THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Graphic Novel Volume 1
Adapted by Denise Mina
2012
Vertigo Comics
I’m going to be honest here, I didn’t like the original novels very much. I thought they were long winded and while the plot ideas were good enough I think they really could have used some editing. From what I’m reading in this first volume of the graphic novel adaptations the editing is there. The team on this book took the story and made it sing, it moves at a nice clip and a lot of the things that weighed down the book are gone leaving a core story that is entertaining and strong.
The heroine of the stories is Lisbeth Salander, who is by no stretch of the imagination a regular girl. She has baggage, tons of it in fact. But what she is really good at is rooting out information. She gets her teeth into something and can’t let go, and in this first adventure it’s wrapped around a girl who has been missing since the mid sixties and a wealthy family that has too many secrets.
Mina is able to show the characters in all their flawed glory without beleaguering the point. And at the end of the first volume you can’t help but cheer for Lisbeth.
The artwork in this adaptation is wonderful. Leonardi Manco and Andre Mutti convey an awful lot with the art and I believe this really helps the story move along at such a nice clip. The expression also say so much more than just words can by themselves.
I’ll eventually watch the movies, but I think they will have a hard time living up to this version. I can’t wait to read the rest.
Jon Jordan
There is a nice post on the Vertigo Blog by Denise Mina about the book HERE
