Several of Mark Twain’s shorter works are adapted to graphic novel form in this collection. Especially enjoyable are a straight forward retelling of his breakthrough “Jumping Frog” and a stylized, meaningful “A Dog’s Tale”. It’s wonderful to see how diffrent artists and writers work with his words to make them come alive visually.

There are two editions of this collection, each differint in content. The latter one contains “Tom Sawyer Abroad” in lieu of several shorter pieces. Either collection is quite good and worth the time to read.

I highly recommend this for Twain enthusiasts.
Rating: 5 / 5

Mark Twain is undoubtedly America’s “Great Man of Letters.” A complicated author, he flowed easily through humor, satire, psychological horror, politics, religion, and pretty much any other subject imaginable. He was able to hold up a dark mirror to society, and stare unflinchingly at the organizations, traditions, and political and moral decay that always threaten to drown a civilization. And he spun a great yarn.

He is a great candidate for the Graphics Classics series, offering a wealth of short stories and witticisms to inspire illustrators to create, adapt and partner with the great author to produce some original works. Even his shortest story packs a solid wallop, and the one page gems are as good as the more lengthy pieces.

This updated edition brings back some of the great yarns from the first edition, with several of the smaller pieces cleared away to make way for a grand adventure staring the irrepressible Tom Sawyer and friends.

Included in this collection are:

Tom Sawyer Abroad – By far Twain’s most famous and enduring character, most of us only know him from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Huck Finn”, but he actually made quite a few appearances. This is a Jules Verne inspired tale of Tom, Huck and Jim commandeering a flying machine and heading off for Africa. Illustrated by George Sellas, this adaptation captures the raucous spirit and deeper wisdom inherent in the character.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County – Possibly the most famous tale in the collection, it is given a straight-forward comic book style adaptation. I vaguely remembered reading this story in Elementary school, and it was a nice way to be re-introduced to it.

A Dog’s Tale – Without a doubt the stand-out piece in the book, and possibly the best achievement in the entire Graphic Classics series. A stunning adaptation by Lance Tooks adds an additional element to this sad story of a devoted dog and the family with which it lives. The true power of words and pictures is put on display in this adaptation.

Advice to Little Girls – An anthology of witticisms each with a different illustrator, revealing the dual-nature of little girls. Sugar and Spice, Naughty and Nice.

The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut – Twain battles to defeat his own conscience, an intolerable bother since the day he was born. His conscience thinks it is up for the battle…

A Curious Pleasure Excursion – Another powerful adaptation, William L. Brown provides woodblock illustrations to illustrate Twain’s advertisement for a luxury trip aboard the Comet Coggia!

Is He Living or is He Dead? – Simon Gane lends his old-fashioned style to a tale of artistic fame and true talent, as four painters conspire to gain wealth from poverty. The only condition is that one of their number must die in order to become famous.

The Mysterious Stranger – Adapted by Richard Geary, a regular of the Graphics Classics series, this story features three young boys who meet a mysterious stranger. The happy visitor announces himself as Satan, and proceeds to show the three boys the true nature of a happy life. Only the dead and insane are free from the world’s troubles.
Rating: 5 / 5