In Review: Wuthering Heights

By Emily Brontë
Adapted by Sean Michael Wilson (script), John M. Burns (Art), Jim Campbell (Letters)
Publisher: Classical Comics
Out: Now:


The Book: Emily Brontë's only novel is famous the world over and is the favourite classic of many readers. It is easy to see why, with hardship, insanity, cruelty, frustrated love, and ghosts. What more could anyone want from a book?

The Review: All right, confession time: I have never read Wuthering Heights as a novel, for all its worldwide reknown. It's known for being a complex tale of mental and physical cruelty but as far as I'm concerned, the Brontës are up their with Thomas Hardy as hard going, reading-wise. When it comes to classic writing, give me Dickens or Marlowe.

So I suppose on that basis, I'm the perfect reader for this new Classical Comics adaptation, even though it's a story that has been adapted into comic form many times, most recently by Classical Comics but in the past by Classics Illustrated (a hardback edition of their version is due out at the end of this month) and and Graffex, that edition featuring art by Nick Spender. After all, these comics versions of classic literature are aimed at the reluctant reader and any publisher that hires John M. Burns to draw Wuthering Heights was bound to gain my attention (just as they did by having John Stokes draw Great Expectations, Mike Collins A Christmas Carol and Jon Haward The Tempest).

The original novel is a complex affair with characters to match, but Burns brings them all to life with aplomb, also creating stunning backgrounds to this tale sent in the Yorkshire Moors. There are scenes where he's managed to perfectly capture a moment in the text with consummate style - a look from Cathy Linton on Page 135 being one fine example of his skill.

Sean Michael Wilson also plays his part, adapting such a well-loved tale with care. His breakdown of the novel lends much to Burns vision.

I have but one gripe about the storytelling - the use of what are known in the trade as 'Buscema layouts', where two panels are stacked on each other on left of page with a third, vertical, on the right, making for confusing story flow. I was a bit surprised by the number of these, given the desire to make the story easy to understand.

That aside, this is a terrific piece of work. To the publisher's credit, they also remain true to their mandate and deliver you the full Wuthering Heights novel - unlike many film adaptations, the story of the younger generations affected by the doomed love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earshaw is included in this mammoth story.

Overall, for those of us who may never have picked up a romantic novel in their lives, Burns and the creative team deliver a knock out job with this new Wuthering Heights adaptation - one that actually sent me off to track down a copy of the original.

Classical Comics will, I'm sure, be pleased to hear this.


• Wuthering Heights is available now in the UK and on sale in the US in March 2012

• Wuthering Heights is also available as a 'Quick Text' in modern English

• More about Classical Comics' Wuthering Heights on the official web site

• Wuthering Heights Wikipedia Page
Includes details of many other adaptations of the story, with a more detailed list here

First Beano Book, Marvelman Cover Art up for auction

Over 200 items of British comics and art form the Summer 2010 auction at UK auction house Compalcomics, including a rare Beano book discovered in a charity shop and cover art for an early issue of Marvelman by creator Mick Anglo.

Beano Book No 1 was found in a pile of annuals at the back of a charity shop in St Andrew's, Scotland and luckily, the manageress, Tammy, and her volunteer, Matthew, realised it was something special and sent it to Compalcomics to be auctioned on behalf of Cancer Research UK. The book is in robust, bright condition and estimated at £1500-2000.

But that's not the only rarity in the catalogue which includes art by Ken Reid, Dudley Watkins, Martin Asbury and John M. Burns and some rare Dan Dare toys.

An 1890 bound volume of Comic Cuts 1-26 is available, the scarce first issue with creamy fresh pages. Cheerio 1-49 is at lot 4 and bound with Kinema 1-36 which it became in April 1920, and there's a bunch of low grade Film Funs (including No 1) at lot 10, all at No Reserve.

Tiger Tim was enormously popular in the 1920s and lot 21 includes his first six annuals with a Painting Book and the rare Bruin Boys wooden train set, the characters all with coupling and wheels (apart from Porky Pig, whose obvious weight put paid to a set).

Football is very much on many peoples' minds this Summer and The Football Post, which was only printed in Nottingham, concentrated on their great local teams, Forest and County. There are 146 clean, flat issues from 1935-39 at lot 30. Sports paper Topical Times gave away some superb free gifts and their 1933 selection of football stars coloured cards and supplements are highly collectable. You could've used a pair of Stanley Matthews' shorts to make a tent. Have a look at lot 32.

Hotspur complete years are well to the fore with unusually high grades for 1934 and '35 and the title is well represented right through the war years along with Wizard's two rare Holiday Books, one with a cover no-one in their right minds would surely ever commission today. The Beano and Dandy's lesser sibling, Magic Comic, only ran for 80 issues to 1941 and a particularly good selection including Nos 2, 3 and 4 awaits your attention. The Beano also competes in this rarified atmosphere.

Talking of atmosphere, Superman was first reprinted in the UK with The Triumph in 1939 and most of these issues should fly at lot 63. Also flying will be Dan Dare's Spaceship and Rocket Builder construction sets (Mum, whaty'do you do with my spanner?)

Wrapping off this huge auction, there's a fine selection of artwork on offer including Desperate Dan, Oor Wullie and The Broons by Dudley Watkins, Frankie Stein and Faceache by Ken Reid and Reg Parlett, a 1957 Mick Anglo Marvelman cover, two pages of John M. Burns Bionic Woman from Look-In, along with two pages of Battlestar Galactica from the same comic by Martin Asbury, plus rarely-offered with Ron Embleton art from his satirical Penthouse strip Oh! Wicked Wanda - and some great Rupert the Bear work, too.

The US section profiles The Batman #5 and #11, first issues of Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, X-Men and Giant-Size X-Men #1; and there's also a high grade Brave And Bold #34 - the first Hawkman adventure.

• Bids will be accepted until Tuesday 1 June at 8 PM UK time. To go directly to the main page for the catalogue, click here: www.compalcomics.com/catalogue

• Compalcomics holds four auctions a year. As a member of this list you will receive a message shortly before auctions open and close. Results of most auctions are posted online two weeks after the closing date.

Garth Debuts in New Spaceship Away

The latest issue of the Dan Dare-inspired comics magazine Spaceship Away is on sale now via the official web site, and as previously mentioned, features the first installment of the Frank Bellamy Garth story The Bubble Man, beautifully re-coloured by John Ridgway.

Spaceship Away Part 19 - the title's sixth birthday issue - also includes articles on Frank Hampson's Epsom College days and the creation of comic strip Nick Hazard, drawn by Ron Turner, which also features in the comic magazine (also re-coloured by John Ridgway); plus new artwork from John M. Burns and all-new original Dan Dare comic strips - Green Nemesis and The Gates of Eden, both drawn by Tim Booth.

• To get the magazine delivered to your door, go straight to Spaceship Away Order Page