This review originally appeared on Goodreads on August 16, 2015.

The Graveyard Book

By Neil Gaiman – HarperCollins – September 30, 2008

Review by Robin Marx

This Jungle Book-inspired young adult fantasy by Neil Gaiman was pleasant, but nothing particularly profound.

The central premise, in which an orphaned toddler is adopted by the residents of a cemetery, is an interesting one, but the details of such a living arrangement felt insufficiently explored. The quirky antagonists of the story likewise felt underdeveloped and sort of a rehash of the much more interesting Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar from Neverwhere.

While I won't label it a flaw, per se, I did find it a bit jarring every time the Internet or other trappings of modern society were mentioned, as the book's voice has a very Edwardian feel (much like the artwork of Edward Gorey).

I didn't dislike this book, but it definitely felt like one of Gaiman's lesser works. It could be a worthwhile recommendation to boys and girls in late elementary school, but for the adult reader or fan of Gaiman there's not much to sink your teeth into.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #UrbanFantasy #YoungAdult #TheGraveyardBook #NeilGaiman

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on November 9, 2014.

Marvel 1602

By Neil Gaiman (Writer), Andy Kubert (Artist), Richard Isanove (Artist) – Marvel Universe – February 9, 2010

Review by Robin Marx

Written by Neil Gaiman, this interesting miniseries introduces a world where familiar Marvel characters (Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, several X-Men) are reimagined and placed in a historical setting.

The plot itself was mostly standard fare—time-travel has led to a disruption that threatens to destroy the universe—but it was very interesting to see the Elizabethan depictions of the characters. Part of this was the fun of catching the various references to modern day characters—some more subtle than others—but much of the appeal was seeing how the various characters were interpreted. Nicholas Fury as Queen Elizabeth's spymaster and the monastic X-men worked particularly well, but the Peter Parker and Bruce Banner equivalents (at least in this series; it looks like they're brought back in the spin-offs) seemed like they were mostly around for the “hey, it's that guy!” factor.

All-in-all, this was a fresh take on the Marvel Universe, and I look forward to reading the 1602 spin-offs.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #ComicReview #HistoricalFantasy #Superheroes #MarvelComics #Marvel1602 #NeilGaiman #AndyKubert #RichardIsanove