northern lights the graphic novel volume 1

Stéphane Melchior’s adaptation is extremely good.

His Lyra is suitably inquisitive, brave and resourceful, and Oubrerie’s daemons have a wonderful kinetic quality. Best known previously for Aya of Yop City, he provides a deep visual characterisation over Pullman’s sprawling cast, simultaneously ensuring all major players are distinctive. There’s a whole school of 21 st century French cartooning that’s loose and individual without sacrificing any emotional resonance, and Cl ément Oubrerie falls squarely within. Before leaving Oxford, though, she’s presented with an alethiometer, a compass-like device that if interpreted correctly somehow tells the truth. Against a background of children disappearing and possible political upheaval on a global scale, Lyra is informally adopted by the glamorous and influential Mrs Coulter, whom she is to accompany on an expedition. She’s uncomfortable with the establishment formality of Oxford, and finds her friends outside that community. She knows little of her background, which later becomes important, and while not bad-natured, a rebellious spirit of exploration leads to conflict with her guardians. The precocious Lyra Belacqua has grown up in the care of those running the colleges of Oxford University. During childhood their form shifts from one animal species to another, but settles as their charge becomes an adult. For instance, humans on this earth are bonded at birth to entities known as daemons, who are both lifelong protector and companion. In his novel Pullman introduced many complex ideas about society and religion, and despite the protagonist being a child, it’s a work more adult in nature than the children’s books Pullman was previously known for. On this Earth the church wields greater influence, as do the pillars of the educational establishment, and some animals have achieved sentience. Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights trilogy is a fantasy set on an alternate Earth where many familiar touchstones are slightly twisted to provide a disorienting and imaginative experience.

Northern lights the graphic novel volume 1