Twilight: the graphic novel Vol. 1

I did the anticipation dance for this one.  You know what I mean; I got really excited for it, then I thought to myself, "I'm too excited.  It will never live up to my expectations.  It's actually going to stink." And back to excitement again. Repeat, D.S. al Coda, etc.

Well.  It was AWESOME. I loved it.  Now of course I can only speak for myself, and I really like the book, too.  But I think that someone who is on the fence about the book could really enjoy this adaptation.

That's one of the nice things about a graphic novel.  It is somewhere between book and movie.  You get the clear, crisp images without having to read through lots of description.  (Tired of marble and topaz, anyone?  You won't find them here.)  You can literally see what is happening, but at the same time you have the freedom to imagine voices and how lines are delivered.

In my reading, I found Bella a heck of a lot more sassy!  When the dialog isn't interrupted by paragraphs of her thoughts, she's pretty snappy.  Which is not to say I didn't like hearing her thoughts in the original.  I did, and knowing them already adds depth to this version.  But seeing the story from a different lens is very fun. 

The art is gorgeous.  The Cullens are amazingly beautiful, as is appropriate.  No crazy wig for Jasper, either. hehe.  The only things that pulled me away from the story to think about the artist? Perhaps Bella is a little too good at doing awesome modern hairstyles.  Her gorgeous locks made me want to have long hair again so I could try some of the styles, and on one page Bella's old truck has an incredibly modern key.  Those old cars have old, small keys (I know, I drove one in H.S.)  This key looks like it's got a computer chip in it somewhere.

I love how the color fades in and out.  It adds a real element of drama in certain parts of the book.  And I imagine that only having color on certain pages made the creation process a lot faster.

Which is good, because I want the next one.  See, this is only Vol. 1.  It doesn't go all the way through Twilight.  That was perhaps the one thing that I never got excited about, in my excitement dance, until I read it.  I LOVE where they ended it.

So.  Highly recommended for fans of the book and/or movie, or those who thought the story could do with some speeding up.  I don't know how someone unexposed to Twilight would enjoy it -- I simply don't have that perspective (and don't know many people I could ask, either).  Thumbs up, and can't wait for the next one!

Alysa