1. Lord Of The Rings Online Better Graphics

First published over 50 years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' has become one of the best-loved books of all time. Now Tolkien's fantasy classic has been adapted into a fully painted graphic novel.' The Hobbit' is the story of Bilbo Bagginsa quiet and contented hobbit whose life is turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on their quest to First published over 50 years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' has become one of the best-loved books of all time. Now Tolkien's fantasy classic has been adapted into a fully painted graphic novel.'

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The Hobbit' is the story of Bilbo Bagginsa quiet and contented hobbit whose life is turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on their quest to reclaim the dwarves' stolen treasure. It is a journey fraught with danger – and in the end it is Bilbo alone who must face the guardian of this treasure, the most-dreaded dragon Smaug.Illustrated in full colour throughout, and accompanied by the carefully abridged text of the original novel, this handsome authorised edition will introduce new generations to a magical masterpiece – and be treasured by Hobbit fans of all ages, everywhere. When I picked this up I was not impressed.

I took a fleeting look at the pages and saw artwork that was unglamorous; it was basic and unadorned. The story just looked like a simplified version of the original. So, I stuck it back on my shelf and there it remained for many months. I had not time for it. I didn't want time for it.I looked at it again recently.

I then read it through and realised how perfect it is in its simplicity. I was so wrong the first time.I think the movie had altered my p When I picked this up I was not impressed.

I took a fleeting look at the pages and saw artwork that was unglamorous; it was basic and unadorned. The story just looked like a simplified version of the original. So, I stuck it back on my shelf and there it remained for many months. I had not time for it. I didn't want time for it.I looked at it again recently. I then read it through and realised how perfect it is in its simplicity.

I was so wrong the first time.I think the movie had altered my perceptions of what this should be like. The movie sacrificed the story for visual effects and action. This graphic novel, in retrospect, didn’t sacrifice anything. It has the essence of the story and the artwork is as it should be; it’s simple and not entirely serious. It's really quite charming in parts.The Artwork: The artwork in this is mainly consistent with the book. As much as I appreciate Martin Freeman’s version, he didn’t quite have the exact appearance of Bilbo.

This is only a minor thing. But, in this, Bilbo is as fat and ugly as he should be. Hobbits aren’t supposed to be the most attractive of races.

In this he is rendered well, as are the dwarves and Gandalf. My only issue on a character level is Smaug. He just seemed really awkward. In other depictions, such as Allan Lee’s, he is quite splendid and swift.

In this he looks old, rusty, and to be quite frank, plump. He just didn’t look much like the mighty dragon that he is; yes, he is old; yes, he is has become lazy, but he shouldn’t look like his wings wouldn’t carry him.The real success here is the scenery. The Shire is luscious and simple; it is homely and basic.

I think it’s illustrated perfectly with its wondrous shades of green. This may seem like a simple thing, but it really is a vital thing. It is the crux of the story; it is the anchor that embodies Tolkien’s idea of “a far greener country.” It had to be done right; it had to embody the simple, goodly and unrefined aspect of middle-earth.

And it did.The Story: I’m not going into a great deal of detail here. I’d only be repeating myself. I think I said all I could in my full review of the actual novel. Here's the link in case anyone wants to read me praising the hell out of it:But, what I will say is that this brings the story to life. Well, that’s a bad phrase. Tolkien’s story is already alive when you read it. What I mean is that this presents it in a medium that allows you to physically see it rather than just visualise it.

Is that better? No I think not. Let me try again: this provides illustrations to aid with an abridged version of the story; it enhances the experience, somewhat, because the artwork is so appropriate.The ending was what really mattered. It was Bilbo’s ending; it is not about the tragic death of a dwarf who went slightly mad, and then redeemed himself; it is not about a boatman who slayed a dragon, and became a renowned hero: it is about a Hobbit.

This is Bilbo’s story and no others. It is a story about a fearful Hobbit found the courage to trick a dragon and save his friends. And that all that matters. This evoked the story much more than that heap of shit Peter Jackson shitted out last Christmas.

This stayed true to its roots. And the game of riddles was even better.I do seriously recommend this to lovers of Tolkien’s wonderful novel. Please note that this review is for a graphic adaptation of The Hobbit by J.R.R. For my review of the original book, please link here:This graphic adaptation of The Hobbit was first published in 1990. The artwork is by David Wenzel, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s story was abridged and adapted by Chuck Dixon. A new edition followed, for which David Wenzel made improvements and additions to the original edition, including a completely new cover design.Just as The Hobbit was an immedia Please note that this review is for a graphic adaptation of The Hobbit by J.R.R.

For my review of the original book, please link here:This graphic adaptation of The Hobbit was first published in 1990. The artwork is by David Wenzel, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s story was abridged and adapted by Chuck Dixon. A new edition followed, for which David Wenzel made improvements and additions to the original edition, including a completely new cover design.Just as The Hobbit was an immediate success 80 years ago, so this adaptation has become one of the best-loved graphic novels of the last quarter of a century. It is a beautiful and worthy tribute to the classic story.Most people know the bare outline of the tale.

Lord Of The Rings Online Better Graphics

The main character is Bilbo Baggins, a contented home-loving hobbit, who likes the quiet life. However, against his better judgement, he is tempted by the thought of an “adventure”. His life is then turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and a group of thirteen dwarves.

He is employed by them as their “burglar”, when they go on a dangerous quest to reclaim their treasure which had been stolen long ago. Bilbo becomes increasingly involved, meeting with trolls, goblins and elves, and a strange slippery, amphibious creature who calls himself “Gollum”. Using his brains, and with several opportunities for inventing devious riddles, Bilbo eventually realises that it is up to him to enable the dwarves to achieve their long dream and reclaim their homeland. Alone he must face and outwit the monster who now guards the stolen hoard of treasure.

And this monster is a much-feared dragon, the most dreaded in all Middle-earth, a worm called Smaug.There are so many fantasy elements, and such drama in this story that it is an illustrator’s dream. David Wenzel clearly has much respect for Tolkien’s story, and has hand painted his hundreds of illustrations in full colour throughout. They are beautiful and very painterly. Here is the cover illustration:And here is a link to the page on David Wenzel’s website with seven illustrations from this book:If you click on each of the tiny thumbnails, you will see how he uses both muted and vibrant colour, and line, to create the effects he wishes. David Wenzel credits both Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac as two of his influences, and this is quite evident in his work.I particularly like the lush evocative illustrations of the Shire, and the atmospheric ones in the dragon’s cave.

Most startling for me is the way David Wenzel has captured exactly what Bilbo looks like in my mind’s eye: a short dumpy male with a bit of a pot belly and plain, almost ugly features. He has a bulbous nose and a rubicund good-natured face.

All the dwarves are well-drawn individuals and very convincing, as is Gollum, who is uncannily like the Gollum in the films. Smaug is a mean-looking and terrifying beast.It is perhaps as well to remember that this graphic novel was created a good decade before Peter Jackson’s first film of “The Lord of the Rings” and far, far before any of his films of The Hobbit. Yet there are several similarities. Both David Wenzel and Peter Jackson incorporated J.R.R. Tolkien’s maps, calligraphy and charts, for instance, hand drawn and coloured by the author himself.

It is Tolkien who is responsible for the beautiful lettering and cartographic design, not any later artist. In a similar way, David Wenzel seems to have given a nod to Tolkien’s original water colours, in his choice of illustrative techniques and palette.The text by Chuck Dixon is also excellent and well matched. Although both David Wenzel and Chuck Dixon are American, the language used is English, and much of it is straight from Tolkien, especially the dialogue in the speech bubbles. The strip comments are long and extensive; this graphic novel takes a long time to read. Only once did I notice a mistake - and it was a humdinger! Near the beginning Gandalf says “gotten”.

I can imagine the philologist and stickler for authenticity, Mr. Tolkien, would have blanched at that!

There were a couple of instances where the American “o” instead of “ou” had crept in: for example using “vigor” instead of vigour, or “flavor” instead of flavour, but they were rare. And I particularly appreciated the precise use of punctuation, with inverted commas always correctly placed, and use being made of semi-colons.I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book, as I am not the target audience for graphic novels, and consequently not very easy to please.If you want to read a graphic adaptation of The Hobbit, then you need look no further. This is the one. It is hard to imagine how it could be bettered, within this format.

And for that reason, I rate it a full five stars. As a long time fan of Tolkien since I was a child (having even been a TA in a college-level Tolkien studies class), I'm always interested in how Tolkien is adapted.

When I saw this graphic novel edition of the Hobbit, I was very curious as to how the story would play in the medium of the 'comic'. And I'm actually happy to say that the novel itself comes across really well. The story, characters and plot are all evenly handled.

However, a fundmental problem with the medium of comic books would de As a long time fan of Tolkien since I was a child (having even been a TA in a college-level Tolkien studies class), I'm always interested in how Tolkien is adapted. When I saw this graphic novel edition of the Hobbit, I was very curious as to how the story would play in the medium of the 'comic'.

And I'm actually happy to say that the novel itself comes across really well. The story, characters and plot are all evenly handled. However, a fundmental problem with the medium of comic books would definitely be visual approachability. In a less dense story, you could show the action in the graphics/drawings, and the dialogue in word form. But when there's a linear approach to a story's plot, the graphic medium may not be the best way to handle it.because I found the actual act of reading this book a bit frustrating.having to re-read panels over again because the flow of dialogue and action were a bit confusing (ie, do I read this bubble first? It seemed to change, depending on the layout. So, hence, minus one star.But other than that.the story has always been a lot of fun (riddles rule!).

I don't think I have to praise the original any more than it already has been.but yeah, anyone who's a fan of fantasy loves it (hobbits, the dwarves, the wizard and dragons). In short, I've read the hobbit a handful of times.and as always, it feels like visiting an old friend. Thanks to Cory Anthony, reading the Hobbit became an annual autumn tradition. The kind of book you can read in a day but encapsulates some of the best sentiments of Thoreau, and the kind of wonder that makes kids take off on bikes to explore the places beyond their hometown's city limits; to find Trolls frozen in stone, hidden and lost secrets in the deep woods waiting to be found, and new horizons yet to be discovered or imagined. A book to read as a kid, but hopefully one you'll n Thanks to Cory Anthony, reading the Hobbit became an annual autumn tradition.

The kind of book you can read in a day but encapsulates some of the best sentiments of Thoreau, and the kind of wonder that makes kids take off on bikes to explore the places beyond their hometown's city limits; to find Trolls frozen in stone, hidden and lost secrets in the deep woods waiting to be found, and new horizons yet to be discovered or imagined. A book to read as a kid, but hopefully one you'll never be too old to enjoy even wrapped up and warm in your own hobbit hole.

And who knows, maybe it'll spark that old wanderlust.' Its a dangerous business going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.' I picked this up on a Tolkien-high, interested in reading the graphic adaptation of the beloved novel it was based on. It had been a while since I read The Hobbit and had quite forgotten a few things, so I figured it was time to dive in.The biggest problem with this graphic novel is the amount of words per page. Comics almost never have multiple text boxes spread across a page, let alone a full novel's worth.

Some pages were littered with these boxes, much to my annoyance. And some of these were I picked this up on a Tolkien-high, interested in reading the graphic adaptation of the beloved novel it was based on. It had been a while since I read The Hobbit and had quite forgotten a few things, so I figured it was time to dive in.The biggest problem with this graphic novel is the amount of words per page. Comics almost never have multiple text boxes spread across a page, let alone a full novel's worth.

Some pages were littered with these boxes, much to my annoyance. And some of these were ridiculously long.

I don't think this would have bothered me as much if it were Tolkien's words, but Dixon lacks the charm Tolkien had.On the other hand, the illustrations are beautiful. Water-colored works of art grace the reader's eyes, always magnificent to look at.

Indeed, David Wenzel did an amazing job of drawing the scenes and crafting the characters. Gandalf is perfect, as are the Dwarves and Bilbo. Smaug is awesome (when are dragons not?).

The Elves weren't how I imagined them, but still fit the overall stylistic themes of the book.Taking these two together, the graphic novel of The Hobbit in no way compares with Tolkien's masterpiece, but it's definitely worth the read. I wound up skipping large blocks of 'narration' text, letting the individual comic panes and character dialogue instead fill in the story. It was nice going back to the beginning of the journey that inspires The Lord of the Rings, and Charles Dixon's The Hobbit mostly met my expectations. Recommended for those interested in Tolkien, especially younger readers, but I would first recommend reading the novel before this one. A faithful rendition, though it naturally loses some of the richness of the book.Wenzel's artwork is certainly proficient, and I enjoyed the look of his watercolour technique but (you knew there was a but coming!) I was less enamoured of his characterisations. Bilbo looked a little too homely - perhaps an indication of my own prejudice in regard to what a 'heroic protagonist' should look like - the elves not ethereal or other-worldly enough.

Gandalf and the dwarves were very good, though, and th A faithful rendition, though it naturally loses some of the richness of the book.Wenzel's artwork is certainly proficient, and I enjoyed the look of his watercolour technique but (you knew there was a but coming!) I was less enamoured of his characterisations. Bilbo looked a little too homely - perhaps an indication of my own prejudice in regard to what a 'heroic protagonist' should look like - the elves not ethereal or other-worldly enough. Gandalf and the dwarves were very good, though, and the illustration of Smaug on page 101 is magnificent.Despite my grumbles, this is a worthwhile adaptation and an enjoyable read. I decided to read this book because I wanted to read it before the movie came out but couldn't be bothered reading the real thing.

After reading this I might actually read the real Hobbit novel. This book completed the graphic novel square on my bingo board.I usually enjoy reading graphic novels and this was no exception, even if it was a bit more complex than others I had read before.I thought this book had a great story and was pretty epic overall. I am really looking forward to when the movie I decided to read this book because I wanted to read it before the movie came out but couldn't be bothered reading the real thing. After reading this I might actually read the real Hobbit novel. This book completed the graphic novel square on my bingo board.I usually enjoy reading graphic novels and this was no exception, even if it was a bit more complex than others I had read before.I thought this book had a great story and was pretty epic overall. I am really looking forward to when the movie comes out.

The illustrations were amazing and you could tell a lot of effort had been put in to make it.My favourite quote from the book is when Gollum says 'What iss he, my preciouss?' I like this quote because I really like Gollum and it's always awesome when he says 'my preciouss'.From this book I learnt that The Hobbit isn't long and boring like others have told me, although this could be because they read the real book.A character in this book that is cool is Gollum because he is the most well created character ever.

So, graphic novels seem to either tell the story through the art, tell it with good art and story, or go the route of this rendering of the Hobbit and tell it with a whole lotta words and art that seems a bit of an afterthought. Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to Tolkien, we all want the text-it’s great. And the art here is simple and doesn’t pull away from the story. At times it’s bit jumbled (when Bilbo initially gets separated from his dwarven companions in the mountain with the goblins) an So, graphic novels seem to either tell the story through the art, tell it with good art and story, or go the route of this rendering of the Hobbit and tell it with a whole lotta words and art that seems a bit of an afterthought. Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to Tolkien, we all want the text-it’s great. And the art here is simple and doesn’t pull away from the story. At times it’s bit jumbled (when Bilbo initially gets separated from his dwarven companions in the mountain with the goblins) and it certainly isn’t overly compelling, but it works.

I’d like to see a version that has a more dramatic depiction such as the art by Donato Giancola who illustrated the cover of this edition. Still can’t beat this terrific tale. The hobbit is a good book with a lot of description, some humor, good information, and not much rambling off. The book gets to the point and doesn't often waste time telling you something that doesn't relate to the book. It describes feelings of characters in great detail so you can really feel and imagine what they did.

Not only all of what I mentioned but this book so far is great, but it also says kind things to people. When they said: 'There is more in you of good than you know, child of the The hobbit is a good book with a lot of description, some humor, good information, and not much rambling off. The book gets to the point and doesn't often waste time telling you something that doesn't relate to the book. It describes feelings of characters in great detail so you can really feel and imagine what they did.

Not only all of what I mentioned but this book so far is great, but it also says kind things to people. When they said: 'There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West.' And when he said: 'Let's have no more argument.

I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you'. That took us straight to the point instead of wasting time rambling on about something that in all essence doesn't matter. When they said: 'He felt a different person and much fiercer in spite of an empty stomach as he wiped his sword and put it back in his sheath'. The emotion could be felt.

It is obvious he had a more intense feeling of preparedness to fight! This book also has a lot of other good stuff too, like the battle of five armies or when he fought with the dragon! It gets intense!There are a few negative qualities about this book. In some parts it gets too descriptive and it seems like the narrator talks forever, describing to the extent that it feels like there isn't an end to the words! The characters are very honest with each other, but sometimes it just doesn't matter and wastes time.

When the narrator said, 'Dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of valuing money,' it was pointless and had no pertinence to the story. Sure, it tells you information about the Dwarves and was semi-apologetic for what was previously said, but as the reader it just doesn't matter. Sometimes, the book is just spread out too far. When they said, 'The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: that they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow doing it if he would.' They could have made that same sentence but with more pertinence to the story.

It has a few words that are confusing and it takes a while to understand.While reading the book I wondered, 'What does Gandalf look like?' Or 'Why is it so hard to find Rivendell? This is going on forever.” Well, explained later in the story Gandalf is tall compared to the hobbits of course. He also has a long white beard. It took so long to find Rivendell because the path they were following had been marked where to go, but it was hard to see because moss had grown over the path and covered the marks.Over all I think this is a great book. From the evidence presented above, this book is excellent and there are only a few things to dislike. I liked this book because, it was easy to understand and wrap my mind around.

It gets a little dragged out at times, but for the most part this book was great and I would recommend it to anyone with some free time. Heather StewartGraphic NovelThis version of the popular novel was very accurate to the original. The graphics were absolutely amazing and very colorful.

They really brought the story to life. It tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins and his adventure to the Lonely Mountain with a group of dwarves. On the trip he finds himself lost in a cave where he meets Gollum and finds the ring. The rest of the tale tells of Bilbo’s cunning to rescue the dwarves from captivity and lead them to the mountain to slay Heather StewartGraphic NovelThis version of the popular novel was very accurate to the original. The graphics were absolutely amazing and very colorful. They really brought the story to life. It tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins and his adventure to the Lonely Mountain with a group of dwarves.

On the trip he finds himself lost in a cave where he meets Gollum and finds the ring. The rest of the tale tells of Bilbo’s cunning to rescue the dwarves from captivity and lead them to the mountain to slay the dragon Smaug and reclaim their rightful treasure. By using the ring to disappear he is able to infiltrate the dragon’s lair and find its weakness. The dwarves are able to return to the mines of the mountain that their ancestors once dwelled in and Bilbo returns to his hole in the hill. The Hobbit is a medieval fantasy story about a little hobbit(small Halfling) named Bilbo goes on an adventure with 13 dwarfs and the mighty wizard Gandalf. They travel through caves full of goblins, elf towns, towns of men and dark forests infested with spiders.

The dwarfs are on a mission to get their home mountain filled with gold and jewels back from a greedy dragon, but they encounter many difficulties on the way slowing their long journey even more. When the finally reach the mountain the w The Hobbit is a medieval fantasy story about a little hobbit(small Halfling) named Bilbo goes on an adventure with 13 dwarfs and the mighty wizard Gandalf. They travel through caves full of goblins, elf towns, towns of men and dark forests infested with spiders. The dwarfs are on a mission to get their home mountain filled with gold and jewels back from a greedy dragon, but they encounter many difficulties on the way slowing their long journey even more.

When the finally reach the mountain the wake the dragon, who then destroys lake town, one of the archers kills the dragon. The men demand some of the dwarfs gold, they refuse and hold their ground in the mountain. The goblins had heard the death of the dragon and wanted the gold. The men, elf's and dwarfs work together to kill the goblin army.

The dwarfs return to their mountain once and for all.I rate the hobbit 5 out of 5 stars because it is very enjoyable and fun to read. The graphic novel version has very good pictures which add to the already amazing storyline. The hobbit is a book I think everyone should read and that everyone will enjoy. The little guy with big hairy feet goes on an adventure with creatures that have nads of excessive weight, and gets nads of his own. He traverses the world he knows to parts yet unknown, gets lost in an underworld of sorts, matches wits with the witless, and keeps a precious, endless, golden secret.

He overcomes minions, and saves the ones who tease him and finds his place in the scheme of things. He overcomes amazing obstacles, and diligence his small size vanquishes the enemy. Life is an amazi The little guy with big hairy feet goes on an adventure with creatures that have nads of excessive weight, and gets nads of his own. He traverses the world he knows to parts yet unknown, gets lost in an underworld of sorts, matches wits with the witless, and keeps a precious, endless, golden secret. He overcomes minions, and saves the ones who tease him and finds his place in the scheme of things. He overcomes amazing obstacles, and diligence his small size vanquishes the enemy. Life is an amazing thing.

'The Hobbit or There and Back Again' is the first story of Middle-Earth that was ever read by the masses. And to this day it remains a beloved favorite due to Tolkien's exceptional writing, realistic and lovable characters, and the fantastic, complicated world with its unlikely hero: a fuzzy-footed hobbit.Bilbo Baggins lives a pleasantly stodgy and dull life in the Shire, in a luxurious hole under a hill. ('It was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort') But his life is completely turned upside-d 'The Hobbit or There and Back Again' is the first story of Middle-Earth that was ever read by the masses. And to this day it remains a beloved favorite due to Tolkien's exceptional writing, realistic and lovable characters, and the fantastic, complicated world with its unlikely hero: a fuzzy-footed hobbit.Bilbo Baggins lives a pleasantly stodgy and dull life in the Shire, in a luxurious hole under a hill. ('It was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort') But his life is completely turned upside-down by the arrival of the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves.

The dwarves, led by the exiled king-in-waiting Thorin Oakenshield, want to regain the Lonely Mountain (and a lot of treasure) from the dragon Smaug, who drove out the dwarves long ago. Why do they want Bilbo?

Because Gandalf has told them that he'd make a good burglar (even though Bilbo has never burgled in his life).So before Bilbo is entirely sure what is going on, he is being swept off on a very unrespectable - and dangerous - adventure. Bilbo and the Dwarves battle goblins and spiders, are nearly eaten twice, are captured and Bilbo is forced to riddle with the treacherous, withered Gollum, and ends up escaping with a magical Ring. But even after these obstacles, the dragon Smaug is still in the Lonely Mountain, and Bilbo is not entirely sure what to do to deal with this enemy.Author J.R.R. Tolkien had been crafting his mythos of Elves, Dwarves, Wizards and Men for years before writing 'The Hobbit,' but 'The Hobbit' is the first story that people had the opportunity to read. It began as a line scrawled on a sheet of blank paper, and then into a bedtime story for his children. And even though it's overshadowed by 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Silmarillion,' this book is an essential link.

It's definitely sillier and lighter, but it provides the springboard for a lot of the stuff in 'Lord of the Rings' - especially the magical Ring that Bilbo finds in Gollum's cavern.The concept of hobbits started in this book - the quintessential peaceful 'wee' people, based on British countryfolk, with simple pleasures and unexpected depths of strength and resourcefulness. And, of course, fuzz on their large feet. Tolkien's Elves are a little more ethereal and less dignified, and his dwarves are a bit more comical and less grim. But Elrond hints at the full majesty of the Elves, and Thorin Oakenshield is still the most dignified, proud and impressively flawed dwarf there is. The last chapters of the book hint at the epic majesty of 'Lord of the Rings,' and some of the same victory/loss themes. And of course, the idea that even little people - like a hobbit or a bird - can change the world.Tolkien's writing is quick and light, while providing sufficient detail to let you picture what's going on.

The dialogue is less influenced by Old English, and the pace is a lot faster (not surprising, since it was originally read to his kids before bedtime). Bilbo is a likable little guy - he seems to be the last person whom you'd expect to be a courageous hero, but he shows incredibly strength and smarts when he's under pressure. Supporting characters like Thorin, Bard the Guardsman-turned-King, the king of the wood-elves, and even Smaug himself are never cookie-cutter, but multidimensional and immensely interesting to read about.really awesome book, i really enjoyed it. Original review posted at in a graphic novel trio review.3.5 starts actually!An epic story, with cute and colorful drawings about the famous Tolkien hobbit, who finds one of the fabled rings which become an important part of the continuing saga of The Lord of the Rings.About: Bilbo Baggins is happy with his quiet life in his little cottage when the wizard Gandalf and a group of dwarves invite themselves for tea and drag him along on an incredible adventure. Unbeknown to him, he Original review posted at in a graphic novel trio review.3.5 starts actually!An epic story, with cute and colorful drawings about the famous Tolkien hobbit, who finds one of the fabled rings which become an important part of the continuing saga of The Lord of the Rings.About: Bilbo Baggins is happy with his quiet life in his little cottage when the wizard Gandalf and a group of dwarves invite themselves for tea and drag him along on an incredible adventure.

Unbeknown to him, he is to play an important role in its success and become the story's reluctant hero.Thoughts: Recommended for all ages, this is a wonderful introduction to Tolkien for anyone who is daunted by his books. I know I had difficulties accessing them as a youngster (and as an adult too) and thought this would be a perfect substitute. I loved the cute and colorful pictures golemand the text was so pleasant and easy to digest. It would be wonderful for children of almost any age. Including kids of the ancient variety!The particular version, which I read in the UK, was apparently written for the local population; some of the wording and references may be difficult for a US reader. So be aware of your version and don’t let anyone tell you that books don’t need to be translated from UK English to US English.

It was a fun and lovely read at 3.5 stars. I can now say I have finally read – The Hobbit.The version I reviewed is out of print for the US and its cover art is not the same: 144 pages; Harper Collins (1991). For the UK this version is also out of print but is available used. In Canada there are new copies and it looks like one is available in French. There and back again.How could I resist returning to Middle Earth for an adventure?

Especially since I've co-authored a fantasy/adventure set in New Zealand myself. Truth be told. I remember reading (well, sort of skimming) The Hobbit in my childhood and sadly I didn't appreciate J.R.R. Tolkien's flawless storytelling back then. But this time as I followed little Bilbo Baggins on his dangerous journey I was in awe of the author's rich and imaginative use of words. But I also couldn'There and back again.How could I resist returning to Middle Earth for an adventure?

Especially since I've co-authored a fantasy/adventure set in New Zealand myself. Truth be told. I remember reading (well, sort of skimming) The Hobbit in my childhood and sadly I didn't appreciate J.R.R. Tolkien's flawless storytelling back then. But this time as I followed little Bilbo Baggins on his dangerous journey I was in awe of the author's rich and imaginative use of words.

But I also couldn't help wondering how this sweet fairytale would've been received were it to have been written in 2013.Would today's reviewers criticize the character of Bard for popping up out of nowhere to play such an important part? No spoilers here, but it truly gave me pause as I read the 'Fire and Water' chapter. It seemed kind of anticlimactic.

Then again, maybe Tolkien's ability to use a humble hero like Bilbo in a way you might not expect is what makes The Hobbit so brilliant! So even if you've read it before, it's definitely worth going 'there and back again!' Charles 'Chuck' Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to w Charles 'Chuck' Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt.

His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! With artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million, Contagion, Legacy, Cataclysm and No Man's Land.

By Barbara RobertsonThe largest setting in which a unique world could be created is, of course, the imagination. And few people have supplied the imagination with as rich a set of materials for envisioning a fantasy world as has J. Tolkien in his trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.

Some 50 million people have bought The Lord of the Rings since its publication in 1954; in 1999, Amazon.com readers chose the three-volume epic as the best book of the millennium.Thus, turning this magnum opus into a movie is an intoxicating idea. If the movie could tap into the essence of what made the books so captivating, it would be extraordinary.

But the very nature of Tolkien's densely written work, which takes place in mythical Middle-earth where elves, wizards, goblins, trolls, and furry-footed hobbits live, battle, tell legendary tales of ancient times, and take long journeys through fantastic landscapes, makes it difficult to imagine how it could be condensed into a film. On December 19, the world will discover if Director Peter Jackson has succeeded in doing just that when New Line Cinema releases the first installment of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring. (The next two installments are scheduled for December 2002 and 2003.)In The Fellowship of the Ring, the hobbit Frodo Baggins (actor Elijah Wood) begins his journey to destroy the powerful Ring by returning it to the Cracks of Doom.

Accompanying him are the other eight members of the Fellowship: two men, Aragorn/ Strider (Viggo Mortensen) and Boromir (Sean Bean); the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), a dwarf, Gimli (John Rhys-Davis); and three other hobbits, Sam (Sean Astin), Pippin (Billy Boyd), and Merry (Dominic Monaghan). In addition, the film stars Liv Tyler as the elf princess Arwen, Cate Blanchett as the elf queen Galadriel, and Ian McKellen as the wizard Gandalf.At top, the actors playing the Fellowship and Gandalf were filmed in a bluescreen background and placed in a miniature set. At right, they escape the CG monster Balrog's fiery foot in a miniature set.

In the scene at bottom, Frodo and Aragorn are digitalIt would be impossible, of course, to create The Lord of the Rings without using effects. Physical effects were created in New Zealand, largely by Weta Limited with Weta Digital, a separate arm, responsible for digital effects. All three installments were shot simultaneously in New Zealand and completed in December 2000. The 480 visual effects shots for The Fellowship of the Ring were completed in October 2001, but work on the following installments will continue for the next two years. 'This movie is kind of an effects person's dream,' says Jim Rygiel, visual effects supervisor.

'We have miniatures, pyrotechnics, bluescreen, practical elements, and CG elements all mixed and matched. Sometimes the Fellow ship might be digital; sometimes they might be real; sometimes they are scale doubles.' Similarly, locations were created with various methods. Many, such as Hobbiton and the mountain Weathertop, were found in New Zealand or created from existing landscapes.

Other locations were created with 58 miniature sets, into which bluescreen and digital characters were composited. 'Richard Taylor director of Weta's Workshop quite correctly called them 'bigatures,' because they often would fill the sound stage,' says Barrie M. Osborne, producer, who also produced The Matrix. Some of the most dramatic sequences in 'film one,' as the crew calls The Fellowship of the Ring, however, were created largely with computer graphics-particularly, scenes in the Mines of Moria and on the battlefields of Mordor. In addition, a short sequence in which wild horses formed in the huge waves of a flooding river allow Frodo and Arwen to escape from the Ringwraiths was made possible with computer graphics at Digital Domain, and is one of the few CG sequences not created at Weta Digital.CG techniques were also used to create previsualizations and to make possible otherwise impossible sweeping camera moves on miniature sets.

'We've done every possible form of effect that there is on this film, whether analog or digital,' says Ellen M. Somers, associate producer, who was producer/supervisor for What Dreams May Come. 'I don't think we've missed one technique yet. Normally there are four or five R&D items, things that need to be developed for a film. Maybe six or seven if you're really pushing it.

For film one alone, we had 27.'