Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre

If I were writing an elevator pitch for this book, it'd be "American literature + kaiju +Universal monsters." It 's sort of like a US version of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, only more fun and slightly less horrific. The central conceit is that Godzilla attacked West Egg, and Jay Gatsby amasses all his resources to both repel the beast and impress his lost love Daisy Buchanan. 

The drama!

His G-Force pulls out all the stops to defeat the massive beast and going to the ends of the Earth to bring the fight. Along the way, a number of other prominent literary figures, including Sherlock Holmes, Captain Nemo, Dracula, and Frankenstein's monster join in the fray, some as friends others as foes. The result is some inspired madness. 

What I love about this book is that it portrays so much action and also sets up excellent cliffhangers. Certainly there are a good number of clever scenes and funny moments, but thrilling action is what drives the narrative. Most impressively it does so while also honoring the literary histories of the characters involved, so that the whole enterprise comes off organically. That is no mean trick to pull off, especially toward the end when a myriad number of characters have to be coordinated in an epic final battle royale. This book is a page-turner and the worst thing I can say about it is that it ends too abruptly for my liking. But they say to always leave the audience wanting more, yes?

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre was the product of Tom Scioli. He is a prolific comics creator who has made his own series such as  Gødland and American Barbarian as well as work-for-hire ones, including Fantastic Four: Grand Design. He has also drawn a number of licensed properties, including Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe and delved into nonfiction with graphic biographies of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. He speaks about his work on Monsterpiece Theatre in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Frank Plowright wrote, "A gleeful absurdity prevails throughout yet the strength is evident via a story that would work if given an entirely straight treatment." Kara Dennison called it "a great deal of fun." Zack Quaintance wrote that it "is, simply put, one of the best comics of the year."

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre was published by IDW, and there is more information about it here.

A Study in Scarlet

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous literary characters ever created, and this graphic novel is an adaptation of his first story. In it, we meet Holmes' reliable friend and narrator, Dr. Watson and learn how he came to live at 221B Baker Street with the great detective. The pair end up involved in a murder investigation, and Holmes, years before CSI, uses science and deduction to figure out suspect, motive, and method. The solution of the mystery takes the reader to the United States during the early, rough days of the Mormon trek into Utah.

This graphic novel is a faithful adaptation of the work of Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish writer who wrote a range of other works such as the science fiction novel The Lost World, and who tired of his most famous detective, even killing him off at one point, but relented to public outcry for more Holmes stories. Ian Edginton, a popular British comics writer, adapted the story. He is known for his sequel to H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, Scarlet Traces, and various runs on 2000 AD. The art was provided by I. N. J. Culbard, who has also worked on adaptations of a great number of classic British novels. In particular, he excels at creating mood via space and facial expressions.

The reviews I have read have been overall positive. The Guardian's Rachel Cooke wrote that Edginton and Culbard did an excellent job and she "relished every page." Seth T. Hahne was frustrated that some clues were withheld before the great reveal so he could not solve the mystery on his own. School Library Journal found the book had much to offer new and established Holmes readers alike. I agree and think that Edginton and Culbard have done well capturing the spirit and tone of the original quite well.

This book was published by Sterling. These same collaborators have created two other such adaptations of Doyle's detective, with a third on the way. Previews of this book and those later volumes are available here from Self Made Hero.