SIR GAWAIN & THE GREEN KNIGHT ...

Is a well known Medieval poem that has been adapted for book and film many times with differing results and faithfulness, but it is as a comic of the same name by Mark Penman and John Reppion that is the best adaption of the poem. The tale has been brilliantly depicted in a simple and dynamic way with only four colors: black, white, red and green that tell the story in a very accessible and faithful way while retaining all the nuance of the original Chivalric poem, like how the knight Gawain has a pentangle on his shield and the prologue mentioning Troy.

                                                                                                                           © John Reppion and Mark Penman

The hardback copy even has an introduction by Alan Moore and a list of historical information at the end.

Here's a link to the comic on the website of the writer John Reppion and his wife Leah Moore, where you can also find a downloadable soundtrack to go with the comic.

And here's a link to the artist Mark Penman's website.

HIS DARK MATERIALS ...

Is a series of three books by Author Philip Pullman best described as theological fantasy with science thrown in, being inspired by the epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton among other things. Although the book series is well known, it has not had a successful movie adaption and considering that the story involves many worlds and species, it is not surprising that a faithful translation to screen would be difficult to achieve. So, it is all the more surprising that after a Hollywood movie of the first book called The Golden Compass (The book was called Northern Lights in the UK) failed to launch a franchise - even though it wasn't that bad - the series then got a full TV adaption from a coproduction between the BBC and HBO that is one of the best translations of page to screen I have ever seen.

     © BBC & HBO                                                     © BBC & HBO

The story is done full justice in the TV series - which is three seasons/series long, one for each book -  and while not always directly faithful to the book series, it feels like the larger overall story of the books is better told and better paced. It is a suitably high value looking production in its CGI and sets, all of which look suitably impressive considering the scope of the books but which don't feel like money was ever wasted on anything; except maybe the opening title intros for each series which look simply amazing and have a Latin sung chorus to them. The series is I think, the best way to enjoy the story of Pullman's work and is even better then the books (which is something I do not say!). The TV series also has a little humor to it which is missing from the books and which just improves things.  

                  © BBC & HBO                                                         © Philip Pullman

Here's a link to the full three season boxset of the TV show - also called 'His Dark Materials' - on Amazon where you can buy the entire TV series.

For those of you who want to buy the books here's a link to the one volume Everyman edition that includes the original three books in the series that are separately called 'Northern Lights', 'The Subtle Knife' and 'The Amber Spyglass' on Amazon where you can buy the book.