With the books growing increasingly popular, classic literature and religious works are now being adopted into graphic novels. This can lead to some unorthodox takes--look at the legendary Crumb's take on the Book of Genesis for example--but also some graphic novels that are more traditional in their viewpoints. The Book of Revelation adapted by Matt Dorf from a translation from Orthodox priests Father Mark Arey and Father Philemon Sevastiades is one such graphic novel.
With solid and often memorable art from Chris Koelle, Dorf tries to tell the story of Revelation, easily one of the most enigmatic books of the Bible, from the vantage point of St. John. This works surprisingly well. Granted Revelation has many memorable images which is one of the reasons why artists have turned to it repeatedly throughout the centuries. Koelle`s art, while often dark, presents a compelling take on St. John's visions. The use of color, while rare in this book, is dramatic and even inspiring.
The book includes all of the biblical text though some readers may not enjoy the graphic novel. This is not a book for children. While it ranks as one of the more engaging and fascinating books in the Bible, there are some nightmarish images and visions in Revelation--and the graphic novel does not skirt around that basic fact. I honestly can't recommend this book to younger readers or those who are upset by disturbing images. Still, many readers--including this one who has a harder time with Revelation than most of the other books in the Bible--will find the graphic novel will help them better understand this enigmatic text. Highly recommended.
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