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Graphic Classics #5
Graphic Classics, Volume 5: Jack London
Graphic Classics: Jack London returns to print in a completely revised second edition, with over 50 pages of new material. New to this edition are adaptations of "The Red One" illustrated by Mark A. Nelson and "The Wit of Porportuk" by Arnold Arre. Plus a new comics adaptation of "To Kill a Man" by Kostas Aronis and a completely redrawn "That Spot" by Nick Miller. Returning from the previous edition are "A Thousand Deaths" by J.B. Bonivert, "Jan, the Unrepentant" by Hunt Emerson and six more thrilling stories. With a dramatic new cover by Jim Nelson.
144 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 29, 2018
This collection of illustrated short stories by Jack London are so very bleak. Every one, or nearly, includes death and betrayal and the good guy often does not win. The illustrations varied greatly, from a single image with an essay, a couple large images with a story, to comic strip style and a vast variety of styles. Actually, I don't know if the cover really matches any of the stories, though I'd guess it's supposed to go with A Thousand Deaths.
A Thousand Deaths - 4* - Good story, reminds me of something by EA Poe. Guy dies for his father's experiments of regeneration. Hero gets revenge in the end. Loose pseudo-science reminiscent of these old stories, but entertaining. Illustration style is odd
That Spot - 2* - weird little story about a trouble making dog. Also somehow about a guy, but I didn't understand how that related, maybe he's the one that bought the dog for the protagonist. Silly with silly illustrations. meh
War 4* - Shows the fear of ambush while in war times well. And a man's unknown mercy is not requited. Death is the result. Only a couple illustrations
Just Meat 3* - Never trust a partner in crime. Thieves steal diamonds from a thief and then turn on each other with poison. They think they can keep one upping each other but death is the result. Humorous comic style
To Kill a Man 4* - Woman confronts a burglar in her home. He wants to just get out but she doesn't let him. She gives him promises to make him a better man with a job and whatever he needs that causes his theft. Then she turns the gun around and proves she's the liar. But again she can't shoot him either. Odd but compelling story. Only a couple old noir detective style drawings.
The Francis Spaight 4* - Another story reminds me of EA Poe. Sailors lost at sea with no food end up turning on each other and result in cannibalism of the kid that saved them from disaster. Just as he's murdered, they are rescued resulting in insanity of the murderer. Interesting semi-realistic style illustration.
Modern Dueling 4* - A duel in the jungle over a woman. One man fights honorably, the other dirty. Honorable man wins and says "you'd be worse off if I fought like you did" Interesting story. Mostly words
Jan the unrepentasnt 3* - Comedic story about how one guy should be hanged for killing another, and the argument betwixt. Turns out original guy isn't dead after all and they continue to fight. Abrupt ending. Silly illustrations akin to R. Crumb
Minions of Midas 3* - Mysterious letter to a wealthy man promises death if he doesn't give this group a ton of money. Seemed to be kind of a socialist threat of the workers against the baron. Inevitable and powerful, class vs. class. No illustration.
The Leopard Man's Story 3* - Kind of comedic story of a rivalry in the circus. Like most of the rest of the stories, ends in death.
The Handsome Cabin Boy 3* - Made like those soap opera comic strips. Story of a rivalry whether a man can tell a boy or girl in disguise of the other gender. He gets fooled twice over. Interesting
Told in the Drooling Ward 3* - Few illustrations of a story from the perspective of a mental institution inmate that helps out with those even worse off. Talks of his exploits, but doesn't really go anywhere and abruptly ends.
The Shadow and the Flash 4* - Good story of a rivalry between friends that goes too far. They end up trying to one up each other on who can do the best at becoming invisible. Both end up dead as a result. Alright illustration
Moon-face 3* - A man hates his neighbor for having high spirits no matter what he does to him. Cruel and petty and mean. Ends in murder, but hey the guy can sleep well now that his happy neighbor is dead. Ick. Illustration is dense and hard to parse. Didn't care for it. Story was semi-humorous
How I Became a Socialist 3* - Essay on how London saw the need to take care of those less fortunate and able. One drawing to envision the Social Pit.
The Call of Jack London 4* - semi biographical, partially taken from an essay about his alcoholism. He led a crazy adventurous but ultimately kind of sad life. First drunk at age 5, yeesh. I liked the illustration style on this one.
A Thousand Deaths - 4* - Good story, reminds me of something by EA Poe. Guy dies for his father's experiments of regeneration. Hero gets revenge in the end. Loose pseudo-science reminiscent of these old stories, but entertaining. Illustration style is odd
That Spot - 2* - weird little story about a trouble making dog. Also somehow about a guy, but I didn't understand how that related, maybe he's the one that bought the dog for the protagonist. Silly with silly illustrations. meh
War 4* - Shows the fear of ambush while in war times well. And a man's unknown mercy is not requited. Death is the result. Only a couple illustrations
Just Meat 3* - Never trust a partner in crime. Thieves steal diamonds from a thief and then turn on each other with poison. They think they can keep one upping each other but death is the result. Humorous comic style
To Kill a Man 4* - Woman confronts a burglar in her home. He wants to just get out but she doesn't let him. She gives him promises to make him a better man with a job and whatever he needs that causes his theft. Then she turns the gun around and proves she's the liar. But again she can't shoot him either. Odd but compelling story. Only a couple old noir detective style drawings.
The Francis Spaight 4* - Another story reminds me of EA Poe. Sailors lost at sea with no food end up turning on each other and result in cannibalism of the kid that saved them from disaster. Just as he's murdered, they are rescued resulting in insanity of the murderer. Interesting semi-realistic style illustration.
Modern Dueling 4* - A duel in the jungle over a woman. One man fights honorably, the other dirty. Honorable man wins and says "you'd be worse off if I fought like you did" Interesting story. Mostly words
Jan the unrepentasnt 3* - Comedic story about how one guy should be hanged for killing another, and the argument betwixt. Turns out original guy isn't dead after all and they continue to fight. Abrupt ending. Silly illustrations akin to R. Crumb
Minions of Midas 3* - Mysterious letter to a wealthy man promises death if he doesn't give this group a ton of money. Seemed to be kind of a socialist threat of the workers against the baron. Inevitable and powerful, class vs. class. No illustration.
The Leopard Man's Story 3* - Kind of comedic story of a rivalry in the circus. Like most of the rest of the stories, ends in death.
The Handsome Cabin Boy 3* - Made like those soap opera comic strips. Story of a rivalry whether a man can tell a boy or girl in disguise of the other gender. He gets fooled twice over. Interesting
Told in the Drooling Ward 3* - Few illustrations of a story from the perspective of a mental institution inmate that helps out with those even worse off. Talks of his exploits, but doesn't really go anywhere and abruptly ends.
The Shadow and the Flash 4* - Good story of a rivalry between friends that goes too far. They end up trying to one up each other on who can do the best at becoming invisible. Both end up dead as a result. Alright illustration
Moon-face 3* - A man hates his neighbor for having high spirits no matter what he does to him. Cruel and petty and mean. Ends in murder, but hey the guy can sleep well now that his happy neighbor is dead. Ick. Illustration is dense and hard to parse. Didn't care for it. Story was semi-humorous
How I Became a Socialist 3* - Essay on how London saw the need to take care of those less fortunate and able. One drawing to envision the Social Pit.
The Call of Jack London 4* - semi biographical, partially taken from an essay about his alcoholism. He led a crazy adventurous but ultimately kind of sad life. First drunk at age 5, yeesh. I liked the illustration style on this one.
March 14, 2014
This book focuses mostly on London's work outside of the Klondike stories he is most famously noted for. Since the book is from 2003 the choice of stories seems logical. It was around this time several biographers began taking another look at London's rather short life. With this interest in Jack London himself it was discovered that London had written several stories including horror, science fiction, and mysteries. London primarily wrote these stories as "potboilers." Still, these stories show another side of London that is worth considering.
London claimed publication of the first story in this series "A Thousand Deaths" saved him from poverty and gave him hope to continue writing. Reading this graphic rendition allows the reader to begin being immersed in the science fiction side of London's work, as oppose to having an Alaskan tale first like so many other London collections often contain.
These more diverse London selections are great for younger readers who want something outside of the Alaskan tales. When I first came across the volume 11 years ago I had no idea London had such a wide spanning canon of stories. Finishing it now makes me appreciate the value of graphic novels as possessing the ability to transport readers through history. Selections from London's social writing appear in this book, and the graphic illustrations allow a reader of any level to become familiar with one of America's most famous literary celebrities. The man behind the writing is included tactfully, and overall this book should entertain most readers, though they may not give it the five stars I did.
London claimed publication of the first story in this series "A Thousand Deaths" saved him from poverty and gave him hope to continue writing. Reading this graphic rendition allows the reader to begin being immersed in the science fiction side of London's work, as oppose to having an Alaskan tale first like so many other London collections often contain.
These more diverse London selections are great for younger readers who want something outside of the Alaskan tales. When I first came across the volume 11 years ago I had no idea London had such a wide spanning canon of stories. Finishing it now makes me appreciate the value of graphic novels as possessing the ability to transport readers through history. Selections from London's social writing appear in this book, and the graphic illustrations allow a reader of any level to become familiar with one of America's most famous literary celebrities. The man behind the writing is included tactfully, and overall this book should entertain most readers, though they may not give it the five stars I did.
November 24, 2013
I am reading my way through this entire series and now have only three books left! I was quite looking forward to this volume as I've read London's entire work of fiction. Reading his major novels and famous short stories more than once each. So I am sad to say this graphic adaption was quite a disappointment both for as a Jack London fan and a fan of the Graphic Classics series. The collection doesn't contain adaptations of any of London's novels and I had been expecting a collection of tales of the gold rush, the Arctic North and the sailing seas. There is a sample of each of these but all the other stories go on to show the wide range of genres he actually did write, though personally I'd say his fame and best came from the ones I mentioned. I was especially dismayed not to see "To Build a Fire" in the collection. I found most of the stories present to be just ok or even lacklustre, with some simply weird. Not an enjoyable reading experience for me. As to the art, I have no complaints; we find the usual artists present from Eureka's corral during the early volumes. This book is an odd duck imho, as to my opinions on this series, as I've found the others to be much more superior in reading quality. You may enjoy the content of the book, but don't judge the entire series by this one book alone.
November 25, 2019
I didn't enjoy it much reading Graphic Classics by Jack London. It is a book with to much stories, few of them are bad. The story that I enjoyed the most was The hansom Cabin Boy, the story stars with two boys, one singing and other listening, they made a bet to talk with a woman, and the loser needs to put a supper, then one of the boys went to a ship, and in the crew he saw a dumb guy that can do nothing so the guy was bullied by the other members of the crew, then the guy fainted, and when he catch the guy, he felt that the guy was a woman. They felt in love, then when they came to the city someone told him that she is his brother, so she was a boy.
July 31, 2012
It is so easy to forget how many of Jack London's best works were in fact short stories! In this volume, we get to read many of the very best of them- including "told in the drooling ward" which is amusing and touching in turns, set in the asylums of his era. My personal favourite is "The handsome cabin boy" which is perhaps one of the MOST amusing varients of that folk tale ever told with it's little twists and turns. The illustrations are fitting- from the 'classic' style of the cabin boy's story, to the 'comic book' style of "the tale of the leopard man". I really enjoyed this one!
August 15, 2015
Read about half of the stories. Enjoyed what I read.
July 8, 2019
The illustrations for the abbreviated text make this an enjoyable production.
Perhaps it will encourage young people to seek London originals.
Perhaps it will encourage young people to seek London originals.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews