Martin Powell (1)Critiques

reading level: grades 3-5

Cuando un hombre alto, delgado y algo cargado de hombros que obedece al nombre de James Mortimer entra en el famoso apartamento del 221b de Baker Street con un manuscrito antiguo donde se da cuenta maldición de una antigua familia, se inicia una de las más emocionantes aventuras de Sherlock Holmes y de su inseparable Dr. Watson. Un enigmático crimen relacionado con un perro diabólico y sobrenatural, instrumento de la maldición que pesa sobre los Baskerville, los llevará a una mansión situada en los inhóspitos y desolados páramos de la región de Dartmoor, un escenario idóneo para esta novela que mezcla el misterio con el cuento de terror y en el que deberán resolver un caso rodeado de extraordinarias circunstancias.

This was...awful.

Let's start with the least objectionable aspect: the art. At times, Seppo Makinen is capable of crafting finely detailed imagery that's quite beautiful. Unfortunately, that's only here and there on occasional panels. The rest of the time, he's producing overly-sketchy linework that's virtually indecipherable. There were times where I had to simply take it on faith that something was happening, because I couldn't make out the action through all the muddy artwork.

And Makinen also seems incapable of drawing any woman without their top almost falling off, and their nipples pushing mightily against the filmy fabric they're inevitably wearing. Not your standard Sherlock fare, to be sure.

And speaking of non-standard Sherlock fare, let's talk about Martin Powell's stories. Powell's an admitted fan of Sherlock, yet somehow manages to suck all the essential Sherlockness right out of the story, instead injecting scads of over-the-top supernatural plot devices that give Holmes literally nothing factual to work with.

He also turns Holmes into a yelling, panicking fool.

There is truly no redeeming features to these stories, and no reason for a devout Sherlock Holmes fan to seek them out.

I watched the Joel Coen Macbeth movie with Denzel Washington, and since I was a bit dissatisfied by that adaptation, I thought I'd try another one right away to compare, and boy is this one so much worse.

I felt the Coen flick was too dominated by a director who wanted to let you know he was directing dammit!!! from the use of black-and-white stock to the super elongated shadows to the bizarre elevation of Macbeth's cousin Ross from minor messenger in the play to major character in the film. Meanwhile, Denzel's Macbeth was too withdrawn, reserved, and monotone for me.

But at least they didn't dumb down the material to the degree this adaptation does. Of course, the plot and language are simplified for an audience of children, but sheesh. I suppose it will serve to at least familiarize kids with the story so they are better prepared to tackle the original later in life, unless the pure cheesiness puts them off ever attempting that.

At least it made me feel a little better about the Coen film.

This was okay. Only okay.

Occasionally the art was good, but mostly average. The writing and the actual adaptation of the novel was really rushed. It was passable, but nothing exciting.

Hijo de una mujer mortal y del rey de los dioses, Hércules posee una fuerza extraordinaria.. Orientada a incentivar la lectura en niños y jóvenes, la colección Novelas Gráficas tiene un formato de comics, con alta calidad en dibujos, colores e impresión, que hace mucho más divertida la lectura de historias clásicas, a las que da un toque actual, de acción y aventura

I've heard of Thumbelina, but never read or watched the story as a child. This story is about a woman named Gerta, who always wanted a daughter. She strikes a deal with a woman who makes miracles happen and was able to have a daughter the size of a thumb, thus the name Thumbelina. Unfortunately, Thumbelina gets kidnapped by an old toad because he wanted her to marry his son the frog, then she gets rescued by a catfish, finds shelter in the house of mouse. Still, unfrotunately gets pretty much sold off to the very rich mole. In the end, she gets saved by a songbird and ends up meeting the prince of fairies. They get married, and Thumbelina ends up seeing her mother again and lives happily ever after in her mother's garden. I liked how the story was not predictable. It kept me wanting to read more to find out what happens next. However, I wouldn't say I liked the comic book bubbles in the story used for dialogue, nor did I like the graphics. Also, I didn't particularly appreciate how she was being sold off to different male characters, which is one of the main reasons why I rated this book a three.

Written by the husband of one friend. Will be giving it to the daughters of another friend. Friendship is good.

Written by the husband of one friend. Will be giving it to the daughters of another friend. Friendship is good.

This is the classic tale of Paul Bunyan with a twist. The story is in the form of a graphic novel and is full of many hyperboles, which gives the story a humorous tone. According to the story Paul is the cause of many American tourist attractions such as the grand canyon and the smoky mountains. It's an easy, funny read.

This book took a darker spin on the traditional literature book Snow White. I did not like it too much. I did not enjoy the illustrations in the book as well as the language used throughout the story. That being said, the story is a good one that can teach kids valuable lessons. For instance, it is not safe to talk to strangers. Another one is that real beauty comes from within. Lastly, the story can teach children that it is wonderful to have friends and to be accepting of differences. All of these messages is why I still liked the book, however, I would recommend parents to find a better version of the book.

A graphic novel retelling the original story of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. A great introduction to classic fiction.

Retelling ok, it is very brief (good for ESL?)Not a huge fan of illustrations (Erik Valdez Y Alanis.)

This GN by Powell is a better retelling that Thumbelina. See if you can find more of this series for ESL. I especially like the illustrator, Pedro Rodriguez.

Not thrilled about the over-simplification of this GN. Still, might be good for ESL Students.½

My online book group is reading Swiss Family Robinson this month. Our leader set me free when she revealed that scholars say there is no one single authoritative version. Okay. So, shall I read the 496 page version, written on a ninth grade reading level? Or shall I go for the 112 page adaptation, written with third graders in mind? Should I choose the 72 page graphic novel? I settled on the last two. And I think I chose wisely. Plenty of action and adventure and quite readable to boot. I'm pretty sure I read some version of this as a child as I've always had a secret longing to live in a treehouse.

Reviewed on HereBeFiction: http://shar.es/kqe2L

Pretty but confusing retelling of Snow White. Snow White has zero backstory, and can mysteriously make flowers and fruit grow in the winter. The Sven Dwarves greet her joyfully, having apparently dreamed about guarding her, which is news to the reader. Why did they dream about her? Who knows.

If graphic novels are your thing, then this would be a brilliant one to read. ‘Mars Attacks Idw’ is a fun graphic works consisting of five different scenarios, the Martians from Mars Attacks, attacking other well-known characters such as Popeye, Kiss, Zombies vs Robots, The Real Ghost Busters and The Transformers. I read this quite quickly and being familiar with all of the mash-up subjects really helped to understand the story. Definitely a 4 out of 5 stars for me, but I can understand that if you don’t know much about the other cultural, it might not be to your taste.

Rumpelstiltskin: the Graphic Novel is based on the traditional fairy tale first popularized by the Brothers Grimm. A man, caught stealing from the king, promises to repay his debt through his daughter, who has the ability to spin straw into gold. Though the daughter has no such ability she agrees to try so that her father is not sent to prison. While she is overwhelmed with the impossibility of the task, a little hobgoblin shows up and promises to do the job for a price. Will the girl be willing to pay the price the hobgoblin has set? Find out in Rumpelstiltskin: the Graphic Novel.

Although this is a direct adaptation of the Brothers Grimm version, the illustrations give this story a modern edge. Vibrant colours, detailed images and varied frame sizes provide you with plenty to look at on each page. While I found it to be overwhelming I imagine that the busy quality of these images would be appealing to others. This could be a good introduction to fairy tales for children who prefer to read graphic novels as there is plenty of text interspersed with such large eye catching images. It could also be used as a classroom tool as there are questions for discussion, writing prompts, glossary and more about the original story in the final few pages.

While this graphic novel has not won any awards it has gained much acclaim from online fans.

Powell’s Little Red Riding Hood, Ruby, has the trademark red cloak – knit by her grandmother and surrounded with magic. Ruby heads off with a basket of goodies to see her ill grandmother, and meets the wolf along the way. He convinces Ruby to find a four-leaf clover for the old woman then sneaks off ahead to grandma’s house. When Ruby arrives, something seems off about grandma: her voice, her eyes, and her teeth. Will Ruby figure out the wolf’s plan before it’s too late? The classic tale is reimagined, complete with a twist ending and impressive graphics.

Rivas’ illustrations are beautifully detailed and brightly coloured. The twist of the story is interesting, but strays a little too far from the original storyline for me. There is a brief history of the tale, glossary of terms, and discussion questions at the end of the graphic novel, which I found interesting. This title was the first graphic novel I have read, and I found it a nice introduction to the format.

Mirabelle’s father has stolen from the king and at his trial promised that his daughter will spin gold from straw to repay what he has stolen. The only problem is that Mirabelle cannot spin gold, but such is her love for her father that she will not say that he has told a lie. All seems lost until a hobgoblin appears and offers to spin gold for Mirabelle, but for this he will require a steep price.

Large vibrant pictures with cartoon stylised characters will draw the eye of young children, and the tried and tested fairy tale formula will delight them. Though the story does not exactly follow the traditional tale of Rumpelstiltskin it in no way suffers for it. For its intended audience it is exactly what it should be, concise and entertaining.

As a side note the lining of the cover is made of a textured paper with rough raised worm tracks. I couldn’t help but rub my fingers over it again and again. This great tactile reward would be easy to overlook, but is great to have in an early reader book.

Johnny Appleseed wanders around America, planting apple trees and performing increasingly unlikely feats in this tall tale. This graphic novel begins with a biographical tone but devolves into fantastical hearsay before ending on a note of returned friendship, as earlier characters repay Johnny’s previous kindness. Johnny’s good-natured attitude, strong morals, and altruism contribute to this wholesome story. The panels and speech balloons work harmoniously together, as the panels accurately depict what is being described with a combination of the American outdoors, movement, good deeds, or positive interaction. Like the story, the illustrations are believable when they need to be and somewhat unrealistic when the story is fantastical, such as Johnny Appleseed walking over a rainbow. What makes this graphic novel a quality educational resource is the back matter. Not only does the book contain a factual Johnny Appleseed timeline and a glossary for an expanding vocabulary, but it also has teaching resources such as discussion questions and writing prompts. One of the discussion questions asks readers to discuss one of the text’s main themes of distinguishing probable fact from fiction, a valuable critical thinking and reading skill. Additionally, this graphic novel is compatible with Accelerated Reader programs. This graphic novel is recommended as an educational resource or as an enjoyable read for children ages eight to ten.

Red Riding Hood is the graphic version of Little Red Riding Hood. This is the first Graphic Novel I have ever read. I enjoyed it because the story was changed a bit so that made it fresh. The illustrations were very detailed especially the wolf!
I was a bit confused if Grandmother actually died. Other than that the story was cohesive and enjoyable. I think this Graphic Novel would be enjoyed by young readers ages 9 and up.

Another nice edition to this book was the quick list of characters on the front pages. There was also a little bit about the author, illustrator, a glossary, a history of the story, discussion questions, writing prompts and some kid-safe internet sites they can go on for further research on the back pages.½

The story of Johnny Appleseed in comic form, greatly pared down, and easy to follow. Good separation between the factual and the tall tale aspects of his life. Best as a supplement to other books that tell the story more fully. Includes time line, discussion questions, writing prompts, glossary, and web extensions.