(2004) Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli, Titan Books, £9.99, hrdbk, 48pp, ISBN 1-840-23911-5
This is a beautiful hardcover graphic 'novel' from Dark Horse comics presenting two Gaiman shorts lovingly rendered by Michael Zulli. In the first tale, 'The Price', a family that takes in stray cats finds a protector in a black cat who seems to come home mauled and bloody every night... The second story, 'The Daughter of Owls', sees an orphan girl raised alone in an abandoned nunnery, until tales of her striking looks cause the men of the village to visit her. Both have the dreamy, fairy tale quality Gaiman displayed in the Sandman volumes 'Dream Country' and 'Fables and Reflections'. Zulli can't help but look like Zulli, which is excellent, but he especially uses colour here very well reflecting a facet of his work that isn't generally commented upon.
The price is a little steep for what is effectively a 48-page comic, but perhaps there will be a paperback edition, however some will feel the price is right for work of this quality (Dark Horse's printing cannot be faulted). I guess it will just depend on how much of a Gaiman (or Zulli) fan you are. Highly recommended.
Tony Chester
Want to keep up to date with the SF scene but do not have the time to check the news sites every day or week?
Then why not check out our seasonal (spring, summer and autumn) Sci Fi News.
[Up: Fiction Reviews Index | SF Author: Website Links | Home Page: Concatenation]
[One Page Futures Short Stories | Recent Site Additions | Most Recent Seasonal Science Fiction News]