The War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...
'', written by
Ian Edginton
Ian Edginton is a British comic book writer, known for his work on such titles as ''X-Force'', '' Scarlet Traces'', '' H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds'' and ''Leviathan''.
Career
Ian Edginton is known for his steampunk/ alternate history wor ...
Edginton and D'Israeli had previously worked together to create the comic ''
Scarlet Traces
''Scarlet Traces'' is a Steampunk comic series written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by D'Israeli. It was originally published online before being serialised in 2002, in the British anthology ''Judge Dredd Megazine''. A sequel, ''Scarlet Trace ...
'', their comic book sequel to the original ''The War or the Worlds.'' ''S''everal characters from ''Scarlet Traces'' can be seen in this series, and it reuses their designs of the Martians and their machines.
The comic was released as a
webcomic
Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books.
Webcomics can be c ...
on the Dark Horse Comics website and was published as a
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
in 2006 by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
(72 pages, ).
Reception
According to Dark Horse, ''War of the Worlds'' was reviewed by
Comics Buyer's Guide
''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The publ ...
, who said: "Ian Edgington and D'Israeli have taken the high road and interpreted ''Wars'' as a late-1800s tale. Scientists still get front-page news and are seen with respect. There is no electricity in common use. Weapons? The mighty cannon, of course. And we can't forget bacteria, either. Art-wise, it is a good job, complete with devastating scenes of destruction, raging Victorian citizens, and a pock-faced hero who lives to see the day of deliverance. All in all, it's a good adaptation of a novel that will always be a classic."
Legal disputes
In July 2006, Pendragon Pictures gave legal notice to Dark Horse Comics, claiming that the comic directly replicated hundreds of images from its 2005 film '' H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds''. Pendragon set up a website that compared frames of the movie to panels from the comic, and included a poll for the public to vote on whether they thought the images were similar. By April 2008, Pendragon had posted on its website that " tnow agrees that it has no evidence at this time that Dark Horse misappropriated or copied any image, concept or theme from Pendragon's movie. Pendragon Pictures regrets and apologizes to Dark Horse for any misconception its press release or later internet poll may have caused." Announcement of settlement on homepage.
See also
*''
Scarlet Traces
''Scarlet Traces'' is a Steampunk comic series written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by D'Israeli. It was originally published online before being serialised in 2002, in the British anthology ''Judge Dredd Megazine''. A sequel, ''Scarlet Trace ...
'', Edgington and D'Israeli's sequel to ''War of the Worlds''
*''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II
''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II'' is a comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, published under the America's Best Comics imprint of DC Comics in the United States and under Vertigo in t ...
'', another comic series by
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...
and Kevin O'Neill which also uses the ''War of the Worlds'' setting
*
List of steampunk works
Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world wherein steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set ...
*
List of comics based on fiction
The following is a list of comics based on fiction, including novels, books or short stories.
Novels
0—9
* '' 7 Billion Needles'' Vols. 1—4 (Vertical, October 2010—May 2011)
A
* ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'':
** ''Alice in Wonderl ...