Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Storm Front Volume 2 - Maelstrom HC [Hardcover]

This is the second half of the hardcover compilation of the comic adaptation of the first novel of the Dresden Files, Storm Front, created by Jim Butcher (e'way are not orthy'way), adapted by Mark Powers, and illustrated in sequence by Ardian Syaf (through about the halfway mark of Issue 2 of this volume) and then picked up expertly by Brett Booth (although sadly, we aren't allowed to get too used to him either, as he'll be replaced partway through Fool Moon by Chase Conley.)

Did you get all that?

So, if you're considering this graphic novel for your reading pleasure, I would highly suggest picking up the first half (otherwise you'll be a little confused, and miss some great artwork) titled Storm Front: The Gathering Storm. I also suggest going a little further back in the chronology and picking up Welcome to the Jungle, which is a very nice piece of work as well.

Now, on to the actual review.

The story isn't Butcher's best, but it was good enough to get the Dresden Files going (and at book 14 out in July, that's no small feat) and to me at least, this particular story seems tighter and better suited to graphic novel form than to an actual novel. As a librarian and someone who reads at a frantic pace, that's a big admission to make.

Powers does an amazing job of keeping the characters, the snark, the one-liners, and the noir feel of the novel, while paring it down to the bare bones, and they're some pretty good bones. The baddies are bad, the women are cliched (necessary to the genre) without being wince-worthy, the magical ju-ju is creepy, and the pace builds strongly to the ending, closing out solidly (none of this cliffhanger crap here, but there is an inked teaser for Fool Moon, the next in the series).

The artwork is lovely. I enjoy Syaf's compositions and creatures more, but Booth's interpretation of Harry's and Murphy's faces (and Mac, oddly enough) make me really feel for them as characters. Something about Harry's eyes and that vulnerable heart-shaped face really helps position him as not quite as magically bad-ass as he desperately wants you to believe. I can SEE this Harry being panicked, being worried, being afraid.

I have to say, I'll be sorry to see that go so quickly, but the teaser at the end reassures me that Conley has his own very appropriate interpretation for the hand-off, and it's one that I don't think I'll dislike. Thankfully, each of the subsequent artists has hewn close to the original character idea and the dark, gritty environmental feel visioned by Syaf, so even in the transitions between artists, nothing like the horrors of the "Restoration of Faith" short are in evidence.

I have been anguishing for ages over the much-delayed and many-times imperiled release date of this concluding hardback, but that is entirely due to circumstances beyond any of the artist's control. I am VERY happy to see this finally out, and to clutch it protectively to my heart. This one's MINE - go get your own copy!

It took a very long time for the second volume of the "Dresden Files: Storm Front" comic book to come out, apparently because it switched from Dabel Brothers to Dynamite Entertainment.

So there's a bit of a shock coming partway through this comic book, when the shift occurred. Jim Butcher's solid urban fantasy story is as strong as ever, piling on the distrust, monsters and black magic until the fiery climax... but the art derails in a big way. Ardian Syaf, why did you have to go work for DC?

Harry is in more trouble than ever -- after seeing him destroy a demon, Morgan has decided that Harry must have summoned it, which is a deadly offense for a wizard. And Linda is found murdered, Murphy is enraged that Harry withheld evidence, which means his police connection might have just dried up. Worst of all, one of the bad guys just stole his hair, which means he's next.

So Harry hurtles from Johnny Marcone's lounge to the house of another client, searching for the location of the evil wizard's hideaway. But the murderer is one step ahead of Harry, and even if he can find him, he may be not be able to actually destroy him before the next thunderstorm....

"Dresden Files: Storm Front" is a pretty strong, straightforward story, mixing in gritty noir and cop work with the supernatural weirdness of curses, faeries, wizards, demons and giant oozing evil scorpions. The writing is strong, with lots of spooky moments and explosive action scenes, as well as a healthy helping of gore.

And adapter Mark Powers does a good job balancing Harry's internal monologue ("A soulgaze is never a pretty thing") with the external dialogue and the action. Harry himself is shown getting more desperate and friendless, as his allies (Murphy) and enemies (Morgan) start ganging up on him. The supporting characters are still a bit flat, but good for a start.

So what exactly is the problem here? That would be the artwork.

Literally halfway through the book, the comic book shifted hands and Ardian Syaf left to work for DC Comics. So literally in the middle of a fight, the ENTIRE art style suddenly shifts from Syaf's rough, gritty style to Brett Booth's weirdly glossy, contorted-face art. It's intensely weird to see Harry and his magical opposition twisting their faces into rolling-eyed yelps. And Morgan doesn't even look like the same person.

"Dresden Files: Storm Front" has strong writing, a solid hero and plenty of fantasy/horror. However, the derailed comic art is just disorienting, and the last quarter of Jim Butcher's story is undermined by it.

Harry Dresden: The only openly practicing wizard in Chicago

This is volume two of the graphic novel adaptation of the novel, Storm Front. To copy my synopsis of the book:

"Harry Dresden is the only practicing wizard in the Yellow Pages and often works with the police on their "paranormal" crimes. One day, Lieutenant Murphy calls him up and presents him with a crime scene: two dead bodies, killed in a most brutal and obviously unnatural method, which some are trying to blame on Harry. Meanwhile, Harry is also hired to find the missing husband of Monica Sells."

Harry Dresden has just saved himself from a demon who was attacking him and Susan. He continues to balance his two jobs: working on the murder of Tommy Tomm and Jennifer and finding Monica Sells' husband. Another person dies, and Monica abruptly withdraws her request.

As with the novel and volume, I really enjoyed our protagonist, Harry. I love his cool powers, but I also like how he isn't overpowered. He can't just conjure anything or repair any situation with a wave of the wand. He often uses the mediocre to get him out of tough scrapes, which is far more interesting. Also, he has his share of weaknesses: he's terrible with women, he's grumpy, he overworks, he passes out when he's tired, he doesn't tell Murphy the whole truth and thus puts her in harm's way. Definitely a character I like.

Again, I like the world Dresden has created. In the graphic novel, I got a better grasp of how the magic worked, what was possible, what wasn't and what the magic looked like (the "Third Eye" scenes were creepy!) I mentioned that in the book, it was somewhat unclear, but I can definitely say that is not so here. I wasn't confused one bit.

The story is excellent. I love the blending of urban fantasy with mystery and Butcher writes it well. Although I am not a big fan where two seemingly disparate cases connect in the end, I thought it was well-done and interesting. The action is superb! Graphic novels are best when showing action scenes and this one is no different, and definitely uses the medium to the fullest. But there was also quite a bit of emotion and heart, such as when Dresden talks with Sells' daughter.

Now, onto the art. For the first part, the art style is basically the same from volume one: good, but somewhat sketchy around the ladies. Harry Dresden didn't look 100% like what I expected, but I liked it. The ladies, not so much. They all seemed to be cut out of the same cloth, with the same pointy chins, same face shape, etc. (this is particularly weird when you consider that Karrin is a blond, with I thought curly hair, Bianca is a sexy vampire, and Susan is a Mexican). However, in the second section, it's like a different artist took over and made the art style more like Anita Blake: softer, more varied ladies, but Dresden looks fairly feminine in some scenes, and there are tons of flecks on the page (getting rid of the clean quality of the previous artwork). I wished they hadn't switched; I preferred the more "edgy" look (yes, even if the ladies all looked the same!).

As for the rendering of the written word into the comic, I found for the most part it was good. I whipped through this book quickly, but I did take a short break to notice that Harry's inner dialogue was all over the page. While I adored the graphic novel as is, I think some of the text could have been cut out to lead to a more impactful visual imagery.

As with volume one, I closed this graphic novel feeling satisfied. The story was brilliant (as I knew it would be), but the new medium was REALLY put to good use. The characters are great, the action superbly rendered, and even if the art isn't what I wanted, it wasn't grotesque. If you like Dresden, you definitely need to check these out.

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