Rough Trade Friday: Stardust (pretty pictures version)
There are more versions of this damn book than there are men on a falcon shoot. Don't get me wrong, this story is what hooked me on Neil Gaiman for life. The story is a modern fairy tale, single young man on a quest for love, he happens to be faerie royalty and doesn't realise it (isn't that always the way), there is a star, that happens to be a girl hottie, and complications ensue. Evil witches, Faeire Lords, hairy men (huh, bears in Faeire land, who knew?) magical items, all rush together to make a seemingly simple tale into a ripping yarn. Oh and a special surprise ending...the only real question is what version to buy. There is an illustrated novella, a trade paperback, a novel, and now a movie.
Charles Vess illustrated the novella and the trade, and in my opinion adds to the story considerably. Astute connoisseurs of comic history will of course recognise his style from “The Land of Summer's Twilight,” part of the Books of Magic, some Sandman, as well as Spider-Man and Swamp Thing (See all these Rough Trade Fridays are secretly linked, you will like Moore and Gaiman, you have no choice). Vess also has won two Will Eisner awards.
If you love anything about fantasy, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy. Devour it. Love it. Read it to someone you care about.
The Boy Blunder
Posted to Trade Paperback on 24 August 2007
· Comments (1)
Other stuff like this: Charles Vess, comics, Neil Gaiman, Rough Trade Friday, Stardust
Charles Vess is an artistic genius. Definitely one of my favorite fantasy (and comic) artists.
He, of course, also illustrated both the Midsummer Night's Dream and Tempest issues of Sandman.