Becoming (2010)

This graphic novel was started on Kelley Armstrong's website as a free story. It was later published on demand as a perfect bound graphic novel, and now finally as a limited hardcover edition by Subterranean Press.

In the first book of the Women of the Underworld series, we meet Elena who has been a werewolf for some time. "Becoming" goes back to how it began - with Clay biting Elena so that they can stay together. It's a story that isn't necesary to the chronology, but one that fans will love. And, it lends itseld perfectly to the graphic novel format. This story needs to be seen, not just read. The artwork by Angilram is excellent, and corresponds well to the dark story Armstrong has written. The colors are bold, done in lots of red and black to evoke the terror, rage and hunger Elena endures through her transformation. Overall, and excellent prequel that is well worth reading. ( )

This graphic novel was started on Kelley Armstrong's website as a free story. It was later published on demand as a perfect bound graphic novel, and now finally as a limited hardcover edition by Subterranean Press.

In the first book of the Women of the Underworld series, we meet Elena who has been a werewolf for some time. "Becoming" goes back to how it began - with Clay biting Elena so that they can stay together. It's a story that isn't necesary to the chronology, but one that fans will love. And, it lends itseld perfectly to the graphic novel format. This story needs to be seen, not just read. The artwork by Angilram is excellent, and corresponds well to the dark story Armstrong has written. The colors are bold, done in lots of red and black to evoke the terror, rage and hunger Elena endures through her transformation. Overall, and excellent prequel that is well worth reading. ( )

Becoming is a little bit different from Kelley Armstrong‘s other work, and not just because it’s a graphic novel, though that is one of the key differences. One of the big difference I see is that the story is also available on her website, completely free. I suppose the next logical question is then, why would I pay money for it, particularly when it costs a pretty penny to have Subterranean Press send the books to Canada? It’s a valid question and here are my answer:

I am a completionist. When I love an author, I’m all about collecting all of their work, at least for the series I’m reading. (This is why it kills me that I didn’t buy a copy of A Fantasy Medley when it first came out.) Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld is one of my favourite settings and I’m willing to spring for the extra expense, particularly for the novellas, Angelic and Counterfeit Magic, which are now blessedly more affordable since you can get e-copies. I did actually debate purchasing Becoming for a while since it is readily available but I got suckered in by the promise of extra pages. Of course, this need doesn’t extend to paying $250 for the really fancy version but it’s nice to have a limited edition of Becoming sitting on my shelf being pretty.

Another reason to buy it is that the proceeds for the less fancy edition go to the artist, Angilram. I think that’s awesome because the project was originally something these two ladies were doing out of interest, rather than for profit, and it’s cool to see just how these things come about. The project’s been in the works for quite some time and I figured that Angilram might as well get something for it since she’s clearly put a lot of effort into creating the images in Becoming.

But whether you buy Becoming or not, it’s a nice addition to the Otherworld canon because it shows us Elena’s adjustment to being a werewolf. Kelley Armstrong embarked on this project to satisfy fans and while I wasn’t one of the readers clamoring for the story, I did really enjoy it. It was a smart choice to tell this story in graphic form since it’s pretty dark and I can’t imagine it would have been fun to write that all out. I like it when a character suffers but since the whole story of Becoming is pretty painful, I’m glad I didn’t have to read chapters and chapters of unending anger and guilt and confusion. The material makes a fantastic graphic novel, though.

I’d definitely encourage you to check out Becoming if you’re already reading Elena’s story. Out of context, I think it would be less satisfying but it’s a nice peek into a time in Elena’s life we wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

http://ireadgood.wordpress.com ( )

Years ago I found a first edition of Bitten in a thrift store and it quickly became one of my favorite books and Elena one of my favorite protagonists. Whether you like the whole series or not, Bitten stands alone as a great book.

This graphic novel is a prequel and is the visual story of how Clay turned Elena into a werewolf.

PROS:

The artwork is amazing and the characters are true to Armstrong's written description. Just how I pictured them. Thick, quality binding, glossy pages.

CONS:

Too brief for the money paid (first signed edition from Sub Press). It will take you about 15" to read if that. Some of the best artwork is stapled in the crease of the book. This was a huge oversight. ( )

I'm not that experienced with the whole graphic novel thing, but it certainly wasn't a waste of 15 minutes. I kinda liked it:) ( )