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ashlurtis's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I've read a handful of graphic novels and a number of auto/biographies, but never a graphic novel biography! What a fun and interesting avenue to explore the life of someone! Especially someone who is known for film/TV!
Rod Serling's life story is told here in exquisitely done art, which naturally adds so much. As if that weren't enough, the book is laid out in such a way as to really pay homage to Serling and his life's work. Definitely worth the read for any Twilight Zone fans!
Rod Serling's life story is told here in exquisitely done art, which naturally adds so much. As if that weren't enough, the book is laid out in such a way as to really pay homage to Serling and his life's work. Definitely worth the read for any Twilight Zone fans!
hobbitfreddie's review
5.0
After surrending my soul to season 1 of the Twilight Zone, I quickly found this comic, and of course I picked it up.
It's good, it's kinda hard to muck up a bio comic. Some flaws yeah, but I think it tells his story well tying in his personal life with the history and business of television. However not that much of the Twilight Zone, I mean the whole comic kinda revolves around the Twilight Zone and seems to have the feel of an episode, but it's more everything else in his life. You gain a bigger appreciation for the show I think too. THIS MAN WROTE SO MUCH MEDIA, YET THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SAY "WHO?" WHEN I MENTION ROD SERLING'S NAME.
The art's alright, I like the style it fits the Twilight Zone narrative, but the panels are pretty repetetive, there's not alot of motion in the pages. I think the art gets better over time, or I just grew used to it. There's alot of talking heads, well drawn talking heads, but still.
The memoir tends to skip around, like scenes will end, and you're just thinking "Wait, did I miss a page? Surely there's more to that scene." So it feels pointless, except to fill the pages.
I also love how it's not just a standard memoir, it feels like A Twilight Zone episode with the plane scenes, and being told in first person. There's alot to like, it's emotional, interesting, just a good comic.
Anyways I'm a sucker for bio comics, so if that's your thing, you'd love this. I think you could read this without being a TZ fan, but I feel like if you're a newer fan to the show it works even better.
It's good, it's kinda hard to muck up a bio comic. Some flaws yeah, but I think it tells his story well tying in his personal life with the history and business of television. However not that much of the Twilight Zone, I mean the whole comic kinda revolves around the Twilight Zone and seems to have the feel of an episode, but it's more everything else in his life. You gain a bigger appreciation for the show I think too. THIS MAN WROTE SO MUCH MEDIA, YET THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SAY "WHO?" WHEN I MENTION ROD SERLING'S NAME.
The art's alright, I like the style it fits the Twilight Zone narrative, but the panels are pretty repetetive, there's not alot of motion in the pages. I think the art gets better over time, or I just grew used to it. There's alot of talking heads, well drawn talking heads, but still.
The memoir tends to skip around, like scenes will end, and you're just thinking "Wait, did I miss a page? Surely there's more to that scene." So it feels pointless, except to fill the pages.
I also love how it's not just a standard memoir, it feels like A Twilight Zone episode with the plane scenes, and being told in first person. There's alot to like, it's emotional, interesting, just a good comic.
Anyways I'm a sucker for bio comics, so if that's your thing, you'd love this. I think you could read this without being a TZ fan, but I feel like if you're a newer fan to the show it works even better.
neverjethot's review
dark
informative
fast-paced
5.0
Wasn't expecting a graphic novel. A fun, informative, fast read.
geekwayne's review
4.0
'The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television' with words and art by Koren Shadmi is a biography about one of the creative folks in early television.
The framing story has Rod Serling on a flight sitting next to an attractive young woman. She is curious about his life, so he talks about his time in World War II. Then he talks about writing scripts for early television. He was successful as an early writer, but there were setbacks along the way as well. Eventually, that led him to creating The Twilight Zone.
I liked this non-fiction story. The art was really good and the way the story unfolded was also. There are some nice touches that are reminiscent of The Twilight Zone along the way.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Life Drawn, Humanoids, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The framing story has Rod Serling on a flight sitting next to an attractive young woman. She is curious about his life, so he talks about his time in World War II. Then he talks about writing scripts for early television. He was successful as an early writer, but there were setbacks along the way as well. Eventually, that led him to creating The Twilight Zone.
I liked this non-fiction story. The art was really good and the way the story unfolded was also. There are some nice touches that are reminiscent of The Twilight Zone along the way.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Life Drawn, Humanoids, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
lattelibrarian's review
5.0
With semi-realistic illustrations and a truly fitting outer-plotline, Koren Shadmi's biography of Rod Serling does him justice. With purple hues that hark to science-fiction and alternate dimensions and various means of transmitting a story (usual frame/gutter style, full pages, television-screen frames, and so on), Shadmi effortlessly manages to tell Serling's story truthfully. Visiting events in his life such as serving in the army, boxing, getting married, and going through the tumultuous journey of being successful in show business, and his fight against censorship and fight for producing quality and thought-provoking plots.
I hardly knew anything about Rod Serling prior to reading this, especially how much he produced and all the while working so largely with The Twilight Zone. Even more interesting to me, perhaps, was the fact that Serling didn't have lasting faith for his creation--to me it seems so obvious that The Twilight Zone would be a cult classic, but hindsight is certainly 20/20.
I also had no idea that he worked as a professor in his later years, and more importantly, I had no idea that he was Jewish! Anti-semitism was explored so well within the pages, including rude neighbors and obviously racist television producers. Such conversations were subtle yet provided an undeniable clarity as to what he was experiencing.
Overall, this was so interesting and intriguing, and it was a total joy to learn about someone so prolific in the American profile. Definitely worth reading for knowing more about Serling, and certainly worth reading for the Twilight Zone-esque vibe and setting.
Review cross-listed here!
I hardly knew anything about Rod Serling prior to reading this, especially how much he produced and all the while working so largely with The Twilight Zone. Even more interesting to me, perhaps, was the fact that Serling didn't have lasting faith for his creation--to me it seems so obvious that The Twilight Zone would be a cult classic, but hindsight is certainly 20/20.
I also had no idea that he worked as a professor in his later years, and more importantly, I had no idea that he was Jewish! Anti-semitism was explored so well within the pages, including rude neighbors and obviously racist television producers. Such conversations were subtle yet provided an undeniable clarity as to what he was experiencing.
Overall, this was so interesting and intriguing, and it was a total joy to learn about someone so prolific in the American profile. Definitely worth reading for knowing more about Serling, and certainly worth reading for the Twilight Zone-esque vibe and setting.
Review cross-listed here!
carivinci's review
4.0
A comic book for adults. The whole story was in pictures with captions. Fun to read, and it told the story of Rod Sterling. Not that I cared that much about his story, but it was unique.
hellsfire's review
5.0
I'm a huge Rod Serling fan. In fact, in college I wrote a paper about him. Because of that, I was hesitant to buy this. What else could I learn about him considering all the books and articles I've read and interviews I've seen about him? Turns out a lot.
The Twilight Man is more than just a biography book about Rod Serling and it's more than just a comic book. What makes it good is that it does a good job of covering and portraying Serling's early years particularly those about the war. Even in all my research, there wasn't much about his time in the war. And even in those interviews, he was reserved. It's not like he broke down and was all emotional. Different times. You get a feel for how Serling felt. Even if it's fictional, it does a good and possibly accurate job about it.
As much as I enjoyed The Twilight Man, it didn't quite get Serling's tone of speech right. It worked when the TV interviews were in here verbatim but when it wasn't, it just didn't sound right. Of course, I doubt that will ever be reproduced right because there's only one Serling.
As bad as the new Twilight Zone, I'm glad Serling's finally getting the recognition he deserves. Even if he lost the battle against the networks, post death, I feel like he's finally won the war.
The Twilight Man is more than just a biography book about Rod Serling and it's more than just a comic book. What makes it good is that it does a good job of covering and portraying Serling's early years particularly those about the war. Even in all my research, there wasn't much about his time in the war. And even in those interviews, he was reserved. It's not like he broke down and was all emotional. Different times. You get a feel for how Serling felt. Even if it's fictional, it does a good and possibly accurate job about it.
As much as I enjoyed The Twilight Man, it didn't quite get Serling's tone of speech right. It worked when the TV interviews were in here verbatim but when it wasn't, it just didn't sound right. Of course, I doubt that will ever be reproduced right because there's only one Serling.
As bad as the new Twilight Zone, I'm glad Serling's finally getting the recognition he deserves. Even if he lost the battle against the networks, post death, I feel like he's finally won the war.