Poe: Stories and Poems

Graphic novelist Hinds (The Odyssey, rev. 11/10; Macbeth, rev. 3/15) continues his tour through the classics as he takes on the work of Edgar Allan Poe, adapting three poems ("Annabel Lee," "The Bells," and "The Raven") and four stories ("The Masque of the Red Death," "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Pit and the Pendulum," and "The Tell-Tale Heart"). A "Poe Checklist" at the beginning enumerates a dozen common themes and tropes (e.g., "creepy animals," "premature burial"), and the title page for each entry lists those that are pertinent. As always, Hinds's adaptations lean heavily on the original language of the text with an eye toward accessibility for the modern reader and an understanding that the illustrations will carry a good portion of the narrative. Hinds's varied illustrations are a good match for Poe's atmospheric blend of horror and mystery. The pictures are often dark and shadowy, but color is used judiciously throughout to great effect; "The Masque of the Red Death" has abundant flourishes of red, for example, while "The Raven" is in black and white. Striking imagery, too, catches the eye and the imagination. The final spread of "The Bells" looks up into a bright full moon to see not just the church bell but also the ghouls looking like veritable gargoyles come to life. An appended author's note gives general background on Poe and additional insight into each story or poem. jonathan hunt