Fevre Dream: Review (comics + novel)

Happy Halloween!

Since my youth I've been utterly fascinated with the myths surrounding vampirism. This interest means I watch a lot of vampire films and read a lot of vampire literature and I'd like to share with you a recent find of mine. As promised I sat down with the novel and the comic adaptation and had a read of both and am here to share my thoughts with you.

When I started reading Fevre Dream I had no knowledge of the plot. I like George R.R Martin and am a huge Game of Thrones fan so I decided to check out some of his work when I stumbled across the first three issues of the Fevre Dream comic at Mega City Comics in Camden. I have to tell you that I was thoroughly pleased with this utter gem. This is an incredibly original, interesting vampire story that lovers of Anne Rice, Mark Twain or Stephen King will certainly appreciate. It explores the morality of vampirism and actually makes some really good points on how humans and vampires are probably more alike than we think. The novel, and the comic books that follow, are a darkly romantic tale of vampirism and river life with chilling, staccato moments of horror and twists and turns. I highly enjoyed both the book and the comics. The novel is so beautifully written and the novel, being so faithful, totally follows. Indeed I found the comics to be very faithful to the book. I loved that George R.R Martin had involvement with the story in novel and comic book form. If you read GRRM's short story "Four Color Fanboy" in "DreamSongs", his anthology of short stories, you'll know how utterly devoted he is to comic books. He was writing comic books way before his longer novels that he's so famous for. The Fevre Dream comics are beautifully drawn and coloured.  I'd see this if it were a movie. I'm hoping for a Fevre Dream movie.

Consider this my All Hallows Read gift to you: go out and find yourself a copy of Fevre Dream be it the comics or the novel and take a bite. If you're a vampire fan then I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

Review: George R.R Martin's "Fevre Dream" comic series: Issues #1, #2 and #3

[Spoiler Warning: I highly recommend you buy Fevre Dream and read it before you read my review. Thar be spoilers ahoy.]

Holy Ned Stark.
I'm as in love with the work of George R.R Martin as anyone. The man is hugely popular at the moment. Therefore, on a recent trip to Mega City Comics in Camden, I picked up the first three issues of "Fevre Dream": a series of comics based on the George R.R Martin novel. Through reading George R.R Martin's short story anthology entitled "DreamSongs" you learn how vastly interested and devoted he is in the world of comics and has been since his childhood. I bought the first three issues of "Fevre Dream" having not read the novel (though I've now just ordered it on Amazon) and had absolutely no expectations... which is a good thing because holy crap, these comics feature vampires.

As anyone who knows me will have noticed, I'm a little obsessed with vampire media. No, not Twilight (though, out of fairness, I did read the books and watch most of the films to come to the unadulterated and fair conclusion that they are shit). Heck, I even wrote my university dissertation on the psychological aspects of homosexuality in "Dracula" by Bram Stoker and "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice just so I could discuss vampires and gayness ad nauseum. So I started reading the comics with absolutely no prior knowledge and as soon as there was even the suggestion of vampy fun I was ecstatic. I've read the first three issues of the comic and, before the end of the month, I will read the novel and all the comics together and let you know my thoughts. Until then here are my thoughts on issues #1, #2 and #3 of Fevre Dream.

So the comics start with Captain Abner Marsh and his new business partner, Joshua York, discussing a new business venture. York seems rather mysterious. He's too quick to invest in the Fevre Dream packet that Abner Marsh is the captain of. All he asks is that his business is his own and that Marsh and the crew do not question him and that they respect his privacy. Though cautious at first, Captain Marsh accepts. Soon he starts to notice that York's habits are causing the river folk to tell stories about his eating habits, the hours he keeps and the correlation between York and a string of murders along the river.

The art work is beautifully done and simply coloured. In true George R.R Martin fashion there is sexuality, nudity and death aplenty. I'm really excited to see what the novel holds and I'll continue reading both the novel and the comics and give you my full thoughts on all of it.

Having read George R.R Martin's autobiographical short story 'Four Color Fanboy' in his anthology of short stories entitled "DreamSongs" I have a greater appreciation for all the enthusiasm this man has for writing and particularly the world of comic books. George R.R Martin has been an avid comic fan, writing them and creating comic characters from youth onwards, and so this seems like such a natural project for him: to write a novel and then see the project inked into comic form.

So buy these comics.

Or the novel.

Buy it because of vampires and steam boats and racism and stuff.

Comic Review: Fevre Dream

I recently picked up the first three issues of this series from Mega City Comics in Camden, London and read through them really quickly and want to share my thoughts on them.

When I bought the comics I was thinking "what am I doing? I'm spending more money to let George R.R Martin ruin my life."
(I've still not recovered from many Game of Thrones deaths) That said I love the way that Martin writes so of course this was a necessary purchase for me.

Expect a review of the comics but I've also just ordered the novel that the comics are based on. If I have time I'll be writing a comparison piece of the two. If not, in our Halloween themed October blog posts, I'll certainly discuss the first three issues of the comic.