The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Volume 2

“The Graveyard Book: Volume 2” is the second volume in a two-part graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2008 children’s novel “The Graveyard Book.” Artist P. Craig Russell, who is a long-time collaborator with Gaiman and took care of the graphic adaptation, figures prominently on the cover, but be warned that each chapter is drawn by a different artist: David Lafuente (chapter 6), Scott Hampton (chapter 7), and P. Craig Russel, Kevin Nowlan and Galen Showman (chapter 8).In the 175 pages of the second volume, which covers Chapter Six through Eight of the original novel, we continue the story of Bod (short for Nobody, or Nobody Owens to give him his full adopted name) as he goes through his teenage-years. When Bod’s guardian Silas has revealed to him what happened to his family, Bod surprises him by wanting to go to school, as he wants to learn things so he’ll be able to survive outside the Graveyard where he grew up. At school, he uses the skills learned from his family and friends to stay under the radar - that is, until he decides to step in when bullies start to pick on another child. This does lead to him getting noticed – which leads to all kinds of trials and tribulations (familiar to those who’ve read the prose novel and which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t), including the final showdown with a man named Jack, the murderer of his family.Story-wise, it stays very faithful to the original prose novel, with words and art meshing very well together. It really shows that Gaiman is equally adept at working in prose as well as the very different comic book-format. Overall, the art gives a very cohesive interpretation, and when you move onto a new chapter and a new artist, the style never changes so much it will jar you out of the story. Of course, because each artist has his or her own signature style, this may lead to personal preferences. But in the case of this concluding volume, there’s not one artist I would rate below a solid 5 stars for their work, even though I still wish the incomparable P. Craig Russell had done the complete graphic novel himself, but alas… Anyway, a beautiful graphic adaptation of an already wonderful children’s novel, that really makes the story come alive. Recommended!

Yes, I am a fan, but Mr. Gaiman is a great storyteller and the illustration artist, Mr. Russell has done a wonderful job depicting the story. I was swept along in less than a week leisurely reading the story and greatly enjoying the artwork. I highly recommend Volume 1 and 2 presenting the story.

In the second part of the story, Bod goes from boy to young man and goes out into the world. School is not just for learning about history, it’s an opportunity to practice the ghostly arts he has learned from his protectors in the cemetery. It’s also an opportunity for a boy with a big heart to get into trouble with the school bullies. The ghosts in the cemetery may not be real anymore, but Bod’s affection for them definitely is. Eventually he comes face to face with the man who killed his family and who has been searching for Bod for over ten years. Illustrator Russell continues the amazing artwork from volume 1, bringing to life the nightmares Gaiman provided. Superb work!

Volume 1 was definitely better. This is probably because of the source material, as the novel's ending always bugged me for some reason.

I enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation of Mr. Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book". I first fell in love with the story in the novel format, but I wanted something with visuals to share the delights of this book with my ten-year-old at bedtime. P. Craig Russell does justice to Gaiman's work with a stunning full-color illustrated treatment that makes this a delight to read.The story of young Nobody "Bod" Owens is a blend of myth and fantasy, of gothic horror and more. Bod, orphaned as a child due to the seemingly senseless murder of his parents and younger sister, crawls his way to the graveyard upon the hill, where he is taken in by the ghosts of the departed souls that inhabit the graveyard. Here Bod is raised among the dead, and has a guardian in the form of enigmatic vampire Silas. Over the years, Bod is taught skills that befit the dead more than the living, but nevertheless provide him with the protection necessary to keep him safe from Jack, the murderer who continues to hunt Bod.Each chapter in this graphic novel is beautifully-illustrated in stunning visuals that makes the story come alive in a vivid mix of dark and bright colors. The story is a dark one and I would caution parents to check this out with their child to ensure the story and visuals are not too scary. My ten-year-old found the tale chilling but enjoyed the visual rendition immensely. I can't sing the praises of this book and its predecessor Volume 1 high enough. Both books are beautifully-conceived and will delight fans of horror/ Gothic fiction.

Okay, so the cover is a wee bit spoilery, but I've read the original novel before, so if you're getting this for the artists' interpretation of Neil's novel, you'll be happy, regardless. ;)For those who wonder, _The Graveyard Book_ is indeed a riff on _The Jungle Book_ (THE ORIGINAL KIPLING, not the incessant Disney things...), with Silas = Bagheera, pretty much, and Miss Lupescu, arguably, perhaps fulfilling the "serious bear" role (again, from THE BOOK, not Disney. Disney may be fun to start with, but like Wikipedia, don't necessarily finish there). The Sleer reminds me more of the White Cobra in the Kipling _Jungle Book_ short story, "The King's Ankus," since they have a similar task. ;-> It could be argued that perhaps there's a trace of Kaa in there as well, but keep in mind: Kaa the rock python in the Kipling original was one of Mowgli's TEACHERS and GUARDIANS, and the only real "bad guy" was Shere Khan, the hunter of humans...

I am so dumb! I thought this was a?NOVEL. I was disappointed to see it was a comic/graphic novelIt's very hard for me to read.Ugh.

Echt een must voor de comicliefhebber.

I originally bought this book for myself and ended up buying more copies over the following months as it became a regular gift of mine to other readers. Neil Gaimans Graveyard book tells the story of a boy that is raised by the ghosts of a cemetery. The story is playful yet deep and at times heavy. The comic books are very good at capturing the different moods of the story and it always fells like a very personal gift when I give it away.I would describe it as a children's book for adults.

It's such a weird story, but, in a good way. If that makes sense lol. You'll will have a great time reading this book. I really want to buy all the other graphic novels of Gaiman. I already own three and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them

I'd already read Neil Gaiman's YA novel The Graveyard Book, so I did hesitate before purchasing it again in graphic novel form. I'm awfully pleased I did, though. It's one of the best adaptations I've run across in a long time, and for those of us addicted to comics as well as more conventional prose narratives, it's a very engrossing read.