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Beowulf
Inside looks new but cover has little "chew" marks on out side edges. Have no idea how else to describe it. Good price for an old product.
44 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 11, 2022
This comic was a pleasant surprise. I found it at the Used Book store and am glad I bought it. Jerry Bingham does a great job, and is accurate to the tale, of telling us the saga of Beowulf. Beowulf is a Geat, also known sometimes as Goths, who derive from Götaland in Southern Sweden.
When an unknown monster kills numerous Danes, King Hrothgar requests help. Beowulf and his Geats arrive to fight the monster Grendel. The story then covers his conflict with Grendel's mother and, in time, his final battle with a dragon.
Well illustrated and fairly accurate to the original saga, this one is a gem. This doesn't seem to be very well known and that's a shame since this is a very good adaption of the classic tale. If you're a Beowulf fan, then you will enjoy this comic.
When an unknown monster kills numerous Danes, King Hrothgar requests help. Beowulf and his Geats arrive to fight the monster Grendel. The story then covers his conflict with Grendel's mother and, in time, his final battle with a dragon.
Well illustrated and fairly accurate to the original saga, this one is a gem. This doesn't seem to be very well known and that's a shame since this is a very good adaption of the classic tale. If you're a Beowulf fan, then you will enjoy this comic.
February 18, 2019
For all its self-evident brevity, from what I can remember from high school, this comic book take is a mostly faithful take on the classic poem of Beowulf. Of course, with various liberties of numerous sorts to save time and to make it more ingraining to the comic audience (all the dudes wear furry underwear) it still falls short of the its far more epic and storied source material. Which of course doesn’t mean its been watered down at all, its just been distilled into an abbreviated version that can fit into the depth of a paneled 50-page tincture.
Even with numerous details sloughed off to favor brevity, I do think this would make a solid introduction for youngsters. Of course, elders should look elsewhere. But if compared against its own values, it holds up decently well 35 years down the road.
Even with numerous details sloughed off to favor brevity, I do think this would make a solid introduction for youngsters. Of course, elders should look elsewhere. But if compared against its own values, it holds up decently well 35 years down the road.
November 23, 2014
Okay, so let me clarify a few things up front: I appreciate the original poem in various modern English translations, and also many adaptations and reinterpretations of it (e.g. John Gardner's sublime novel Grendel), and Bingham's comics adaptation is, admittedly, faithful to the source material. Add to this that Bingham's art surely does not hurt one's eye – quite the opposite.
However – and given the grade above (which should read more like 2.5 than a straight 2, but not enough to warrant a 3) I guess you saw this however coming from a mile off – there are also a number of reasons why this mostly falls short for me, and the most central (around which other reasons arguably could be said to be circle) is the fact that Bingham fails to deliver a good comics adaptation of the material.
The fidelity to the story elements is there to be sure, but the end result is simply not a good comic. Bingham relies on extracts, and reworked extracts, from the poem itself, positioned within captions, and – given the strengths of the medium – allowing for less dialogue than the original, while not using the medium's way of actually handling dialogue (i.e. through speech balloons), situating it within the captions as well. While this would certainly not be entirely surprising in early comic strip pages á la Foster's Prince Valiant or Raymond's Flash Gordon, there is something unsatisfying with finding it in a mid-80s comics adaptation of a classic literary work. And it loses some of the medium's capacity to embrace moments vividly – much like a theatrical or film production. Instead we are left with something that reads more like an illustrated poem (though not quite) than a comics narrative proper.
Most likely the latter is reinforced by the fact that Bingham's reworked and truncated extracts from the poem sometimes do not quite make sense. Case in point, when the hero of the piece, Beowulf himself, is introduced in the poem, he is presented as King Hygelas' thane, before he is donned his own name. In Bingham reworking, this ends up as follows: "Then tales of the terrible deeds of Grendel reached the ears of King Hygelas in his home with the Geats; of living strongmen he was the strongest, fearless and gallant and great of heart. He gave command for a sturdy vessel, fitted and furnished." While the accompanying images do introduce us to Beowulf, the text itself would make one wonder if Bingham actually thought Hygelas was but another name for Beowulf, or what else might have gone awry.
At the end of the day, it falls short; and this is sad, because I want to like this so very much. Bingham's art is beautiful, but it somehow continuously becomes a backdrop to the text, which on the other hand is lacking when compared to fuller translations of the poem into modern English. It is as if Bingham in his fidelity to the source material has lost track of the medium he works with, or absurdly not deemed it quite worthy, and therefore has not trusted fully in his skills as a comics creator, making the old story fully come alive on these pages.
And given the material we do have, the latter would have been something to behold, I am sure.
However – and given the grade above (which should read more like 2.5 than a straight 2, but not enough to warrant a 3) I guess you saw this however coming from a mile off – there are also a number of reasons why this mostly falls short for me, and the most central (around which other reasons arguably could be said to be circle) is the fact that Bingham fails to deliver a good comics adaptation of the material.
The fidelity to the story elements is there to be sure, but the end result is simply not a good comic. Bingham relies on extracts, and reworked extracts, from the poem itself, positioned within captions, and – given the strengths of the medium – allowing for less dialogue than the original, while not using the medium's way of actually handling dialogue (i.e. through speech balloons), situating it within the captions as well. While this would certainly not be entirely surprising in early comic strip pages á la Foster's Prince Valiant or Raymond's Flash Gordon, there is something unsatisfying with finding it in a mid-80s comics adaptation of a classic literary work. And it loses some of the medium's capacity to embrace moments vividly – much like a theatrical or film production. Instead we are left with something that reads more like an illustrated poem (though not quite) than a comics narrative proper.
Most likely the latter is reinforced by the fact that Bingham's reworked and truncated extracts from the poem sometimes do not quite make sense. Case in point, when the hero of the piece, Beowulf himself, is introduced in the poem, he is presented as King Hygelas' thane, before he is donned his own name. In Bingham reworking, this ends up as follows: "Then tales of the terrible deeds of Grendel reached the ears of King Hygelas in his home with the Geats; of living strongmen he was the strongest, fearless and gallant and great of heart. He gave command for a sturdy vessel, fitted and furnished." While the accompanying images do introduce us to Beowulf, the text itself would make one wonder if Bingham actually thought Hygelas was but another name for Beowulf, or what else might have gone awry.
At the end of the day, it falls short; and this is sad, because I want to like this so very much. Bingham's art is beautiful, but it somehow continuously becomes a backdrop to the text, which on the other hand is lacking when compared to fuller translations of the poem into modern English. It is as if Bingham in his fidelity to the source material has lost track of the medium he works with, or absurdly not deemed it quite worthy, and therefore has not trusted fully in his skills as a comics creator, making the old story fully come alive on these pages.
And given the material we do have, the latter would have been something to behold, I am sure.
March 31, 2025
An interesting take on the classic epic. In this format, half of the tale comes from the illustrations, and Bingham doesn't disappoint. It's a nicely truncated version, though I missed Unferth's inclusion.
I also found it odd that the story ended with Beowulf's death; his pyre and barrow would have closed out the tale nicely, particularly since Wiglaf was honored at the end and what to do with the treasure still looms unresolved.
I also found it odd that the story ended with Beowulf's death; his pyre and barrow would have closed out the tale nicely, particularly since Wiglaf was honored at the end and what to do with the treasure still looms unresolved.
February 15, 2019
This is a great artistic translation of the great epic saga. Brilliant illustrations, competent writing: an awesome piece of graphic fiction.
August 19, 2022
Really interesting version of the story if you can find it.
April 2, 2024
7/10
Pretty faithful to the original story! The art style was very enjoyable to look at.
Pretty faithful to the original story! The art style was very enjoyable to look at.
December 18, 2019
First Comics released Beowulf while I was attending 10th grade, and writing my own epic fantasy since reading my first doorstopper-size book, The Sword of Shannara back in the 8th grade. This comic has the distinction of bearing the name of my first fantasy protagonist, in a story that makes the worst of Dungeons & Dragons fan fiction, the likes of Dungeon Crawl and Another Day, Another Dungeon, read like non-ironic genre classics. The name came to me from the covers of two comic books published by DC Comics, and (to my credit) not because of any pretensions on my part.
But from that background my high school English teacher introduced me to the notion of Beowulf, the epic poem, and soon after First Comics obliged to acquaint me with the story through this graphic novel. I have yet to read the poem, much less have a critical appreciation for it, but it is in my personal library and on my to-do list. My destiny as a genre writer, it would appear, is deeply connected to a tradition ancient in time.
So what are my comments? This is a slow, unexciting story in the telling. The artwork is great to my eye but there is no Allanon mystery figure and no overarching epic battle with a first, second, and third act in the traditional sense of rising and falling action. In fact, these are three separate tales, strung together like made-in-Hollywood sequels for one actor to be promoted, James Bond-like, throughout. Where is Lee Horsley when you need him?
But forgive my 16-year-old fan fiction ignorance. I know there is more to this graphic novel than that, starting with the fact this is a story from the oral tradition of storytelling not the literate. Something important is immediately lost in that medium transition.
Jerry Bingham won the Jack Kirby Award for his work here, and it reflects well on the award for its talent recognition. Mr. Bingham does an amazing job translating not only the language but also the story to the graphic novel medium. His choice of format, going with the Classics Illustrated model, is likely the best one; avoiding the soap opera word balloons inherent in the comics medium of the mid-80s. His attempt to capture the posy of Old English without losing his audience of 16-year-old hack writer degenerates is achieved through the use of visuals and careful insertion of modern rhyme amid the alliteration. To get a sense of the work involved, read this book aloud.
I really do not have much more to say than this without comparing it directly to the source, which I think would be a very worthy review. From what little mention of Beowulf I have come across in my study of Anglo-Saxon prehistory, and Beowulf is mentioned in every such book, this graphic novel adaptation is accurate. But I am no expert and have yet to even read the source let alone digest its critical analysis. I may have a finer appreciation after I read my copy of Medieval Epic but a more worthy review will fall to other hands.
If you’re looking to read a Love And Rockets #1 or even a The Viking Adventures Of Hasting And Svein 1 story then look elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with books by the likes of John Byrne, Howard Chaykin, Dave Stevens or Dave Sims, but if you’re into something with a lot of history going for it without having to earn a history/linguistics degree to enjoy it, then this is your book. In fact, I do not know of another book like this one.
But from that background my high school English teacher introduced me to the notion of Beowulf, the epic poem, and soon after First Comics obliged to acquaint me with the story through this graphic novel. I have yet to read the poem, much less have a critical appreciation for it, but it is in my personal library and on my to-do list. My destiny as a genre writer, it would appear, is deeply connected to a tradition ancient in time.
So what are my comments? This is a slow, unexciting story in the telling. The artwork is great to my eye but there is no Allanon mystery figure and no overarching epic battle with a first, second, and third act in the traditional sense of rising and falling action. In fact, these are three separate tales, strung together like made-in-Hollywood sequels for one actor to be promoted, James Bond-like, throughout. Where is Lee Horsley when you need him?
But forgive my 16-year-old fan fiction ignorance. I know there is more to this graphic novel than that, starting with the fact this is a story from the oral tradition of storytelling not the literate. Something important is immediately lost in that medium transition.
Jerry Bingham won the Jack Kirby Award for his work here, and it reflects well on the award for its talent recognition. Mr. Bingham does an amazing job translating not only the language but also the story to the graphic novel medium. His choice of format, going with the Classics Illustrated model, is likely the best one; avoiding the soap opera word balloons inherent in the comics medium of the mid-80s. His attempt to capture the posy of Old English without losing his audience of 16-year-old hack writer degenerates is achieved through the use of visuals and careful insertion of modern rhyme amid the alliteration. To get a sense of the work involved, read this book aloud.
I really do not have much more to say than this without comparing it directly to the source, which I think would be a very worthy review. From what little mention of Beowulf I have come across in my study of Anglo-Saxon prehistory, and Beowulf is mentioned in every such book, this graphic novel adaptation is accurate. But I am no expert and have yet to even read the source let alone digest its critical analysis. I may have a finer appreciation after I read my copy of Medieval Epic but a more worthy review will fall to other hands.
If you’re looking to read a Love And Rockets #1 or even a The Viking Adventures Of Hasting And Svein 1 story then look elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with books by the likes of John Byrne, Howard Chaykin, Dave Stevens or Dave Sims, but if you’re into something with a lot of history going for it without having to earn a history/linguistics degree to enjoy it, then this is your book. In fact, I do not know of another book like this one.
March 21, 2015
The tale of Beowulf is a classic story of old English that is one of the most important stories in all of English literature. It was committed to parchment sometime in the eighth century or later but it most likely was told for some time before that. The story is the classic one of the strong hero doing battle against powerful and evil creatures.
There are two parts to the story, in the first Beowulf engages in hand-to-hand combat with Grendel and his mother, two dark and powerful creatures with fangs, pointed ears and long and very sharp claws. In the second, Beowulf fights with a flying dragon capable of projecting fire from its mouth.
This graphic novel is a very good rendition of the story, in this form it could be used in either a literature or a history class. The fact that is in the form of a comic book does not detract from its value in teaching literature and the references to the ties between an English story and the Scandinavian countries referenced in the tale are an excellent way to introduce the migration of the Angles and the Saxons to England. Few students would understand that the term Anglo-Saxon actually refers to Germanic people from Scandinavia.
I strongly recommend this book in reading it for fun or just for the educational value.
This reviews also appears on Amazon
There are two parts to the story, in the first Beowulf engages in hand-to-hand combat with Grendel and his mother, two dark and powerful creatures with fangs, pointed ears and long and very sharp claws. In the second, Beowulf fights with a flying dragon capable of projecting fire from its mouth.
This graphic novel is a very good rendition of the story, in this form it could be used in either a literature or a history class. The fact that is in the form of a comic book does not detract from its value in teaching literature and the references to the ties between an English story and the Scandinavian countries referenced in the tale are an excellent way to introduce the migration of the Angles and the Saxons to England. Few students would understand that the term Anglo-Saxon actually refers to Germanic people from Scandinavia.
I strongly recommend this book in reading it for fun or just for the educational value.
This reviews also appears on Amazon
February 10, 2013
A stunning and subsequently award-winning (1985 Kirby Award for Best Graphic Album) fantasy epic by Jerry Bingham.
Beowulf is a thrilling, compulsive and intensely visceral visualisation of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem committed to parchment sometime between the 8th and 11th century AD, and recently the subject of many screen iterations and interpretations (from The 13th Warrior to the three “straight” Beowulf movies in 1999, 2005 and 2007 and even the outrageously fun Outlander from 2008).
Bingham’s raw and fiercely realistic art-style perfectly captures the implacable sense of doom and by employing Prince Valiant’s text and picture format he imparts the tale with a grandeur often as mythic as Hal Foster’s masterpiece, whilst leaving the art gloriously free of distracting word-balloons.
Letterer/calligrapher Ken Bruzenak’s particular facility perfectly enhances the artistic mood by carefully integrating captions filled with Bingham’s free-verse transliterations of the original 3182 long-poem into this classic interpretation of the epic. This is a wonderful and worthy piece of work that will delight any fan of the medium.
Beowulf is a thrilling, compulsive and intensely visceral visualisation of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem committed to parchment sometime between the 8th and 11th century AD, and recently the subject of many screen iterations and interpretations (from The 13th Warrior to the three “straight” Beowulf movies in 1999, 2005 and 2007 and even the outrageously fun Outlander from 2008).
Bingham’s raw and fiercely realistic art-style perfectly captures the implacable sense of doom and by employing Prince Valiant’s text and picture format he imparts the tale with a grandeur often as mythic as Hal Foster’s masterpiece, whilst leaving the art gloriously free of distracting word-balloons.
Letterer/calligrapher Ken Bruzenak’s particular facility perfectly enhances the artistic mood by carefully integrating captions filled with Bingham’s free-verse transliterations of the original 3182 long-poem into this classic interpretation of the epic. This is a wonderful and worthy piece of work that will delight any fan of the medium.
September 28, 2009
This is a really good comic book adaptation of the Beowulf saga. It preserves a lot of the original Anglo-Saxon poetic rhythm and language; for instance the dragon is referred to variously as "hoard-warden", "fire-drake", "waster of peoples", "baleful stranger", "hostile flier", and "coiled foe". Decent genre fantasy art of not spectacular; see some samples at http://www.albany.edu/~JA222227/isp52...
December 12, 2013
Jerry Binghams 1984 Graphic Novel: Beowulf
Cool comic from mid 80's retelling the classic story of Beowulf.
Cool comic from mid 80's retelling the classic story of Beowulf.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews