The illustration is captivating and filled with stunning detail (from character details to settings and background). Not only is the artwork beautiful, but it also captures the character’s emotions and atmosphere. I was instantly drawn in by the gorgeous cover and the fact that this was a manga adaptation of the beloved Count of Monte Cristo and I was glad this did not disappoint.

Understandably, the original novel was condensed to suit the manga format (as is acknowledged in the book). However, despite the condensation, the story was easy to follow and remains faithful to the text without cutting too many details and plot.

I feel like this manga would be a great introduction to the classic tale—especially to those who may be put off or intimidated by the original 1000+ page book. Although, I feel like this particular book may be easier to follow with some prior knowledge of the original. In saying that, there is additional helpful information included at the end of the book (character chart and artist notes) to serve as a guide if needed.

Overall, this was a fun read and a great manga adaptation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Udon Entertainment for a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

The Count of Monte Cristo (Manga Classics) art by Nokman Poon, 401 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL
Udon Entertainment, 2017. $27.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
After receiving promotion to captain and less than two hours from marrying the love of his life, Edmond Dantes is arrested. Edmond spends the next several years in prison, learning from a fellow prisoner while nurturing his desire for vengeance on those who wronged him. When the death of his fellow prisoner allows Edmond to escape, Edmond inherits the dead man’s fortune and uses it to punish those who took everything away from him.
The Count of Monte Cristo is an enthralling tale full of amazing feats and impossible achievements. I understand that fitting all the details into a shortened graphic novel version of the story would equal one of said impossible achievements; still, it was a little disappointing that so much of the story had to be removed. Enough of the story remains to be exciting and make sense, but it doesn’t have the same captivating feel because there are fewer reasons to understand Edmond’s point of view and fewer details of his plans to be awestruck by. I admit, though, that the artwork is beautiful and allows for readers to both better understand the time jumps and better keep the characters straight. Furthermore, the need to use pages and dialogue more wisely in the abridgment forced the graphic novel to make some nuances more clear than the original does, which I actually appreciated. I hope that this manga version of the story inspires more people to pick up the original.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Really loved the art style! This is the first time I am reading manga or comic of this format!

I have never read the actual novel, but I knew a bit about the story. The beautiful illustrations made it so easy to follow the story.

Udon Entertainment and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

On the day of his wedding, young merchant sailor Edmond Dantès is falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison. After many years of suffering, Edmond escapes and reinvents himself as the Count of Monte Cristo. Will his desire for revenge against those responsible for his demise lead Edmond down a dark path?

First of all, the cover art is striking and captures the feeling of the original classic novel perfectly. Although I usually do not read Manga, I have become quite a fan of the classic novels written and illustrated in that style. I have mixed feelings about The Count of Monte Cristo, as the illustrations were a bit rough and lacking in places. At least one of the panels was roughly sketched, with blank faces where the features should be. The story itself was sometimes a bit confusing, especially with the multitude of characters. Overall, the plot of the original novel is well represented here, despite the fact that the page count is less than half. Readers who want to get the main idea of the story without reading the classic novel may like this rendition of The Count of Monte Cristo.

The original novel of Alexandre Dumas is a thousand-page book, hence it will take several days or weeks before I could finish reading it. However, through this adaptation, I was able to finish reading this classic story in just several hours. It's a great alternative for someone like me who wants to read this classic but don't have much time to spare to read the novel. The tale of Edmond Dantes' and the revenge he did for the three people who deceived him will set readers to anticipate what will happen in the end. This story reminds everyone not to be naive and trustworthy just like Dantes at the beginning of the story. If only he was observant of the people around him, he would not be imprisoned because of the false accusation that Danglars and Fernand conspired. The Count of Monte Cristo is undoubtedly one of the best classic stories I've read so far. And these Manga Classics encourage not only reading, but also on promoting and appreciating the greatest classic novels of all time.

4.5 stars.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic that I've been meaning to read but have always been too intimidated to actually pick up, so when I saw this manga I immediately jumped on it! Surprisingly I realised I didn't really know the specifics of the story when I started reading it and since I haven't read the novel I also can't attest to how well the manga actually adopts the classic. I do however know that it's a fairly chunky text and I have no doubt that it has some very complex plot lines and in-depth character studies. Based on that, I think that the manga artists did an amazing job in condensing everything into a more simplified text. It took me a couple of hours to read this 400 page manga while I'm sure it'd probably take me one month+ to finish the original!

The story was perfectly illustrated! Sometimes I wish that manga was done in color because I would've loved to see what type of colour palette the artists would choose for the story. I definitely felt a darker more gothic tone to the story and I think the illustrations would've been made even more amazing with rich and dark reds.

I'm sure that there are probably big sections of the original story that were left out but I thought the story still flowed very well from the start. There were parts that initially confused me, especially where there were big time lapses between sections that introduced new characters, but my confusion didn't last long as everything was quickly explained. For the most part, I really couldn't stand many of the main characters in the story, especially the Count's enemies, but I think the story of revenge more than made up for it! I loved the Count of Monte Cristo's character. Even in manga form you can tell that he's such a complex character that has a lot of different layers to his personality and I continuously wanted more scenes with him (that's not to say he's not in many scenes because he's actually in 95% of them lol). I do enjoy a good morally grey character and the Count really delivered on that front. I don't know what it says about me, but it was surprisingly satisfying to see him exact revenge on the terrible individuals who saw to his unjust imprisonment for their own selfish interests, for over a decade.

One character that I wished we got to see more of was Haydée. The manga only shows glimpses of her, mostly about her past, but based on what happens with her character in the manga, I can tell that she must play a bigger role in the original text. Although she was a 'slave', she seemed like a strong and courageous character and I wished we got more of that from the women in the story. I couldn't get on board with the romance that ends the story. The Count's sudden turn around in his feelings for Haydée felt forced because in my opinion, the build up on their connection was missing.

Overall, I'm so glad that this book was adapted into a manga. I now feel like if I ever decide to read the full text of The Count of Monte Cristo I won't end up being as confused or intimidated. I'm definitely keen to check out more Manga Classics (I see they have Les Mis!) because this was such a fun and simple read! I would highly recommend checking out these mangas if you're intimidated by classics or would simply like to have a more fun way to consume them!

Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully crafted and well done. Condensing down such a massive classic such as Count of Monte Cristo is a hard task to accomplish but this was done amazingly well and sticks to the original tale as much as possible. I recommend reading the original classic at some point in your life, however, for the younger generation this is a great introduction to the world of classic literature.

This adaptation does a good job of remaining faithful to the text. The full complexity of Dantes vengeful quest is preserved, no small feat with so many characters. This book is easy to read and kept me turning pages, although I think prior knowledge of the story does make it easier to follow along with Dantes' schemes. I enjoyed the dramatic style, and how the some of Dumas' philosophical points came through in this adaptation.

I could not review this book. This Manga book did not render correctly. Artwork and panels were blacked out, showed as a static mess.

The art was great in this. It told the story well, though that could be me remembering it from junior year reading.

Love the concept of changing classics into manga!! Great way to get more people to give them a chance.

At some point in the past I chose to read the huge book that is The Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumas. Manga Classics has designed an adaption of the original book - and, at 400+ pages, this manga book is also large.

Manga is unique - it is intended to be read starting from what we westerners would call the “back” of the book. Reading then proceeds toward the “front”. At first, this may seem a bit discomforting, but it quickly becomes second nature and the story moves along. The artwork (except for the covers, all artwork in my review copy is black and white) makes the story understandable and enjoyable to one who has long ago forgotten the plot and themes developed in Dumas’ original. I tried to discover whether the paperback version of the book included color images, but could not locate a copy to answer this question.

The story is one of revenge - as Edmond Dantes and his family are driven to ruin by those who would seem to be friends. It would take decades for Edmond to be in a position where he could exact the revenge, and occasionally offer the forgiveness, which his betrayers required. As the editor of this version notes in his postlude, the story in its original is complex. He and his team of artists have worked hard to translate the story into this modern format for the 21st-century reader. The editor makes it clear that the story has been carefully “trimmed” to combine the main flow of the story. He includes a brief essay outlining the “Rules of Trimming” used by the team as they made their decisions on what to include and what to exclude from the original story. In the same essay, he explains how the artwork was developed - both for the characters and for the settings. This included travel to the sites used in the book so the art might better represent the actual scenes rather than merely an artist’s imagination. I particularly liked the two-page “Character Relationship Guide” that is used to assist the reader in piecing together the many individuals that play a part in Edmond Dantes’ story. I expect this guide would also help a reader as he or she makes their way through Dumas’ original work.

For those looking for a new and enjoyable way to enjoy classic stories, Manga may provide one means to do so. You do lose the author’s original insight and nuances - but … this reader enjoyed the new journey through the old material, perhaps others will as well.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Putting it out here now, Manga is not something I would normally foray into. But classics, however, is. I love reading classics. So when I saw that some of my favorite classics had been turned into Manga comic books, I couldn’t help myself. I had to read them. Which means more reviews of Manga classics will be coming your way.

To start it off, I decided to read The Count of Monte Cristo, as I have never read that one before. Needless to say, I was impressed. Not just by the story line, but also by beautiful artwork. I never thought that a classic tale could be translated so impressively into Japanese comic book art.

Of the storline itself, I was greatly impressed with the fact that Monte Cristo’s plans had plans, and those plans of plans had backup plans. He was very crafty and clever, and, to be honest, made Eabard Thawn from The Flash look like an amateur. If that’s not great writing, I don’t know what is. Alexandre Dumas, the original author of The Count of Monte Cristo, was a genius.

The sheer amount of people involved in his scheme was a tad confusing at points and I had to sit and think a moment to remember who was who, and how they pertained to the plot. So while it was confusing at times, in the end, it all made sense.

Monte Cristo’s character was very well-developed. As a man seeking vengeance for all the wrongs done to him, he could have easily come off as pathetic and weak, but he actually gave the impression of someone who was smart, cunning, ferocious and gentle, all at the same time. His ferocity, and his great scheming, however, take a sharp turn near the end of the book when a character he never intended to harm is killed because of his need for vengeance. His grief and repentance give his character depth, and make him seem even more human, and less like a fictional person.

In the end, this version of the classic has made me appreciate classic tales more than I already do and has left me with the need to read the original The Count of Monte Cristo myself.


NOTE: I was given an ARC copy from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't enjoy this story at all. The words were blurry making it difficult to read. The artwork was alright but definitely not some of the better work I've seen in Manga Classics.

This manga interpretation of the Count of Monte Cristo is beautiful. This manga is printed in the traditional Japanese way of backwards to American standards and this is explained with instructions, at the front and back of the book.

The retelling of the tragedy that befalls Edmond Dantes has been slightly softened for a middle grade audience as a teaching tool. It only skims the surface of the darkness of the original book and condenses the length for this audience. It is still a large book of about 400 pages which is easier to handle as a graphic novel.

If parents are concerned about seeing the mistreatment of Edmond in Chateau D'Lf, no worries, that's all skimmed over. It feels like what happened in Chateau D'Lf is too abbreviated and new readers might not fully understand why it was so bad there. This trimming is addressed in the adaptation notes and it is understandable, this is a huge, complicated novel and certain things had to be smoothed out.

Overall, this is a great adaptation that would allow my son and other younger readers like him get into one of my favorite classic novels!


Thank you to NetGallery for providing me a copy of this manga.

My Rating : 4🌟

Manga style graphic novels has recently really captured my interest and I was really excited to find the classic in this version! I absolutely love the artwork and especially the style of reading. It might be slightly confusing if it's your first time reading a manga, but it's absolutely amazing. I definitely recommend reading this classic in this style and I definitely enjoyed this a lot !! This is my first time reading this classic and I was really impressed. The story was teeny tiny confusing, but I got the hang of the characters after a while..

A fresh way to read a classic. The illustration is fantastic and brought this literary staple to life.
I loved seing the character studies.

However, there were a few missing pieces for me. While I understand the original is a thousand page tome, there were some scenes that I consider essential that were missing from this.

*~.Book Analysis.~*
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader :)

Rating: 5 stars
Reading period: Sept. 27th, 2019
Format: ebook
Source: NetGalley – I have received this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: Apr. 11th, 2017

PROS
I AM SO IN LOVE WITH EVERYTHING! I know I may sound a little repetitive, but it is as if one adaptation gets better than the other every time! I haven't read the original Count of Monte Cristo yet and it is one of the few classics my mom always nags at me for not having read. I know what she means now and I'm definitely going to try to pick it up before the year ends. But again what made me more awed in this adaptation was the art: I simply loved how the characters were envisioned and the beauty of the scenery and clothing.

CONS
None, really. NOT.A.SINGLE.FLAW.

COVER ANALYSIS
Edmond actually reminds me of a vampire in this cover, but it is fitting in a weird way, so it is badass and I love it.

RECOMMENDED FOR
Manga, Comics and Classic lovers!

Manga Classics has done it again. I love The Count of Monte Cristo and this adaptation is just wonderful. It is very true to the classic and the artwork is just how I pictured Dantè to be. Now, I want to re-read the classic written by Alexandre Dumas. Manga classics, as I said before, is a great way to get to some of the classics that are on your tbr pile that can be overwhelming/time consuming. This one for me was a wonderful retelling of the classic. A definite re-read from me in the future, after of course re-reading the classic.
The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel set historically in the Napoleonic era where conspiracy and a lapse of justice changes the course of one man. Alexandre Dumas' skillful narrative combines intrigue, betrayal, and triumphant revenge into a powerful conflict between good and evil. I highly recommend both, the original work and this adaptation.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books so I was a little worried about whether this would live up to my expectations. It did! The artwork is very good, and I believe this could introduce this treasured classic to a new audience. The book is very accessible in this format, and I think many will read it because it is a "comic" but they will find they want to read the original because of it. Wonderful!