Anne Rice's "Servant of Bones" Graphic Novel Due May 15th: An Early Review

Writer: Anne Rice (novel), Maria McCourt (comic).

Artist: Renae DeLiz and Ray Dillon.

Ever since Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the vampire has turned into a romantic figure. With Anne Rice’s Interview of a Vampire, the creature is synonymous with primal desire. The series was wonderfully adapted into comic book form and was published in 1992 by Innovation Comics. The artwork is porcelain, gleaming with a unique look that made this particular series run highly collectible.

Now twenty years later, IDW Publishing will release a compilation of another Anne Rice story, Servant of the Bones, May 15th in hopes that readers nostalgic for that old look to resurface. And it will prove to be the better volume to own. Many readers have reported that the monthly release was difficult; the first issue did not manage to captivate.

As a volume collection, the tale can be read in a fortnight. Readers can skip ahead to learn about Azriel’s origins and journey through human history. Just like the novel, this protagonist is struggling to understand what type of monster he is. He does not know if he is a ghost, demon or angel. In Arabian culture, he is considered a djinn. Throughout most of the story, he has to obey the will of his Masters—the people who have managed to acquire his mortal remains encrusted in gold—and grant them a wish.

But over time, his disdain of what humans have become because of their desires has grown. The wishes he grant now come at a cost. Some say Azriel is evil incarnate, but others call him a godsend. The graphic novel adaptation captures those moments of exposition well. Mariah McCourt does a good job at conveying the essence of Rice’s original work without getting heavy.

The artwork is also crisp. Artists Renae DeLiz and Ray Dillion do a great job at vividly depicting a golden Babylonian and marble Neo-Classical world. These flashback chapters become the better sections to peruse. While the meat of the story lies with where Azriel is currently resting, in New York, the trip through time makes up for the better part of the visual narrative. More energy and time was spent depicting these worlds than the modern one.

This tale is interesting for those who love historical journeys. It mirrors what some readers loved about in the "Vampire Chronicles." As for live action adaptions of Rice’s works, the only hope is that none are planned. Despite the best intentions by the powers-that-be who runs the Hollywood Studio system, this author’s works deserves a proper episodic television treatment than a one-off movie.

Overall: 6 out of 10.

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