I really don't want to sound too down on this book, because the idea of the Marvel Illustrated line is one that appeals to me in principle, and I'd love to think that it could open readers up to a world of literature with which they might not already be familiar. However, on the strength of this first issue, I'd probably advise those readers to check out one of the other titles that the imprint has to offer before taking a look at Pride and Prejudice. Read Full Review
As for the art, I really did not like it, the cover especially was simply a terrible idea. The cover attempts to look like an old-fashioned version of an issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, but with the language of a modern day issue. As you can see on the left, phrases like Bingleys Bring Bling to Britain grace the cover and the whole thing makes the book feel as cheap as one of those magazines. Much of the problems with the art can be summed up on the first couple of pages. The panel showing all the Bennet girls (complete with names) make them all look like supermodels who are either bored or stoned, and most certainly spent their fathers unremarkable income on botox and expensive hair treatment products. Also, there is a panel of Mrs. Bennet in which her face takes up the entire panel, like her face is getting squished through a small box, something penciller Hugo Petrus repeats a few times with different characters with little success. I have to appreciate his paying attention to Read Full Review
And yet, Butler and Petrus can't quite squash all the charm out of this story. Austen's biting wit is still heavily apparent. Mr. Bennett still remains one of the most amusing creations in all of British literature, even if his visage is now enough to inspire terror in small children. However, I can think of no reason why first-timers would want to experience this humor through this comic. They'll likely never understand what so many people see in this story. And experienced Austen readers will probably just lament at how poorly this landmark novel was adapted. The only type of reader who might be satisfied with this adaptation is the one who needs to cram for a last-minute book report. And if that's your only reason for reading it, you deserve whatever you get. Read Full Review
Sadly, without Jane Austen's prose (reduced here to mere highlights, as if this comic were little more than an extended trailer for something much better), and without an artist with the visual panache to make up for what's missing, this particular entry in the Marvel Illustrated line is a failed experiment from the House of Ideas. Read Full Review
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