Poe.
Inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, illustrator Pete Katz brings to life, "The Raven," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Black Cat," and "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" all in vivid detail that will make you look at these old classics in a new way.
Love me some Poe so of course I had to pick up this graphic novel collection of some of my favorite stories. The artwork by Pete Katz is subtle, but effective, really delivering on the dark mood and atmosphere of Poe. Katz mostly relies on using black, white, and grey for the artwork, but does some great things with color when needed. I think this graphic novel collection is a great way to get into Poe if you haven't already. Poe can be quite dark, dense, and symbolic, so this allows a nice gentle gateway. My only negative with this collection mostly has to do with Pete Katz not quite catching the nuances of Poe and a lot of the symbolism, especially with something like "The Fall of the House of Usher." A lot of these stories have been condensed and simplified for the sake of the graphic novel format, which is a shame, but totally understandable. If I had to pick a favorite though, I'd probably say "The Black Cat." Katz manages to catch the creepiness and horror of that story perfectly. And jeez, quite graphic too, haha! Katz doesn't hold back on the gore with some of these stories, which I loved.
Overall, I really liked this. A fun way to re-experience these stories. So definitely a must for fellow Poe fans and also a nice recommendation for teenage readers maybe having a difficult time getting into Poe.
October 20, 2016
What a great find! As soon as I saw this I needed to have it for my class. Most kids enjoy Poe but Poe in the form of a graphic novel takes it to the next level. The illustrations are superb and help to make sense of the stories. These 5 stories were a treat to read and I can't wait to share them with my students.
September 9, 2016
This is such a great interpretation of Poe's work. The illustration really brought the stories home. I recommend to anyone who wants to know more about Edgar's work but it afraid to pick it up.
February 5, 2017
I'm a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan and this is just another fantastic book to add to my collection. The illustrations are pretty great
March 10, 2022
First, the good things about this book, Poes' classic poem 'The Raven' is presented here as written. There are no artistic interpertations, abridgements or scenes cut for space. At least not that I could find. After that poem it's open season on Poes' writing. The remaining stories all stay true (ish) to their source material but without Poe's words they are lacking. The opening paragraph of 'Fall of the house of Usher' when the narrator rides up to the 'melancholy house of Usher.' is replaced here by a chance meeting that sets up the story. And 'The Masque of the Red Death.' loses it sense of dread under the artists' pen. I understand that the graphic novel is a different form to the short story and some sacrifices have to be made, but butchering the words of Poe should not be one of them. But there is some good in this book. The artwork is excellant and captures the gothic feel and unique voice of Poe. This also is the first adaptation I've read that didn't put a likeness of Poe as the narrator. That help change the dynamic and let the stories unfold in their own way. This book was a fine attempt and it is worth the journey but in the end, I would rather read the stories.
November 5, 2016
I wanted to post this before Halloween but circumstances did not allow that, so I apologize for my lateness. But I wanted to share this with you all anyway so that you can prepare for next year! Barnes & Noble had these really cool Graphic Novels for sale, they had Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and a collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. I snatched up the Poe so fast, as you all know I am a HUGE Poe fan! I was happy to find that they were only $7.98 each!
The illustrations are so beautiful! Each story was so much more interesting and gave me a whole different perspective on these stories that I have read many times before. My favorite’s in this book were The Raven and The Masque of the Red Death which I had actually never read before. I was a bit disappointed that The Tell Tale Heart was not included, because that is my favorite work of Poe. But this graphic novel was more than worth the cost I paid for it and a wonderful addition to my Poe Collection
The illustrations are so beautiful! Each story was so much more interesting and gave me a whole different perspective on these stories that I have read many times before. My favorite’s in this book were The Raven and The Masque of the Red Death which I had actually never read before. I was a bit disappointed that The Tell Tale Heart was not included, because that is my favorite work of Poe. But this graphic novel was more than worth the cost I paid for it and a wonderful addition to my Poe Collection
May 17, 2019
This seems like the perfect time to finally crack open this graphic novel (uh...graphic short stories?), having just finished reading Classic Tales of Horror. I was really impressed by the way that the illustrator changed the format of Poe's stories. I found Poe's writing to be long-winded with awful characters and dialogue. I felt like this version followed the plot of the original stories pretty closely, but improvised some dialogue and made the characters relate to each other in a more believable way. The artwork itself is mostly good. At times the drawings seem rushed, characters (especially women and children) look wonky, and backgrounds are plain, but overall I like the style and I love how the entire book is printed in colour. This is a quality graphic novel that is superior to Poe's stories in every way. Honestly, I wish I had never read Poe's writing and went straight to the graphic novel.
November 7, 2017
I have been interested in the comic-style graphic novel books lately; I found this in the bargain aisle at Barnes and Noble and couldn't resist picking it up. I also clearly breezed through this short book and enjoyed every second of it. Although I've only read three of the five tales in this collection, I liked reading the new and old stories from this illustrated perspective. The images were appropriately eerie and did a nice job independently telling the various stories. The only reason I gave 3 stars is because it's Poe...No matter what the content, or who rewrites these classics, nothing will ever compare to the original written versions created by the Master of Horror himself.
June 28, 2018
Dark, ominous, perfectly gloomy. Pete Katz has captured the atmosphere of Edgar Allan Poe's dark works through the medium of a graphic novel! With muted colours, dark tones, a uniform font, everything comes together to impress a sense of foreboding and doom within the reader.
From the first, The Raven pulls the reader in, with grotesque and subtly disturbing images. The Raven, the bird, is overpowering, overwhelming, encompassing the pages with its insistent presence. It feels suffocating, claustrophobic and we, as readers, can relate to the plight of the poems haunted protagonist.
Read the full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/boo...
From the first, The Raven pulls the reader in, with grotesque and subtly disturbing images. The Raven, the bird, is overpowering, overwhelming, encompassing the pages with its insistent presence. It feels suffocating, claustrophobic and we, as readers, can relate to the plight of the poems haunted protagonist.
Read the full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/boo...
October 4, 2018
Poe's famous poem The Raven and several of his short stories including the Fall of the House of Usher told in graphic novel format - perfect Halloween fun. I thought the Raven done in graphic novel format added to the poem - the illustrations set the mood well. I had a little less appreciation for the short stories told - the stories pared down to bare minimum plot lost a lot for me as they became just gory stories. But if you're into gory graphic novels more than you are into Poe - or if you just want to dip your toes into some Poe without real commitment - this was definitely fun and worth an hour or two :-)
October 25, 2018
I love Poe's stories, and this collection has two of my favorites--The Fall of the House of Usher and The Masque of the Red Death--as well as the poem The Raven. I loved many of the illustrations (especially the rooms in Red Death!), but I didn't like the changes made to the stories, especially Red Death, who seems less mysterious in this version than in Poe's original tale.
Overall, this was was interesting way to revisit some of my favorite stories (and to read one I hadn't read before--The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether--I love a good story set in an insane asylum).
Overall, this was was interesting way to revisit some of my favorite stories (and to read one I hadn't read before--The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether--I love a good story set in an insane asylum).
May 7, 2017
Absolutely excellent!
There wasn't a single missed opportunity in this book!
I'm not really one for reading older books, these days, so finding this, I was truly stoked!
The art suits these stories so well. It has such an atmospheric vibe to it, at times, and—like many other readers—I wish there were more stories adapted, whether it be in this book, or a second volume.
It was so enjoyable!
There wasn't a single missed opportunity in this book!
I'm not really one for reading older books, these days, so finding this, I was truly stoked!
The art suits these stories so well. It has such an atmospheric vibe to it, at times, and—like many other readers—I wish there were more stories adapted, whether it be in this book, or a second volume.
It was so enjoyable!
October 30, 2017
1. LOVE THIS BOOK.
2. This is an amazing book to give kids for their first experiences of Poe.
3. The symbolism of Poe is my favorite thing. Having it in picture form was even better.
4. I recommend this to anyone!
5. This was my first reading of The Black Cat and The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.
6. Love the part in the intro when it said, “Works with obvious meanings, [Poe] once wrote, cease to be art.”
2. This is an amazing book to give kids for their first experiences of Poe.
3. The symbolism of Poe is my favorite thing. Having it in picture form was even better.
4. I recommend this to anyone!
5. This was my first reading of The Black Cat and The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.
6. Love the part in the intro when it said, “Works with obvious meanings, [Poe] once wrote, cease to be art.”
March 10, 2018
This is a pretty cool book even though it only has five stories in it. But graphic is nice it's dark and gothic. I think I liked the one about the Red Death most. Although one about asylum was cool too I read that before but was actually worried they will lock visiting guy away too. Story never tells if he broke free out of there in the end. But this one is actually timeless -- crazy people can appear sane and sane appear as totally crazy if you point the light in a right way.
October 19, 2019
I found this for a couple bucks at a bargain outlet and couldn't resist so here we are! Anyway, this was a quick read and my favorite of the stories included was "The Masque of the Red Death" which was my favorite of what I had read in school. The art was alright, not my favorite, but still gave me a pretty nice visuals of these classics tales. There isn't that much to say, so I'll leave it at that!
May 21, 2020
Katz's illustrations bring to life the terrors lurking in five of Poe's greatest writings. The Raven takes on an otherworldly hue, The Mask of the Red Death's chilling main character will make you want to leave the light on, and The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether will leave you feeling just a bit mad yourself. Also included are The Fall of the House of Usher and The Black Cat.
5/5*
5/5*
October 25, 2017
Wow! Creepy artwork for such creepy tales! My particular favorites were The Black Cat and The Masquerade of the Red Death. So glad I bought this on a whim. Haha.
December 17, 2017
Beautiful artwork . The raven and two out of the four stories presented in the book were interesting and I enjoyed researching a more in depth analysis of those stories . I think it is a very good way to dive into Poe’s works if you’re a little intimidated by them.
February 12, 2018
It was a fun retelling. I liked the illustrations and it keeping to the stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews