The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel is, in my book, a nice adaptation of the source material. It definitely feels like the people who’ve worked on it (based on Maggie Stiefvater‘s novel, adapted by Stephanie Williams, and illustrated by Sas Milledge) understood the story they were working with. They’ve done a beautiful job translating it into this new medium.
The characters and setting live on the pages just as they had in my head. 300 Fox Way (a setting I was particularly looking forward to seeing), Monmouth Manufacturing, Cabeswater — they’re all done so well. The characters’ designs feel so familiar because they truly reflect the essence of the source material. The color palettes are very fitting as well. I’m a huge fan of everything Sas Milledge has done here!
Stephanie Williams has done a good job of emphasizing most of the important facets of the story. That being said, the reader’s insight into the characters and tone in the source material relies heavily on Stiefvater’s prose, so some things got lost in the transfer. I do think that’s more due to the medium itself than the adapter. (I was saddened that the “Coca-Cola shirt”/”snake” bit was missing and even more so about the cut-short “repugnant” conversation and cutting Ronan writing on the car window.)
I believe the graphic novel reader can still understand enough to appreciate the story, which is commendable. We get a decent feel for Blue, Adam, and Gansey. Ronan and Noah are a little harder to pin down, which I think could also be said for the first original novel. The pacing qualms I had with the original story (slightly underbaked “promise of the premise” and a rushed finale) persevere somewhat, but feel better balanced. The finale, in particular, feels less confusing with the visual counterpart.
I do think this adaptation is best appreciated by existing fans of The Raven Cycle. New readers may not grasp the story/characters in the same way, and I think it would work best for them as a taste test for the novels rather than as a substitute. Additionally, I’ve seen infinitely more graphic novel adaptations of middle-grade novels than young adult, so I’m not sure if this completely fits the present market. Because of that, it seems like the target demographic is intentionally more existing fans than new readers.
As a huge fan of the original series (I’ve read The Raven Boys at least three times before), I’m pleased with this adaptation. It’s not perfect, but I wouldn’t call the original perfect either. Regardless, I’m sure I’ll come back to this graphic novel like I have the other books in this universe. I’m definitely interested in seeing how the rest of the series comes to life from here!
Have you read The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel and/or the original novel? If so, did you like it/them? Why, or why not? What are your thoughts on graphic novel adaptations? Is there one you’d love to see (I’ve personally always wanted to see one of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis — that or an animation)? Let me know in the comments below!
Little Bit of All That 
[…] blogging). In the beginning of the fall, I did have a small surge of activity. I posted reviews for The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel and Spooky Appalachia, both books I enjoyed. I made a small effort to revive my bookstagram […]
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[…] 5. The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel (The Raven Cycle: The Graphic Novels, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater […]
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