What do you think?
Rate this book
Clive Barker's The Great And Secret Show
The Complete Clive Barker's The Great And Secret Show
Collected here in one deluxe edition is the complete 12-part saga that comprises the comic book adaptation of master of horror Clive Barker's epic journey into the fantastic, The Great and Secret Show. Adapted by Chris Ryall and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, this collection presents the ultimate battle between good and evil that spans many decades and dimensions.
Also featuring complete art galleries by Gabriel Rodriguez and Clive Barker, full issue-by-issue annotations by Ryall and Rodriguez, and more!
Also featuring complete art galleries by Gabriel Rodriguez and Clive Barker, full issue-by-issue annotations by Ryall and Rodriguez, and more!
332 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
66 people are currently reading
7840 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 19, 2009
In the dead letter room in the middle of Omaha, Randolph Jaffe has stumbled upon a secret. At first, the secret isn’t clear, just vague references to something called the Art. The Art begins to consume Jaffe, taking over his life. Its secrets continue to elude Jaffe until he cracks part of the code.
The Art are laws governing an alternate reality called Quididdty. Quididdty is the dream see, the dreamscape, the magic that runs through all our fantasies. Jaffe can think of nothing else except the Art and becoming a master of it. Quididdty is his for the taking.
Taking a scientist named Fletcher under his wing to further his growing evil, Jaffe hopes to get one step closer to mastering the Art. Fletcher creates a transforming drug they call Nuncio, which uses the principals of the Art. What they don’t realize is that it will become their undoing.
Fletcher realizes that Jaffe is evil and attempts to stop his plans by destroying the Nuncio. He knows that the drug is capable of transforming anyone into what ever they are most on the inside. Good becomes great. Evil becomes more so. Except, the Nuncio has other plans. It transforms Fletcher and then Jaffe into Demigods. Not content to let the other live, (after all, good must always triumph over evil) Fletcher and Jaffe engage in a battle that brings them to Palamo Grove, a small town and an ideal place to hide and rest in the earth while regaining the energy to continue fighting.
Years pass. Then something unthinkable happens. Four girls, dubbed The League of Virgins, become pregnant after swimming in a river that appeared on the edge of town. When the girls start talking of being raped in the river, gossip in the small town grows to an all time high. No one knows the truth, however, no matter how crazy the rumors.
Jaffe and Fletcher have impregnated four women in hopes of producing offspring to continue the battle they began so many years ago. Fletcher knows that he cannot allow Jaffe to gain access to the Art, to Quididdty; otherwise, it could mean the end of the world, and dreams, as we know it…
What Barker does here is create myth and he does so beautifully. It’s a difficult thing to create an epic myth from the ground up, but Barker does so in “The Great and Secret Show” with such skill and mastery that you know he has a gift. The plot mentioned above doesn’t even begin to describe the plot for this book. It is a big, wonderfully sprawling dive into wonderland.
What I love about books by Clive Barker is that they are usually character driven. This is also the case here. While there is a lot of focus on myth and legend here, Barker also focuses on the people filling his tale. It’s a good thing he does – there is a cast of hundreds here and we get to know almost all of them through out “The Great and Secret Show”. What’s wonderful is that this is actually the first novel in a trilogy, The Books of Art.
I devoured this book. Quididdty now floats through my dreams and haunts my waking hours. This is an amazing book. It’s a big one, but it’s worth it. An amazing piece of literature, a great beginning to an epic fantasy, any way you look at it, this is an amazing read.
The Art are laws governing an alternate reality called Quididdty. Quididdty is the dream see, the dreamscape, the magic that runs through all our fantasies. Jaffe can think of nothing else except the Art and becoming a master of it. Quididdty is his for the taking.
Taking a scientist named Fletcher under his wing to further his growing evil, Jaffe hopes to get one step closer to mastering the Art. Fletcher creates a transforming drug they call Nuncio, which uses the principals of the Art. What they don’t realize is that it will become their undoing.
Fletcher realizes that Jaffe is evil and attempts to stop his plans by destroying the Nuncio. He knows that the drug is capable of transforming anyone into what ever they are most on the inside. Good becomes great. Evil becomes more so. Except, the Nuncio has other plans. It transforms Fletcher and then Jaffe into Demigods. Not content to let the other live, (after all, good must always triumph over evil) Fletcher and Jaffe engage in a battle that brings them to Palamo Grove, a small town and an ideal place to hide and rest in the earth while regaining the energy to continue fighting.
Years pass. Then something unthinkable happens. Four girls, dubbed The League of Virgins, become pregnant after swimming in a river that appeared on the edge of town. When the girls start talking of being raped in the river, gossip in the small town grows to an all time high. No one knows the truth, however, no matter how crazy the rumors.
Jaffe and Fletcher have impregnated four women in hopes of producing offspring to continue the battle they began so many years ago. Fletcher knows that he cannot allow Jaffe to gain access to the Art, to Quididdty; otherwise, it could mean the end of the world, and dreams, as we know it…
What Barker does here is create myth and he does so beautifully. It’s a difficult thing to create an epic myth from the ground up, but Barker does so in “The Great and Secret Show” with such skill and mastery that you know he has a gift. The plot mentioned above doesn’t even begin to describe the plot for this book. It is a big, wonderfully sprawling dive into wonderland.
What I love about books by Clive Barker is that they are usually character driven. This is also the case here. While there is a lot of focus on myth and legend here, Barker also focuses on the people filling his tale. It’s a good thing he does – there is a cast of hundreds here and we get to know almost all of them through out “The Great and Secret Show”. What’s wonderful is that this is actually the first novel in a trilogy, The Books of Art.
I devoured this book. Quididdty now floats through my dreams and haunts my waking hours. This is an amazing book. It’s a big one, but it’s worth it. An amazing piece of literature, a great beginning to an epic fantasy, any way you look at it, this is an amazing read.
March 29, 2014
Here's all I have to say about the graphic novel adaptation of The Great and Secret Show:
If I ever take a book with those rich descriptions and that brilliant control over narrative atmosphere and form and grotesquerie, and I turn it into this, I want someone to dump me in a ditch. There's artistic interpretation, and there's stripping all the chrome and paint off of a beautiful car. This is sadly the latter.
If I ever take a book with those rich descriptions and that brilliant control over narrative atmosphere and form and grotesquerie, and I turn it into this, I want someone to dump me in a ditch. There's artistic interpretation, and there's stripping all the chrome and paint off of a beautiful car. This is sadly the latter.
April 26, 2023
I've yet to read Barker's novel, but knowing his writing which is dense and hard to adapt into different form, I can only say this was a fun read. Sure, there are some gaps and coloring ruined Gabriel's art which looks better in sketches, but still it's satisfied. They should've done different coloring or just go without it. That might've worked out better. Barker is a visionary writer, or a half-mad genius, depending on how you view it and Ryall tries his best to adapt his work, so kudos to him. Still better than Hellraiser comic books (new series, since I haven't read old ones).
P.S.
Scott Bakula likeness was used for Harry D'Amour, as he played him in Lord of Illusions. Nice touch.
P.S.
Scott Bakula likeness was used for Harry D'Amour, as he played him in Lord of Illusions. Nice touch.
January 5, 2021
What can I say? It’s a distilled version of the novel. Much is
Missing, but the key points are here. It appears to move quick, but as far as adaptations go, it’s not bad.
Characters looked nothing like I imagined them years ago, but that is such a minor thing when it comes to adaptations as well. The body to neck to head ratios were a bit off in the art sometimes, but that’s also fine.
It was a great reminder of the book, hitting all the highlights. I’d read a graphic novel version of Everville for sure.
I’d read the third book of the art too. I hope it comes out soon. I have been waiting since I was like 14 😭
Missing, but the key points are here. It appears to move quick, but as far as adaptations go, it’s not bad.
Characters looked nothing like I imagined them years ago, but that is such a minor thing when it comes to adaptations as well. The body to neck to head ratios were a bit off in the art sometimes, but that’s also fine.
It was a great reminder of the book, hitting all the highlights. I’d read a graphic novel version of Everville for sure.
I’d read the third book of the art too. I hope it comes out soon. I have been waiting since I was like 14 😭
July 25, 2014
ABSOLUTELY CAPTIVATIVATING!!!
August 16, 2015
This is easily one of my favourite books, so bare with me a bit.
What happens to lost mail?
Where does it go?
Who finds it?
Well, Barker's "Secret Show" delves into so simple a notion and unravels a system of adventure second to none. This is a gritty, fun, well paced tale of the small becoming large.
What happens to lost mail?
Where does it go?
Who finds it?
Well, Barker's "Secret Show" delves into so simple a notion and unravels a system of adventure second to none. This is a gritty, fun, well paced tale of the small becoming large.
October 11, 2016
Barkerov horor je jedinstven i prepoznatljiv. Ovo je super i kul priča sa super artom Gabriela Rodrigueza kojeg se nadam da ću što prije ponovno gledati čitajući Locke&Key, kada ga se dočepam.
January 27, 2021
Easily...
February 11, 2021
3.5 rounded up.
It was okay. I think it could be a lot better but since i haven’t read the original book i’m not qualified for accurate rating the story, but the comic is just Okay.
I owe this to one of my friends who ruin the pleasure of looking at Gabriel Rodriguez illustrations for me.🥲 (but damn the characters look awfully the same)
It was okay. I think it could be a lot better but since i haven’t read the original book i’m not qualified for accurate rating the story, but the comic is just Okay.
I owe this to one of my friends who ruin the pleasure of looking at Gabriel Rodriguez illustrations for me.🥲 (but damn the characters look awfully the same)
August 25, 2015
This was an interesting read, lent to me by Guy Doucette. The plot of this graphic novel takes place for the most part in "Palomo Grove," and involves an attempt by a malign force to break down the barrier between our reality and what the characters refer to as "Quiddity," a dream sea with the island "Ephemeris" in the middle. The story then evolves into a larger story about preventing beings called the Iad Ourobouros from reaching our plane of existence. This graphic novel is apparently an adaptation of Barker's novel of the same name.
It's been a while since I read a contemporary graphic novel, I've been reading mostly golden age and pulp comics lately, so I'm not sure if my sensibilities have been affected by my regression into the dawn of comics, but I found this one a bit confusing.
It seems like Barker has bitten off more than he can chew or that he's playing the long game with this project, involving an expansive cast of characters and locations in his novel. Having not read the novel, I'm not sure how the ending goes. It's possible that the loose ends I felt were left at the end of this graphic novel would get wrapped up in the next two. Either way, though, I'm of the mind that the individual books in a trilogy should be able to stand on their own as well as create a larger narrative that unfolds over three books. Most frustratingly for me, although some characters who seem peripheral end up playing a larger part in the narrative of the book, a lot of characters just get introduced seemingly for the sake of getting introduced.
All in all though, the art was great and very creepy. The tone of it was adult--casually dealing with sex, incest, and betrayal to name only a few themes--and the ending was exciting. To be honest, though, I didn't really understand what happened at the end of the book or why the good guys were able to forestall the inevitable tide of extra-dimensional beings upon their existential plane. Maybe Barker et al will resolve these questions in the next installment ... or maybe not. It's all just a dream Clive Barker's having anyway, right?
It's been a while since I read a contemporary graphic novel, I've been reading mostly golden age and pulp comics lately, so I'm not sure if my sensibilities have been affected by my regression into the dawn of comics, but I found this one a bit confusing.
It seems like Barker has bitten off more than he can chew or that he's playing the long game with this project, involving an expansive cast of characters and locations in his novel. Having not read the novel, I'm not sure how the ending goes. It's possible that the loose ends I felt were left at the end of this graphic novel would get wrapped up in the next two. Either way, though, I'm of the mind that the individual books in a trilogy should be able to stand on their own as well as create a larger narrative that unfolds over three books. Most frustratingly for me, although some characters who seem peripheral end up playing a larger part in the narrative of the book, a lot of characters just get introduced seemingly for the sake of getting introduced.
All in all though, the art was great and very creepy. The tone of it was adult--casually dealing with sex, incest, and betrayal to name only a few themes--and the ending was exciting. To be honest, though, I didn't really understand what happened at the end of the book or why the good guys were able to forestall the inevitable tide of extra-dimensional beings upon their existential plane. Maybe Barker et al will resolve these questions in the next installment ... or maybe not. It's all just a dream Clive Barker's having anyway, right?
September 17, 2010
CLIVE BARKER’S THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW, VOLUME 1 BY CHRIS RYALL AND GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ: It’s always interesting to see how graphic novel adaptations of complex and long books are going to turn out. Thankfully, Ryall’s and Rodriguez’s adaptation of Barker’s book is one that he is proud of, and will make fans happy. For a summary of the novel, see my review for The Great and Secret Show.
The key here is that this is the first volume in an at least two-volume series, because the forty or fifty pages would not be able to cover the whole story. What’s so refreshing is the art. Clive Barker has a very vivid imagination and to see these crazy and complex images show in art form rich with color and detail is a truly enjoyable experience. Along with a brilliantly written script that manages to condense a six hundred page book, or three hundred in this case, into this slim graphic novel.
Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show is perfect for the fan of the book looking to see it done in a whole new way, as well as those not sure if they want to tackle a long dense book, and looking for a Cliffnotes version. Of course, once they’ve read it, they will probably want to read the novel version, which of course, is highly recommended.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
The key here is that this is the first volume in an at least two-volume series, because the forty or fifty pages would not be able to cover the whole story. What’s so refreshing is the art. Clive Barker has a very vivid imagination and to see these crazy and complex images show in art form rich with color and detail is a truly enjoyable experience. Along with a brilliantly written script that manages to condense a six hundred page book, or three hundred in this case, into this slim graphic novel.
Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show is perfect for the fan of the book looking to see it done in a whole new way, as well as those not sure if they want to tackle a long dense book, and looking for a Cliffnotes version. Of course, once they’ve read it, they will probably want to read the novel version, which of course, is highly recommended.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
November 10, 2018
This probably suffered from being read in close proximity to the source novel. It was like reading Cliff Notes. The last two chapters in particular were rushed and muddled, and there were several places where a character's actions only made sense if you could fill in what was excised from the story. The art was mostly fine, with the glaring exception of the female characters, who you could really only tell apart by their hair; there was one set I panels I had to reread three times just to figure out what character was meant to be speaking. And of course they all have the ridiculous round boobs highlighted by tight, low-cut tops, even if it made no sense for the character (such as modest, religious Jo-Beth).
Read
July 29, 2011I haven't read the novel that this is adapted from, so am in no position to make comparisons, but once I started reading this one I had to keep going. Clive Barker has such a bizarre and twisted imagination and creates such astonishing worlds, I can fully understand why people would want to create graphic adaptations of them. The artists have crated wonderful imagery to portray this fascinating tale. It's just a shame I'll have to wait for the library to order in a copy of volume two.
February 17, 2015
I absolutely loved this, the latter portion moved a bit quick but didnt hurt story as a whole.. Sad to say I haven't read the entire novel this is based from, but this rendition was superb. Being that the last gn rendition of clive barker was the thief of always, which was a terrible take on an incredible book, this made up for it ten fold.
Highly recommend to comic people who like a complex ontos and don't mind a lot of verbal reading.
Highly recommend to comic people who like a complex ontos and don't mind a lot of verbal reading.
August 23, 2020
Really enjoyed this, it's my first comic book and I loved the great and secret show (I've read it twice) and was pleasantly surprised how well this works as a graphic novel. It's a great way to add something to a great book.... Also a quick way of reaquainting myself before I have a second read through of Everville. I don't think I'd make a habit of reading graphic novels but this was definitely worth a read and great introduction to Clive Barkers world for those who have never read his work.
August 16, 2013
This is one of my favourite books of all time.
I'm unable to tell you why but it was always so freaky, mysterious..
It's a great mix of horror, fantasy, romance and kind of a psychological story about different people from various societies and their needs that come out in pretty creepy variations.
I'm unable to tell you why but it was always so freaky, mysterious..
It's a great mix of horror, fantasy, romance and kind of a psychological story about different people from various societies and their needs that come out in pretty creepy variations.
February 5, 2008
This mostly made me want to read the actual book, because I felt like a lot of stuff must be getting glossed over. It's all right, and I'll probably check out the next installment from the library when they get it, but something about the way the artist draws eyes really annoyed me.
September 12, 2017
Gabriel Rodriguez was simply an amazing artist, he brought all the characters to life. This adaptation was much better than Barker's original novel, in terms of clarity and visualization of his confusing world building. If you don't have time to finish the original novel, just give this a go.
June 19, 2008
Everyone should read this. For adults.
June 23, 2009
I had to buy the second volume.
November 12, 2010
Pretty good, not amazing, but pretty good.
Currently reading
January 5, 2011ok so far. Clive is a great writer, yet sometimes drags a bit. the art is ok, nothing to write home about.
October 16, 2011
Loved this book.
Read
December 27, 2016Update, Hoopla finally allowed me to download the entire book. Pretty good...
2015 Stupid Hoopla app isn't letting me past the first grouping...
2015 Stupid Hoopla app isn't letting me past the first grouping...
July 29, 2019
wonderful adaptation
extraordinary art
equally amazing as the novels
you must have it
extraordinary art
equally amazing as the novels
you must have it
November 28, 2021
Probably the weirdest book I’ve ever read, and I read “metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka.
July 30, 2022
In the dead letter room in the middle of Omaha, Randolph Jaffe has stumbled upon a secret. At first, the secret isn’t clear, just vague references to something called the Art. The Art begins to consume Jaffe, taking over his life. Its secrets continue to elude Jaffe until he cracks part of the code.
The Art are laws governing an alternate reality called Quididdty. Quididdty is the dream see, the dreamscape, the magic that runs through all our fantasies. Jaffe can think of nothing else except the Art and becoming a master of it. Quididdty is his for the taking.
Taking a scientist named Fletcher under his wing to further his growing evil, Jaffe hopes to get one step closer to mastering the Art. Fletcher creates a transforming drug they call Nuncio, which uses the principals of the Art. What they don’t realize is that it will become their undoing.
Fletcher realizes that Jaffe is evil and attempts to stop his plans by destroying the Nuncio. He knows that the drug is capable of transforming anyone into what ever they are most on the inside. Good becomes great. Evil becomes more so. Except, the Nuncio has other plans. It transforms Fletcher and then Jaffe into Demigods. Not content to let the other live, (after all, good must always triumph over evil) Fletcher and Jaffe engage in a battle that brings them to Palamo Grove, a small town and an ideal place to hide and rest in the earth while regaining the energy to continue fighting.
Years pass. Then something unthinkable happens. Four girls, dubbed The League of Virgins, become pregnant after swimming in a river that appeared on the edge of town. When the girls start talking of being raped in the river, gossip in the small town grows to an all time high. No one knows the truth, however, no matter how crazy the rumors.
Jaffe and Fletcher have impregnated four women in hopes of producing offspring to continue the battle they began so many years ago. Fletcher knows that he cannot allow Jaffe to gain access to the Art, to Quididdty; otherwise, it could mean the end of the world, and dreams, as we know it…
What Barker does here is create myth and he does so beautifully. It’s a difficult thing to create an epic myth from the ground up, but Barker does so in “The Great and Secret Show” with such skill and mastery that you know he has a gift. The plot mentioned above doesn’t even begin to describe the plot for this book. It is a big, wonderfully sprawling dive into wonderland.
What I love about books by Clive Barker is that they are usually character driven. This is also the case here. While there is a lot of focus on myth and legend here, Barker also focuses on the people filling his tale. It’s a good thing he does – there is a cast of hundreds here and we get to know almost all of them through out “The Great and Secret Show”. What’s wonderful is that this is actually the first novel in a trilogy, The Books of Art.
I devoured this book. Quididdty now floats through my dreams and haunts my waking hours. This is an amazing book. It’s a big one, but it’s worth it. An amazing piece of literature, a great beginning to an epic fantasy, any way you look at it, this is an amazing read.
(less)
The Art are laws governing an alternate reality called Quididdty. Quididdty is the dream see, the dreamscape, the magic that runs through all our fantasies. Jaffe can think of nothing else except the Art and becoming a master of it. Quididdty is his for the taking.
Taking a scientist named Fletcher under his wing to further his growing evil, Jaffe hopes to get one step closer to mastering the Art. Fletcher creates a transforming drug they call Nuncio, which uses the principals of the Art. What they don’t realize is that it will become their undoing.
Fletcher realizes that Jaffe is evil and attempts to stop his plans by destroying the Nuncio. He knows that the drug is capable of transforming anyone into what ever they are most on the inside. Good becomes great. Evil becomes more so. Except, the Nuncio has other plans. It transforms Fletcher and then Jaffe into Demigods. Not content to let the other live, (after all, good must always triumph over evil) Fletcher and Jaffe engage in a battle that brings them to Palamo Grove, a small town and an ideal place to hide and rest in the earth while regaining the energy to continue fighting.
Years pass. Then something unthinkable happens. Four girls, dubbed The League of Virgins, become pregnant after swimming in a river that appeared on the edge of town. When the girls start talking of being raped in the river, gossip in the small town grows to an all time high. No one knows the truth, however, no matter how crazy the rumors.
Jaffe and Fletcher have impregnated four women in hopes of producing offspring to continue the battle they began so many years ago. Fletcher knows that he cannot allow Jaffe to gain access to the Art, to Quididdty; otherwise, it could mean the end of the world, and dreams, as we know it…
What Barker does here is create myth and he does so beautifully. It’s a difficult thing to create an epic myth from the ground up, but Barker does so in “The Great and Secret Show” with such skill and mastery that you know he has a gift. The plot mentioned above doesn’t even begin to describe the plot for this book. It is a big, wonderfully sprawling dive into wonderland.
What I love about books by Clive Barker is that they are usually character driven. This is also the case here. While there is a lot of focus on myth and legend here, Barker also focuses on the people filling his tale. It’s a good thing he does – there is a cast of hundreds here and we get to know almost all of them through out “The Great and Secret Show”. What’s wonderful is that this is actually the first novel in a trilogy, The Books of Art.
I devoured this book. Quididdty now floats through my dreams and haunts my waking hours. This is an amazing book. It’s a big one, but it’s worth it. An amazing piece of literature, a great beginning to an epic fantasy, any way you look at it, this is an amazing read.
(less)
August 6, 2022
This is the graphic novel adaptation of the novel of the same name by Clive Barker. Let me start by saying that if you have not yet read The Great And Secret Show, I would recommend holding off on reading this. I'll explain in a moment.
The story adaptation here covers what it needs to cover, and it cuts back where it makes sense (we really don't need to see how Lix are made). With that being said, I think the art (no pun intended) and the Easter eggs are where this adaptation really shine for me. It can be hard to take such fantastical concepts as can be found in Clive Barker's writing and present them in a graphical format, but Gabriel Rodriguez and Jay Fotos did a fantastic job. I was really blown away how much the art in this looked like what I imagined as I read the novel, especially when it comes to Quiddity and the effects it has on some of the people. Granted, I imagined some of the darker aspects, like the Lix and the Terata, much different, but this presentation still does justice. And when you splash in some of the Easter eggs detailed at the end of the deluxe edition (loved seeing Dream Theater in Tesla's abode), there's a lot of fun stuff for everyone (I think a lot of those details are thanks to Chris Ryall, as well as Rodriguez and Fotos).
Now, the reason I say read the novel first: while this graphic novel adaptation does great justice to the source material, reading the original novel without preset images in your mind allows Barker's illustrative language to paint some much more in-depth images. While I think Ryall hit the nail on the head with what he chose to include or exclude, the beauty of the full novel medium is that those details don't need to be cut. I think there would have been some confusing or underwhelming moments in the graphic novel had I not read the novel before (Raul as a character, the relationship between Tommy Ray and Jo-Beth, even some of the League of Virgins storyline). I can only hope for a graphic novel adaption by the same creators for Everville, and of course here's hoping for the promised publication of the third Book of the Art!
The story adaptation here covers what it needs to cover, and it cuts back where it makes sense (we really don't need to see how Lix are made). With that being said, I think the art (no pun intended) and the Easter eggs are where this adaptation really shine for me. It can be hard to take such fantastical concepts as can be found in Clive Barker's writing and present them in a graphical format, but Gabriel Rodriguez and Jay Fotos did a fantastic job. I was really blown away how much the art in this looked like what I imagined as I read the novel, especially when it comes to Quiddity and the effects it has on some of the people. Granted, I imagined some of the darker aspects, like the Lix and the Terata, much different, but this presentation still does justice. And when you splash in some of the Easter eggs detailed at the end of the deluxe edition (loved seeing Dream Theater in Tesla's abode), there's a lot of fun stuff for everyone (I think a lot of those details are thanks to Chris Ryall, as well as Rodriguez and Fotos).
Now, the reason I say read the novel first: while this graphic novel adaptation does great justice to the source material, reading the original novel without preset images in your mind allows Barker's illustrative language to paint some much more in-depth images. While I think Ryall hit the nail on the head with what he chose to include or exclude, the beauty of the full novel medium is that those details don't need to be cut. I think there would have been some confusing or underwhelming moments in the graphic novel had I not read the novel before (Raul as a character, the relationship between Tommy Ray and Jo-Beth, even some of the League of Virgins storyline). I can only hope for a graphic novel adaption by the same creators for Everville, and of course here's hoping for the promised publication of the third Book of the Art!
March 18, 2021
3/5 ⭐ | First time read | March, 2021
Before I begin, I want to clarify that I haven’t read the Book of the art series yet. And maybe that is one of the reasons why I don’t give a higher rate to this graphic novel.
The plot is quite complex for me to explain so I won’t even try to do it here, and for a major part of the book I was a little bit confused about what was going on. I had to read some reviews here (Kudos to Jamieson Wolf for his guidance) to understand what was actually happening, but once I did everything made better sense and I was able to enjoy my reading a little bit more.
The illustrations are grotesque and explicit and I think that’s exactly what makes them great, since this graphic novel depicts the worst of humanity. Randolph Jaffe’s ugglines is splendid!
I was really surprised by the amount of text there was. It was a little weird for me since this format is usually shorter, but it wasn’t bad either.
As a final comment I should admit that I didn’t know there wasn’t a part 2 for this novel so now I’m very intrigued with how the story ends! I guess I now have an extra reason to read this series!
Before I begin, I want to clarify that I haven’t read the Book of the art series yet. And maybe that is one of the reasons why I don’t give a higher rate to this graphic novel.
The plot is quite complex for me to explain so I won’t even try to do it here, and for a major part of the book I was a little bit confused about what was going on. I had to read some reviews here (Kudos to Jamieson Wolf for his guidance) to understand what was actually happening, but once I did everything made better sense and I was able to enjoy my reading a little bit more.
The illustrations are grotesque and explicit and I think that’s exactly what makes them great, since this graphic novel depicts the worst of humanity. Randolph Jaffe’s ugglines is splendid!
I was really surprised by the amount of text there was. It was a little weird for me since this format is usually shorter, but it wasn’t bad either.
As a final comment I should admit that I didn’t know there wasn’t a part 2 for this novel so now I’m very intrigued with how the story ends! I guess I now have an extra reason to read this series!
May 2, 2022
Usually, I always try to read source material first, then move onto a film or comic adaptation afterwards. For the Great and Secret Show, once I was about a quarter of the way through Clive Barker's original dark fantasy epic, I started reading the 12 part IDW adaptation, catching up, then pausing, then catching again once I'd got further into the book, and so on, all the way to the end. I'm not sure I'll make a habit of it but it was an interesting experiment and one that enhanced my enjoyment of both versions of the story, with each version complementing the other.
This is an impressive adaptation because, despite far fewer pages, very little of the narrative has been removed and even more surprisingly, a hefty amount of several key characters' internal thoughts and motivations made their way into this version. Much of the dialogue is completely unchanged and the artwork is clear, bold, precise and where it can (there's a lot less nudity), closely mirrors Barker's descriptions.
I wouldn't say this is better than the original novel but of the two, I'd be likelier to recommend it to someone else, or re-read it myself.
This is an impressive adaptation because, despite far fewer pages, very little of the narrative has been removed and even more surprisingly, a hefty amount of several key characters' internal thoughts and motivations made their way into this version. Much of the dialogue is completely unchanged and the artwork is clear, bold, precise and where it can (there's a lot less nudity), closely mirrors Barker's descriptions.
I wouldn't say this is better than the original novel but of the two, I'd be likelier to recommend it to someone else, or re-read it myself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews