Written by Chris Ryall
Drawn by Gabriel Rodriguez
Colors by Jay Fotos
Letters by Robbie Robbins
Based on the screenplay by Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary
Published by IDW Comics
www.idwcomics.com
This is something of an odd fish, as it’s the first issue of the comic adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary’s CGI adaptation of the classic poem. Still with me? Great. Because this is a typically classy piece of work from IDW.
Rodriguez’s beautiful, clean art looks a lot like his older material from 2000AD, and neatly manages to evoke the CGI work from the movie while still having an identity of its own. There’s some particularly good work on Beowulf himself, all huge chest, cocky grin and heroism; safe in the ignorance of what he’s about to face. However, it’s Grendel who’s the real star here, a hideous collection of lumps and blisters, in the rough form of a man, that’s both fascinating and repulsive to watch. His mother is also neatly teased, the barest hints of her demonic nature coming through in the background of some panels. The sense of threat, of danger, is palpable and if this translates half as well on the screen then the film should be something very special indeed.
Ryall’s script is equally impressive and it’ll be fascinating to see how many of the ‘camera positions’ are his and how many are from the film. There’s one in particular of the king, surrounded by what’s left of his men, that looks glorious, telling you everything you need to know about the character and the situation in a single panel. Likewise, the dialogue is a good combination of bravado and grimness; Beowulf’s confidence working in stark contrast to the mood of the survivors who know what horrors he’s about to face/
Well drawn, well written and nicely paced, this is great fun. It’ll be fascinating to see where, if at all, it differs from the film, but in the meantime this is a perfect taster, and compliment, for what’s to come.
Alasdair started writing when he was nine, powered by a hefty diet of '80s cartoons, Doctor Who and Icepops. He's quite tired by this stage but has written a lot of things for a lot of people, including Fortean Times, Neo and Surreal.