Publisher Description

In this graphic novel adaptation, Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story is transformed into a heart-pounding, visual experience portraying one man's journey into the dizzying depths of madness.

Author Biography

Benjamin Harper lives in Los Angeles where he edits superhero books for a living. When he's not at work, he writes; watches monster movies; and hangs out with his cats Marjorie and Jerry, a betta fish named Toby, and a tank full of four rough-skinned newts. He tends a bog garden full of carnivorous plants and also grows milkweed to help save Monarch butterflies. His other books include the Bug Girl series, Obsessed With Star Wars, Rolling with BB-8, Hansel & Gretel & Zombies, and many more. Dennis Calero is the award-winning artist of Marvel Comics' X Men Noir, X-Factor as well as previous Stone Arch titles in Frankenstein and the Invisible Man. He was educated at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Review

The horror pioneer's tale of obsession and unrelenting guilt could easily have made for a static visual adaptation, with so much of the tension taking place in the narrator's mind, but instead proves a standout entry in the Edgar Allan Poe Graphic Novels series. Harper uses the spare narration to greatest effect, spacing the words throughout the panels to ratchet up the suspense most effectively, drawing readers into the narrator's disturbingly insistent assurances of his own sanity. Calero, meanwhile, shows off a virtuoso command of the format and impressive knowledge of his horror antecedents with the visuals. Panel size is perfectly judged to deliver maximum buildup and impact. Theatrical lighting and the stark setting create an uneasy mood. A vague gray mist seems to encompass all of the gorgeously realized figures, recalling Gene Colan's innovative and evocative work on the 1970s Tomb of Dracula comics. And isn't that Vincent Price, star of many Roger Corman cinematic Poe adaptations, starring as the doomed narrator? A thrilling homage to horror history that feels immediate and intense.-- "Booklist"

Review Quote

The horror pioneer's tale of obsession and unrelenting guilt could easily have made for a static visual adaptation, with so much of the tension taking place in the narrator's mind, but instead proves a standout entry in the Edgar Allan Poe Graphic Novels series. Harper uses the spare narration to greatest effect, spacing the words throughout the panels to ratchet up the suspense most effectively, drawing readers into the narrator's disturbingly insistent assurances of his own sanity. Calero, meanwhile, shows off a virtuoso command of the format and impressive knowledge of his horror antecedents with the visuals. Panel size is perfectly judged to deliver maximum buildup and impact. Theatrical lighting and the stark setting create an uneasy mood. A vague gray mist seems to encompass all of the gorgeously realized figures, recalling Gene Colan's innovative and evocative work on the 1970s Tomb of Dracula comics. And isn't that Vincent Price, star of many Roger Corman cinematic Poe adaptations, starring as the doomed narrator? A thrilling homage to horror history that feels immediate and intense.

Promotional "Headline"

Accent color for each book draws out the hidden meaning in each Edgar Allan Poe classic True to Poe's tales of horror and suspense Gifted illustrators bring the classic tales to life

Details