The Picture of Dorian Gray (Marvel Illustrated)

I think any adaptation of Oscar Wilde's seminal work is likely doomed to failure, as the writing, the ideas, the philosophy, and the sheer quotability of the original can never be fully translated to any other medium.

And, while they found a really good artist who did a good (not great) job, it's Roy Thomas' workmanlike approach to adaptations that tends to sink this particular ship.

This is a story that begs a phenomenal, visionary artist and writer to come at it and make the adaptation every bit as special and memorable as the original (can you tell I'm a massive fan of this Wilde's original yet?). Writing-wise, I'm not sure who could handle the subtleties and complexities of this. Maybe a Neil Gaiman? Art-wise, perhaps Bill show more Sienkiewicz or Dave McKean. Both art and words demand genius.

So, while Sebastian Fiumara's art is lovely to look at here, there's no spark, there's nothing memorable in it for a reader to look at and think, yes. That's what Wilde was saying!

And Roy Thomas, who could have retired on his Conan work alone and be considered a legend (he really did have that character nailed) comes at this story with a bit too much blunt force.

So, all in all, it's okay. But only okay, nothing more. show less

This is part of the Marvel Illustrated series of classics retold in graphic versions. Lest you worry, this is from Thomas' introduction:
Since our aim was to tell Wilde's story, in the author's own words wherever possible, I was loath to put words into the mouths of his characters.
I think that Thomas definitely did a great job of this. Wilde's humor and cynicism shows through on every page and Fiumara's skilled and reserved illustrations are a fantastic companion. And yet, this is still a graphic novel and I had to chuckle when seeing such things as "BLAMM" and "SHUNK" in the middle of Wilde's story. I think this would be a good introduction to the story for someone that is a bit wary of Victorian language. It contains a four page show more glossary at the back of possibly unfamiliar words like brougham and pomander. It is also lacking in Wilde's long passages of philosophy which might appeal to some readers wanting to just explore the plot of the story. This (and others in the Marvel Illustrated series) might even be a good start for someone wanting to explore graphic novels but who is not sure how to make the leap from standard literature without landing in comic book territory.

http://webereading.com/2010/09/rip-read-2-and-rip-film-1-dorian-gray.html show less

While this graphic novel adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic short story is very readable, I don't think that it quite does justice to the original.

Wilde's late 19th century cautionary tale of the debauchery of dandified gentlemen has been beautifully adapted by Thomas and Fiumara.