Thursday, January 2, 2014

Ghoul Goblin, Dresden Files by Jim Butcher-Graphic Novel Review


I love the Dresden Files!  I did get a little tired of them so I stopped reading at about book 6.. but this graphic novel makes me want to go back into the world of Dresden.  Thank you to netgalley for this ARC copy... I received it for free for an honest review.  Here is the goodreads description:

Harry Dresden, a Chicago private investigator and wizard, heads to a small, isolated Missouri town terrorized by Nevernever monsters. The singularly unfortunate Talbot family has suffered a curse that has decimated their number for generations, and only our hero can save them... that is, if he can survive hostile lawmen, the dark secrets of townsfolk, an ancient guardian spirit, and two deadly carnivores! Can Dresden cleanse the Talbot bloodline of its curse without a blood sacrifice of his own? 

I originally requested this book for my husband. He finished the Dresden File books (the entire series) in a 2 month period. When I found out that Ghoul Goblin was an original story I was in!  I read the series up to like book 6 or 7 and then got a little burnt out.  So I hadn't read the series in a while.  What I really like about this particular graphic novel is that you don't have to be a reader of the books to follow along.  Actually, you get totally introduced to the world of Dresden.

I did read the other Dresden graphic novels, Storm Front and Fool Moon which are retelling of the books.  I really don't love those types of graphic novels and am usually disappointed in them.  This on the other hand is a fun new story. I mean... the comic book even had a little twist in the plot!  I liked the artwork but didn't love it.  The backgrounds where beautiful but I pictured Harry Dresden a little more manly... he seemed young in this book to me.  Though I guess in the timeline of the series this book takes place between books 2 and 3 when Harry is around 25 years old.  So the art is accurate my imagination is not (artist is Joseph Cooper).  :)


I like all the supernatural characters that are featured in the comic.  Just like in the books... someone comes to hire a wizard which is Harry Dresden to help them solve a case that seems supernatural.  In this case it's a police officer and we discover a family that has had an ancient curse on them from Egypt (some of my favorite art in the book was the Egypt scenes).  By the way.. anyone else think the title is a spoiler of sorts?


I think that people who love Dresden will get a kick out of this book and those who haven't discovered the series will read it and want to read the books.  I actually started reading the Dresden File novels because of a short story Butcher wrote in an anthology about Dresden.  I knew then I must read these books! I still wish the Dresden Files TV show would've got more then one season on the SYFY channel.  I was really surprised when it got canceled because shows on there usually get a long run.



The crystal ball says:





Clouds are covering! A read that lets me down every now and then but peaks out of the clouds!

14 comments:

  1. So glad you got to read this. I liked it too as you know. I also really liked the TV show even though it was pretty far from the books at times. I also wish it got a longer run just becuase it was fun.

    That's cool that your husband read the books too. I keep trying to get my wife to give them a try. She loves supernatural YA so I think she would like the Dresden Files too.

    Great review!!! Always love to see what you post.

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    1. I saw some reviews where people didn't like it. I thought it was totally Dresden though. It has been a long time since I read the series so I could be wrong. After reading the comic it makes me want to get back into the series.

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    2. I feel the same way. One of my reading goals for this year is to catch up on this series. I really want to read the Fool Moon graphic novels but my library doesn't have them.

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    3. Honestly I don't love graphic novels that are retelling of the novels anyways. Never have. I read the Fool Moon and it was so so. I rather read the unique stories.

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  2. I read this book too, and I enjoyed it. I have read the first two books, but I have gotten distracted with other things in the meantime. This comic has gotten me interested in catching up with the series.

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    1. It can be hard to catch up when a series is long. I feel overwhelmed. But this is a series I want to jump back into!!

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  3. I haven't read the books but I loved the short lived TV series. I wish they didn't cancel the darn thing!

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    1. I know... NBC is notorious for canceling shows. SyFy usually isn't so I was surprised it didn't at least get a second season.

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    1. I love it!! So spooky and the art in Egypt was really neat.

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  5. I have not read the Dresden books but heard lots of good things, this looks like it might be a good way to try it out. I'll have to see if my bookstore has this. Looks like a fun series!

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    1. This is a good way to try out the series I think. It really tells you who Dresden is and the type of cases he does. The books are also humorous and I think the comic has some of that humor in it.

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  6. These look awesome! Man you are really making me want to go explore graphic novels a bit more than I have (I rarely read them. I usually read manga instead)

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