What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wheel of Time - Graphic Novels #3
The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel, Volume Three
Now an original series starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine!
Created with the cooperation of the Jordan estate, adapted by well-known comics writer Chuck Dixon and illustrated by the talented Chase Conley, The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel has been hailed as an exciting interpretation of Robert Jordan's classic fantasy novel. It features brilliant interior art by Marcio Fiorito and Francis Nuguit, and stunning covers by Jeremy Saliba and Seamus Gallagher.
Rand; his friends Mat, Perrin, and Egwene; the Aes Sedai Moiraine and her Warder, Lan Mandragoran; Thom the gleeman and Nynaeve, the village Wisdom, split into three groups while trying to escape the ancient, dead city of Shadar Logoth, where they are pursued by the deadly Mashadar. A disastrous river crossing leaves Perrin and Egwene on their own—until they meet a mysterious stranger who claims that he and Perrin share a remarkable ability. Meanwhile, Rand and Mat pose as Thom's apprentices as they sail downriver on a cargo ship.
Created with the cooperation of the Jordan estate, adapted by well-known comics writer Chuck Dixon and illustrated by the talented Chase Conley, The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel has been hailed as an exciting interpretation of Robert Jordan's classic fantasy novel. It features brilliant interior art by Marcio Fiorito and Francis Nuguit, and stunning covers by Jeremy Saliba and Seamus Gallagher.
Rand; his friends Mat, Perrin, and Egwene; the Aes Sedai Moiraine and her Warder, Lan Mandragoran; Thom the gleeman and Nynaeve, the village Wisdom, split into three groups while trying to escape the ancient, dead city of Shadar Logoth, where they are pursued by the deadly Mashadar. A disastrous river crossing leaves Perrin and Egwene on their own—until they meet a mysterious stranger who claims that he and Perrin share a remarkable ability. Meanwhile, Rand and Mat pose as Thom's apprentices as they sail downriver on a cargo ship.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2013
38 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
Robert Jordan
671 books17.3k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
October 4, 2018
I absolutely love this series! It's gorgeous and really brings Jordan's books to life. Each twist in the story just enriches the whole. These are amazing in every way. Bring on Vol 4!
October 24, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. I wanted a quick read that didn't call for concentration. I have read the actual series several times so I could keep my place even while interrupted by a certain kitten 20,000 times. Beautiful artwork!
November 29, 2024
So, the novel version of “The Eye of the World” (which I give 5 stars to) now has a comic book / graphic novel adaptation. The comic series is 36 issues which has been combined into 6 graphic novels. This is graphic novel number three which puts me halfway done. I’m giving this five full stars so far! The story is being adapted splendidly and all of the characters look just about like I pictured them in my head! I will definitely continue with this series! Highly recommended… whether you’ve read the novel or not!
August 15, 2015
I took all the Wheel of Time-related graphic novels out from the library and brought them along on vacation. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that The Eye of the World comes in six volumes, and only brought the three my library has. I got to the end of the third pretty certain that a good chunk was missing and, sure enough, I'm only halfway through. Still, I figured I'd better write a review, since I don't know when I'll be able to get my hands on the next three volumes.
I was quite surprised by how much of the first novel's plot I could remember. The middle books, particularly around where it became obvious that Jordan had completely dropped the reigns of the plot, are a blur, but I had distinct memories of everything covered in the graphic novels. I've found the same thing with A Song of Ice and Fire - where the first book is also quite well plotted, with a much tighter storyline than later books. In both cases, I feel like the authors started off with a very clear idea of a beginning, and then much vaguer notes for the rest of the series. It's a shame.
Regarding the graphic novels specifically, I found the text to be much better than what I saw in the New Spring graphic novel. It was much easier to follow what was going on, and I think I would have been able to read it even if I hadn't read the book first. I'm not sure how much of that is a real difference in quality and how much is just because the plot of Eye of the World is so much more action-oriented, relying less on narrative (and therefore more easily exportable to a visual medium), though.
The artwork was a little disappointing, though. The images looked messy, for lack of a better word - like coloured sketches. This meant that it was often difficult to tell one character apart from another - particularly in the beginning. Some of that might have been intentional, to show how ordinary the three Ta'veren are at the start of the story, but I don't feel like that came through very well.
There were also quite a few consistency issues, particularly with Moiraine's forehead pendant (which changed shape and style frequently from panel to panel).
Generally, though, I thought it was fine. It was certainly readable. I'm just scratching me head over who the intended audience might be for these. There isn't really a lot of added value for someone who has already read the novels, and I'm not sure how well someone who hasn't read the novels would be able to follow along with the graphic novel version. It seems a bit superfluous. Or perhaps they are looking for people like me, who are at the end of the novels and want a refresher on the series without having to tackle the doorstopper tomes for a second time.
I was quite surprised by how much of the first novel's plot I could remember. The middle books, particularly around where it became obvious that Jordan had completely dropped the reigns of the plot, are a blur, but I had distinct memories of everything covered in the graphic novels. I've found the same thing with A Song of Ice and Fire - where the first book is also quite well plotted, with a much tighter storyline than later books. In both cases, I feel like the authors started off with a very clear idea of a beginning, and then much vaguer notes for the rest of the series. It's a shame.
Regarding the graphic novels specifically, I found the text to be much better than what I saw in the New Spring graphic novel. It was much easier to follow what was going on, and I think I would have been able to read it even if I hadn't read the book first. I'm not sure how much of that is a real difference in quality and how much is just because the plot of Eye of the World is so much more action-oriented, relying less on narrative (and therefore more easily exportable to a visual medium), though.
The artwork was a little disappointing, though. The images looked messy, for lack of a better word - like coloured sketches. This meant that it was often difficult to tell one character apart from another - particularly in the beginning. Some of that might have been intentional, to show how ordinary the three Ta'veren are at the start of the story, but I don't feel like that came through very well.
There were also quite a few consistency issues, particularly with Moiraine's forehead pendant (which changed shape and style frequently from panel to panel).
Generally, though, I thought it was fine. It was certainly readable. I'm just scratching me head over who the intended audience might be for these. There isn't really a lot of added value for someone who has already read the novels, and I'm not sure how well someone who hasn't read the novels would be able to follow along with the graphic novel version. It seems a bit superfluous. Or perhaps they are looking for people like me, who are at the end of the novels and want a refresher on the series without having to tackle the doorstopper tomes for a second time.
February 2, 2013
The Eye of the World comic has finally reached the halfway point of the book after 3 compilation graphic novels. It's very cool to relive the story of the Wheel of Time visually in this way, and it seems to follow it very faithfully. The only reason I only give it 4 stars is that I don't like the art style of the book. At times it seems too cartoonish, and it definitely doesn't have the level of detail and depth that I would prefer, and see in other works. I wish they would give other artists a chance to contribute as the series continues on.
March 14, 2023
The illustrations were done by a different artist than the one who did the first two volumes, so the look of the familiar characters seems a little different. It matters not, however, as the art is once again excellent and the story even more compelling at this point. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
February 2, 2013
Inconsistent artwork but still, I love seeing the story told visually. I just wish it wasn't taking so long. They just left Whitebridge at the end. Sigh. I guess it IS a good thing that they are not leaving anything important out of the adaptation.
January 31, 2013
Perhaps it was the art, but something about this edition just didn't seem to connect with me as well as the 1st and 2nd editions. Still, if you're a fan, you'll want to pick this up.
July 21, 2020
Rating: 4.5 stars
The quality of these graphic novels continues to astound me. Chuck Dixon did an amazing job of condensing The Eye of the World, and he managed to somehow walk the fine line between cutting too much so the story becomes merely a skeletal outline of it's original novel format, but not leaving too much in so that every page us chockablock full of 10+ centimetre-sized speech bubbles. But I do think that Volume Two was better than this volume.
But good things first, right? We got to see some more channeling this this volume, with Moiraine using more of the Five Powers that had not previously been illustrated in the graphic novels. She used Fire to get rid of some Trollocs and Halfmen and stuff:
She also used a weave of Air, which I thought was depicted well:
And there was also some weaves of Spirit, but I showed a picture in my review for the second volume, which I think is a better representation that anything in this volume.
We also got to see Elyas in this volume! I really like Elyas' character, and his past is interesting to wonder about. Anyway, this is what Elyas looked like:
His golden eyes are cool, and I look forward to seeing the goldening (shut up spellcheck, that's a word) of Perrin's in further volumes. We got a hint of it here, with his eyes a shade of lighter brown than his usual dark colouring (oooooooh I just had a thought about the TV show coming from Amazon and how cool golden eyes are going to look on Marcus Rutherford who's playing Perrin).
Now for some icky things. Volume Three begins with the main cast escaping Shadar Logoth with Trollocs and Myrddraal on their heels before being separated and having to continue their journey apart in three individual groups. Perrin and Egwene end up with Elyas and then later the Tinkers, and for some reason, Egwene look really... strange:
Is it just me, or does Egwene not look the best in this image. I'm not knocking the artists at all, they've been phenomenal in all that I've read so far, but... I can't explain it any other way than just saying she looks weird. And it was a consistent thing too. Specifically with Egwene's character.
In this illustration, she looks like a freaking Wight from the Peculiar Children series. Don't believe me? Look it up, I'm not going to all the trouble to finding a picture and whatnot (seriously Goodreads, you need to find a better system for inserting images in a review). I guess I'm just disappointed, because Egwene looked really awesome up until now, and I hope this is only a one off event.
But nothing is going to stop me from reading the rest of the volumes, because it's Wheel of Time, and when it comes to Wheel of Time, I loose all self control.
The quality of these graphic novels continues to astound me. Chuck Dixon did an amazing job of condensing The Eye of the World, and he managed to somehow walk the fine line between cutting too much so the story becomes merely a skeletal outline of it's original novel format, but not leaving too much in so that every page us chockablock full of 10+ centimetre-sized speech bubbles. But I do think that Volume Two was better than this volume.
But good things first, right? We got to see some more channeling this this volume, with Moiraine using more of the Five Powers that had not previously been illustrated in the graphic novels. She used Fire to get rid of some Trollocs and Halfmen and stuff:
She also used a weave of Air, which I thought was depicted well:
And there was also some weaves of Spirit, but I showed a picture in my review for the second volume, which I think is a better representation that anything in this volume.
We also got to see Elyas in this volume! I really like Elyas' character, and his past is interesting to wonder about. Anyway, this is what Elyas looked like:
His golden eyes are cool, and I look forward to seeing the goldening (shut up spellcheck, that's a word) of Perrin's in further volumes. We got a hint of it here, with his eyes a shade of lighter brown than his usual dark colouring (oooooooh I just had a thought about the TV show coming from Amazon and how cool golden eyes are going to look on Marcus Rutherford who's playing Perrin).
Now for some icky things. Volume Three begins with the main cast escaping Shadar Logoth with Trollocs and Myrddraal on their heels before being separated and having to continue their journey apart in three individual groups. Perrin and Egwene end up with Elyas and then later the Tinkers, and for some reason, Egwene look really... strange:
Is it just me, or does Egwene not look the best in this image. I'm not knocking the artists at all, they've been phenomenal in all that I've read so far, but... I can't explain it any other way than just saying she looks weird. And it was a consistent thing too. Specifically with Egwene's character.
In this illustration, she looks like a freaking Wight from the Peculiar Children series. Don't believe me? Look it up, I'm not going to all the trouble to finding a picture and whatnot (seriously Goodreads, you need to find a better system for inserting images in a review). I guess I'm just disappointed, because Egwene looked really awesome up until now, and I hope this is only a one off event.
But nothing is going to stop me from reading the rest of the volumes, because it's Wheel of Time, and when it comes to Wheel of Time, I loose all self control.
January 6, 2020
This brings the artistic adaptation of The Eye of the World to the halfway point and the beginning of when the group has broken up and must make their own ways and the end of the volumes that the local library possesses so I don't know if I'll go any further into the illustrated collections.
Having been re-introduced to the Wheel of Time series after starting it nearly 20 years ago, I will likely want to dive back into the actual written word version.
The workers on The Spray basically all look alike while the gleeman, Thom Merrilin, is completely different from the previous two volumes - personally I prefer the earlier version.
I have to admit that reading these type of adaptations exposes a entire new group of readers to a variety of stories - be they considered literary classics or modern adventures.
2020-006
Having been re-introduced to the Wheel of Time series after starting it nearly 20 years ago, I will likely want to dive back into the actual written word version.
The workers on The Spray basically all look alike while the gleeman, Thom Merrilin, is completely different from the previous two volumes - personally I prefer the earlier version.
I have to admit that reading these type of adaptations exposes a entire new group of readers to a variety of stories - be they considered literary classics or modern adventures.
2020-006
October 18, 2021
I think I summarize my general thoughts in the previous two volumes so my comments will be specific to this volume only.
This volume has the issue #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, and #18 and follows the story of them being separated and trying to find their way down to Caemlyn. The story flow is very reminiscent of the previous two but the visuals for this one was straight up disappointment. Maybe it's because I had a different image of Shadar Logoth and Mashadar in my mind but they were so poorly presented regardless. I was also very disappointed with how they painted Tuatha'an as well. I have no problem with the story flow or the dialogues but I feel that it will be unfair to the previous two to give more than 2 stars to this volume.
This volume has the issue #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, and #18 and follows the story of them being separated and trying to find their way down to Caemlyn. The story flow is very reminiscent of the previous two but the visuals for this one was straight up disappointment. Maybe it's because I had a different image of Shadar Logoth and Mashadar in my mind but they were so poorly presented regardless. I was also very disappointed with how they painted Tuatha'an as well. I have no problem with the story flow or the dialogues but I feel that it will be unfair to the previous two to give more than 2 stars to this volume.
March 29, 2024
The comic summarizes the story of the novel very well (as it is much more faithful to the novels than the TV series) but the art is really terrible. As it changes artist with every volume, the quality is inconstant. The second volume was an improvement on the first, but this one is the worse. The story is interesting, but the ugly art is a distraction. I thought the comic would be a good way to avoid reading the lengthy novel series (while waiting for the next season of the TV adaptation), but, considering how a tedious reading it is, I am not so sure. I am not very enthusiastic with the idea of continuing reading this comic series and I cannot really recommend it.
Read my complete comment on http://clodjee-blog.com/2024/03/29/th...
Read my complete comment on http://clodjee-blog.com/2024/03/29/th...
March 12, 2023
Not much to say about this that I didn't already say about the first two volumes. The main group of characters has gotten separated now, so we're seeing a bit of character development for the supporting characters. I was having trouble telling Mat and Perrin apart until this volume, where they started developing some personality.
(I'm guessing the novel probably put more work into giving the characters distinct personalities earlier in the story, but that stuff got lost in the translation to comics.)
(I'm guessing the novel probably put more work into giving the characters distinct personalities earlier in the story, but that stuff got lost in the translation to comics.)
February 29, 2020
The heroes reach the dead city of Shadar Logoth. It's the point in the series where the lore and worldbuilding take a magical, arcane twist. It kind of reminded me of Sindbad and his encounter with the genie, although Jordan has written the character of Mordeth in a much darker way. The notable change of illustrator does influence the style of the series but the storytelling is as fluid as the previous volume.
November 16, 2022
One of the many adventures that have stuck with me are their incursion into Shadar Logoth. The drawings, in my opinion, came a bit short of the magnificence that was described in the books. Shadar Logoth was and is one of my favourites.
February 16, 2024
The Eye of the World Graphic Novel V3 was Great
This is the third graphic novel that continues the story in the first book of The Wheel of Time series. The way they could condense a long book into a few pages is amazing. It was easy to read and the artwork was stunning.
This is the third graphic novel that continues the story in the first book of The Wheel of Time series. The way they could condense a long book into a few pages is amazing. It was easy to read and the artwork was stunning.
August 29, 2017
Starting to dip in quality. Probably the last volume I intend to read.
December 14, 2017
Excellent story. Because different artists illustrate the books, I sometimes am taken aback by the different renditions of the characters.
June 17, 2020
Holy cow! This was an action packed stretch. So many questions about Shadar Logoth, the metal tower, the White Bridge, and many more elements introduced here.
April 8, 2021
3 stars
It was okay.
It was okay.
Read
December 5, 2021Loving it
I am happy to find this graphic novel of one of my favorite books ,,,love how they are making my favorite characters to life better than the Amazon TV series
I am happy to find this graphic novel of one of my favorite books ,,,love how they are making my favorite characters to life better than the Amazon TV series
December 9, 2023
The slow down begins. But the graphics keeps it going.
July 11, 2024
Loving this shortened version of long, yet excellent, books. Graphics are good, story is spot on.
September 12, 2024
Excellent artwork and storytelling. A faithful graphic adaptation of Jordan’s epic beginning to the Wheel of Time series
September 24, 2024
I wish I liked the art more
September 5, 2025
I am really loving rereading this story in the graphic novel format.
January 25, 2026
Better art than the first two volumes and the story picks up quite a bit.
June 9, 2014
Book Review by: Sharon Powers.
I finished reading Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World on May 28, 2010--just over four years, ago. In the months that followed reading The Eye of the World, I read all the (then available) books in the series. I, like so many others, had fallen in love with the characters in the series of The Wheel of Time.
And then, the graphic novels appeared, of course, beginning at the beginning, New Spring. And then, The Eye of the World: The Wheel of Time, The Graphic Novel. I began reading these, too. I completed volumes one and two, and now, I have finished volume three, the one I am reviewing, here, today.
A graphic novel is, in form, a bound book with material similar to full novels. They can be hardcover or card stock and include topics of fiction and non-fiction, or even such things as anthologies or collections.
The graphic novel is distinguished from comics or comic books even though the bulk of the material consists of art work. Comic books are printed on inexpensive bulk paper and graphic novels are printed on much higher quality of paper. Some are truly beautiful with glossy pages and beautiful illustrations. Moreover, comics contain advertising whereas graphic novels do not. Also, graphic novels invariably contain a story line that has a beginning, middle, and end; comic books tend to be episodic in nature. Comic books are much, much, shorter than graphic novels (some graphic novels I've seen approach 150 pages--an average seems to be around 100 pages.
I mention these attributes to graphic novels because some purported-to-be graphic novels are nothing more than a few comics put together with a card stock cover. It is so disappointing when a title is described and billed as a graphic novel and you spend your money expecting to get a graphic novel, but end up with a glorified comic book. (See the Thor: The Dark World Prelude, A Graphic Novel by Marvel Comics). Now, let's take a look at The Eye of the World, Volume three, Graphic Novel to see how it stands up under scrutiny.
This book has absolutely no advertising of any sort, anywhere in the book; so that's very good. The artwork is by Marcio Fiorito and Francis Nuguit, Lettered by Bill Tortolini, colors by Nicholas Chapuis, and is adapted by Chuck Dixon. The book is published by Tor (Tom Doherty Associates, LLC).
The book is a full hardcover book with a full-color, glossy, dustcover. The images are beautifully rendered and colored and the art is on glossy paper that is, indeed, beautiful to look at. Additionally, it has 176 pages; it is in the English Language, the ASIN: B00GQ625KU.
The story is adapted by Chuck Dixon, and it is clear that the story is adapted from The Wheel of Time Series, The Eye of the World(the novel). Remembering that it is a graphic novel, we know that not everything can be included from a full size book is 753 pages, distilling the book down to 176 pages of art and dialog, it seems that the adapter did a more-than-adequate job, he did a great job. The requirement of having a complete story arc is met: the story follows Jordan's book plot with a beginning, middle, and end.
The book's glossy pages, beautiful art, colors, and design, exciting story arc, and well-constructed features make this one of the finest examples of graphic novel I have ever had the pleasure to read and review. I rate this beautiful book 5 stars out of 5. Thank you for taking time today to read my review. Sincerely, Sharon Powers.
I finished reading Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World on May 28, 2010--just over four years, ago. In the months that followed reading The Eye of the World, I read all the (then available) books in the series. I, like so many others, had fallen in love with the characters in the series of The Wheel of Time.
And then, the graphic novels appeared, of course, beginning at the beginning, New Spring. And then, The Eye of the World: The Wheel of Time, The Graphic Novel. I began reading these, too. I completed volumes one and two, and now, I have finished volume three, the one I am reviewing, here, today.
A graphic novel is, in form, a bound book with material similar to full novels. They can be hardcover or card stock and include topics of fiction and non-fiction, or even such things as anthologies or collections.
The graphic novel is distinguished from comics or comic books even though the bulk of the material consists of art work. Comic books are printed on inexpensive bulk paper and graphic novels are printed on much higher quality of paper. Some are truly beautiful with glossy pages and beautiful illustrations. Moreover, comics contain advertising whereas graphic novels do not. Also, graphic novels invariably contain a story line that has a beginning, middle, and end; comic books tend to be episodic in nature. Comic books are much, much, shorter than graphic novels (some graphic novels I've seen approach 150 pages--an average seems to be around 100 pages.
I mention these attributes to graphic novels because some purported-to-be graphic novels are nothing more than a few comics put together with a card stock cover. It is so disappointing when a title is described and billed as a graphic novel and you spend your money expecting to get a graphic novel, but end up with a glorified comic book. (See the Thor: The Dark World Prelude, A Graphic Novel by Marvel Comics). Now, let's take a look at The Eye of the World, Volume three, Graphic Novel to see how it stands up under scrutiny.
This book has absolutely no advertising of any sort, anywhere in the book; so that's very good. The artwork is by Marcio Fiorito and Francis Nuguit, Lettered by Bill Tortolini, colors by Nicholas Chapuis, and is adapted by Chuck Dixon. The book is published by Tor (Tom Doherty Associates, LLC).
The book is a full hardcover book with a full-color, glossy, dustcover. The images are beautifully rendered and colored and the art is on glossy paper that is, indeed, beautiful to look at. Additionally, it has 176 pages; it is in the English Language, the ASIN: B00GQ625KU.
The story is adapted by Chuck Dixon, and it is clear that the story is adapted from The Wheel of Time Series, The Eye of the World(the novel). Remembering that it is a graphic novel, we know that not everything can be included from a full size book is 753 pages, distilling the book down to 176 pages of art and dialog, it seems that the adapter did a more-than-adequate job, he did a great job. The requirement of having a complete story arc is met: the story follows Jordan's book plot with a beginning, middle, and end.
The book's glossy pages, beautiful art, colors, and design, exciting story arc, and well-constructed features make this one of the finest examples of graphic novel I have ever had the pleasure to read and review. I rate this beautiful book 5 stars out of 5. Thank you for taking time today to read my review. Sincerely, Sharon Powers.
April 6, 2013
Not that they care, but I warned the publisher that if they produced another installment with inconsistent (and generally terrible) art and didn't take the time to put together a quality comic they'd be seeing 1s. Well, here is another 1.
Robert Jordan is a genius, and his world building capabilities are near peerless. He absolutely deserves to be put into the same bucket at Tolkien, and I find it a bit offensive that Tor would jam out subpar graphic novels of the Wheel of Time. If they did a good job, I would buy them, give them to friends to turn them onto the series, etc. These, I grab from the library, shake my fist as I land on pages like 15, 41, 73, and 133, and shake my head at dozens of cells throughout the story. I fight back tears. Big ones.
The colors look like a cross between bad cartoons, bad photoshop, and old cellular -out of focus- (cartoon) photography. Most of it looks half finished, and that's when I'm willing to overlook the stylistic issues I have with it overall. The writers/publishers are still struggling with trying to get all the content they want across on the pages, and end up putting way too much in also. Maybe adopting a 1 page blurb before each chapter would ease this. The letters are often times distracting, and make you really appreciate when they are done well.
Overall, Boo. Please take more time to get future comics right. Sure, some people will buy these, and tell you how great they are, and how much they love them. However, you are probably either paying them, they don't have a good cross-section of graphic novels they've read to make comparison, or just love the WoT too much to say bad things about it.
Avoid.
Robert Jordan is a genius, and his world building capabilities are near peerless. He absolutely deserves to be put into the same bucket at Tolkien, and I find it a bit offensive that Tor would jam out subpar graphic novels of the Wheel of Time. If they did a good job, I would buy them, give them to friends to turn them onto the series, etc. These, I grab from the library, shake my fist as I land on pages like 15, 41, 73, and 133, and shake my head at dozens of cells throughout the story. I fight back tears. Big ones.
The colors look like a cross between bad cartoons, bad photoshop, and old cellular -out of focus- (cartoon) photography. Most of it looks half finished, and that's when I'm willing to overlook the stylistic issues I have with it overall. The writers/publishers are still struggling with trying to get all the content they want across on the pages, and end up putting way too much in also. Maybe adopting a 1 page blurb before each chapter would ease this. The letters are often times distracting, and make you really appreciate when they are done well.
Overall, Boo. Please take more time to get future comics right. Sure, some people will buy these, and tell you how great they are, and how much they love them. However, you are probably either paying them, they don't have a good cross-section of graphic novels they've read to make comparison, or just love the WoT too much to say bad things about it.
Avoid.
September 12, 2016
Different artist; not as good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews