Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne’s…)

    (Hieronymus, 2003)
™ and © Hieronymus Press

This is a remarkable adaptation of a work that has, unfortunately, faded into the background of literature during the past generation. As more and more of Verne’s fictions of yesterday become the realities of today, we tend to forget what a visionary he was and we lose the sense of wonder that his books held for so many. Fortunately, Gary Gianni hasn’t forgotten.

In a mere handful of pages, Gianni (perhaps best known for his work with Robert E. Howard’s stable of characters) rekindles the awe and wonder of this magnificent story. Instead of contenting himself with today’s ultra-slick (and ultimately unsatisfying) comic art styles, Gianni draws inspiration from an older school of graphic masters, especially Gustave Doré, whose techniques are brought to mind on every page.

Gianni’s panels show a comfortable mastery of storytelling style, as they draw the reader into the Victorian milieu, but the full-page pieces are where his work really shines, particularly the underground burial scene and the discovery of lost Atlantis. The research and dedication that went into this project are displayed in every line, making this a bargain at $19.95, especially with the special color plate at the front. In addition, this is a limited run of 1,000 copies signed by Gianni.

This is not a book to be read only once, but a book to be savored and shared and savored again. Now if he could only be convinced to adapt The Rime of the Ancient Mariner …

— John Petty
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