ROBINSON CRUSOE

Johnson and Kumar revisit Daniel Defoe’s classic castaway tale for the PlayStation generation, creating a survival story told through fast-paced action sequences that barely scratches the surface of the original. This graphic adaptation is off-balance: too much show, not enough tell. The narrative pacing is turgid in parts, paring down the original into stilted language with clunky transitions. The interminable preamble doesn’t even shipwreck Crusoe until page 23 of 68. The author also pays little to no attention to the character’s internal life as the sole inhabitant of the island, save for strange eruptions of religiosity that are jarringly out of place in an adaptation that otherwise reads as a superficial thriller. The illustrations are captivating, but the sequence of the panels is frequently muddled. Text includes an introductory biography of Defoe and an endnote on famous shipwrecks throughout history. Passable for young readers fond of action-packed video games but unlikely to inspire interest in the original. (Graphic classic. 10 & up)