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The Hobbit
First published over 50 years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' has become one of the best-loved books of all time. Now Tolkien's fantasy classic has been adapted into a fully painted graphic novel.
'The Hobbit' is the story of Bilbo Baggins…a quiet and contented hobbit whose life is turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on their quest to reclaim the dwarves' stolen treasure. It is a journey fraught with danger – and in the end it is Bilbo alone who must face the guardian of this treasure, the most-dreaded dragon Smaug.
Illustrated in full colour throughout, and accompanied by the carefully abridged text of the original novel, this handsome authorised edition will introduce new generations to a magical masterpiece – and be treasured by Hobbit fans of all ages, everywhere.
'The Hobbit' is the story of Bilbo Baggins…a quiet and contented hobbit whose life is turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on their quest to reclaim the dwarves' stolen treasure. It is a journey fraught with danger – and in the end it is Bilbo alone who must face the guardian of this treasure, the most-dreaded dragon Smaug.
Illustrated in full colour throughout, and accompanied by the carefully abridged text of the original novel, this handsome authorised edition will introduce new generations to a magical masterpiece – and be treasured by Hobbit fans of all ages, everywhere.
133 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,257 books878 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,509 reviews
February 22, 2016
When I picked this up I was not impressed. I took a fleeting look at the pages and saw artwork that was unglamorous; it was basic and unadorned. The story just looked like a simplified version of the original. So, I stuck it back on my shelf and there it remained for many months. I had not time for it. I didn't want time for it.
I looked at it again recently. I then read it through and realised how perfect it is in its simplicity. I was so wrong the first time.
I think the movie had altered my perceptions of what this should be like. The movie sacrificed the story for visual effects and action. This graphic novel, in retrospect, didn’t sacrifice anything. It has the essence of the story and the artwork is as it should be; it’s simple and not entirely serious. It's really quite charming in parts.
The Artwork: The artwork in this is mainly consistent with the book. As much as I appreciate Martin Freeman’s version, he didn’t quite have the exact appearance of Bilbo. This is only a minor thing. But, in this, Bilbo is as fat and ugly as he should be. Hobbits aren’t supposed to be the most attractive of races. In this he is rendered well, as are the dwarves and Gandalf. My only issue on a character level is Smaug. He just seemed really awkward. In other depictions, such as Allan Lee’s, he is quite splendid and swift. In this he looks old, rusty, and to be quite frank, plump. He just didn’t look much like the mighty dragon that he is; yes, he is old; yes, he is has become lazy, but he shouldn’t look like his wings wouldn’t carry him.
The real success here is the scenery. The Shire is luscious and simple; it is homely and basic. I think it’s illustrated perfectly with its wondrous shades of green. This may seem like a simple thing, but it really is a vital thing. It is the crux of the story; it is the anchor that embodies Tolkien’s idea of “a far greener country.” It had to be done right; it had to embody the simple, goodly and unrefined aspect of middle-earth. And it did.
The Story: I’m not going into a great deal of detail here. I’d only be repeating myself. I think I said all I could in my full review of the actual novel. Here's the link in case anyone wants to read me praising the hell out of it: my review
But, what I will say is that this brings the story to life. Well, that’s a bad phrase. Tolkien’s story is already alive when you read it. What I mean is that this presents it in a medium that allows you to physically see it rather than just visualise it. Is that better? No I think not. Let me try again: this provides illustrations to aid with an abridged version of the story; it enhances the experience, somewhat, because the artwork is so appropriate.
The ending was what really mattered. It was Bilbo’s ending; it is not about the tragic death of a dwarf who went slightly mad, and then redeemed himself; it is not about a boatman who slayed a dragon, and became a renowned hero: it is about a Hobbit. This is Bilbo’s story and no others. It is a story about a fearful Hobbit found the courage to trick a dragon and save his friends. And that all that matters. This evoked the story much more than that heap of shit Peter Jackson shitted out last Christmas. This stayed true to its roots. And the game of riddles was even better.
I do seriously recommend this to lovers of Tolkien’s wonderful novel.
I looked at it again recently. I then read it through and realised how perfect it is in its simplicity. I was so wrong the first time.
I think the movie had altered my perceptions of what this should be like. The movie sacrificed the story for visual effects and action. This graphic novel, in retrospect, didn’t sacrifice anything. It has the essence of the story and the artwork is as it should be; it’s simple and not entirely serious. It's really quite charming in parts.
The Artwork: The artwork in this is mainly consistent with the book. As much as I appreciate Martin Freeman’s version, he didn’t quite have the exact appearance of Bilbo. This is only a minor thing. But, in this, Bilbo is as fat and ugly as he should be. Hobbits aren’t supposed to be the most attractive of races. In this he is rendered well, as are the dwarves and Gandalf. My only issue on a character level is Smaug. He just seemed really awkward. In other depictions, such as Allan Lee’s, he is quite splendid and swift. In this he looks old, rusty, and to be quite frank, plump. He just didn’t look much like the mighty dragon that he is; yes, he is old; yes, he is has become lazy, but he shouldn’t look like his wings wouldn’t carry him.
The real success here is the scenery. The Shire is luscious and simple; it is homely and basic. I think it’s illustrated perfectly with its wondrous shades of green. This may seem like a simple thing, but it really is a vital thing. It is the crux of the story; it is the anchor that embodies Tolkien’s idea of “a far greener country.” It had to be done right; it had to embody the simple, goodly and unrefined aspect of middle-earth. And it did.
The Story: I’m not going into a great deal of detail here. I’d only be repeating myself. I think I said all I could in my full review of the actual novel. Here's the link in case anyone wants to read me praising the hell out of it: my review
But, what I will say is that this brings the story to life. Well, that’s a bad phrase. Tolkien’s story is already alive when you read it. What I mean is that this presents it in a medium that allows you to physically see it rather than just visualise it. Is that better? No I think not. Let me try again: this provides illustrations to aid with an abridged version of the story; it enhances the experience, somewhat, because the artwork is so appropriate.
The ending was what really mattered. It was Bilbo’s ending; it is not about the tragic death of a dwarf who went slightly mad, and then redeemed himself; it is not about a boatman who slayed a dragon, and became a renowned hero: it is about a Hobbit. This is Bilbo’s story and no others. It is a story about a fearful Hobbit found the courage to trick a dragon and save his friends. And that all that matters. This evoked the story much more than that heap of shit Peter Jackson shitted out last Christmas. This stayed true to its roots. And the game of riddles was even better.
I do seriously recommend this to lovers of Tolkien’s wonderful novel.
May 12, 2024
Please note that this review is for a graphic adaptation of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. For my review of the original book, please link here:
Jean's review
This graphic adaptation of The Hobbit was first published in 1990. The artwork is by David Wenzel, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s story was abridged and adapted by Chuck Dixon. A new edition followed, for which David Wenzel made improvements and additions to the original edition, including a completely new cover design.
Just as The Hobbit was an immediate success 80 years ago, so this adaptation has become one of the best-loved graphic novels of the last quarter of a century. It is a beautiful and worthy tribute to the classic story.
Most people know the bare outline of the tale. The main character is Bilbo Baggins, a contented home-loving hobbit, who likes the quiet life. However, against his better judgement, he is tempted by the thought of an “adventure”. His life is then turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and a group of thirteen dwarves. He is employed by them as their “burglar”, when they go on a dangerous quest to reclaim their treasure which had been stolen long ago. Bilbo becomes increasingly involved, meeting with trolls, goblins and elves, and a strange slippery, amphibious creature who calls himself “Gollum”. Using his brains, and with several opportunities for inventing devious riddles, Bilbo eventually realises that it is up to him to enable the dwarves to achieve their long dream and reclaim their homeland. Alone he must face and outwit the monster who now guards the stolen hoard of treasure. And this monster is a much-feared dragon, the most dreaded in all Middle-earth, a worm called Smaug.
There are so many fantasy elements, and such drama in this story that it is an illustrator’s dream. David Wenzel clearly has much respect for Tolkien’s story, and has hand painted his hundreds of illustrations in full colour throughout. They are beautiful and very painterly. Here is the cover illustration:
And here is a link to the page on David Wenzel’s website with seven illustrations from this book:
Link here
If you click on each of the tiny thumbnails, you will see how he uses both muted and vibrant colour, and line, to create the effects he wishes. David Wenzel credits both Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac as two of his influences, and this is quite evident in his work.
I particularly like the lush evocative illustrations of the Shire, and the atmospheric ones in the dragon’s cave. Most startling for me is the way David Wenzel has captured exactly what Bilbo looks like in my mind’s eye: a short dumpy male with a bit of a pot belly and plain, almost ugly features. He has a bulbous nose and a rubicund good-natured face. All the dwarves are well-drawn individuals and very convincing, as is Gollum, who is uncannily like the Gollum in the films. Smaug is a mean-looking and terrifying beast.
It is perhaps as well to remember that this graphic novel was created a good decade before Peter Jackson’s first film of “The Lord of the Rings” and far, far before any of his films of The Hobbit. Yet there are several similarities. Both David Wenzel and Peter Jackson incorporated J.R.R. Tolkien’s maps, calligraphy and charts, for instance, hand drawn and coloured by the author himself. It is Tolkien who is responsible for the beautiful lettering and cartographic design, not any later artist. In a similar way, David Wenzel seems to have given a nod to Tolkien’s original water colours, in his choice of illustrative techniques and palette.
The text by Chuck Dixon is also excellent and well matched. Although both David Wenzel and Chuck Dixon are American, the language used is English, and much of it is straight from Tolkien, especially the dialogue in the speech bubbles. The strip comments are long and extensive; this graphic novel takes a long time to read. Only once did I notice a mistake - and it was a humdinger! Near the beginning Gandalf says “gotten”. I can imagine the philologist and stickler for authenticity, Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien, would have blanched at that! There were a couple of instances where the American “o” instead of “ou” had crept in: for example using “vigor” instead of vigour, or “flavor” instead of flavour, but they were rare. And I particularly appreciated the precise use of punctuation, with inverted commas always correctly placed, and use being made of semi-colons.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book, as I am not the target audience for graphic novels, and consequently not very easy to please.
If you want to read a graphic adaptation of The Hobbit, then you need look no further. This is the one. It is hard to imagine how it could be bettered, within this format. And for that reason, I rate it a full five stars.
Jean's review
This graphic adaptation of The Hobbit was first published in 1990. The artwork is by David Wenzel, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s story was abridged and adapted by Chuck Dixon. A new edition followed, for which David Wenzel made improvements and additions to the original edition, including a completely new cover design.
Just as The Hobbit was an immediate success 80 years ago, so this adaptation has become one of the best-loved graphic novels of the last quarter of a century. It is a beautiful and worthy tribute to the classic story.
Most people know the bare outline of the tale. The main character is Bilbo Baggins, a contented home-loving hobbit, who likes the quiet life. However, against his better judgement, he is tempted by the thought of an “adventure”. His life is then turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and a group of thirteen dwarves. He is employed by them as their “burglar”, when they go on a dangerous quest to reclaim their treasure which had been stolen long ago. Bilbo becomes increasingly involved, meeting with trolls, goblins and elves, and a strange slippery, amphibious creature who calls himself “Gollum”. Using his brains, and with several opportunities for inventing devious riddles, Bilbo eventually realises that it is up to him to enable the dwarves to achieve their long dream and reclaim their homeland. Alone he must face and outwit the monster who now guards the stolen hoard of treasure. And this monster is a much-feared dragon, the most dreaded in all Middle-earth, a worm called Smaug.
There are so many fantasy elements, and such drama in this story that it is an illustrator’s dream. David Wenzel clearly has much respect for Tolkien’s story, and has hand painted his hundreds of illustrations in full colour throughout. They are beautiful and very painterly. Here is the cover illustration:
And here is a link to the page on David Wenzel’s website with seven illustrations from this book:
Link here
If you click on each of the tiny thumbnails, you will see how he uses both muted and vibrant colour, and line, to create the effects he wishes. David Wenzel credits both Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac as two of his influences, and this is quite evident in his work.
I particularly like the lush evocative illustrations of the Shire, and the atmospheric ones in the dragon’s cave. Most startling for me is the way David Wenzel has captured exactly what Bilbo looks like in my mind’s eye: a short dumpy male with a bit of a pot belly and plain, almost ugly features. He has a bulbous nose and a rubicund good-natured face. All the dwarves are well-drawn individuals and very convincing, as is Gollum, who is uncannily like the Gollum in the films. Smaug is a mean-looking and terrifying beast.
It is perhaps as well to remember that this graphic novel was created a good decade before Peter Jackson’s first film of “The Lord of the Rings” and far, far before any of his films of The Hobbit. Yet there are several similarities. Both David Wenzel and Peter Jackson incorporated J.R.R. Tolkien’s maps, calligraphy and charts, for instance, hand drawn and coloured by the author himself. It is Tolkien who is responsible for the beautiful lettering and cartographic design, not any later artist. In a similar way, David Wenzel seems to have given a nod to Tolkien’s original water colours, in his choice of illustrative techniques and palette.
The text by Chuck Dixon is also excellent and well matched. Although both David Wenzel and Chuck Dixon are American, the language used is English, and much of it is straight from Tolkien, especially the dialogue in the speech bubbles. The strip comments are long and extensive; this graphic novel takes a long time to read. Only once did I notice a mistake - and it was a humdinger! Near the beginning Gandalf says “gotten”. I can imagine the philologist and stickler for authenticity, Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien, would have blanched at that! There were a couple of instances where the American “o” instead of “ou” had crept in: for example using “vigor” instead of vigour, or “flavor” instead of flavour, but they were rare. And I particularly appreciated the precise use of punctuation, with inverted commas always correctly placed, and use being made of semi-colons.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book, as I am not the target audience for graphic novels, and consequently not very easy to please.
If you want to read a graphic adaptation of The Hobbit, then you need look no further. This is the one. It is hard to imagine how it could be bettered, within this format. And for that reason, I rate it a full five stars.
September 5, 2021
This is the graphic novel version of Tolkien's The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. I read it only days after completing the original text and so really noticed both how faithful it was to the former story and how much of Tolkien's original quotes were included.
It feels like a far daintier and quieter tale than the original, despite this faithfulness. It is always interesting, in any retelling, to see what an individual chose to deliver as the most important features, and discovering this was what I most enjoyed here.
The movie adaptations are even bleaker and more despairing than the book, but this feels more hopeful and full of light than either of them. I already knew I was going to love the bones of the story but I love the direction this took and how the focus remained on Bilbo throughout, rather than the feats of the other characters.
The artwork from David Wenzel took an early pastoral focus and beautiful landscapes continued throughout. The colour scheme remained muted and I thought it the perfect match for the tone of the book. I enjoyed viewing the illustrations as much as I did reading the story.
It feels like a far daintier and quieter tale than the original, despite this faithfulness. It is always interesting, in any retelling, to see what an individual chose to deliver as the most important features, and discovering this was what I most enjoyed here.
The movie adaptations are even bleaker and more despairing than the book, but this feels more hopeful and full of light than either of them. I already knew I was going to love the bones of the story but I love the direction this took and how the focus remained on Bilbo throughout, rather than the feats of the other characters.
The artwork from David Wenzel took an early pastoral focus and beautiful landscapes continued throughout. The colour scheme remained muted and I thought it the perfect match for the tone of the book. I enjoyed viewing the illustrations as much as I did reading the story.
September 9, 2018
2.5* - okay, the art in this is beautiful and very detailed, itself deserves 5 stars for sure.
But this just couldn't do the original story justice. I get that you can't put all of the original text in a graphic novel, but everything felt soooo rushed and I don't think I would get it all if I haven't read the Hobbit.
But this just couldn't do the original story justice. I get that you can't put all of the original text in a graphic novel, but everything felt soooo rushed and I don't think I would get it all if I haven't read the Hobbit.
February 1, 2022
Excellent adaptation, with beautiful art that captures Tolkien's fantasy world exceptionally.
And how weird that Chuck Dixon wrote this?
This version of the Hobbit is quite dense for a graphic novel, with a lot of narration. There are some interesting choices in what to include, as goes for any adaptations of prose novels to other mediums, and I probably would have cut some more of the endless descriptions of travels and stretched out some more adventures. But it still overall works.
The Hobbit is highly recommended for fans of all ages.
Also, I am left wondering why there has never been a proper Lord of the Rings comic...
And how weird that Chuck Dixon wrote this?
This version of the Hobbit is quite dense for a graphic novel, with a lot of narration. There are some interesting choices in what to include, as goes for any adaptations of prose novels to other mediums, and I probably would have cut some more of the endless descriptions of travels and stretched out some more adventures. But it still overall works.
The Hobbit is highly recommended for fans of all ages.
Also, I am left wondering why there has never been a proper Lord of the Rings comic...
January 1, 2024
Я дуже перепрошую, але це не графічний роман, а повне викладення Гобіту* з картинками.
*включно з усіма описами малюсіньким шрифтом
*включно з усіма описами малюсіньким шрифтом
October 10, 2016
The Hobbit: Graphic Novel, Adapter: Chuck Dixon, Creator: J.R.R. Tolkien, Illustrator: David Wenzel, Adapter: Sean Deming
March 27, 2024
[ENG/ESP]
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
I had this comic pending, thanks to Ben-Ain's recommendation, and since March 25 is International Reading Tolkien Day, I went to the library and took it home. So I killed two birds with one stone: reading Tolkien and re-reading (sort of) The Hobbit, in addition to reading it for the first time in English. A complete success for me.
This comic adapts the very famous work of The Professor, the one he created as a story for his children that ended up captivating all audiences, and that gave, if not origin, at least importance to what would come later (yes, Lord of the rings). In this comic we have a large part of the original story in text boxes, and the dialogues spoken by the characters themselves. Therefore, this work is a good starting point for those who want to approach The Hobbit but in a simpler way.
The drawing is very well done, and it is very colorful. But it has a problem for me: It's too based on what fantasy was many years ago. Today this drawing is too "childish", or too naive. Whoever likes it will enjoy it a lot, without a doubt. But for me it is something that hinders me a little, and that is why it loses a star in the rating. That doesn't mean it doesn't have some fantastic vignettes, as you can see here:
As an introduction or as a complement to the book, it is more than recommended. There is no more to say.
My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!
🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
Este cómic lo tenía pendiente, gracias a la recomendación de Ben-Ain, y aprovechando que el día 25 de marzo es el Día Internacional de Leer a Tolkien, me acerqué a la biblioteca y me lo llevé a casa. Así maté dos pájaros de un tiro: lectura de Tolkien y relectura (más o menos) de El hobbit, además de leerlo por primera vez en inglés. todo un éxito, vaya.
Este cómic adapta la famosísima obra de El Profesor, aquella creada como cuento para sus hijos que acabó cautivando a todos los públicos, y que dio, si no origen, al menos importancia a lo que vendría después (sí, El señor de los anillos). En este cómic tenemos una gran parte de la historia original en cuadros de texto, y los diálogos hablados por los propios personajes. Por tanto esta obra es un buen punto de inicio para aquellos que quieran acercarse a El hobbit pero de manera más sencilla.
El dibujo está muy bien trabajado, y tiene mucho colorido. Pero tiene un problema para mí: Está demasiado basado en lo que era la fantasía hace muchos años. Hoy día este dibujo peca de demasiado "infantil", o de ser muy inocentón. A quien le guste lo disfrutará mucho, sin duda. Pero para mí es algo que me lastra un poco, y por ello pierde una estrella en la valoración. Eso no quita para que tenga alguna viñetas fantásticas, como se puede ver aquí:
Como iniciación o como complemento al libro es más que recomendable. No hay más que decir.
My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
I had this comic pending, thanks to Ben-Ain's recommendation, and since March 25 is International Reading Tolkien Day, I went to the library and took it home. So I killed two birds with one stone: reading Tolkien and re-reading (sort of) The Hobbit, in addition to reading it for the first time in English. A complete success for me.
This comic adapts the very famous work of The Professor, the one he created as a story for his children that ended up captivating all audiences, and that gave, if not origin, at least importance to what would come later (yes, Lord of the rings). In this comic we have a large part of the original story in text boxes, and the dialogues spoken by the characters themselves. Therefore, this work is a good starting point for those who want to approach The Hobbit but in a simpler way.
The drawing is very well done, and it is very colorful. But it has a problem for me: It's too based on what fantasy was many years ago. Today this drawing is too "childish", or too naive. Whoever likes it will enjoy it a lot, without a doubt. But for me it is something that hinders me a little, and that is why it loses a star in the rating. That doesn't mean it doesn't have some fantastic vignettes, as you can see here:
As an introduction or as a complement to the book, it is more than recommended. There is no more to say.
My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!
🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲🐉🐲
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
Este cómic lo tenía pendiente, gracias a la recomendación de Ben-Ain, y aprovechando que el día 25 de marzo es el Día Internacional de Leer a Tolkien, me acerqué a la biblioteca y me lo llevé a casa. Así maté dos pájaros de un tiro: lectura de Tolkien y relectura (más o menos) de El hobbit, además de leerlo por primera vez en inglés. todo un éxito, vaya.
Este cómic adapta la famosísima obra de El Profesor, aquella creada como cuento para sus hijos que acabó cautivando a todos los públicos, y que dio, si no origen, al menos importancia a lo que vendría después (sí, El señor de los anillos). En este cómic tenemos una gran parte de la historia original en cuadros de texto, y los diálogos hablados por los propios personajes. Por tanto esta obra es un buen punto de inicio para aquellos que quieran acercarse a El hobbit pero de manera más sencilla.
El dibujo está muy bien trabajado, y tiene mucho colorido. Pero tiene un problema para mí: Está demasiado basado en lo que era la fantasía hace muchos años. Hoy día este dibujo peca de demasiado "infantil", o de ser muy inocentón. A quien le guste lo disfrutará mucho, sin duda. Pero para mí es algo que me lastra un poco, y por ello pierde una estrella en la valoración. Eso no quita para que tenga alguna viñetas fantásticas, como se puede ver aquí:
Como iniciación o como complemento al libro es más que recomendable. No hay más que decir.
My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!
April 14, 2018
This was given to me by a friend for Christmas back in 92 it is wonderful ill version of The Hobbit very well adapted from Tolkien's book which I have read 10 times over last 40+ys .It can be hard to do justice to such a good book but this surprised me with its great art work it is Shame that the Sillmarlion or The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers or The Return of the King in separate volume have not been done As love see how the Ents came out.
September 14, 2016
Not like the book definitely but it's "an adventure" to travel with Bilbo in the illustrated story. Characters are not exactly how I imagined them the first time I read the book, yet anyway, it's a great graphic novel. For all Middle-Earth fans, do not have second thoughts! :)
September 3, 2024
This was so cool!💖😍
Illustrations: 4.5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐The art style was very beautiful and colorful! It really brought the story to life, I especially loved how the artist did the ponies and Mirkwood!😍💖 The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was that I couldn't really tell the difference between the elves and men besides their clothes, the elves just looked like ordinary people, not majestic and fair and youthful like Tolkien describes them, but that's just my personal opinion the artist did amazing on the backdrops and dwarves so I can't complain too much😁💖
Writing: Five stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Language: N/A
Violence: Some fighting, but there is no blood or images of any injuries whatsoever, very clean.
Magic: Obviously, a magic ring that makes you invisible. And mentions of enchanted doors that can only be opened with magic. And of course, Gandalf's a wizard but he doesn't do anything but make some lights and fire.
This was a very pretty graphic novel of the classic! Tolkien and art?! YES PLEASE!!!!
The pictures really brought it to life and I love the fact that they included sections of Tolkien's writing in it, it made it so if you haven't read the original story you can pick up this graphic novel and not be confused!💖 This was very well done, I loved every minute!!💖😍
Highly recommend to any Tolkien fan who is also an art-admirer like myself!💖😁
6+ (would make an awesome read-aloud!)
Illustrations: 4.5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐The art style was very beautiful and colorful! It really brought the story to life, I especially loved how the artist did the ponies and Mirkwood!😍💖 The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was that I couldn't really tell the difference between the elves and men besides their clothes, the elves just looked like ordinary people, not majestic and fair and youthful like Tolkien describes them, but that's just my personal opinion the artist did amazing on the backdrops and dwarves so I can't complain too much😁💖
Writing: Five stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Language: N/A
Violence: Some fighting, but there is no blood or images of any injuries whatsoever, very clean.
Magic: Obviously, a magic ring that makes you invisible. And mentions of enchanted doors that can only be opened with magic. And of course, Gandalf's a wizard but he doesn't do anything but make some lights and fire.
This was a very pretty graphic novel of the classic! Tolkien and art?! YES PLEASE!!!!
The pictures really brought it to life and I love the fact that they included sections of Tolkien's writing in it, it made it so if you haven't read the original story you can pick up this graphic novel and not be confused!💖 This was very well done, I loved every minute!!💖😍
Highly recommend to any Tolkien fan who is also an art-admirer like myself!💖😁
6+ (would make an awesome read-aloud!)
September 22, 2010
I picked this up on a Tolkien-high, interested in reading the graphic adaptation of the beloved novel it was based on. It had been a while since I read The Hobbit and had quite forgotten a few things, so I figured it was time to dive in.
The biggest problem with this graphic novel is the amount of words per page. Comics almost never have multiple text boxes spread across a page, let alone a full novel's worth. Some pages were littered with these boxes, much to my annoyance. And some of these were ridiculously long. I don't think this would have bothered me as much if it were Tolkien's words, but Dixon lacks the charm Tolkien had.
On the other hand, the illustrations are beautiful. Water-colored works of art grace the reader's eyes, always magnificent to look at. Indeed, David Wenzel did an amazing job of drawing the scenes and crafting the characters. Gandalf is perfect, as are the Dwarves and Bilbo. Smaug is awesome (when are dragons not?). The Elves weren't how I imagined them, but still fit the overall stylistic themes of the book.
Taking these two together, the graphic novel of The Hobbit in no way compares with Tolkien's masterpiece, but it's definitely worth the read. I wound up skipping large blocks of "narration" text, letting the individual comic panes and character dialogue instead fill in the story. It was nice going back to the beginning of the journey that inspires The Lord of the Rings, and Charles Dixon's The Hobbit mostly met my expectations. Recommended for those interested in Tolkien, especially younger readers, but I would first recommend reading the novel before this one.
The biggest problem with this graphic novel is the amount of words per page. Comics almost never have multiple text boxes spread across a page, let alone a full novel's worth. Some pages were littered with these boxes, much to my annoyance. And some of these were ridiculously long. I don't think this would have bothered me as much if it were Tolkien's words, but Dixon lacks the charm Tolkien had.
On the other hand, the illustrations are beautiful. Water-colored works of art grace the reader's eyes, always magnificent to look at. Indeed, David Wenzel did an amazing job of drawing the scenes and crafting the characters. Gandalf is perfect, as are the Dwarves and Bilbo. Smaug is awesome (when are dragons not?). The Elves weren't how I imagined them, but still fit the overall stylistic themes of the book.
Taking these two together, the graphic novel of The Hobbit in no way compares with Tolkien's masterpiece, but it's definitely worth the read. I wound up skipping large blocks of "narration" text, letting the individual comic panes and character dialogue instead fill in the story. It was nice going back to the beginning of the journey that inspires The Lord of the Rings, and Charles Dixon's The Hobbit mostly met my expectations. Recommended for those interested in Tolkien, especially younger readers, but I would first recommend reading the novel before this one.
September 17, 2023
¡Qué preciosidad de cómic! No podría valorarlo con menos de 5 estrellas ni aunque quisiese.
Decir ante todo que es una versión adaptada del libro, con lo que es normal que su extensión se reduzca y haya pasajes que se resumen en una página o poco más. Pero aun así, la obra de Tolkien es perfectamente reconocible bajo los trazados de cada viñeta. Basta echar un vistado a un paisaje, a un orco o a un enano para darse cuenta de que estamos observando Tierra Media en todo su esplendor.
El cómic posee una edición cuidada y de gran lujo. Es un poco grande para leerlo tumbado, pero por lo demás es una auténtica maravilla que guardaré como un tesoro (anillo) junto al libro original. Creo que es un buen complemento para todo aquel amante de la obra del profesor Tolkien, pues ha sido tratada con respeto y cuidado hasta el más mínimo detalle de vestimenta, paisaje y acción.
Muy recomendable.
Decir ante todo que es una versión adaptada del libro, con lo que es normal que su extensión se reduzca y haya pasajes que se resumen en una página o poco más. Pero aun así, la obra de Tolkien es perfectamente reconocible bajo los trazados de cada viñeta. Basta echar un vistado a un paisaje, a un orco o a un enano para darse cuenta de que estamos observando Tierra Media en todo su esplendor.
El cómic posee una edición cuidada y de gran lujo. Es un poco grande para leerlo tumbado, pero por lo demás es una auténtica maravilla que guardaré como un tesoro (anillo) junto al libro original. Creo que es un buen complemento para todo aquel amante de la obra del profesor Tolkien, pues ha sido tratada con respeto y cuidado hasta el más mínimo detalle de vestimenta, paisaje y acción.
Muy recomendable.
January 14, 2012
As a long time fan of Tolkien since I was a child (having even been a TA in a college-level Tolkien studies class), I'm always interested in how Tolkien is adapted. When I saw this graphic novel edition of the Hobbit, I was very curious as to how the story would play in the medium of the "comic". And I'm actually happy to say that the novel itself comes across really well. The story, characters and plot are all evenly handled. However, a fundmental problem with the medium of comic books would definitely be visual approachability. In a less dense story, you could show the action in the graphics/drawings, and the dialogue in word form. But when there's a linear approach to a story's plot, the graphic medium may not be the best way to handle it...because I found the actual act of reading this book a bit frustrating...having to re-read panels over again because the flow of dialogue and action were a bit confusing (ie, do I read this bubble first? or that one? it seemed to change, depending on the layout. So, hence, minus one star.
But other than that...the story has always been a lot of fun (riddles rule!). I don't think I have to praise the original any more than it already has been...but yeah, anyone who's a fan of fantasy loves it (hobbits, the dwarves, the wizard and dragons). In short, I've read the hobbit a handful of times...and as always, it feels like visiting an old friend.
But other than that...the story has always been a lot of fun (riddles rule!). I don't think I have to praise the original any more than it already has been...but yeah, anyone who's a fan of fantasy loves it (hobbits, the dwarves, the wizard and dragons). In short, I've read the hobbit a handful of times...and as always, it feels like visiting an old friend.
January 10, 2009
Thanks to Cory Anthony, reading the Hobbit became an annual autumn tradition. The kind of book you can read in a day but encapsulates some of the best sentiments of Thoreau, On The Road, and the kind of wonder that makes kids take off on bikes to explore the places beyond their hometown's city limits; to find Trolls frozen in stone, hidden and lost secrets in the deep woods waiting to be found, and new horizons yet to be discovered or imagined. A book to read as a kid, but hopefully one you'll never be too old to enjoy even wrapped up and warm in your own hobbit hole. And who knows, maybe it'll spark that old wanderlust. ..."Its a dangerous business going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."...
July 25, 2016
A faithful rendition, though it naturally loses some of the richness of the book.
Wenzel's artwork is certainly proficient, and I enjoyed the look of his watercolour technique but (you knew there was a but coming!) I was less enamoured of his characterisations. Bilbo looked a little too homely - perhaps an indication of my own prejudice in regard to what a 'heroic protagonist' should look like - the elves not ethereal or other-worldly enough. Gandalf and the dwarves were very good, though, and the illustration of Smaug on page 101 is magnificent.
Despite my grumbles, this is a worthwhile adaptation and an enjoyable read.
Wenzel's artwork is certainly proficient, and I enjoyed the look of his watercolour technique but (you knew there was a but coming!) I was less enamoured of his characterisations. Bilbo looked a little too homely - perhaps an indication of my own prejudice in regard to what a 'heroic protagonist' should look like - the elves not ethereal or other-worldly enough. Gandalf and the dwarves were very good, though, and the illustration of Smaug on page 101 is magnificent.
Despite my grumbles, this is a worthwhile adaptation and an enjoyable read.
December 2, 2014
Major flashback to '89 thanks to an awesome dad.:)
August 18, 2024
This was the graphic novel version of the hobbit, and my word was it well done. I feel like everything was in there. Every bit of dialogue that I was expecting, and every bit of description. And the drawings were amazing. If you’d like a graphic novel, this was a good one.
February 8, 2012
This graphic novel sticks very close to Tolkien's text, even including much of the narration, which is nice, but means it's not really an adaptation, like I was sort of hoping. As it says on the cover, it's "an illustrated edition of the fantasy classic". It took me a little while to get used to the artwork, but I thought lots of it was very well done -- it fits the comic tone of The Hobbit a lot better than Alan Lee's epic artwork, even if I prefer Alan Lee as an artist.
August 20, 2023
this book, originally published as three comics, has a really VERY well done adaptation of the book - though, of course, necessarily much reduced in literary value- and exceptionally beautiful artwork with only one or two small shortcomings.
Extended review on youtube ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXVoH...
Extended review on youtube ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXVoH...
November 7, 2023
The art style wasn't my favorite, but I got so absorbed in the story, I forgot to even look at the illustrations half the time. Overall I did enjoy this!
November 8, 2017
So, graphic novels seem to either tell the story through the art, tell it with good art and story, or go the route of this rendering of the Hobbit and tell it with a whole lotta words and art that seems a bit of an afterthought. Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to Tolkien, we all want the text-it’s great. And the art here is simple and doesn’t pull away from the story. At times it’s bit jumbled (when Bilbo initially gets separated from his dwarven companions in the mountain with the goblins) and it certainly isn’t overly compelling, but it works. I’d like to see a version that has a more dramatic depiction such as the art by Donato Giancola who illustrated the cover of this edition. Still can’t beat this terrific tale.
May 12, 2017
قرأت الترجمة العربية للهوبيت من قبل وأحببت أن أقرأ هذه الرواية المصورة على سبيل المراجعة والاستمتاع بالرسوم.
هذه أكثر رواية مصورة أخذت مني وقتًا في قراءتها رغم معرفتي بأحداثها. وهذا لأنها ليست "رواية مصورة" بقدر ما هي "الرواية مصورة"! فالرسوم هنا لا يكاد دورها يزيد عن لعب دور الخلفية لإعادة كتابة الرواية الأصلية كاملة. خط الكتابة صغير جدا حتى تكفي الصفحات لحشر كل التفاصيل حشرًا فوق الرسوم. استمتعت للغاية بلغة "تولكين" العظيمة التي استدرجتني الرواية المصورة لتذوقها وإدمانها.
أحمد الديب
أكتوبر 2015
هذه أكثر رواية مصورة أخذت مني وقتًا في قراءتها رغم معرفتي بأحداثها. وهذا لأنها ليست "رواية مصورة" بقدر ما هي "الرواية مصورة"! فالرسوم هنا لا يكاد دورها يزيد عن لعب دور الخلفية لإعادة كتابة الرواية الأصلية كاملة. خط الكتابة صغير جدا حتى تكفي الصفحات لحشر كل التفاصيل حشرًا فوق الرسوم. استمتعت للغاية بلغة "تولكين" العظيمة التي استدرجتني الرواية المصورة لتذوقها وإدمانها.
أحمد الديب
أكتوبر 2015
May 19, 2011
I forgot to add this book; I read it recently because my boys were interested in it and I wanted to make sure it was not too complex or scary. I never read it as a child. I LOVED it! What a great story and well-written. My oldest son read it after me, and my second son is reading it now (as a matter of fact, as we speak!). They are begging to start the Lord of the Rings Trilogy next. Ordered the series in paperback yesterday . . . :)
August 24, 2016
3/5
Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía un cómic y qué mejor que una adaptación de El hobbit para retomar la costumbre. De todas formas, me llevé una desilusión, esperaba mucho más. Las ilustraciones no me convencieron, me parecieron un poco cutres aunque el color las animaba un poco. Y la traducción es pésima...¿desde cuándo a los orcos se les llama trasgos? Además me parece que la historia está mal organizada, le dan mucha importancia (y muchas hojas) a detalles que no aportan nada a la historia y en cambio la Batalla de los Cinco Ejércitos se desarrolla en poco más de una página. Me parece que se podría haber repartido mucho mejor, aunque fuese añadiéndole páginas. Sin embargo yo tengo una debilidad por las historias de Tolkien y solo por eso y por las ilustraciones a doble página del final (que sí que merecen la pena), le pongo un 3 a esta adaptación que sin duda prefiero leer en boca del propio Tolkien.
Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía un cómic y qué mejor que una adaptación de El hobbit para retomar la costumbre. De todas formas, me llevé una desilusión, esperaba mucho más. Las ilustraciones no me convencieron, me parecieron un poco cutres aunque el color las animaba un poco. Y la traducción es pésima...¿desde cuándo a los orcos se les llama trasgos? Además me parece que la historia está mal organizada, le dan mucha importancia (y muchas hojas) a detalles que no aportan nada a la historia y en cambio la Batalla de los Cinco Ejércitos se desarrolla en poco más de una página. Me parece que se podría haber repartido mucho mejor, aunque fuese añadiéndole páginas. Sin embargo yo tengo una debilidad por las historias de Tolkien y solo por eso y por las ilustraciones a doble página del final (que sí que merecen la pena), le pongo un 3 a esta adaptación que sin duda prefiero leer en boca del propio Tolkien.
May 24, 2016
The 4/5 star rating is based on my feeling that "the Hobbit" as a story is a five. However, I wasn't super crazy about this particular representation/presentation of the timeless Tolkein masterpiece. Hence the knock down to 4.
I'm sure most of us hardcore Hobbit/LOTR fans will appreciate this format, to some degree, but NOTHING beats the original imho.
I'm sure most of us hardcore Hobbit/LOTR fans will appreciate this format, to some degree, but NOTHING beats the original imho.
March 14, 2013
The hobbit is a good book with a lot of description, some humor, good information, and not much rambling off. The book gets to the point and doesn't often waste time telling you something that doesn't relate to the book. It describes feelings of characters in great detail so you can really feel and imagine what they did. Not only all of what I mentioned but this book so far is great, but it also says kind things to people. When they said: "There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West." And when he said: "Let's have no more argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you". That took us straight to the point instead of wasting time rambling on about something that in all essence doesn't matter. When they said: "He felt a different person and much fiercer in spite of an empty stomach as he wiped his sword and put it back in his sheath". The emotion could be felt. It is obvious he had a more intense feeling of preparedness to fight! This book also has a lot of other good stuff too, like the battle of five armies or when he fought with the dragon! It gets intense!
There are a few negative qualities about this book. In some parts it gets too descriptive and it seems like the narrator talks forever, describing to the extent that it feels like there isn't an end to the words! The characters are very honest with each other, but sometimes it just doesn't matter and wastes time. When the narrator said, "Dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of valuing money," it was pointless and had no pertinence to the story. Sure, it tells you information about the Dwarves and was semi-apologetic for what was previously said, but as the reader it just doesn't matter. Sometimes, the book is just spread out too far. When they said, "The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: that they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow doing it if he would..." They could have made that same sentence but with more pertinence to the story. It has a few words that are confusing and it takes a while to understand.
While reading the book I wondered, "What does Gandalf look like?" or "Why is it so hard to find Rivendell? This is going on forever.” Well, explained later in the story Gandalf is tall compared to the hobbits of course. He also has a long white beard. It took so long to find Rivendell because the path they were following had been marked where to go, but it was hard to see because moss had grown over the path and covered the marks.
Over all I think this is a great book. From the evidence presented above, this book is excellent and there are only a few things to dislike. I liked this book because, it was easy to understand and wrap my mind around. It gets a little dragged out at times, but for the most part this book was great and I would recommend it to anyone with some free time.
There are a few negative qualities about this book. In some parts it gets too descriptive and it seems like the narrator talks forever, describing to the extent that it feels like there isn't an end to the words! The characters are very honest with each other, but sometimes it just doesn't matter and wastes time. When the narrator said, "Dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of valuing money," it was pointless and had no pertinence to the story. Sure, it tells you information about the Dwarves and was semi-apologetic for what was previously said, but as the reader it just doesn't matter. Sometimes, the book is just spread out too far. When they said, "The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: that they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow doing it if he would..." They could have made that same sentence but with more pertinence to the story. It has a few words that are confusing and it takes a while to understand.
While reading the book I wondered, "What does Gandalf look like?" or "Why is it so hard to find Rivendell? This is going on forever.” Well, explained later in the story Gandalf is tall compared to the hobbits of course. He also has a long white beard. It took so long to find Rivendell because the path they were following had been marked where to go, but it was hard to see because moss had grown over the path and covered the marks.
Over all I think this is a great book. From the evidence presented above, this book is excellent and there are only a few things to dislike. I liked this book because, it was easy to understand and wrap my mind around. It gets a little dragged out at times, but for the most part this book was great and I would recommend it to anyone with some free time.
June 4, 2015
I originally read the Hobbit when I was 11 in my English lessons which was great as I had already been a fan of Lord of the Rings for a couple of years, so I was very excited to spot this in a charity shop!
As I have been exposed to Peter Jackson's film creations for the formative years of my child/teenhood and spoilt by John Howe and Alan Lee's artwork, I did find the depictions of the characters a little difficult to get behind initially as I have a strong image in my mind already - but it was good to go back to the text and see how the artist had drawn their view of Middle Earth from Tolkien's story.
As someone who on occasion dibble dabbles with paints and pencils (I'm not very good), I could really appreciate just how beautiful the artwork is and spent some time closely examining pages to see how elements were drawn.
My only criticism of this graphic novel is that the whole book is extremely detailed and then it skims over the battle really quickly... I confess I will need to go back and read the battle of five armies part in the Hobbit to see if it is really that short - but my memories of the book have it as longer so near the end it felt a little as if it had run out of puff. But other than that, a great read.
As I have been exposed to Peter Jackson's film creations for the formative years of my child/teenhood and spoilt by John Howe and Alan Lee's artwork, I did find the depictions of the characters a little difficult to get behind initially as I have a strong image in my mind already - but it was good to go back to the text and see how the artist had drawn their view of Middle Earth from Tolkien's story.
As someone who on occasion dibble dabbles with paints and pencils (I'm not very good), I could really appreciate just how beautiful the artwork is and spent some time closely examining pages to see how elements were drawn.
My only criticism of this graphic novel is that the whole book is extremely detailed and then it skims over the battle really quickly... I confess I will need to go back and read the battle of five armies part in the Hobbit to see if it is really that short - but my memories of the book have it as longer so near the end it felt a little as if it had run out of puff. But other than that, a great read.
February 3, 2016
I read this comics adaptation a bunch as a reluctant teen reader. As a comic, it is very text-heavy, with almost a paragraph of narration (carefully abridged from the original book) for each panel. It would have been nice to have twice as many pages to make it more readable and to improve the flow, but the reader is lucky to have even this many pages! Each page is masterfully crafted by David Wenzel. His ink and watercolor illustration perfectly brings to life the fantastical subject matter!
May 16, 2019
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Ich lieben den kleinen Hobbit und diese Graphic Novel ist eine wundervolle Ergänzung.
Ich lieben den kleinen Hobbit und diese Graphic Novel ist eine wundervolle Ergänzung.
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