Thoughts on Graphic Novels

According to Publishers Weekly, Ender's Game Comics Coming From Marvel.

I was excited about the idea that Ender's Game might be a movie, but this news just leaves me flat. I like manga, I've read some of Sandman, and one of these days I'll get the Buffy season and Wil Wheaton's Trek. I also read a bunch of different Trek comics when I was a kid -- that was a lot of comics to keep up with! 'Spensive too.

So I'm certainly not against comics and graphic novels. But for this, I can't see myself buying them.

I've already read the stories.

( Click here for the deleted scenes )

So, in short, why read Ender's Game: The Comic/Graphic Novel? I've already read the story. What's new? Pictures?

Yet I'd love to see Ender's Game or Ender's Shadow as a movie. Even though I know the story, it's another thing altogether to see it acted out with cool special effects. I'd even love to see it as an animated movie. Because, again, acted out, though not so much with the cool special effects.

Even so, I don't like movies that stick too strongly to the book they're based on. The first Harry Potter movie suffered that problem. So I guess it's not enough for actors, sets, costumes, makeup, special effects. I want a slightly different take on things. I want new scenes, new lines, maybe even a theme I hadn't noticed woven into the thread of the movie.

I want something new.

So, prove to me that these graphic novels will bring something new to the story. Other than just pictures and a cinematic style.

And there is potential there. Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are parallel novels. Run them simultaneously as parallel comics and you can have all sorts of interesting things going on and injokes. Rather like Buffy and Angel running on TV at the same time. Rather like Torchwood and Dr. Who running on TV not exactly at the same time.

That would make it a new story. A new experience.

That might make it worth spending money on.