Graphic Classics, Vol. 13: Rafael Sabatini
Eureka Publishing
$11.95
I loved Rafael Sabatini before I ever even read him.
I’ve always been a big fan of charming, courageous, athletic, swashbuckling characters like Robin Hood and the Three Musketeers and I knew that those were the kinds of guys Sabatini wrote about. The kind of guys that you needed Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power to play in the movies. When I finally read Captain Blood, I wasn’t disappointed.
So, it was with a lot of excitement that I opened and read volume thirteen of the Graphic Classics series: the Sabatini volume. It opens very well, with an adaptation of Captain Blood. Or most of it anyway. You might be able to adapt the whole Captain Blood novel if you were willing to spend your entire page count on it, but that’s not the purpose of Graphic Classics. The purpose of Graphic Classics is to expose you to as much new material by classic authors as they can, while not skimping on the familiar favorites. And that’s what happens with Captain Blood. This version was cleverly written by Rod Lott to highlight the exciting parts and lovingly illustrated with nice, clean lines and realistic details by Carlo Vergara.
It more or less depicts the first part of the novel; the origin story. It’s a satisfying story in itself, but it does sort of end just as Blood’s career as a pirate is getting going good. But that just means that once you’re done reading it, you’re going to want to finish the tale by checking out the original work. Which I suspect is editor Tom Pomplun’s intention.
There’s a logic to the way this particular volume of Graphic Classics is laid out that I love. After what’s arguably Sabatini’s most famous story, Mort Castle and Kevin Atkinson present a personal essay Castle wrote called “Desperately Seeking Sabatini.” In it, Castle talks about loving Sabatini’s work, but knowing so little about Sabatini himself that he went on a research binge to learn more. The result is a light-hearted, but realistic look at Sabatini that’s long enough to give you a good feel for who Sabatini was and what motivated him to write the kinds of stories he did, but short enough to stay interesting.
What follows are six of Sabatini’s lesser-known stories. There’s no Scaramouche or Sea Hawk. Instead we get a crime story, a mystery, a gothic horror, a tragic fable, a revenge tale, and a supernatural thriller.
Pomplun and Stanley Shaw adapt “The Valet Mystery,” a story about blackmail. Shaw’s rough inks create a sinister atmosphere that heightens the tension as a gentleman tries desperately to get out from under the control of a slimy, little villain who knows too much.
Next, Roger Langridge illustrates Pomplun’s adaptation of “The Spiritualist.” Langridge has a fresh, comical style that’s perfect for this story about a shifty-looking magician who tries to convince tavern patrons that he can talk to the dead. I won’t say whether or not he can, or how the narrator responds to the truth, but the magician (complete with black cape, top hat, and handlebar moustaches) is drawn deliciously enough to just about make the rest of the story an afterthought. Just about.
Gerry Alanguilan uses lots of dark cross-hatching to offset brilliant white spaces in Pomplun’s adaptation of “The Plague of Ghosts.” It’s a great style (reminiscent of Gary Gianni) for this tale of a former thief who tries to prove that he’s reformed by investigating a haunted house near where some counterfeiting has been taking place. If you’re thinking about Scooby Doo right now, you’re exactly where I was as I read the story, but Scooby Doo never looked this cool. And there’s a reason that the Scooby Doo formula was so successful. It’s fun even when you know what’s coming, and the same goes for this story.
“The Fool’s Love Story” is adapted completely by Milton Knight, a Graphic Classics staple. It’s a touching story about a court jester in love with a princess and the lengths he’ll go to for her happiness. Knight’s hyper, exaggerated style isn’t an obvious choice for the tragic elements of the tale, but it’s downright perfect for depicting the jester as a madly heroic character whom we quickly begin rooting for.
The plot of “The Risen Dead” sounds like a Steven Seagal movie with its plot of misapplied justice and subsequent revenge. But Antonella Caputo and Jackie Smith do such a beautiful job with it that it’s totally immersing and you have to keep turning pages to find out what’s going to happen. The man seeking revenge is anything but innocent; he just happens to be innocent of the particular crime he’s been accused of, so it’s a fascinating twist to watch this pretty evil guy seek out punishment on people who are basically good, but misinformed. And besides, it doesn’t really have Steven Seagal in it.
The last story, “The Dream,” is my favorite. It’s adapted by Tom Pomplun again and illustrated by Rich Tommaso, another Graphic Classics regular. This one’s about an unscrupulous hypnotist who uses his power in an attempt to get control of his uncle’s fortune. Caught up in the plot are his cousin Francis and Francis’ fiancé Adelaide. The action all takes place in an English countryside that’s made even lovelier by Tommaso’s simple line work. But the tranquil setting is dramatically offset by the menacing tone of the story itself. It’s the cast of Room with a View trying to survive the plot of Single White Female. Brilliant stuff.
As is the whole collection. I’ve loved every volume of Graphic Classics I’ve read, but Pomplun and his cohorts have far exceeded my expectations with this one.
July 21st, 2007 at 5:56 am
Would you be interested in purchasing an autograph I have of Rafael Sabatini signed in 1922?
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:20 pm
That’s nice of you to offer, but for me an autograph is just a souvenir of meeting someone I admire and aren’t likely to meet again. It just doesn’t mean as much when I don’t have a memory to go along with the signature.
Thanks though.