These switches also contribute to the rise and fall of tension within the plot. There are close-ups, zoom outs, panoramas and variety of character angles so the reader isn’t bored as they go through. Even after reading, you find your eye wandering the illustrations just for the fun of viewing them. The subtle plays between light and dark add the tension needed to make this a successful read, and the attention to detail is exceptional. By a third of the way through, I was invested and immersed. Speech that is being sung is denoted by musical notes in a textually energetic way, while the whole dialogue has pace. The musicality of the stage production is evident throughout the graphic version. However, upon encountering beautiful soprano Christine Daaé, he tumbles into obsessive love and stops at nothing to make her the star of the show. The Phantom, disfigured and outcast, conceals himself, leading a lonely life. It’s 1881 and the cast and crew of a new production are being terrorised by the Phantom of the Opera, who lives in the depths of the building. True to the musical, the illustrations are set in the Paris Opera House. The graphic novel offers a new, different way to enjoy the story.īased on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera musical (which in turn is based upon Gaston Leroux’s book of the same name) the Titan Comics creatives tell the story of Phantom through a previously untapped medium, possibly reaching previously untapped audiences through it. Officially authorised by Lloyd Webber and his team, this novel is not trying to rival its inspiration but to enhance it, and it does that well. The musical and the graphic novel are different experiences and should be approached as such.

Well, firstly, it doesn’t need to compete.

How can the magnitude – the drama – of the theatrical Phantom be replicated on a page? How could that compete with the majesty of the musical experience? I felt it wouldn’t translate well onto the page. To take on one of the biggest West End draws seems risky, especially given this one has such an iconic musical score. Adapted by seasoned author Cavan Scott with artistry by Jose Maria Beroy, it offers a fresh new perspective of a well-established show.īefore reading, I admit to being slightly apprehensive. Theatre, as we know, it is in a state of flux and so it feels the publication of this graphic novel is a gamechanger.

The Phantom of the Opera graphic novel brings fresh energy to an iconic stage show.

Phantom of the opera book illustrations