This is a gorgeous graphic adaptation of the famous 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Thanks to the well-known Broadway musical, many fans of the story will have a clear picture in mind of what they consider the Phantom, Christine and the sets to look like. I'm glad to say Varga Tomi manages to put their own spin on it while staying true to the spirit of Gaston Leroux's novel. There will be little details for everyone to enjoy, but the overall effect is lush and engaging.

I enjoy graphic novel versions of the classics because it can bring readers back to books they would never try otherwise. This was a pretty true to the original source adaptation. While I wasn't thrilled with the art style, I do have to say the dark colors and eerie style lent a great "Gothic" feel to the novel. If you're a lover of The Phantom of the Opera, give this version a try and see what you think. I believe you will be surprised.

It’s nice to see Erik in more of his original form than his romanticized musical adaptation. In the newer movies and the musical his disfiguration can be hid by just wearing a half-mask across his face, but originally his entire body was boney and skeleton-like, no nose, sunken-in eyes, and just a plain zombie-ish sounding appearance. This adaptation made him look like the Crypt Keeper from Tales from the Crypt, which matches with the original Erik’s description perfectly.

As far as the story goes, Phantom of the Opera is a pretty thick book that was condensed into one graphic novel. Though original dialog was used from the book, most of the story was lost and what was left became confusing very quickly. Personally, I was really looking forward to how the mirror forest would look as Raoul hunted for Erik. Even though I knew what was going on, the scene was so confusing and ultimately a big letdown. It would have done us all a favor to extend scenes and chop this up into two or three volumes in the least.

I’ve said before that I’m not a fan of this kind of artwork, but this book particularly just really didn’t work for me. A classic, gothic style is almost a must for an adaptation of Phantom of the Opera, but super dark backgrounds and super dark linework/shading makes the entire book muddled. Also, some scenes do not call for being so dark; the masquerade should be bright and vibrant.

Overall, with the muddled story and artwork, I’d probably skip this one.

As a lifelong fan of the Phantom of the Opera, this was a huge disappointment. Yes, it does justice to the original story but its the artwork that really fails. I *think* the artist was trying to be realistic with his drawings but they just came off cartoonish, bordering on amateurish. I was so excited to see a beautiful graphic novel of the Phantom of the Opera but dear reader, please keep reading as this is not the masterpiece you are looking for.

I had an absolute blast reading this graphic novel. The story starts simple enough, but about midway through something happens that changes things forever. A woman goes missing for a while, and when they return something has changed about them. They have a tough choice to make, and if they refuse something awful might happen. Fans of this story will want to check this graphic novel out.

Varga Tomi's graphic novel 'The Phantom of the Opera' skillfully follows the Gothic tones and suspenseful pacing of Gaston Leroux's Belle Époque thriller better than any previous adaptation. I was immediately drawn to the artwork since the splash pages alone demonstrate Tomi's creativity and his devotion to the source material. The gritty and pastel palette reminded me of the 1964 film The Masque of the Red Death starring Vincent Price. Unfortunately, it also reminded me of the particular illustration style found in the Locke & Key series, which I find lacking. Having looked at other examples of Tomi's coloration work for IDW publishing, I can only assume that this particular approach was intentional and a callback to his work with Chris Ryall.

Moving back to the source material, I appreciate Tomi's careful consideration of the Leroux's story, which is something I feel was largely missing from the Weber musical and assorted films - save the 1925 Lon Chaney movie. In Tomi's graphic novel, Christine is not the buxom ingénue quickly elevated to superstardom, but rather a common looking and clever young girl made beautiful by the grace and power of her voice. The Phantom is less a slightly disfigured character whose irregular features can be concealed in a mask, and more of an actual monster with glowing eyes and a grotesque face. And just in case anyone forgot that this was a horror story, the romantic element between Christine and Raoul takes a back burner to the dominant terror track as the Phantom stalks and torments Christine.

All together, I greatly enjoyed this graphic novel. However, in general, I think the artists that have worked with IDW just aren't to my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel was super confusing until the last 15 pages or so. I have never read The Phantom of the Opera so I thought would be an easy way to dip into it.

Graphics were nice. But... so confusing.

3/5.

Book Review for The Phantom of the Opera : The Graphic Novel by Varga Tomi
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

I am a huge POTO fan so I was excited to read this graphic novel. Art is beautiful but it is a tad too dark for my liking? The font is also too small and not easy on the eyes.
I enjoyed the book,still.

<i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> by Varga Tomi takes Gaston Leroux's classic story and adds a rich visual layer to it.

I haven't read the original novel and watched the musical a long time so I didn't really remember the plot all that well. The graphic novel managed to keep the important plot points for the reader to get the general idea of what is going on.

The drawing style is very rich in color and has a gothic feel to it.

I enjoyed this version of the <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> and would recommend it to those readers who want to experience the story in yet another form.

4 stars

I don't know how to say it but I love the plot of The Phantom Of Opera. The narrative lures me into it and I can't stop reading, watching, listening to anything related to it.

So when I found out about this graphic novel, I was super excited about it and, I have to say, it did not disappointed me at all. The illustrations are on point and all the scenes are orchestrated beautifully.

The story is developed around an Opera House that is haunted by a presumed phantom that requires to receive a kind of salary and to have a free special box seat every night. But things only start to get interesting when Christine Daaé, after making her incredible debut at the Opera, disappears suddenly.

I really liked the graphic novel and the way it depicted the characters and scenarios. Tomi is exceptionally talented and I am sure I'm gonna keep up with other works of him.

The only thing that annoyed me a little — and I don't know if it was because I was reading a digital copy — but the chosen fonts for the speech balloons made it difficult, sometimes, to read the words. People with low vision could have some struggles reading it.

In the end, it was an excellent read and I recommend it to everyone who wants to know / revisit the universe of The Phantom of the Opera in a different way.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gaston Leroux's Gothic masterpiece, The Phantom of the Opera, is given a splendid graphic novel adaptation in this new work by artist Varga Tomi. The story is Leroux's original, abridged and condensed for the comic format, and it's all given a richly textured, brooding artistic treatment in Tomi's art. I admit I don’t find the characters’ faces particularly appealing, as they seem to have some weird proportions from time to time, but the panel composition and angles, along with decorative details, work well to create the oppressive, ornate, gothic atmosphere appropriate to the setting and story. The crashing chandelier is especially remarkable, a dynamic, baroque panel; so too is the illustration of the multifaceted mirror door through which Christine passes. The abridgment of said story works well, too; it’s condensed but clear. Finally, the “backstage access” pages are a fun touch, giving the reader a glimpse of the artistic process that went into the more elaborate panels. Fans of Leroux's original, or of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptation, will enjoy this new version of the classic story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the advance review copy!

'The Phantom of the Opera' with adaptation and art by Varga Tomi is based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux.

In a famous opera house, a creature lives and preys on the owners. He takes a young singer under his wing and uses his power to help her career. In turn, he becomes obsessed with her and she learns his terrible secret.

This is a pretty decent adaptation of the story. It is a bit wordy in places, but nothing feels unnecessary. Unfortunately, I felt a bit let down by the art.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from A Wave Blue World, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Let me just say I want to start off and thank Varga Tomi and the publishing company for letting me read this beautiful piece of art. And also thank you NetGalley for helping them grant this for me.

Synopsis:

Everyone has heard the whispered tales of the phantom who lives beneath the opera house, the mysterious trickster behind all the little mishaps and lost things. But no one has ever seen the monster . . . until now. When the promise of blossoming love lures him out from his intricately constructed hideaways in the labyrinthine building’s walls and cellars, a hideously disfigured artist trains the lovely Christine to be the opera’s next star for a steep price. Does she choose her newfound success or her beloved Count Raoul? This doomed love triangle threatens to combust when a tragic death, a series of betrayals, and increasingly dangerous accidents cast the players of The Palais Garnier into a heart-wrenching horror story that will echo through the ages.

Let me just say I always loved and adored the story of The Phantom of the Opera! Ever since I was little and I would watch the silent films with my grandmother! This was the top one to watch and I ever adored the mis-understood "Monster". As time grew on so did the adaptations for this story with things as books and different films.I was beyond stoked that now there is a graphic novel now to engage us in the story of Christine and her stardom on stage at the opera house and how the phantom falls for her! And how he is trying to lure her away from the charming Raoul..

This graphic novel is so beautiful and so haunting! I do love the twist of horror that is in and the little twist of plot!! I can't wait to see what the author has in store for other stories and maybe another beautiful piece of work to transform! Amazing job!

2.5 stars
I was so excited for this graphic novel since I've been super into the format lately and its subject matter is very dear to my heart. I'm aware that when it comes to adaptations, you simply can't please everyone. A story told in a graphic novel format will look very different from the original book or the famous musical because the storytelling tools are completely different.
With that said, I was left a bit disappointed of this particular adaptation which is a shame because I was prepared to love it. It sticks very close to the book which is what us bookworms normally long for, however in this particular case, I felt like a bit more restructuring would have done the book a world of good. The original novel is a bit of a fever dream, jumps in time and the author going off on tangents. Those descriptive bits are not the strongest parts of Gaston Leroux's story and they worked even less here, in a visual medium. Same with the dialogues; no one talks like people in gothic literature. While this is part of the style and it's generally fine in a novel format, the dialogues in graphic novels are usually snappier. The flow of the conversations that took place was not the best.
The illustrations were pretty, especially when it came to the scenery and the inside of the theatre. The characters... ehh. Raoul was fine, his petulant child persona has been caught well. But the Phantom...yikes. No iconic white half mask for us, we got this weird contraption instead and his eyes for some reason glowed red? I was just utterly confused by his portrayal. In addition to that, none of the seductive quality, the grace, the enigma that draws Christine and the reader alike to this mysterious creature. He was just... pathetic. Which rendered Christine's fear of him laughable. There's this scene in the musical where they try to trap Erik and want Christine to be part of their scheme. She begs and cries because she's terrified, bordering on hysterical and I BELIEVE HER THERE. Because the Opera Ghost is powerful in his own realm. Here.... it was all a bit meh.
Anyway, this was incredibly long winded but my bottom line is, I love the subject material but I couldn't love this interpretation. I wish the creators would have dared to deviate a bit more and explore how all the intense emotions can be transmitted in this format more effectively. Now, this is entirely subjective, so what didn't work for me, might very well work for you. Alas, I was not a fan.

A faithful adaptation of the story with beautiful, timeless art. Some of the storytelling didn't come through but that could be due to the low rez copy that was provided to me.

The Phantom of the Opera by Varga Tomi is a stunning graphic novel of one of the most iconic stories of all time. It's quite unlike the operas or the movies: it's dark, gothic, with a touch of terror. It was a good read, and I enjoyed how they did not romanticized the phantom but rather reveal the true ugliness of the character. The character development is strong and the storyline compelling. Definitely a perfect read for the spooky season!

This is a very good adaptation of Phantom of the Opera. The illustrations were very beautiful. The story itself captures the true heart of Gaston LeRoux’s original novel. This is a must read for Phantom of the Opera fans.

My husband and I both read the graphic novel. I´m a novice to the genre and he´s read a lot of them in his lifetime. We both enjoyed the story and thought it stuck closely to the original.
The phantom looked unlike the movie adaption. The artist Varga Tomi took a new approach and chose a more creepy and haunting look.
We found it to be fitting and enjoyed it a lot!

I´ve received a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

Rating 2.5
The graphic novel adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera was just okay. I am a huge fan of the original story as well as the movie adaptations but for some reason this one didn't do it for me. I was blown away by the beautiful cover but the artwork inside was not my favorite. I understand they want the story to be creepy and dark which is shown in the illustrations. However, due to how certain characters and settings were drawn I couldn't get into the story. The story also seemed to be rushed and didn't come together as well as it could have. To be honest, I found all of the characters to be annoying and I did not feel bad for any of them. I was also not rooting for any of them. One thing I liked was how the author made the story their own but it just wasn't for me. 

Should you read "The Phantom of the Opera: The Graphic Novel"
?Honestly, this is not an adaptation that I would recommend. I would stick to the original story as well as the movies. 

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **