WolfWalkers: The Graphic Novel by Tomm Moore

WolfWalkers: The Graphic Novel Reviews

• 
  Rod Brown

  Having enjoyed the animated movie a lot (4-stars!), I thought I'd give this adaptation a go. It's fine enough, but definitely watch the movie first because the sound and motion add so much to the story presented here.
  
  I must admit that I'm quite ignorant of the real world events surrounding this fantasy: Oliver Cromwell's conquest of Ireland in the 1650s. A cursory overview says it was a bloody affair that has reverberated through the centuries since. The wolf pack and supernatural beings here seem to represent the Irish people themselves, being destroyed and pushed from their land by Cromwell's imperialism.
  
  But the story can simply be enjoyed as one of friendship and magic helping good overcome evil. Plus wolves -- always awesome!!
• 
  Lily Yu - Books by Starlight

  *cringe*
• 
  Ben Nash

  Irish fairytales are fascinating. The illustrations and graphics are absolutely wonderful in this graphic novel. The story felt very similar to "The Secret of Kells".
  
  The book addresses friendship showing how kindness can beautifully transform a relationship. It also shows the detriment of blind obedience and how we should question the status quo. Dead fish can't swim upstream. But the ones that are alive can. This story poses questions and challenges 3 groups of people - parents, rulers, and children. Parents should protect and give their children limits. But they also need to be the ones that are willing to go on adventures with their kids and allow their imaginations to soar. The religious pharisees need to repent of their pride and their legalistic rules they burden others with. The children should explore and learn to fight dragons. But they also need guidance, help, and need to know how to respect their parents.
  
  I think the story is aiming at harmony--where the forest and animals are treated with care, and where their can be unity with both man and animals. Well, Isaiah addresses this very thing where the child will play over the cobra's nest. And we are longing for the day when that will happen because it will. We are groaning for the resurrection...for the sons of God to be revealed.
  
  I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm really excited to see it as the novel was written based off of the film, not the other way around. I do think the film will help give the novel even more life. I'm hopeful and excited to see what Cartoon Saloon and Tomm Moore will do for future animated films and graphic novels.
• 
  Dana

  So cute! I don’t have Apple TV+ so I haven’t seen the movie, but now I really want to! The graphic novel seems a very faithful adaptation of the film so some of the action gets lost when translated into panels.
  
  Overall, very cute story and the art is lovely!
• 
  Kenya Starflight

  I absolutely loved "The Secret of Kells" and "The Song of the Sea," Tomm Moore's previous two films about Ireland and its mythology and legends. "WolfWalkers" looked to be just as gorgeous and impressive... and while I have yet to see the movie, its graphic novel adaptation is absolutely stunning and makes me hunger to see the movie all the more. It looks fantastic visually, tells a gripping story, and is all-in-all a wonderful read.
  
  Robyn Goodfellow has come from England to Ireland with her father, a man tasked with helping the invading British government to wipe out the last of the wolves from its forests. Robyn, bored and chafing from being stuck in the city walls while her father goes about his task, sneaks out to explore... and runs into Mebh, a wild and precocious girl who turns out to be a Wolfwalker -- someone who can communicate with wolves and even turn into a wolf! Robyn and Mebh forge a strong friendship... but Robyn's father is determined to lock her up for her own safety and kill the wolves. And to stop him from hurting her newfound friend, Robyn may find herself becoming the very thing her father fights against...
  
  The visual style of this graphic novel looks very close to the previews I've seen of the film, and of Tomm Moore's other films. His style hews closely to traditional drawings and illuminated manuscripts of ancient Ireland, and the colors are natural yet bold and pleasing to the eye. Illustrations have a nice dynamic flow to them, panel layout is easy to follow, and all in all the book looks gorgeous.
  
  The story is a fascinating one centering on the British occupation of Ireland, and gives us two strong and likable young heroines, a fascinating mythology, and a menacing (if a little flat) villain. Robyn's father is portrayed as a man just trying to do the best he can rather than as a villainous figure, and Robyn's development as a character is very satisfying to follow. I'm not sure how closely the Wolfwalker myth follows actual Irish mythology, but it's still fascinating, even if it does ring rather closely to traditional werewolf myths (perhaps the Wolfwalkers inspired those myths?).
  
  A beautiful companion piece to the "WolfWalkers" film, this is a great graphic novel for older kids and adults, albeit perhaps a bit too violent for very young children. And though it does seem to tell the complete story of the film, I'm still eager to see the film itself and see these gorgeous images in motion.
• 
  Tullia Steward

  beautiful illustrations. I love the story!Amazing book
• 
  Camille

  Super Bande dessinée pour les enfants, adaptée du film d'animation.
  Une belle histoire d'amitié, de confiance et un bel hymne à la nature !
• 
  Natasha Kareeva

  Почему такой скучный?
• 
  Sarah

  Very similar to their other work, The Secret of the Kells (movie). Nice story but some of the panels were hard, either chaotic and unclear or shown from a distance making detail hard to pick out. Probably better as a movie but the GN is useful for those of us who don’t have Apple TV.
• 
  Cristinarfv

  Una maravilla, recoge el espíritu de la película bastante acertadamente, si bien creo que todas las películas del estudio Cartoon Saloon son absolutamente mágicas y es difícil adaptarlas a cómics.
• 
  Katelynn

  Love the beautiful, colorful art; love anything to do with shape-shifting and British Isle accents; love the nature, family, and folklore themes! If you're a fan of Brave, Song of the Sea, The Owl House, etc. then you'll enjoy this graphic novel adaptation of the Apple TV movie. (Note: I haven't watched the movie yet, so I can't speak to how thourough the adaptation is, but this made me excited to see it)
• 
  Paige Dillard

  I loved this story and can't wait to watch the film! It reminded me a lot of The Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea, both of which I love! This graphic novel will be great for young adult readers ages 9+ but there are some scary concepts so maybe care giver should read through first or with them?
• 
  Marina

  This was a good story and I love the illustration style. I haven't seen the movie yet, but now I am eager to watch it.
• 
  Artemis Crescent

  Just as good as the film, in my opinion. In fact it's almost exactly the same as the film. This graphic novel was made for people who don't have access to the still-scarcely-released Cartoon Saloon animated feature 'Wolfwalkers'; and it is for people who have seen it, as well.
  
  Whatever the medium, it is a powerful, enriching, wonderful story, with great characters and themes, and stupendous art.
  
  A quote from my blog about 'Wolfwalkers', the film, which also applies to the graphic novel, in nearly every way:
  
  
  'It's right up my alley, not just in its rich quality, but in terms of aesthetics, tastes, features and themes. It's a heartfelt treat for the eyes and ears. It's magical.
  
  Speaking of, I always thought that animation is the closest we get to seeing real magic on the screen - it is a medium with literally no limitations - and Wolfwalkers and a few of Cartoon Saloon's other films work hard to showcase this. It's also great that 2D animated films are still being made, and are lauded for their efforts in creativity, originality and vibrancy. They're as potentially beautiful - and necessary - as any art style.
  
  I love animation. I love three dimensional and fleshed out female protagonists. I love mythology and tales. I love animals. I love wolves. I love mother-and-daughter relationships. I love father-and-daughter relationships.
  
  Yeah, go Wolfwalkers.'
  
  
  A vitality. Boldly, soulfully, spiritually, movingly and aesthetically pleasing. Highly recommended.
  
  Final Score: 5/5
• 
  Zabcia

  78%
  
  "When the holy man preached, they howled from the forest like wolves to remind people that there was another, older wisdom in the woods."
  
  * based off a film that I haven't watched, as it seems to be available solely on AppleTV. I appreciate access to the story and art, despite not being able to watch the actual movie
  
  * beautiful art, but on occasion the colors were too dark to make out what exactly I was looking at. the action scenes were also a bit confusing at times (this probably translated much better in film format)
  
  * I liked that the wolf versions of people shared features with their human features. they were automatically recognizable without looking ridiculous - not an easy task to accomplish!
  
  * based off of the historical deforestation of Ireland - this was a fascinating aspect, that led me down a rabbit hole of research. I am curious if the concept of wolfwalkers was also based on Irish folklore/stories?
• 
  Taun

  I haven’t watched the film, so my review is solely based on the graphic novel.
  
  A blend of history of the Irish people, and folklore, I thought the story was decent… although the trope of evil masquerading as pious men wears a bit thin, (historically accurate tho it may be). I loved the relationships featured, good conquering fear, the artistic bent of Cromwell’s invasion, & the interpretation of wolfwalkers (werewolves, wolf-people, etc).
  
  The real winner here tho is the vibrancy & movement of the artwork, truly making the story come to life, which is what one looks for & loves in a graphic novel. I almost think this is a case of the film being as good or perhaps even better than the book. A dangerous thing to say in the bookish world.
• 
  Siofra

  With an incredible artstyle that beautifully fits the heart-warming story of myth, magic, family and friendship, was it any surprise that this Irish girl would not love Wolfwalkers!
  
  A piece of home and magic walks with stories like these, and they help me being away!
• 
  kai | 凯香

  wow i’m so upset i can’t watch this animated
• 
  T.

  A quick fun read with beautiful illustrations that enhances the story.
• 
  Rozina

  Beautiful story in Irish language and amazing art. Highly enjoyed!
• 
  Hadia

  The story was very impactful and that art-style is to die for! ✨
• 
  Lys

  irish fairytales! wolves! girl wolves! parenting done right! fuck the Church! this must be really good to look at as a movie, but the graphic novel still does a very good job here, 3.5/5 stars
• 
  Lesley

  Cromwell is trying to kill all the wolves in Ireland and the last remaining wolfwalkers join a little girl to try to save them. Very fun and sweet.
• 
  Sea Faerie

  The artwork is beautiful! And the story is compelling. Are wolves the enemies towards men or is it the other way around?
• 
  Evie Eva

  Wish I could watch the movie too, but don't have apple TV+ or even an apple device
• 
  Amanda

  For those of us who do not have Apple+ access, having the graphic novel is everything. Thank you to my library for ordering it! If you are a fan of the previous movies in the trilogy, you will know and love this style. If you are new to Tomm Moore's work, I highly recommend looking into "Song of the Sea" and "Book of the Kells."
  
  Reading a movie-to-book adaptation is sometimes tricky; things can get lost in the panels. I loved this though.
• 
  Matt

  Wonderful story, but the animation frames from the movie really don't translate well to a graphic novel. The images are muddled and the action hard to follow.
• 
  Rebecca

  In an alternate history Britain, at the time when the Lord Protector is bending all to his will and to his vision of a life of religion and toil, Robyn and her father have gone to Ireland to hunt down the island’s last wolf pack. The Lord Protector wants the whole island tamed and plowed, so the forest must be cut down and the wolves annihilated. Robyn yearns to be a hunter like her father, but children are not allowed beyond the town walls (per the Lord Protector, of course), so she has to sneak out. In the woods she encounters a strange, free-spirited girl named Mebh, and soon learns that she is one of the thought-to-be mythical wolf walkers; when she sleeps, her soul roams the woods in the form of a wolf. Although their first meeting is a little rocky, they soon become friends, and Robyn realizes that she must fight to save the wolves and their woods—but she loves her father, too, and the Lord Protector exacts terrible penalties for anyone who doesn’t heed his will. Where will it end?
  
  I loved the Secret of Kells movie, and the Song of the Sea, and this is from the same creative minds. I would love to have seen it as a movie, but I don’t have Apple TV. The animation in the other movies is gorgeous, and unlike anything I’d seen elsewhere—lots of shapes and patterns that hearken back to Celtic art as well as Celtic myth and legend. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the graphic novel, which I have to admit I found a bit difficult to read because the images are partly obscured to prevent copying; I’m sure I wouldn’t get as confused as I did if I could see all the images clearly. As it was, there were many times when I had to go back and peer very closely at the images to try to figure out what was going on, and in addition, there are so many lines and details that the parts of the images that progress the storyline sometimes don’t stand out. That’s probably just my old eyes, though! I enjoyed the story very much, even if it was fairly predictable. I think my students would love it.
  
• 
  Rebecca

  4.5 to 5 stars. I think this definitely works better as a movie. I did enjoy the bonus content at the beginning which fleshed out the Wolfwalker lore a bit. The film references some of the added introduction we get in the graphic novel. The art is gorgeous. If you don't have access to Apple + and weren't able to sed it in theaters last month, I recommend reading the graphic novel. Its basically the movie. Hopefully we will get a DVD release of this fantastic film. For my review of the film Wolfwalkers:
  https://mirageshadowlance.wordpress.c...
  This story is a wonderful coming of age story looking at family, friends, what it means to be open to understanding those you are told are enemies, what does freedom mean, how do you protect those you love, religion and how it can be warped, and all woven into a beautiful fairy tale. Yes, it is revisionist history concerning Cromwell's end, but honestly I'm not complaining. I never liked him anyways. This graphic novel is steeped in Irish folklore and history. I loved every minute of it. I love seeing the bond between Robyn and her father. They want to help each other and clearly love each other. They just don't always know how to communicate clearly because of fear. This impacts how Robyn interacts with her friend Mebh, the young wolfwalker, as Robyn seeks to protect her new friend. They have a wonderful sisterly relationship. Robyn begins to understand her father when she starts making the same mistakes he makes trying to keep Mebh safe. The choices these characters make come from places of fear, love, and a desire to protect and do what's right. Even Cromwell in his own way does what he thinks is right. It is his desire to control and bend religion and people to his will that is the problem.
• 
  Kailey (Luminous Libro)

  Robyn Goodfellowe is the daughter of a wolf hunter, tasked with ridding the forest of all wolves. Although her father has told her to stay home where it is safe, Robyn tracks her father into the forest, armed with a crossbow and assisted by her faithful hawk, Merlyn. Robyn is determined to help her father and kill a few wolves of her own, until she meets a mystical WolfWalker girl. WolfWalkers are humans when they are awake, and transform into wolves when they fall asleep. The two girls begin an unlikely friendship, and Robyn must choose to either save her father or save her new WolfWalker friend.
  
  I loved the magic and the mystical legends in this graphic novel! The magical world-building is really beautiful and imaginative.
  
  I loved Robyn's character! She is intelligent and brave, and she is fiercely independent, but also has close connections for her family and friends. I love the affectionate relationship she has with her father. They have disagreements and very different goals, but you can see the strong attachment they have. Robyn has such great character development as she tries to navigate her new friendship with the wolves and where her true loyalties lie.
  
  The artwork is vibrantly colored throughout the entire book. I loved the delicate art style, and the way the forest setting is so crisp and cool. There were a couple of places where I couldn't quite figure out what the background was. There was a perspective shift of some kind, and I wasn't sure what I was looking at, until I realized that it was supposed to be a town in the distance. And there were a couple of action scenes that I had a little trouble following. The panels could have been laid out in a more clear manner in a few places, but most of the time I had no problem following what was happening.