While reading Gareth Hinds' adaptation of Beowulf you are overwhelmed by the powerful art therein and drawn into the legend that is the mighty warrior. It is a stunning rendition of the age-old epic saga that clearly demonstrates the Viking ethos and beliefs.
As a fan of the tale since reading it as a young child, I can highly recommend this graphic novel version. Every home should have one for when your child hits the comic book stage. Cthulhu fans will be interested in Hinds' manifestation of one of the monsters that Beowulf battles.
Words do not do full justice to this thing of beauty. Hinds' illustrations bring the story to life in a way that you have never seen before. His entire way of doing illustration evokes a feeling of the cold wastes of the Viking lands, the bleakness of the wintry fyord and the toughness of Norse men.
I am not one to really like graphic novels, as I am not really into visual representations of stories, preferring the written word. However, this book is so impressive that it overcame my indifference to the genre.
Clearly Hinds is a talented graphic cartoonist who will no doubt move on to more impressive works. It takes an amazing level of talent for an artist to be able to take such a well-known tale and make it his own.
What better way to introduce someone to this classic of Northern European literature than this spectacular book? And unlike many books of any kind it's one you will find yourself reading again and again examining the drawings in minute detail for the subtleties that lie therein.
This is the most impressive graphic novel I have ever seen... bar none. Yes it is that good.
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