Once Upon a Time Machine

Jan 29, 2013 Kelly Spoer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales, graphic-novel

Edited 11/25/12: Finished.

There are some stories that left me sobbing, others that were just plain silly. But I wish all of them were longer than the 5-6 pages that they were.

Highly recommend.

Picked this up at New York Comic Con yesterday. The cover alone is beautiful. So far I'm loving it!

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Jan 05, 2013 Susan Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology-or-collection, adaptations-parodies-sequels, fairytales-fables-folklore, graphic-novel

This is an anthology of short comic stories taking inspiration from folk and fairy tales. The stories are really diverse in writing and illustration style which keeps the book from feeling repetitive.

Although this is a large graphic novel, (432 pages), all the stories are a few short pages long. In some ways this is great, it is a very easy quick read, but I would have liked some of the stories to been a bit longer.

A load of the stories have a sci-fi/futuristic tone which makes them feel really...more

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Jan 21, 2013 GRPLTeens Grand Rapids Public Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, stand-alones, graphic-novel

Appeal Characteristics: STYLISTIC ART, fractured fairy tales, science fiction, fantasy, stories, morals

This should be the new Flight Anthologies for Fairy-Tales/Folklore. I mean it's one thing to see a beautiful cover art for beauty and the beast, but it's another thing to read about a crazy updated version of the John Henry story (AND I LOOOOVE JOHN HENRY)and a creepy Humpty Dumpty one. I like the brief bio of all the illustrators and writers who contributed to this massive volume. I hope that...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Erin Reilly-Sanders rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, fairytale, adult, dystopia, sci-fi

I think I'm going to let this one sit a bit and then consider maybe changing my ranking from a 4 to a 5. First off, it has some of the best art I've seen in a graphic novel. It has the same great variety as Trickster and Explorer: The Mystery Boxes but some of the individual pieces in this are much more sophisticated. I especially like the pieces that use what appears to be watercolor, although many of the more traditional ones have a nice balance of simplicity and detail, something which I find...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Betty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review-copy

We tend to think of fairy tales as set in the distant past, long before automobiles and computers were invented. Some of us grew up reading Andrew Lang's Red Fairy Book, Lilac Fairy Book , (name almost any color) Fairy Book. Of course Grimm delighted and scared us. Disney movies created before we were born or during our childhood introduced us to Cinderella, Snow White, and others.

Suppose fairy tales and fictional classics are set in the future. Would they be any different? If so, how? Several...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: art, graphic-novel, science-fiction, fantasy, folklore-fairy-tales

This lush anthology explores fairy tales (and some fictional classics) through the lens of science fiction. By turns grim, biting, enchanting, and wistful, the stories and imagery reshape our understanding of the significance of these long-cherished stories and tropes: Hansel and Gretel as bees, Pinocchio as a holographic truth-teller, John Henry as the final frontier "against" the introduction of robotic workers, Goldilocks facing justice for what she's done to a planet's native life-forms...

L...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Aimeekay rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this one. I wasn't sure at first. Sometimes I have issues with remakes of classics. But overall I think the authors and artists did a great job.
Some of the ones I really loved....Goldilocks and the Three Bears...The Tortoise and The Hare...Momotaro...The Five Chinese Brothers (even though it was sad!) , Vasilissa the Beautiful...
Well in thinking about it I pretty much enjoyed all of the stories.

I really liked that each story had different art styles. It made every story...more I really enjoyed reading this one. I wasn't sure at first. Sometimes I have issues with remakes of classics. But overall I think the authors and artists did a great job.
Some of the ones I really loved....Goldilocks and the Three Bears...The Tortoise and The Hare...Momotaro...The Five Chinese Brothers (even though it was sad!) , Vasilissa the Beautiful...
Well in thinking about it I pretty much enjoyed all of the stories.

I really liked that each story had different art styles. It made every story feel different. Plus if I wasn't crazy about how one story was drawn, I wasn't stuck with it for the whole book.
I also liked how they futurized each story. I'm not saying modernized because they didn't just bring them into the present day, but went into the future with all the stories. Some seemed really close to the originals and some just the bare bones of the original tales are left...but still...wow. Humpty Dumpty for example...just wow. (don't want to ruin it for you)
And the portraits between the stories...LOVED them! The Three Little Pigs-ninja style and Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, just to name a few all of them awesome though!
The biggest problem I had with the book itself was that I was reading a downloaded version that I got from NetGalley and I was reading it on Adobe Digital Editions. The reason I had a problem with it was because while I could make the pages bigger I couldn't really get them to adjust to the size I wanted to and it was kinda hard to read some of the stories because I couldn't get the letters to come through clearly.If I made the page fit the screen so I could see all of it at once it would make the words too small to read. Also for some of the bigger portrait pictures it was obvious that they were two pages, but I couldn't get them to show up side by side on the Adobe Digital Editions reader.
I think this graphic novel was great over all. If I had a chance I would definitely pick up a print copy of it. However if you are only going to be able to read it on Adobe Digital Editions I'm warning you ahead of time that it might get annoying and just to pick up a print copy.(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Auggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fable-twists

Without giving too much away, as this great title doesn't actually release until later this year, I want to tell you what a fun read this was! I was skeptical at first when I realized that it was a comic book. Not that I dislike comics. I used to read them all the time when I was younger, I just wasn't in the mood for one and wasn't sure how they were going to pull that one off...

But they did! I zoomed through the 400+ pages of AMAZING illustrations and FANTASTIC fable twists. It took a creative...more Without giving too much away, as this great title doesn't actually release until later this year, I want to tell you what a fun read this was! I was skeptical at first when I realized that it was a comic book. Not that I dislike comics. I used to read them all the time when I was younger, I just wasn't in the mood for one and wasn't sure how they were going to pull that one off...

But they did! I zoomed through the 400+ pages of AMAZING illustrations and FANTASTIC fable twists. It took a creative bunch of people to come up with such different perspectives on such old fables.

I can't tell you how impressed I was with the presentation of these stories. Just as the synopsis stated this comic is for both young and old. There is nothing particularly disturbing drawn so parents should have no problem with youngins picking it up, but there's enough meat in the story that older readers will find enjoyment just as readily.

Every fable rewritten is set to take place in the future. Very futuristic settings, very tremendously imaginative landscapes and backgrounds for the stories that most of us already know by heart. It gives you an idea of how strong a fable/legend is, how long lasting, how powerful it is even in its age. These are stories that are known throughout the world and ones that will probably not soon be forgotten. "Once Upon a Time Machine" seems to be a guesstimate of just how strong and timeless these stories really are.

I have to tell you my favorite story and my favorite depiction. My favorite story in the bunch was "Rikki Tikki Tavi" (I watched that movie over and over and over again as a little girl) and my favorite depiction was "Little Red Riding Hood."

While I was extremely pleased with this comic there were a few stories that I found to be rather on the boring side, but that's only because they weren't my setting preference. That doesn't mean that another person won't LOVE the stories I didn't enjoy as much. I know almost certainly that my younger brother would gobble up the stories that I didn't prefer. "Once Upon a Time Machine" has something for everyone.

I do very much recommend that you snatch this up when it becomes available in October. (less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arabian-nights, beauty-and-beast, cats-fiction, cinderella, dog-and-canines-fiction, grimm, netgalley, sleeping-beauty-rapunzel, andersen, favorites, comic-books-fairy-tales, feminist-fiction

Disclaimer: Copy recieved via Netgalley.

Once Upon a Time Machine is what all good retellings of beloved tales should be. The basic premise is a series of tales transported to Sci-Fi settings that, in part, ensure employment of a comics department in a large corporation. Perhaps a comment on today's publishing world? If so, it seems to be an accurate one.

And you can believe it.

The various stories used include American folklore such as John Henry, Aesop, Asian tales such as “The Peach Pit Boy”, Eu...more Disclaimer: Copy recieved via Netgalley.

Once Upon a Time Machine is what all good retellings of beloved tales should be. The basic premise is a series of tales transported to Sci-Fi settings that, in part, ensure employment of a comics department in a large corporation. Perhaps a comment on today's publishing world? If so, it seems to be an accurate one.

And you can believe it.

The various stories used include American folklore such as John Henry, Aesop, Asian tales such as “The Peach Pit Boy”, European fairy tales such as “Billy Goats Gruff” and classic literature such as the works of Dumas. It works. It works brilliantly and is not a copy of Fables.
In short, the only thing setting this collection of retellings from those short stories collections edited by Datlow and Windling is the medium used.
Each story is retold using a different style, and between the stories is artwork depicting scenes from other tales. While the settings are in the future, they range from spaceships to bio-domes and a future Nigeria. If you are a parent or a librarian looking for something depicting more than just white men, this collection more than fulfills that demand.

The collection starts very strong with a retelling of the American legend of John Henry. John Henry is a folk hero who does not get the attention he deserves, at least currently, and it is a joy to see him in a beautiful and powerful retelling. The framing device used in the tale works perfectly, and this is one of those comic stories that transcend comics. The power and pathos of the John Henry story is more than equaled by tales such as “Pinocchio or the Stars are Not Wanted Now”, “The Five Chinese Brothers”, and “The Last Leaf”, a retelling of an O. Henry story . These stories show that too often comics move beyond the medium that is seen most often in the movies and racks. They are equal of anything by Eisner, who gets a nod in the beginning of the collection.

Not every story in the collection is serious and heart-breaking. “Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or Silver-Hair and the Three Xairs” will delight any science fiction fan as well as lovers of Roald Dahl. Thought Mickey and the Brooms was a bit cute in Fantasia, try “Sweet Porridge”.
What is most interesting is how some of the tales are transformed. “The Billy Goats Gruff; or, The Crossing” keeps the testing of the original but becomes a quest for a girl undertakes to save her grandfather. “The Three Musketeers” have to help their king in a future Nigeria, where their enemies consist of robots that remind one of Star Wars droids. The changes or twisting of some of the stories is very imaginative and works – “The Tortoise and the Hare” as a soapbox derby for instance. The best twist, in my mind, is “The Billy Goats Gruff”. I would buy a series of stories about Billie. Where was she when I was growing up? “The Billy Goats Gruff” story will please fans of Robin Mckinley.

Even those stories such as “The Last Leaf” and “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” that stick most closely to their sources keep the spirit of the source and hence work extremely. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a favorite story of mine, and I liked this retelling as much as I liked the original.

The artwork is varied, including artwork that is clearly inspired by anime and magna. There is super-hero artwork in “Peach Pit Boy”, which of all the stories is the closest to a tradition comic super-hero. In most of the cases, the artwork suits the style and tone of the story perfectly. The only art I didn’t particularly like was that with “The Three Musketeers”, I loved the story but at times I found the artwork a little hard to follow. Even there, however, in many panels you could see the connection between the story and the art.

I do have to say the only time I was disappointed was the fact that the “Three Little Pigs” picture that referenced both Power Rangers and Star Wars was just that. While the pig story was good, I wanted to see the story that went with that picture.

Ah well, hopefully there will be a volume two. This is an excellent book. If you love fairy tales, read it. If you have a daughter, get for her. Get if for your libraries. It really is a work of art on all levels.
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Jan 22, 2013 Hollowspine rated it 4 of 5 stars

A variety of graphic stories linked by their re-interpretation of various fables, myths and fairy tales. There are twists on Hansel and Gretel involving giant insects, Humpty Dumpty finally finding his identity (leaving another broken in his place) and John Henry as a mech pilot just to name a few of the numerous and various stories in the anthology.

I enjoyed the varied, often eye-catching, artwork, as well as the different takes on the familiar stories. Some were easily recognized, and others w...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Kellie Sheridan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

This is an extremely cool collection of short stories (in the form of comics/graphic novels), Once Upon A Time Machine takes a huge selection of stories we all grew up with and turns them into futuristic or entirely reinvisioned versions. There were a few stories I didn't recognize (that may have been appropriate additions of newer stories, I'm not sure) which were great, but my favorites were always the stories with hilarious new interpretations of my favorite fables.

While I genuinely enjoyed t...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Random Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you haven’t gotten an ear-full from me yet about faerie tales, you are in luck! I found the perfect thing to spread my wonderful love of faerie tales and folktales far and wide. It’s no surprise that Dark Horse Comics are the publishers for it either. I’m talking about the soon to be released in October this year, Once Upon a Time Machine. They didn’t just do a retelling of folktales, they took folktales and threw them into the future with such rich degree and imagination devoted to it. They...more If you haven’t gotten an ear-full from me yet about faerie tales, you are in luck! I found the perfect thing to spread my wonderful love of faerie tales and folktales far and wide. It’s no surprise that Dark Horse Comics are the publishers for it either. I’m talking about the soon to be released in October this year, Once Upon a Time Machine. They didn’t just do a retelling of folktales, they took folktales and threw them into the future with such rich degree and imagination devoted to it. They are by far some of the most original faerie tale re-tellings I’d read with my particular favorite being their re-imagining of Hansel and Gretel.

Now, I’ve actually stated I’m something of a faerie tale nerd. I definitely don’t know them all, as there are thousands of them, but I’ve heard and read the majority solely for research some time ago for the novel series I’m writing. And when I mean that I’ve read the majority, I’ve read not just one version of many of these stories, but hundreds of versions; because, quite truthfully, a new version of a faerie tale comes out almost every single day in some new facet. It can be as simple as someone speaking a different version of the tale. I’ve read all kinds of re-imaginings of the same tales from famous authors even, like Neil Gaiman, who has written an original faerie tale as well; but, I’ve never seen an original futuristic spin to many of these tales and they were absolutely amusing to see in Once Upon a Time Machine.

There are such things as space spiders that live in a black hole and look like Oni (Japanese Ogre), who steal away children from a family. The children are saved by Momotaro the peach boy with the help of his bio-mechanical monkey and giant dog from the giant animal clan. In another, Hansel and Gretel are actually bees, not in their own story, but in a tale of Hansel being defeated by a mayfly group who had been seeking revenge on him ever since he swatted down their extremely great-grandfather at the beginning of the story. The Hansel and Gretel re-imagining seized me even more by actually having a moral to the story at the end, which is one of the most unique yet obvious kind of morals: ‘And that’s why you should always treat others with care, even if they seem small and insignificant to you, because you never know whose story you’re in’.

It was because of this graphic novel that I found more folktales I hadn’t even known about before. Which just goes to show, you haven’t seen everything!

Anyone who loves faerie tales, (who doesn’t love a faerie tale here and there?) will absolutely find something enjoyable with this particular graphic novel. If you especially like the science fiction kind of things you’ll enjoy this even more, because it often takes many of the old magic-based faerie tales and uses science and technology to replace those. Like the tale of Vasilissa the Beautiful, who originally had some kind of voodoo doll that her mother gave her, instead has a mechanical bear who talks with her and ends up saving her from the Baba Yaga. The only thing I could honestly really say that was bad about finding this piece was that the sample they gave me didn’t include all the stories! And there were so-o-o-o-o many stories that I didn’t get to read. Which is only gonna push me to fork over the cash for this one, just so I can actually read all the tales.

There is one particular thing I have to mention that I’ve always come to love and largely the reason why it can often be found that I’ll do reviews on Anthologies of different kinds. It is collaboration. Final pieces like Once Upon a Time Machine have been crafted from at least twenty authors that I found at the end, but even just two authors can produce a collaboration work (Good Omens anyone?) that are absolutely amazing to read. This faerie tale piece was actually just like an anthology, each author was given the premise of “write a faerie tale, but in the future” and each author produced wonderful worlds that were all particularly unique in some way, yet all seemed to somehow actually fit as if they were happening in the same world. Which is why I say this was a brilliant collaboration piece rather than an anthology. Each author gave a small piece of this different world, maybe on a planet or a space station or just somewhere in the cosmos. And that is truly what sold this entire book to me, you don’t always get to see multiple authors come together to produce the same world and with faerie tale stories no less!

Before I start totally ranting people’s faces off about all the mad and funny folk tales I found in here or just folk tales in general, I’m going to send myself away with just a simple statement.

There are so many faerie tales in the world, that there is guaranteed to always be at least one that will ring true with your heart; because faerie tales don’t teach us that magic is real, they show us that anything can truly be possible in this world, no matter who you are.(less)

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Aug 21, 2012 Stephanie Cover2CoverBlog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: early-review

Background: Once Upon a Time Machine is a collection of children’s tales retold through the guise of the future. The collection includes classics like, the three little pigs, Goldilocks and the three bears, and Pinocchio.
Review: This was a masterfully done piece, the short stories were engaging and beautifully illustrated. I loved that they were all set in a futuristic world; it was a very interesting take on each of the tales. In between each there were even pieces of art depicting some of the...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Tintaglia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, comics, galleys

Per riassumere:
Idea: 10
Realizzazione: 10
Tavole: 10
Illustrazioni fuori testo: 10

Il rischio, quando nei fumetti si decide di affrontare dei retelling delle fiabe, è di richiamare troppo Fables: un rischio che in questo meraviglioso volume è stato evitato.
Non mi si fraintenda: io adoro Fables, e aspetto ogni volumetto con un'avidità poco encomiabile, ma ancora di più apprezzo la capacità di discostarsi da un modello così di successo: Once upon a time machine ci riesce, con quattrocento pagine dens...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Aparajitabasu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, children-s, fairy-tale, fantasy, fiction, graphic-novel, netgalley, review-copy

Another marvelous form of back to basics fairytales with a twist - marvelous indeed. Presenting Once Upon A Time Machine by Lee Nordling, Jason Rodriguez, and Tara Alexander.

Here is the summary of the book:

Fairy tales have fueled our dreams and fired our imaginations for centuries. Step inside a time machine built by a collection of today’s finest storytellers, and enter a range of futures where familiar tales are reimagined in an astonishing variety of styles. Editors Andrew Carl and Chris Ste...more Another marvelous form of back to basics fairytales with a twist - marvelous indeed. Presenting Once Upon A Time Machine by Lee Nordling, Jason Rodriguez, and Tara Alexander.

Here is the summary of the book:

Fairy tales have fueled our dreams and fired our imaginations for centuries. Step inside a time machine built by a collection of today’s finest storytellers, and enter a range of futures where familiar tales are reimagined in an astonishing variety of styles. Editors Andrew Carl and Chris Stevens bring you the next wave of leading writers and illustrators working alongside superstar creators like Farel Dalrymple (Pop Gun War), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Khoi Pham (Daredevil), and Brandon Graham (King City) to deliver a reading experience that will delight generations young and old.

Its back to basics folks. Another one adding itself to the list of successful fairytales and classics re-imaging. Thats right this is a perfectly lucid and geniously crafted re-imagined collection to the classics and the fairytale. "One hundred and one nights", "Peter Pan", "Goldilock and the three bears", "The Three Musketeers", "Alice in Wonderland" and more..... all are present here and with a new life and a new twist. Every story down to the minute details is re-written, all the while maintaining the originality of the story they are inspired from.

All the stories written, illustrated and colored by different artists, you really get a color explosion and variety as you go through all the stories. Clearly meant for and older crowd seeking for a reintroduction to the classics with a twist, this book is not meant for those kids who are looking to step into the world of stories. My only problem here was the format, a book with a collection of stories this engaging is not meant to be read in digital format but felt through your fingers as you leaf through each page. Regardless you need to get this book to marvel at the extravagance within.

"A re-imaging of the age-old classics - this is one book you don't want to miss out on - Go Buy it folks!"

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Jan 21, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy

Appeal Characteristics: STYLISTIC ART, fractured fairy tales, science fiction, fantasy, stories, morals

This should be the new Flight Anthologies for Fairy-Tales/Folklore. I mean it's one thing to see a beautiful cover art for beauty and the beast, but it's another thing to read about a crazy updated version of the John Henry story (AND I LOOOOVE JOHN HENRY)and a creepy Humpty Dumpty one. I like the brief bio of all the illustrators and writers who contributed to this massive volume. I hope that...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Sara Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

If you like graphic novels or science fiction then you should give this book a try. The concept is fun and the execution offers something for everyone. Once Upon a Time Machine is a series of fairy tale type stories that have been reworked into a future setting. Each story is written and drawn by different authors and artists so if you don't like one style then you can pass onto something more suited to you.
I enjoyed this. I liked the changes to many of the stories. I, also, discovered stories t...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Justyn Rampa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale, fantasy, mavericks, graphic-novels

Absolutely AMAZING!!!! I do not want to go into great depth in this review in that a large part of the joy in experiencing this wonderful compilation is going into each story fresh. Dark Horse Publishing is to be commended for putting together such a fantastically imaginative compilation of sci-fi reinterpretations of fairy tales and in some cases, classic literature.

Some of the stories take on a surprisingly profound meaning as well. Everything about this read was unexpected and utterly deligh...more

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Jan 22, 2013 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy, children-ya

Massive collection of SF spins on various folktales and childen's stories. Though many of the contributions are just single paintings and some stories are hard to read or follow this is a trove of different styles of art and storytelling. Among the dozen or so gems, I particularly enjoyed Mike Exner III's RIKKI TIKKI TAVI (the "mongoose" is a population of nanites battling a boy's cancer), Alexander's partial rendition of VASALISSA THE BEAUTIFUL, and Nordling's GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS (ab...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall a bit disappointing but I think I just wanted more from this book than what I got. Some of the retellings were brilliant and lovely (I found the Riki Tiki Tavi one especially charming!) but a lot of the other ones just left me with a "...?" kind of feeling. The premise is really great and some of the artwork is wonderful but many of the stories left quite a bit to be desired. Some of the most intriguing stories weren't actually stories at all, just striking illustrations to spark the ima...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Lissibith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-trades, fantasy, sci-fi

Fairy tales updated with a sci-fi twist? I was sold on this premise so hard I didn't even finish reading the description before I put in an order for it. And I'm glad I got it, but the quality of this book is highly uneven, and I think a lot of the enjoyment will be out of what presses your artistic and storytelling buttons over what's just flat-out good. there's a lot to enjoy here, but you have to have certain tolerances for other stories.

Reviews of each story under the spoiler tag for... well...more Fairy tales updated with a sci-fi twist? I was sold on this premise so hard I didn't even finish reading the description before I put in an order for it. And I'm glad I got it, but the quality of this book is highly uneven, and I think a lot of the enjoyment will be out of what presses your artistic and storytelling buttons over what's just flat-out good. there's a lot to enjoy here, but you have to have certain tolerances for other stories.

Reviews of each story under the spoiler tag for... well, spoilers.

(view spoiler)

I also suggest it jsut for the one- or two-page spreads of ideas about other updates. Some of them were very striking and imaginitive and beautiful.

Overall, a great book, but at its size and cost, it may have difficulty justifying itself for purchase.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Mith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, fairy-tales, goodish

Once upon a Time Machine is a graphic novel collection of futuristic retellings of some of the popular fairy tales. Some of the illustrations, as well as the stories, as really good. I particularly enjoyed the re-tellings of Pinocchio, Sweet porridge, The Last Leaf and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.

One complaint though. The graphic novel was not properly rendered in Adobe Digital Editions so everything was a bit blurry which made it difficult for me to read the dialogue often.

ARC received from NetGalley and...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Cora rated it 4 of 5 stars

If only something like this had been around when I was a child. Once Upon a Time Machine blends the classics of yesterday with comic book style to create something truly unique.

The stories we've been told over the years, such as John Henry and Hansel and Gretel, have been redone in this comic book with futuristic flare to make the stories fresh and new.

If your child refuses to read, this book is a must! It's even a great book for those of us who have read all the fairy tales and are nostalgic f...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphicnovels, fairy-tales, own-it

Theme: I have loved fairy tales since I was child and experiencing them in graphic novel format is always a thrill. Adding a twist of science fiction into this beautiful graphic novel only made it more appealing for me. The elements of science fiction change the stories in a way that was quite captivating. I especially loved the one of Pinocchio (The Stars Are Not Wanted Now) who was a machine made to tell the truth, but started to lie because he found it was too hard to tell the truth.

Stories:...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Bookworm1858 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, fairy-tale, netgalley

The blurb promised a collection of 24 tales twisting and playing with beloved fairy tales. However I did not realize that it would actually be retellings of familiar stories. I just thought they would be fantastical and fairy-tale-esque. But no, I recognized most of the stories, which allowed me to seat back and enjoy the beautiful drawings and the science-fiction twists placed on most of them.

I'm not going to cover every story as that would take a really long time but I do have four that really...more The blurb promised a collection of 24 tales twisting and playing with beloved fairy tales. However I did not realize that it would actually be retellings of familiar stories. I just thought they would be fantastical and fairy-tale-esque. But no, I recognized most of the stories, which allowed me to seat back and enjoy the beautiful drawings and the science-fiction twists placed on most of them.

I'm not going to cover every story as that would take a really long time but I do have four that really worked for me, style of art combining with the story to resonate deeply.

First up would be "Pinocchio or The Stars Are Not Wanted Now" written by Jason Rodriguez , where an inventor makes his creation who struggles with the dual competing directives of being honest and being human. I wasn't entirely sure how this one was going to turn out but it was a bittersweet yet appropriate resolution to me.

Next would be "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi", based on that great Kipling story and written by Mike Exner III. I was already a fan and immediately perked up when I saw the title. I also really loved the artwork for this one-I have no idea how to describe it but it fits with my preferences.

Next is "The Five Chinese Brothers" from Justin Hughes, another familiar story that similarly to the Pinocchio one was bittersweet. I believe I am familiar with the story it is based on although I cannot remember what it is called. This story also has an inventor father and his mechanical sons in addition to one flesh and blood one, utilizing the science-fiction aspect well.

The last one I want to mention is "Hansel and Gretel or Bombus and Vespula" by Josh O'Neill. Unfortunately I can't tell you my favorite part of this story as it is the twist within-definitely worth seeking out!

As I flipped through my copy to pick out my favorites, I was reminded about how hard it was to choose. I liked pretty much every story as well as the various styles of art. Another cool bonus is that there are standalone scenes interspersed between the stories (off the top of my head, I remember seeing some princesses represented here like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the Little Mermaid.)

One last note is that this would probably be better in a hard copy; there were a few stories where it was a little hard to read the font and even when I zoomed in, the resolution wasn't much better. Particularly hard for me were "The Puppet-Show Man or No Strings" and "The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl." Because of that, I don't think I gave these stories their proper attention. When I pick up a hard copy, I will be sure to read them first!

Overall: A really great collection-everyone a winner and something to please all tastes!(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 David Edmonds rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, graphic-novel, fairy-tales, read-2012, 2012-october, 2012-release

Once Upon a Time Machine is a collection of fairy tales that we're all familiar with, set in time periods that are unfamiliar to these stories. Each of the fairy tales holds true to its origins, but they are retold in a a whole new fashion, with each of the tales taking on a science fiction flare. Told by some of the new, up and coming writers and illustrators in the comics business, these fairy tales are both familiar and fresh at the same time.

I wouldn't recommend reading them all at once. Tak...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Emlen rated it 4 of 5 stars

[I have a bit of a personal connection to this book, so might be biased. Nevertheless...]

Really delightful collection of comic-book versions of fairy tales -- or rather, more generally, beloved children's stories, including things like Peter Pan and The Three Musketeers -- retold in sci-fi settings. All the stories are by different authors and artists, and there don't seem to have been any real rules about how they had to treat the source material, which allows for a lot of variety in style and...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fun and creative twist on fairy tales, beautifully drawn. I read this in just two days - I couldn't put it down. Suitable for middle schoolers...and adults who have some imagination left in them.

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Jul 06, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

NetGalley ARC

Loved the art and the different take on story telling! Not copying Fables like so many others! If you like graphic novels and fairy tales, bookmark this to read later.

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Aug 21, 2012 Jeffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

MITNG reviews Once Upon A Time Machine
http://mediocrityisthenewgenius.com/2...

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