Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1

[onlyfiction]

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1
By: Young Kim (Art/Adaptation), Stephenie Meyer (Creator)
Release Date: March 16, 2010 (First published March 16, 2010)
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Series: Twilight: The Graphic Novel (#1)
Summary:When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...



Review: My surprise is that I enjoy the graphic novel version of Twilight more than the book version. There seemed to be a lot of potential for drama in this type of story.

Twilight graphic novels are adaptations of Twilight novels. The book tells the story of Bella Swan, who arrives in Forks, Washington. One of the most boring decisions she’s ever made. During this time, she meets Edward Cullen, a mysterious and alluring young man. Bella’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. The thought of him won’t leave her mind, and Edward, despite his best efforts to keep her without knowledge of his vampire status, can’t keep his eyes off her either.

The illustrations of Young Kim are beautiful. There were issues with lettering, speaking bubbles shadowing over characters, etc. My only complaint is that the presentation could have been much better than what it was. Despite plot issues and characterization clichés, it gives a decent summary of events for a good part of the graphic novel.

Another problem is that it’s probably pretty. The characters have the same enormous eyes, cute noses, and cute chins. As a result, it is difficult to tell them apart. In categorical terms, I had to distinguish pretty Edward from pretty Bella by their hair. I also appreciated his occasionally amber-colored eyes. There is no clear sign of what is happening. In the scene where Bella is trapped between a truck and a minivan, we can't witness Edward's rescue - we have to rely on the dialogue to understand it.

The graphic novel gets three stars from me in the end.