Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - the Graphic Novel

2008. Cover price £6.99.
52 pages. Full colour contents.
Waverley Books Ltd.

Painted cover by Cam Kennedy.

ISBN-13: 978-1-902407-44-9

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED illustration by Cam Kennedy.

 3 Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde w: Alan Grant, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson; a: Cam Kennedy, lettering & colouring by Jamie Grant.

43 UNTITLED illustration by Cam Kennedy.

44 Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894) biography by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

illustration r: from Illustrated London News.

46 Alan Grant biography by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph by Ian MacNicol.

48 Cam Kennedy biography by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph by Ian MacNicol.

50 Indicia; illustration by Cam Kennedy

A respectable London lawyer, John Utterson, is compelled to uncover the strange connection between his old friend, the brilliant scientist Dr Henry Jekyll, and a brooding and dangerous stranger called Edward Hyde. All who lay eyes on Hyde experience a strange and chilling feeling of fear and foreboding, and his reputation is that of a vile and violent individual. To Utterson's dismay he finds Jekyll and Hyde have a mysterious contract between them, the details of which neither will reveal. As Utterson investigates further he uncovers a truly horrifying story of deception.

The second, stunning graphic novel of an RL Stevenson classic from the creative 'dream team' of Cam Kennedy and Alan Grant, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, follows their acclaimed graphic novel adaptation of Kidnapped, which was commissioned by Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust.

While I've never taken to Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ranks as one of my favourite novels of all time - so enamoured of the story, I'll happily sit through any of the second-, third- and even fourth-rate knock-offs which turn up from time to time on DVD.

Alan Grant's script suffers from a truncated page-count, and its rush to convey the important narrative elements means that quiet, creepy moments when something is about to occur are set aside in favour of showing scenes of horror. Which, sadly, dilutes the terror, especially when Hyde is presented so grotesquely. There's a thin line between a displeasing countenance, as so often attributed to Hyde, and full-on monstrous inhumanity, which is what we are presented with.

A pivotal scene, and one which has never been presented with an appropriately gruesomeness, is the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. Here reduced to a single page, it is an act which ought to be echoed throughout the rest of the story, but is remarkably restrained here. We cannot truly fear the monster that is Hyde without being witness to his most heinous act. With the scene's power diminished, so too is Hyde.

Despite the problems of compressing so complex a story into so few pages, the artwork throughout is exceptional - though some of the colouring is a little too on-the-nose for such a tale. A more muted palette would have enhanced the mood rather than the often over-bright images.

The full-page biographies of Stevenson, Grant, and Kennedy are welcome additions to this title, and, despite an overall lower number of pages, makes this feel a more complete package. It may not be perfect, but this is a far superior adaptation than the Classics Illustrated version.

Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped - the Graphic Novel

Waverley Graphic Novels