Sometimes you just have to go with classics. Classic literature isn’t something that you see in comics as much, but us old school collectors remember those classic illustrated reprints back in the day, and the idea of turning novels into comics is a good one. My first trade paperback was Pilgrim’s Progress. In my travels I came across a gem from the past. I loved Madeliene L’Engles A Wrinkle in Time, and was curious to see just what the graphic novel would look like.
Fair warning: There are spoilers here. That said, the book has been out for a long time.
The Book
A Wrinkle In Time: The Graphic Novel
Written by Madeleine L’Engle
Adapted by Hope Larson
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books
The story begins with Megan, an angry kid who can’t seem to fit in, no matter what she is doing or how she tries to fit in. The only people that seem to get her are her family, Charlie, Meg’s younger brother who is eccentrically gifted. His insights and awareness of things is uncanny. Through conversations with Mrs. Whatsits and the other two Mrs. Who and Which, they realize that their father, who has been missing in their lives for years, is in trouble and needs their help.
Together with Calvin, an older boy who likes Meg, they journey through the wrinkle in time to a foreign planet, where the three kids have to deal with the great terror simply known as IT.
The story is a classic. If you’ve read the novel, there are no surprises in the book. Hope Larson does a wonderful job keeping the spirit of A Wrinkle in Time true. Meg is angsty and struggling with her flaws just like all of us. This book was always about her acceptance of herself. Larson draws her with all the doubt, and the hope that she always had.
I really love her take on Charlie of all the characters. He looks kind of alien, until the very end of the story when Meg frees Charlie and you can see just how alike and how much lover there is between the two of them.
Hope Larson does an amazing job with not only the characters, but the world itself. Some of the scenes are incredible. Whether it was was something as mundane as Calvin hitting on Meg, to the tears in Meg’s and Charlie’s eyes when she talk about about their father. The hideous visage of IT and the great evil of the dark around us. All in all, Larson does a wonderful job keeping the spirit of the book true. This is a book ultimately about the power of love overcoming all. Meg’s love for her brother to save him from the clutches of It, to the love she has to find for herself. Her flaws are the key to saving her father, Charlie, Calvin and herself.
While I do feel the book loses just a little bit without some of the prose descriptions, this book feels very much like the classic. It’s a great read and one I would recommend for all. And for the fans of the classic book, this is the rare opportunity of getting a chance to read a book for the first time all over again. Take a look.
The Business
It’s been a hectic year. For the first part of the year I’ve been busy traveling and going through some interesting tribulations. I got robbed in Mexico and had spent the last few months finding myself stuck in Mexico, or trying to rebuild in Phoenix or Las Vegas until I could get back to Canada. I want to thank everyone that went out of their way to help me get back home. Without you, who knows where I would have ended up.
That said, I’ve been writing and drawing a lot of other things. My substack is still covering my travels as I went through Mexico, Belieze and Guatemala in my last few months. I did a movie, and am currently working on finishing my third book so far this year. It’s why I’ve been away.
But I also realize that I’m nearly at 100 columns. I’m going to try to get there fast. So thanks for reading, check out my substack for my travel adventures. And hopefully, you’ll be able to stay tuned for what’s next.
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