Once Upon a Time Machine in Into the Forest

Jul 07, 2012 Christine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: myth-and-lore-asia, comic-books-fairy-tales, h-c-andersen, myth-and-lore-america

Disclaimer: Copy recieved via Netgalley.

Once Upon a Time Machine is what all good retellings of beloved tales should be. The basic premise is a series of tales transported to Sci-Fi settings that, in part, ensure employment of a comics department in a large corporation. Perhaps a comment on today's publishing world? If so, it seems to be an accurate one.

And you can believe it.

The various stories used include American folklore such as John Henry, Aesop, Asian tales such as 鈥淭he Peach Pit Boy鈥�, Eu Disclaimer: Copy recieved via Netgalley.

Once Upon a Time Machine is what all good retellings of beloved tales should be. The basic premise is a series of tales transported to Sci-Fi settings that, in part, ensure employment of a comics department in a large corporation. Perhaps a comment on today's publishing world? If so, it seems to be an accurate one.

And you can believe it.

The various stories used include American folklore such as John Henry, Aesop, Asian tales such as 鈥淭he Peach Pit Boy鈥�, European fairy tales such as 鈥淏illy Goats Gruff鈥� and classic literature such as the works of Dumas. It works. It works brilliantly and is not a copy of Fables.
In short, the only thing setting this collection of retellings from those short stories collections edited by Datlow and Windling is the medium used.
Each story is retold using a different style, and between the stories is artwork depicting scenes from other tales. While the settings are in the future, they range from spaceships to bio-domes and a future Nigeria. If you are a parent or a librarian looking for something depicting more than just white men, this collection more than fulfills that demand.

The collection starts very strong with a retelling of the American legend of John Henry. John Henry is a folk hero who does not get the attention he deserves, at least currently, and it is a joy to see him in a beautiful and powerful retelling. The framing device used in the tale works perfectly, and this is one of those comic stories that transcend comics. The power and pathos of the John Henry story is more than equaled by tales such as 鈥淧inocchio or the Stars are Not Wanted Now鈥�, 鈥淭he Five Chinese Brothers鈥�, and 鈥淭he Last Leaf鈥�, a retelling of an O. Henry story . These stories show that too often comics move beyond the medium that is seen most often in the movies and racks. They are equal of anything by Eisner, who gets a nod in the beginning of the collection.

Not every story in the collection is serious and heart-breaking. 鈥淕oldilocks and the Three Bears, or Silver-Hair and the Three Xairs鈥� will delight any science fiction fan as well as lovers of Roald Dahl. Thought Mickey and the Brooms was a bit cute in Fantasia, try 鈥淪weet Porridge鈥�.
What is most interesting is how some of the tales are transformed. 鈥淭he Billy Goats Gruff; or, The Crossing鈥� keeps the testing of the original but becomes a quest for a girl undertakes to save her grandfather. 鈥淭he Three Musketeers鈥� have to help their king in a future Nigeria, where their enemies consist of robots that remind one of Star Wars droids. The changes or twisting of some of the stories is very imaginative and works 鈥� 鈥淭he Tortoise and the Hare鈥� as a soapbox derby for instance. The best twist, in my mind, is 鈥淭he Billy Goats Gruff鈥�. I would buy a series of stories about Billie. Where was she when I was growing up? 鈥淭he Billy Goats Gruff鈥� story will please fans of Robin Mckinley.

Even those stories such as 鈥淭he Last Leaf鈥� and 鈥淩ikki-Tikki-Tavi鈥� that stick most closely to their sources keep the spirit of the source and hence work extremely. 鈥淩ikki-Tikki-Tavi鈥� is a favorite story of mine, and I liked this retelling as much as I liked the original.

The artwork is varied, including artwork that is clearly inspired by anime and magna. There is super-hero artwork in 鈥淧each Pit Boy鈥�, which of all the stories is the closest to a tradition comic super-hero. In most of the cases, the artwork suits the style and tone of the story perfectly. The only art I didn鈥檛 particularly like was that with 鈥淭he Three Musketeers鈥�, I loved the story but at times I found the artwork a little hard to follow. Even there, however, in many panels you could see the connection between the story and the art.

I do have to say the only time I was disappointed was the fact that the 鈥淭hree Little Pigs鈥� picture that referenced both Power Rangers and Star Wars was just that. While the pig story was good, I wanted to see the story that went with that picture.

Ah well, hopefully there will be a volume two. This is an excellent book. If you love fairy tales, read it. If you have a daughter, get for her. Get if for your libraries. It really is a work of art on all levels.
...more

9 likes · Like · see review