Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1
written by Stephenie Meyer
illustrated by Young Kim
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0759529434
One thing I should perhaps be clear about straight away: I’ve never read any Twilight book nor have I seen any of the movies. But, like everyone these days, I’m just as much a slave to the zeitgeist of our times as anyone else, so I do know the premise and, while I can’t say that I’m a member of either Team Edward or Team Jacob, I know how Bella’s story ends (thanks to a friend who has devoured all the books and spilled the beans).
So take this review with a grain of salt if you would prefer to get your Twilight news from a diehard fan or at least a more informed Twilight reader. I won’t be offended. But chances are, those who are already big fans of the series don’t need any review of this graphic novel anyway, and this review may better serve those who aren’t all that into the phenomenon already.
For those who need it, a basic recap: Beautiful young heroine Bella—a bit of a loner, never quite meshes with all the other kids at school—moves from Phoenix to cloud-covered Forks, Washington, to live with her dad. There she catches the eye of Edward Cullen who, it turns out, sparkles in a vampiric kind of way. She also meets Jacob Black, who takes to her immediately and happens to be a werewolf. There’s a long-standing but wary truce between the vampires and werewolves, so neither guy is too keen on the competition for Bella’s affections. And there are a few other, even more dangerous, folks who don’t like Bella getting too close to the supernatural world either.
It’s not a groundbreaking plot by any means and considering it’s been told in book and movie form already, there’s very little chance the graphic-novel adaptation even could be. What does set the graphic novel far apart, however, is the astounding art by Young Kim. Her art shines in a way that truly elevates the story beyond its roots and gives it more strength and purpose. Wisely, she chooses to make the characters her own (without needing to look like interpretations of the actors who play them in the films). Even better, she anchors them in such rich, vividly constructed locales that they come alive in their own way.
Most of the book is black and white, with splashes of color (red, for example…for blood, natch) thrown in throughout. Kim also uses photos of the northwest in a few spots (or at least they look like photos…whether they are or not, they blend in effortlessly with the rest of the work, lending atmosphere and texture). I could probably go on and on about the artwork here, but I think I’ll just sum it all up and say outright: I’m on Team Young Kim.
I HAVE read the books and watched the movies, and I thought that, although it would be much better to read or watch Twilight than read this if all you were interested in was the story, the art was gorgeous. I really enjoyed how Young Kim used color. A Twilight poster created by Young Kim would be an awesome thing to have.