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The Dresden Files Graphic Novels #3
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin
Harry Dresden, a Chicago private investigator and wizard, heads to a small, isolated Missouri town terrorized by Nevernever monsters. The singularly unfortunate Talbot family has suffered a curse that has decimated their number for generations, and only our hero can save them... that is, if he can survive hostile lawmen, the dark secrets of townsfolk, an ancient guardian spirit, and two deadly carnivores! Can Dresden cleanse the Talbot bloodline of its curse without a blood sacrifice of his own?
159 pages, Hardcover
First published November 20, 2013
About the author
Jim Butcher
252 books49.3k followersJim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
March 21, 2018
Adapting Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden files stories to a graphic novel medium was an inspired decision – and this worked very well.
Butcher and illustrators Mark Powers and Joseph Cooper collaborated to make an entertaining, fun to read graphic that further expanded the storyline and pushed back the horizons on Butcher’s fantastic world building.
We get to know more about ghouls and goblins and as in much of the Dresden universe, Butcher has changed the rules some from the Monster Manual as well as more traditional and mythical ideas about ghouls and goblins.
Here, a decades old curse is coming down hard on an out of Chicago family and Harry gets in the middle of the action. We also get to know an ancient spirit and another ancient supernatural being from a foreign mythos.
Altogether a Dresden good time and one that fans will not want to miss.
Butcher and illustrators Mark Powers and Joseph Cooper collaborated to make an entertaining, fun to read graphic that further expanded the storyline and pushed back the horizons on Butcher’s fantastic world building.
We get to know more about ghouls and goblins and as in much of the Dresden universe, Butcher has changed the rules some from the Monster Manual as well as more traditional and mythical ideas about ghouls and goblins.
Here, a decades old curse is coming down hard on an out of Chicago family and Harry gets in the middle of the action. We also get to know an ancient spirit and another ancient supernatural being from a foreign mythos.
Altogether a Dresden good time and one that fans will not want to miss.
April 28, 2015
I think this was my favorite Dresden graphic novel so far. I really enjoyed the story, and I liked this art style so much better than the one in Storm Front Vol 2.
November 7, 2013
I received an ARC copy of this book for review.
I think this is the first actual comic book that I've ever read. I requested it because anything Jim Butcher touches turns to gold, and his Dresden Files are amazing. I wasn't sure about a Harry Dresden comic book but I wanted to give it a try. I am so glad that I did.
The artwork was stunning and the artist did a wonderful job of capturing the emotions of the characters. I couldn't stop looking through the pages even though I had so many other things I was supposed to be doing. Instead of going through a quarter of the book a day, as was my plan, I read the entire thing in one sitting. It wasn't very long, but still.
The story line was just as exciting as I had expected from Jim Butcher. I loved the twists the story took as I made my way to the end. Some things I guessed, some things took me completely by surprise, and it was worth every minute I spent reading it.
Am I suddenly going to become a comic book connoisseur? Probably not, though I'm willing to try some others. And I'll definitely be picking up any comic books based on the Harry Dresden world.
I especially loved Jim Butcher's series summary hidden in the back. There were moments when his wry 'check this shit out' writing made me crack up. It was wonderful. Definitely recommended for fans of the Dresden Files series or anyone who loves a good comic book.
I think this is the first actual comic book that I've ever read. I requested it because anything Jim Butcher touches turns to gold, and his Dresden Files are amazing. I wasn't sure about a Harry Dresden comic book but I wanted to give it a try. I am so glad that I did.
The artwork was stunning and the artist did a wonderful job of capturing the emotions of the characters. I couldn't stop looking through the pages even though I had so many other things I was supposed to be doing. Instead of going through a quarter of the book a day, as was my plan, I read the entire thing in one sitting. It wasn't very long, but still.
The story line was just as exciting as I had expected from Jim Butcher. I loved the twists the story took as I made my way to the end. Some things I guessed, some things took me completely by surprise, and it was worth every minute I spent reading it.
Am I suddenly going to become a comic book connoisseur? Probably not, though I'm willing to try some others. And I'll definitely be picking up any comic books based on the Harry Dresden world.
I especially loved Jim Butcher's series summary hidden in the back. There were moments when his wry 'check this shit out' writing made me crack up. It was wonderful. Definitely recommended for fans of the Dresden Files series or anyone who loves a good comic book.
December 17, 2023
Pretty whatever, I guess it was cool seeing a Naga. It went by pretty fast and was very forgettable. The Panel work besides the beginning was bad, the artwork was very uninspired and finally doesn't offer much.
July 19, 2014
Story
I mostly picked this up since it was an original story and not simply a retelling of one of the novels in graphic novel form like most of the graphic novels seem to be.
I thought the story was pretty good. Nothing special though. It's much more like the early Dresden books than the later ones. This may be because it seems to be set just after Fool Moon.
I'm a total Dresden fanboy, so that may bias my rating a bit. I think Dresden fans will enjoy this, but you shouldn't feel like you're missing out if you don't pick it up.
3.5 Stars
Artwork
I enjoyed the artwork a lot. Harry doesn't look exactly how I'd imagine, but close enough. I loved the artwork for Bob the Skull though.
I mostly picked this up since it was an original story and not simply a retelling of one of the novels in graphic novel form like most of the graphic novels seem to be.
I thought the story was pretty good. Nothing special though. It's much more like the early Dresden books than the later ones. This may be because it seems to be set just after Fool Moon.
I'm a total Dresden fanboy, so that may bias my rating a bit. I think Dresden fans will enjoy this, but you shouldn't feel like you're missing out if you don't pick it up.
3.5 Stars
Artwork
I enjoyed the artwork a lot. Harry doesn't look exactly how I'd imagine, but close enough. I loved the artwork for Bob the Skull though.
December 31, 2013
A little over a year ago I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try the Dresden Files series. I am not a fan of Sci-Fi/Fantasy other than The Lord of the Rings. A bunch of my friends on Goodreads kept raving about how great this series was, and I was intrigued by the description of the first book. I love detective stories, and these are written like a noir detective novel but with magic, vampires, and faeries. The writing was great, and the one liners Harry Dresden kept throwing out where hilarious. I was hooked from book one.
When I found out there were comics based off the books, I couldn't get to my library fast enough to get them. There are more I need to read, but a little while ago I was on Netgalley and saw the new Dresden Files graphic novel available. I downloaded it and couldn't wait to loose myself in the world Jim Butcher builds. Thank you Netgalley and Dynamite publishing for allowing me to read this. There are a bunch of books in the Dresden File series that I haven't read, so I am not sure if this is based on one of them, so for me this is an individual story and very well done.
In this book Harry is approached by a small town sheriff who has some violent and strange murders on his hands. Harry is interested in finding out what is going on and makes a trip outside of Chicago fighting the flu and a recent battle with a water creature. The story was pretty good. My attention was held all the way through, and I did enjoy this. I didn't think this was as good as some of the books I have read in the past, but this was a fun read. The art work in this book isn't bad, but not as good as it has been in previous comics adaptations. This book didn't have the same feel to the Dresden character that I picture in my head and has been in other comics.
I have read so many amazing graphic novels this year that when I compare this to those I feel this book could have been better. The story could have been a bit stronger, and the art work could definitely been better. Still, I liked this book, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this. I can't wait for the next Dresden Files comic to come out. I am going to give this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars. This is for any fan of the Dresden Files books and comics, but if you are a fan of comics and not Jim Butcher's big series this is not where I would start.
When I found out there were comics based off the books, I couldn't get to my library fast enough to get them. There are more I need to read, but a little while ago I was on Netgalley and saw the new Dresden Files graphic novel available. I downloaded it and couldn't wait to loose myself in the world Jim Butcher builds. Thank you Netgalley and Dynamite publishing for allowing me to read this. There are a bunch of books in the Dresden File series that I haven't read, so I am not sure if this is based on one of them, so for me this is an individual story and very well done.
In this book Harry is approached by a small town sheriff who has some violent and strange murders on his hands. Harry is interested in finding out what is going on and makes a trip outside of Chicago fighting the flu and a recent battle with a water creature. The story was pretty good. My attention was held all the way through, and I did enjoy this. I didn't think this was as good as some of the books I have read in the past, but this was a fun read. The art work in this book isn't bad, but not as good as it has been in previous comics adaptations. This book didn't have the same feel to the Dresden character that I picture in my head and has been in other comics.
I have read so many amazing graphic novels this year that when I compare this to those I feel this book could have been better. The story could have been a bit stronger, and the art work could definitely been better. Still, I liked this book, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this. I can't wait for the next Dresden Files comic to come out. I am going to give this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars. This is for any fan of the Dresden Files books and comics, but if you are a fan of comics and not Jim Butcher's big series this is not where I would start.
November 3, 2014
Set after Fool Moon.
Gritty,tragic, full of action.
Great coloring.
Harry esta deprimido, sintiendo haber fallado tras lo ocurrido en Fool Moon. Cuando un policia viene a pedir ayuda para salvar una familia, no lo piensa mucho y viaja hasta alli. Pero nada es fácil, y vemos una vez a un aporreado Harry que se enfrenta a fuerzas superiores a él, y está a punto de fallar una vez más...
Esta es una historia original, que no aparece en las novelas. Por supuesto que falta la profundidad que puede explorarse en un libro, pero el personaje esta bien presentado, y todos los detalles 'gore', y el conflicto con las leyes sobrenaturales.
El policia es un personaje muy dulce, y en un momento me hice recordar a Takleberry :)
Gritty,tragic, full of action.
Great coloring.
Harry esta deprimido, sintiendo haber fallado tras lo ocurrido en Fool Moon. Cuando un policia viene a pedir ayuda para salvar una familia, no lo piensa mucho y viaja hasta alli. Pero nada es fácil, y vemos una vez a un aporreado Harry que se enfrenta a fuerzas superiores a él, y está a punto de fallar una vez más...
Esta es una historia original, que no aparece en las novelas. Por supuesto que falta la profundidad que puede explorarse en un libro, pero el personaje esta bien presentado, y todos los detalles 'gore', y el conflicto con las leyes sobrenaturales.
El policia es un personaje muy dulce, y en un momento me hice recordar a Takleberry :)
December 15, 2013
I love these Dresden Files comics. They are so visually complimentary to the story it is almost like watching a TV show. The graphics/illustrations are very well done with emotional details that come across.
A family had a nasty curse and Harry travels to Mississippi to help them. Harry deals with Ghoul Goblin and the Nevernever. This go will as they usually do for Harry and that make sit all the more fun.
A great fun read for the Dresden fan.
A family had a nasty curse and Harry travels to Mississippi to help them. Harry deals with Ghoul Goblin and the Nevernever. This go will as they usually do for Harry and that make sit all the more fun.
A great fun read for the Dresden fan.
June 16, 2021
A fun short story in graphic novel format set I think after Fool Moon, ideal for Dresden completionists and new comers alike. I had a good time with this and would consider picking up more like this in the future...
June 9, 2021
Can we get a graphic novel on the mayor and the djinn?!?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2018
I originally requested this book for my husband. He finished the Dresden File books (the entire series) in a 2 month period. When I found out that Ghoul Goblin was an original story I was in! I read the series up to like book 6 or 7 and then got a little burnt out. So I hadn't read the series in a while. What I really like about this particular graphic novel is that you don't have to be a reader of the books to follow along. Actually, you get totally introduced to the world of Dresden.
I did read the other Dresden graphic novels, Storm Front and Fool Moon which are retelling of the books. I really don't love those types of graphic novels and am usually disappointed in them. This on the other hand is a fun new story. I mean... the comic book even had a little twist in the plot! I liked the artwork but didn't love it. The backgrounds where beautiful but I pictured Harry Dresden a little more manly... he seemed young in this book to me. Though I guess in the timeline of the series this book takes place between books 2 and 3 when Harry is around 25 years old. So the art is accurate my imagination is not (artist is Joseph Cooper). :)
I like all the supernatural characters that are featured in the comic. Just like in the books... someone comes to hire a wizard which is Harry Dresden to help them solve a case that seems supernatural. In this case it's a police officer and we discover a family that has had an ancient curse on them from Egypt (some of my favorite art in the book was the Egypt scenes). By the way.. anyone else think the title is a spoiler of sorts?
I think that people who love Dresden will get a kick out of this book and those who haven't discovered the series will read it and want to read the books. I actually started reading the Dresden File novels because of a short story Butcher wrote in an anthology about Dresden. I knew then I must read these books! I still wish the Dresden Files TV show would've got more then one season on the SYFY channel. I was really surprised when it got canceled because shows on there usually get a long run.
I did read the other Dresden graphic novels, Storm Front and Fool Moon which are retelling of the books. I really don't love those types of graphic novels and am usually disappointed in them. This on the other hand is a fun new story. I mean... the comic book even had a little twist in the plot! I liked the artwork but didn't love it. The backgrounds where beautiful but I pictured Harry Dresden a little more manly... he seemed young in this book to me. Though I guess in the timeline of the series this book takes place between books 2 and 3 when Harry is around 25 years old. So the art is accurate my imagination is not (artist is Joseph Cooper). :)
I like all the supernatural characters that are featured in the comic. Just like in the books... someone comes to hire a wizard which is Harry Dresden to help them solve a case that seems supernatural. In this case it's a police officer and we discover a family that has had an ancient curse on them from Egypt (some of my favorite art in the book was the Egypt scenes). By the way.. anyone else think the title is a spoiler of sorts?
I think that people who love Dresden will get a kick out of this book and those who haven't discovered the series will read it and want to read the books. I actually started reading the Dresden File novels because of a short story Butcher wrote in an anthology about Dresden. I knew then I must read these books! I still wish the Dresden Files TV show would've got more then one season on the SYFY channel. I was really surprised when it got canceled because shows on there usually get a long run.
February 23, 2017
This was really enjoyable to read. The Dresden Files get very different as they go on; less about Dresden playing detective, more about him being basically a superhero. This was a throwback to Early Dresden, being set between Fool Moon and Grave Peril, but with the quality of storytelling that you find in the later books.
Good mystery, well-developed story, and a couple of characters I hope Dresden runs into again before the end.
Good mystery, well-developed story, and a couple of characters I hope Dresden runs into again before the end.
April 1, 2014
I actually read this as the individual comics and not the trade paperback. It was a decent original story set in the Dresden Files world. The artwork was better than it was in Fool Moon, so that’s a plus.
Harry is contacted by a small town cop who wants him to come out and investigate a series of murders. The cop thinks that something paranormal is involved in the murder of a series of people from the same family. When Harry finds out the family has been cursed, he sets about seeking a way to both protect them and remove the curse. Little does he know he is in the middle of a contest of sorts involving goblins and ghouls.
This is a decent original graphic novel story in the Dresden Files series. The artwork is better than it was in Fool Moon (they switched illustrators again from Brett Booth to Joseph Cooper), but still not as good as it was in Welcome to the Jungle and Storm Front.
This was a decent read and I enjoyed it. It has a lot of Dresden elements we are familiar with. There is humor here, a good paranormal mystery to be solved, and Harry gets the stuffing beat out of him more than once...just like normal.
We don’t really see any of the other Dresden Files characters outside of Harry and Bob, so that is a bit disappointing but understandable since this story takes place outside of the normal series.
I did think it was strange that the first issue in this collection spends so much time recapping. If you have read the previous graphic novels or the novels you don't really need more explanation about what Bob the Skull does or more recapping about what Harry does. It was weird to have all this background thrown in again since this is the fifth trade paperback released in this series.
Overall this was a fun read and an engaging story. The artwork is improved over Fool Moon (but not as good as the first couple trade paperbacks) so that is a good thing. It was fun to read an original story that I didn’t know the outcome of and have it be set in this world. Recommended to Dresden Files fans and urban fantasy graphic novel fans.
Harry is contacted by a small town cop who wants him to come out and investigate a series of murders. The cop thinks that something paranormal is involved in the murder of a series of people from the same family. When Harry finds out the family has been cursed, he sets about seeking a way to both protect them and remove the curse. Little does he know he is in the middle of a contest of sorts involving goblins and ghouls.
This is a decent original graphic novel story in the Dresden Files series. The artwork is better than it was in Fool Moon (they switched illustrators again from Brett Booth to Joseph Cooper), but still not as good as it was in Welcome to the Jungle and Storm Front.
This was a decent read and I enjoyed it. It has a lot of Dresden elements we are familiar with. There is humor here, a good paranormal mystery to be solved, and Harry gets the stuffing beat out of him more than once...just like normal.
We don’t really see any of the other Dresden Files characters outside of Harry and Bob, so that is a bit disappointing but understandable since this story takes place outside of the normal series.
I did think it was strange that the first issue in this collection spends so much time recapping. If you have read the previous graphic novels or the novels you don't really need more explanation about what Bob the Skull does or more recapping about what Harry does. It was weird to have all this background thrown in again since this is the fifth trade paperback released in this series.
Overall this was a fun read and an engaging story. The artwork is improved over Fool Moon (but not as good as the first couple trade paperbacks) so that is a good thing. It was fun to read an original story that I didn’t know the outcome of and have it be set in this world. Recommended to Dresden Files fans and urban fantasy graphic novel fans.
October 31, 2019
So I think my comic book reviews have been awfully long lately , so I'll keep this short and simple .
This was a decent Dresden files tale , in fact , I would think that if you aren't familiar with Dresden files , you can pick it up , learn of The Dresdenverse and enjoy the book . But , if you already know of this universe , you will find the flaws that made me a bit disappointed with this book .
Where the book works well is in being true to the Dresden verse laws and rules , the art was okay , but it worked , the new creatures and myths explored were also fascinating and to my knowledge well researched . The action was also pretty well done .
Where it didn't work was the lack of the humor , Harry was like a grumpy man doing what's needed to be done , no wit , no charm . There was also a distinct lack of successful contribution from Harry , it all felt too Ex-machina .
That said , a decent plot , good extension to the Dresden verse and solid action scenes. It's a 3 out of 5 for me
This was a decent Dresden files tale , in fact , I would think that if you aren't familiar with Dresden files , you can pick it up , learn of The Dresdenverse and enjoy the book . But , if you already know of this universe , you will find the flaws that made me a bit disappointed with this book .
Where the book works well is in being true to the Dresden verse laws and rules , the art was okay , but it worked , the new creatures and myths explored were also fascinating and to my knowledge well researched . The action was also pretty well done .
Where it didn't work was the lack of the humor , Harry was like a grumpy man doing what's needed to be done , no wit , no charm . There was also a distinct lack of successful contribution from Harry , it all felt too Ex-machina .
That said , a decent plot , good extension to the Dresden verse and solid action scenes. It's a 3 out of 5 for me
May 31, 2023
I can't get enough of the Dresden Files. And this graphic novel was the perfect thing to read to carry me over to June.
December 4, 2013
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first Dresden comic I have read, but I am a fan of the series and I enjoy graphic novels, so I figured, perfect!
Once the comic got going a little, I thought the storyline was well done and interesting. Dresden made the same sort of snap-judgement errors that he makes in the book series (it helps that unlike some book-to-comic series, Butcher is maintaining authorship). A lot of the basic explanations and backstory information was in keeping with the series, again, probably because Butcher took a direct interest in making sure things lined up.
This story takes place right after Fool Moon, which puts it waaaay back there in the series for most readers. I began reading without any time context and was surprised to find the werewolf flashbacks and the funeral for Carmichael. That being said, I had to adjust for who Harry was at that time.
I was not a fan of the illustrations. They were vary inconsistent grom page to page. Sometimes a character looked thin and other times, fat. Faces had sharp features, and suddenly they were muddled. Some characters gained and lost wrinkles and distinguishing marks from page to page. Eyes sunk into skulls and re-emerged willy-nilly. In some scenes, this made sense - characters in the background were distorted or unclear. But sometimes a single character, in the foreground, varied so drastically from panel to panel that it would have been reasonable to assume (from the faces) that the pictured individual was someone different.
Because of this, my enjoyment of the story diminished. This is obviously not the goal for a graphic novel. The illustrations should, ideally, enhance my appreciation of the work. And there were some beautiful effects. Young ladies were all stunning and the colors and patterns for the scenes with "magic" were lovely as was the architecture. If the character faces would have been consistent, I would have been singing high praises right now, but I found the facial inconsistency extremely frustrating throughout the story.
At the end of the graphic novel, there are some interesting addenda. There is a section that details all of the characters and another that runs the reader through the basic plot of the book. The problem here is that the plot and that graphic novel vary significantly in their endings. In the text version, several loose ends are tied up, but the story is much more happy-for-now than happy-ever-after (which really fits Dresden anyway). In the graphic novel, the ending is much more ambiguous, with several characters just *poofing* out of the plot, and there is a sense of things having been "solved" which is not borne out by the text-plot version.
Having both was just confusing, because the graphic version was clearly the "right one" in some ways, but the text one seemed a lot better in terms of planning and general plot. After reading it, I went back to see how I had missed those pages in the graphic section, but they just weren't there. I would have been less upset about the graphic ending if I hadn't have been given access to the original plot which seemed superior to me.
All in all, it was a good read for Dresden fans, and there were many excellent features, but a few "minor" ones drew down my opinion of the book significantly.
This is the first Dresden comic I have read, but I am a fan of the series and I enjoy graphic novels, so I figured, perfect!
Once the comic got going a little, I thought the storyline was well done and interesting. Dresden made the same sort of snap-judgement errors that he makes in the book series (it helps that unlike some book-to-comic series, Butcher is maintaining authorship). A lot of the basic explanations and backstory information was in keeping with the series, again, probably because Butcher took a direct interest in making sure things lined up.
This story takes place right after Fool Moon, which puts it waaaay back there in the series for most readers. I began reading without any time context and was surprised to find the werewolf flashbacks and the funeral for Carmichael. That being said, I had to adjust for who Harry was at that time.
I was not a fan of the illustrations. They were vary inconsistent grom page to page. Sometimes a character looked thin and other times, fat. Faces had sharp features, and suddenly they were muddled. Some characters gained and lost wrinkles and distinguishing marks from page to page. Eyes sunk into skulls and re-emerged willy-nilly. In some scenes, this made sense - characters in the background were distorted or unclear. But sometimes a single character, in the foreground, varied so drastically from panel to panel that it would have been reasonable to assume (from the faces) that the pictured individual was someone different.
Because of this, my enjoyment of the story diminished. This is obviously not the goal for a graphic novel. The illustrations should, ideally, enhance my appreciation of the work. And there were some beautiful effects. Young ladies were all stunning and the colors and patterns for the scenes with "magic" were lovely as was the architecture. If the character faces would have been consistent, I would have been singing high praises right now, but I found the facial inconsistency extremely frustrating throughout the story.
At the end of the graphic novel, there are some interesting addenda. There is a section that details all of the characters and another that runs the reader through the basic plot of the book. The problem here is that the plot and that graphic novel vary significantly in their endings. In the text version, several loose ends are tied up, but the story is much more happy-for-now than happy-ever-after (which really fits Dresden anyway). In the graphic novel, the ending is much more ambiguous, with several characters just *poofing* out of the plot, and there is a sense of things having been "solved" which is not borne out by the text-plot version.
Having both was just confusing, because the graphic version was clearly the "right one" in some ways, but the text one seemed a lot better in terms of planning and general plot. After reading it, I went back to see how I had missed those pages in the graphic section, but they just weren't there. I would have been less upset about the graphic ending if I hadn't have been given access to the original plot which seemed superior to me.
All in all, it was a good read for Dresden fans, and there were many excellent features, but a few "minor" ones drew down my opinion of the book significantly.
March 28, 2022
Ghoul Goblin started off very slow and I wasn't sure that I would honestly like it. After about 15 pages, the story started getting more and more intense. 5/5 stars.
The artwork in this graphic novel were absolutely amazing. The ghoul and goblin were excellent editions to the Dresden universe.
The artwork in this graphic novel were absolutely amazing. The ghoul and goblin were excellent editions to the Dresden universe.
January 27, 2020
Basic Plot: Harry Dresden gets called to small-town Missouri to stop a family's curse before it kills them all.
I love Harry Dresden, and I love comic books, but there were some definite peaks and valleys to this particular volume.
First the good stuff: I like the art. It's clean and each character is distinct. The settings are clear. Both the beautiful and the horrible are equally well-done. It was definitely a Dresden story, with Harry getting his butt kicked six ways from Sunday throughout the book.
The lows were pretty low. There was no characteristic Dresden snark. None. Maybe it was just because of the nature of the graphic novel, but the story also seemed a bit jumpy. The use of a deus ex machina at the end, or rather, a Djinn ex machina, was also rather disappointing. It was all a bit too convenient. I also saw the Ambre twist way early in the story.
Overall, there was enough positive in the general story and artwork to place this solidly at 3 stars, but I have a lot of reservations about these graphic novels. This was an "original" story not based on one of the novels, and while Butcher wrote the treatment for this, he didn't write the script, a fact which is painfully obvious as one reads the book.
I love Harry Dresden, and I love comic books, but there were some definite peaks and valleys to this particular volume.
First the good stuff: I like the art. It's clean and each character is distinct. The settings are clear. Both the beautiful and the horrible are equally well-done. It was definitely a Dresden story, with Harry getting his butt kicked six ways from Sunday throughout the book.
The lows were pretty low. There was no characteristic Dresden snark. None. Maybe it was just because of the nature of the graphic novel, but the story also seemed a bit jumpy. The use of a deus ex machina at the end, or rather, a Djinn ex machina, was also rather disappointing. It was all a bit too convenient. I also saw the Ambre twist way early in the story.
Overall, there was enough positive in the general story and artwork to place this solidly at 3 stars, but I have a lot of reservations about these graphic novels. This was an "original" story not based on one of the novels, and while Butcher wrote the treatment for this, he didn't write the script, a fact which is painfully obvious as one reads the book.
February 24, 2016
I'll preface this by saying that I am not a graphic novel fanatic/expert. I just tend to prefer the wordiness of novels.
Harry is in full-fledged damaged, idealistic hero mode in this one, with flak coming at him from all sides. The plot contains some interesting elements--the family curse, the competition between the ghoul and the goblin, the Egyptian angle, the quarin, the naga. Yet again, this is a Butcher story that makes use of an interesting array of concepts from various cultures/traditions. The villain situation is more balanced than the one in Welcome to the Jungle, one male and one female. I thought quite a bit of the art was rather good.
I liked Airavata, the naga...although I wish she'd looked more like Parminder Nagra and not so Caucasian.
There's quite a bit of gore and gruesomeness, not something I'm that fond of (as a person who looks away from the autopsy scenes in police procedurals), although the ghoul looks exactly as Butcher describes in the novels.
I didn't understand why the mayor looks very old and withered in the present-day story. ...Unless her supernatural lover has sapped the life out of her?
Harry is in full-fledged damaged, idealistic hero mode in this one, with flak coming at him from all sides. The plot contains some interesting elements--the family curse, the competition between the ghoul and the goblin, the Egyptian angle, the quarin, the naga. Yet again, this is a Butcher story that makes use of an interesting array of concepts from various cultures/traditions. The villain situation is more balanced than the one in Welcome to the Jungle, one male and one female. I thought quite a bit of the art was rather good.
I liked Airavata, the naga...although I wish she'd looked more like Parminder Nagra and not so Caucasian.
There's quite a bit of gore and gruesomeness, not something I'm that fond of (as a person who looks away from the autopsy scenes in police procedurals), although the ghoul looks exactly as Butcher describes in the novels.
I didn't understand why the mayor looks very old and withered in the present-day story. ...Unless her supernatural lover has sapped the life out of her?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2013
So, I've read comic books before when I was way younger, but never an entire graphic novel, so this was my first. And I'm glad it was a Dresden story. I am so hooked on Dresden!
The RECAP:
Harry heads to SmallTown, Missouri, to help a local cop solve the mysterious case of a family dying off one by one. Come to find out, this family is cursed because an asshole relative way back in the day decided to be, well, an asshole. Talk about your unfair inheritances! Anywho, to make a long story short -- goblin boy and ghoul girl are out to get said Talbot family members, and Harry has to stop it. Getting in his way are local town politics, an annoying sheriff, and two powerful Nevernever creatures. Oh, and a giant ancient snake. Duh, you should have expected that!
The REVIEW:
Definitely a lot of fun to SEE it in action rather than just imagine it, though Butcher usually does an awesome enough job of describing things so you can visualize it easy anyways.
Definitely won't be my last graphic novel.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this comic collection.
The RECAP:
Harry heads to SmallTown, Missouri, to help a local cop solve the mysterious case of a family dying off one by one. Come to find out, this family is cursed because an asshole relative way back in the day decided to be, well, an asshole. Talk about your unfair inheritances! Anywho, to make a long story short -- goblin boy and ghoul girl are out to get said Talbot family members, and Harry has to stop it. Getting in his way are local town politics, an annoying sheriff, and two powerful Nevernever creatures. Oh, and a giant ancient snake. Duh, you should have expected that!
The REVIEW:
Definitely a lot of fun to SEE it in action rather than just imagine it, though Butcher usually does an awesome enough job of describing things so you can visualize it easy anyways.
Definitely won't be my last graphic novel.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this comic collection.
November 18, 2013
A small town cop requests Harry Dresden’s aid in a pair of grisly murders that seem different in M.O. but share one important factor: a family curse. Dresden is struggling in the aftermath of werewolf events that got his best friend Murphy’s partner killed. Murphy no longer trusts Dresden, and on top of that, he’s developed a nasty head cold. But ever the good guy, Dresden joins Pres and stumbles into the typical small town strangeness as he tries to solve the mystery.
There’s not a lot of meat to this rather predictable story, but it was still enjoyable and definitely worth the read for any Dresden Files fan. I was worried that the art would lean too much into the bulky, over-muscled superhero type that is sort of implied in the covers, but Joseph Cooper did a great job of making sure Dresden’s appearance matched his self-deprecating manner. And of course, there was the obligatory trench coat.
With thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite Entertainment for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
There’s not a lot of meat to this rather predictable story, but it was still enjoyable and definitely worth the read for any Dresden Files fan. I was worried that the art would lean too much into the bulky, over-muscled superhero type that is sort of implied in the covers, but Joseph Cooper did a great job of making sure Dresden’s appearance matched his self-deprecating manner. And of course, there was the obligatory trench coat.
With thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite Entertainment for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2015
This volume in the Dresden Files graphic novel series was entertaining, but not as good as the first one I had read, Welcome to the Jungle. It seemed that Butcher's story here moved slower. And whereas I was a fan of Ardian Syaf's artwork throughout the first series (he does the covers here, so that's cool) I wasn't as impressed by Joseph Cooper's artwork and while completely workable, in places it just seemed too cartoony. But, it was fun to see Harry's Blue Beetle make an appearance throughout this volume. The overall story follows Harry as he intervenes to rid a small town Missouri family of its hereditary curse while at the same time fighting off a couple of the local demons. Part of the story also ties in some of what happened prior to this in the Fool Moon series, and Butcher provides a brief explanation to catch the reader up on those events, but if you (like me) hadn't yet read that volume first I would say that it isn't entirely needed to do so to enjoy this. Overall, good enough to make me want to continue on with the Dresden graphic novels.
February 17, 2016
What can I say, I'm a sucker Harry. This one took him out of the city and made him have to work a little harder. It fits perfectly within the world of Harry because he is always managing to end having to save someone from something mystical. The art work is good and depicts the characters well. The dialogue is pure Dresden and keeps you wanting more.
A deputy from Boone Mill Missouri has come a long way to see Harry about some strange deaths in his town. It seems that a local family, the Talbots are cursed and keep dying in horrific ways. Because he believes that Harry is a wizard he wants him to come and help. But many in the town do not believe and would be just as happy if he would go away.
Nice diversion while we wait for next book. Anything Dresden is better than nothing Dresden. If you are a fan then you have to read it. :)
A deputy from Boone Mill Missouri has come a long way to see Harry about some strange deaths in his town. It seems that a local family, the Talbots are cursed and keep dying in horrific ways. Because he believes that Harry is a wizard he wants him to come and help. But many in the town do not believe and would be just as happy if he would go away.
Nice diversion while we wait for next book. Anything Dresden is better than nothing Dresden. If you are a fan then you have to read it. :)
February 14, 2014
This is a graphic novel, so it took less than an hour to read. My husband received it as a gift, and I'm a big fan of the series, so I gave it a try. I generally don't like graphic novels. Too simplistic, and my imagination is better than most illustrations. I felt that way about this story.
The premise is that Harry gets recruited by a small-town cop to help solve a murder mystery. He does, but not before 3 more people are murdered. The culprits turn out to be a ghoul and a goblin, hence the name of the book. The main action of the book is not about discovering what is doing the damage, but how they stop it.
The premise is that Harry gets recruited by a small-town cop to help solve a murder mystery. He does, but not before 3 more people are murdered. The culprits turn out to be a ghoul and a goblin, hence the name of the book. The main action of the book is not about discovering what is doing the damage, but how they stop it.
November 2, 2017
Zombieslayer/Alienhunter's 31 Days Of Hallo-reads: the FINAL review.
//A Witching Hour review Halloween special in honor of the one and only Harry Dresden's birthday. Love ya, ya big scruffy loser. Thanks for making reading awesome for me\\
"There's a fine line between instinct and reason.
Wielding magic requires BOTH."
Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard for hire slash private investigator, is on the mend from the receiving side of a sea monster beatdown (having just weeks before had his skinny wizard ass kicked by a clan of werewolves) when Officer Prescott Tremaine of Boone Mill, Missouri, comes knocking on his office door.
Two victims of unexplainable demises, one a dismemberment by way of teeth and one a mystery poisoning, have popped up in the small community.
"They were siblings, the oldest of seven. Parents died when they were kids... Carl and Sarah basically raised their younger brothers and sisters. Now they've got no one... No one to protect them."
...A family of orphans...
Tremaine's hit the right chord with the orphan Dresden.
Refusing to turn down his services to a grieving family made up entirely of siblings, and their caretakers probably killed by Nevernever monsters at that, Harry doesn't think twice before making the trip to Boone Mill.
But, as expected, the small town law doesn't take too kindly to the ragged stranger in black-
Nothing like being lectured by a magically-camouflaged denizen of the Nevernever.
Especially when his arrival is met with the disruption of a double-funeral.
A goblin has taken claim to the lifeblood of the living Talbots, and so has another creature. A creature of strength and dark hunger, lurking around the small town, waiting for the prefect moment to strike.
"The end game begins at nightfall."
Caught in this sickly game of monsters' tug-o-war, the Talbot children have to trust this magic stranger with their lives.
Met with a family curse almost a hundred years old and several generations of bodies buried, Harry's forced to contact dark forces in the magic world in order to save the remaining Talbots, and maybe Boone Mill itself.
"I suppose this is the part where I cock my weapon and make some pithy comment. Truth is, I'm scared."
"Then you are ready."
Oh, be still my heart.
This was an AWESOME installment in the Dresden Files series. I liked it way more than Welcome to the Jungle which was the inaugural Hallo-reads finale for HD's birthday back in 2015.
I don't know what it was about this one. Part of it was the art, (a LOT of it was the art, actually. We'll get to that) part of it was where in the series Ghoul Goblin takes place, but mostly, it just felt more like a DF adventure than some generic big-cape superhero jazz, like Welcome To The Jungle did.
It could me my imagination, but it felt like Butcher was more involved in this one. He said Harry and his pals were like an animated show in his mind, and this book felt way more like an episode of Scooby-Doo than an issue of Spider-Man.
In this comic story, Harry is still licking his wounds from the MacFinn affair, book 2, Fool Moon
That book, bluntly, fucked his whole life up. It ruined what he had with Murphy, killed two innocent bystanders Harry had grown close to, and got the ever-loving snot kicked out of him.
This is also in that time period in the first seven or so books of the series (when Harry was still, presumably, in his twenties) when Harry would fight, fight, fight and FIGHT until the resistance was beaten out of him, and he'd have to resort to dragging his bruised lumps around until he passed out.
My favorite era of Dresden?
Honestly?
Kinda.
Don't get me wrong, I loved snap-your-neck-if-you-call-me-Houdini Harry from about White Night onward, but this earlier, younger, more fragile version of him is just a lot easier for me to relate to and root for.
It was the Harry that got me into these books in the first place.
Art specs
I didn't much care for Ardian Syaf's Harry in Welcome To The Jungle. Too musclebound, too hard in the face for the Dresden I always imagined.
Now, Joseph Cooper's?
Now THAT is how I see Harry. Tall and big, but in a lanky, fluid frame. Good-looking, not 'ruggedly handsome' or 'devilishly handsome'. Just easy to look at.
That arrogant look always on his face.
Dunno if Cooper read the books or not, but it sure looks like he and I have the same visions of the Za Lord of Chicago.
Well done.
To tell you all the truth, I loved this because it's a great addition to the series, and I'm a huge geeking fan. I've even watched that stupid show.
You might hate this.
It would serve as a good, short, fast-paced Dresden intro if you just wanna know what all the fuss is about, though.
Well. That's it, guys. The third Hallo-reads in the bag.
It's been a blast. I always have the best time with this, writing my punny reviews and reading other peoples' better-written, intelligent reviews of horror novels. It reminds me why I dig Goodreads so much in the first place. None of the classism that plagues too many people in the rest of the world.
It was a good season of ghouls and goblins, and I can't wait to do it again next year.
Thanks for reading, all. Scare ya next year.
Stay spooky.
//A Witching Hour review Halloween special in honor of the one and only Harry Dresden's birthday. Love ya, ya big scruffy loser. Thanks for making reading awesome for me\\
"There's a fine line between instinct and reason.
Wielding magic requires BOTH."
Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard for hire slash private investigator, is on the mend from the receiving side of a sea monster beatdown (having just weeks before had his skinny wizard ass kicked by a clan of werewolves) when Officer Prescott Tremaine of Boone Mill, Missouri, comes knocking on his office door.
Two victims of unexplainable demises, one a dismemberment by way of teeth and one a mystery poisoning, have popped up in the small community.
"They were siblings, the oldest of seven. Parents died when they were kids... Carl and Sarah basically raised their younger brothers and sisters. Now they've got no one... No one to protect them."
...A family of orphans...
Tremaine's hit the right chord with the orphan Dresden.
Refusing to turn down his services to a grieving family made up entirely of siblings, and their caretakers probably killed by Nevernever monsters at that, Harry doesn't think twice before making the trip to Boone Mill.
But, as expected, the small town law doesn't take too kindly to the ragged stranger in black-
Nothing like being lectured by a magically-camouflaged denizen of the Nevernever.
Especially when his arrival is met with the disruption of a double-funeral.
A goblin has taken claim to the lifeblood of the living Talbots, and so has another creature. A creature of strength and dark hunger, lurking around the small town, waiting for the prefect moment to strike.
"The end game begins at nightfall."
Caught in this sickly game of monsters' tug-o-war, the Talbot children have to trust this magic stranger with their lives.
Met with a family curse almost a hundred years old and several generations of bodies buried, Harry's forced to contact dark forces in the magic world in order to save the remaining Talbots, and maybe Boone Mill itself.
"I suppose this is the part where I cock my weapon and make some pithy comment. Truth is, I'm scared."
"Then you are ready."
Oh, be still my heart.
This was an AWESOME installment in the Dresden Files series. I liked it way more than Welcome to the Jungle which was the inaugural Hallo-reads finale for HD's birthday back in 2015.
I don't know what it was about this one. Part of it was the art, (a LOT of it was the art, actually. We'll get to that) part of it was where in the series Ghoul Goblin takes place, but mostly, it just felt more like a DF adventure than some generic big-cape superhero jazz, like Welcome To The Jungle did.
It could me my imagination, but it felt like Butcher was more involved in this one. He said Harry and his pals were like an animated show in his mind, and this book felt way more like an episode of Scooby-Doo than an issue of Spider-Man.
In this comic story, Harry is still licking his wounds from the MacFinn affair, book 2, Fool Moon
That book, bluntly, fucked his whole life up. It ruined what he had with Murphy, killed two innocent bystanders Harry had grown close to, and got the ever-loving snot kicked out of him.
This is also in that time period in the first seven or so books of the series (when Harry was still, presumably, in his twenties) when Harry would fight, fight, fight and FIGHT until the resistance was beaten out of him, and he'd have to resort to dragging his bruised lumps around until he passed out.
My favorite era of Dresden?
Honestly?
Kinda.
Don't get me wrong, I loved snap-your-neck-if-you-call-me-Houdini Harry from about White Night onward, but this earlier, younger, more fragile version of him is just a lot easier for me to relate to and root for.
It was the Harry that got me into these books in the first place.
Art specs
I didn't much care for Ardian Syaf's Harry in Welcome To The Jungle. Too musclebound, too hard in the face for the Dresden I always imagined.
Now, Joseph Cooper's?
Now THAT is how I see Harry. Tall and big, but in a lanky, fluid frame. Good-looking, not 'ruggedly handsome' or 'devilishly handsome'. Just easy to look at.
That arrogant look always on his face.
Dunno if Cooper read the books or not, but it sure looks like he and I have the same visions of the Za Lord of Chicago.
Well done.
To tell you all the truth, I loved this because it's a great addition to the series, and I'm a huge geeking fan. I've even watched that stupid show.
You might hate this.
It would serve as a good, short, fast-paced Dresden intro if you just wanna know what all the fuss is about, though.
Well. That's it, guys. The third Hallo-reads in the bag.
It's been a blast. I always have the best time with this, writing my punny reviews and reading other peoples' better-written, intelligent reviews of horror novels. It reminds me why I dig Goodreads so much in the first place. None of the classism that plagues too many people in the rest of the world.
It was a good season of ghouls and goblins, and I can't wait to do it again next year.
Thanks for reading, all. Scare ya next year.
Stay spooky.
August 9, 2024
After the first two novels were adapted into graphic novels, Mr. Butcher decided to go for original stories for the graphic novels and that was wonderful and worked to expand the universe. Now this book is set after Fool Moon in a small town in Missouri. This was a wonderful tale of curses and supernatural horrors where things are not the way they seem and games within games are afoot Harry is mostly underpowered here or injured most of the story but then there are his favorite spells to keep the action vibrant. Also, I would like to note that Jim Butcher uses all the characters from all the mythologies, countries, and religions. This has made his world expansive and wonderful and once more the characters' growth is just wonderful to see. Another graphic novel adaptation I enjoyed is completely set in the Dresden Universe and I am happy and going to jump to the next graphic novels now till then Keep on Reading folks.
I have always loved comics, and I have I can. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and hope always to love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.
I have always loved comics, and I have I can. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and hope always to love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.
March 27, 2017
goede verhaallijn, mooi illustraties!
December 13, 2018
Fun graphic novel based on the Dresden Files series. In this offering, Harry, professional Chicago wizard, tries to safeguard a family targeted by a curse. Nice art by Joseph Cooper and, as usual, fun storytelling by Jim Butcher.
August 4, 2018
Probably more a 3.5 rating. The art improved and it's a good story. True to detective and fantasy.
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