The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

The first-ever graphic novel adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize–winning postapocalyptic classic, The Road, approved and authorized by McCarthy and illustrated by acclaimed cartoonist Manu Larcenet. Named a "must-read graphic novel" by Amazon."Superb. A suitably dark graphic treatment of McCarthy’s postapocalyptic masterpiece." (Kirkus) The story of a nameless father and son trying to survive with their humanity intact in a postapocalyptic wasteland where Earth’s natural resources have been diminished, and some survivors are left to raise others for meat, The Road is one of Cormac McCarthy’s bleakest and most prescient novels. Dedicated to his son, John Francis McCarthy, McCarthy’s The Road is one of his most personal novels. Ranked 17th on The Guardian’s 100 Best Novels of the 21st century, it was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for literature, and the James Tait Black Memorial Award, the Believer Award, and it was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. This first official graphic novel adaptation of McCarthy’s work is illustrated by acclaimed French cartoonist Manu Larcenet, who ably transforms the world depicted by McCarthy’s spare and brutal prose into stark ink drawings that add an additional layer to this haunting tale of family love and human perseverance. Cormac McCarthy personally approved the making of this book before his death, and the adaptation bears the approval of the McCarthy estate. Among other accolades,

Bill Sienkiewicz, Eisner Hall of Fame artist

“The graphic novel adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is a stunning narrative accomplishment; visually austere, dark, and beautifully human. Sheer perfection.”

Jake Kleinman, Inverse

"Larcenet’s drawings go beyond anything Hollywood could ever bring to the screen, showing the true sadness and depravity of The Road."

Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter

"Hitting stores Sept. 17, the new tome hails from French cartoonist Manu Larcenet and Abrams ComicArts, and it is just as breathtaking, evocative, and bleak as its source material. The art gorgeously captures the details of what’s left in a barren America"

and wow is it a stunning work of art."

"To celebrate the 18th anniversary of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Abrams ComicArts has teamed up with French cartoonist Manu Larcenet to adapt the Pulitzer Prize-winning post-apocalyptic story into a new graphic novel

Jack Doyle, The Mary Sue

"The pair’s journey facing off against cannibals, thieves, and the never-ending road before them has never looked bleaker or more beautiful."

New York Times

"The story is bleak, and the artist Manu Larcenet conveys it with spare dialogue and swaths of blacks and grays. When color bursts in, it is usually to signify new danger." Recommended as an Illustrated Treat for Hungry Fans.

Games Radar

"One of the most frightening and beautiful comics you will read this year.”

Publishers Weekly

"...flawlessly capturing the tone of of the original. It’s a worthy companion to McCarthy’s chilling classic."

The Wrap

“The original novel’s minimalist prose makes it a striking fit for the graphic novel world, with artwork taking the lead in telling playwright and novelist McCarthy’s tale.”

IGN

"Haunting."

Screenrant

“Stellar…. Larcenet uses the comic medium to his advantage in order to truly capture the unrelenting despair of McCarthy's work. Manu Larcenet's graphic novel adaptation of McCarthy's unforgettable book has managed to encapsulate the emotional gravity of The Road in a way that will be mesmerizing for fans of the original.”

Military.com

“A graphic novel worthy of the original… [A] visually stunning interpretation…faithful to the book in every detail.”

Comic Book Club Live

"Fascinating."

Macabre Daily

“The detail on display is staggering, and Manu captures every texture, wrinkle, rip and weathering of cloth and skin. The grit, grime and blood are palpable to such a degree I could almost smell the stench and rot, and felt like coughing from the ash…. truly a work of art. A recommended addition to anyone’s collection that likes the more contemplative post-apocalyptic tales.”

Cinema Sentries

“The illustrations are beautiful in their depictions of a grim apocalypse. Even a simple box of aspirin conveys loneliness and desperation. The dialogue is sparse and terse and heartfelt between father and son. Ridiculously thoughtful and dramatic art throughout, Larcenet favors the dark grays and blacks that depict a post-apocalyptic world, but it is the bright whites, in your face and stark in a sea of despair that jump out at the reader. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Manu Larcenet is a stellar adaptation of McCarthy’s brilliantly bleak novel.”

Inverse

“French cartoonist Manu Larcenet brings McCarthy’s dark epic to life with detailed linework and stark black-and-white imagery. Larcenet’s drawings go beyond anything Hollywood could ever bring to the screen, showing the true sadness and depravity of The Road.”

Kirkus Reviews

"Superb. A suitably dark graphic treatment of McCarthy’s postapocalyptic masterpiece."

Capes and Tights

"...simply outstanding… A stunning and wonderful adaptation that captures the heart-wrenching story told by Cormac McCarthy..."

Graphic Policy

"One of the best releases this year."

Geek Dad

“Manu Larcenet has done an outstanding job of creating imagery that highlights the enormous strain and drama this pair experiences through his silent yet very potent illustrations.”

Monkeys Fighting Robots

“Cormac McCarthy’s prose in his post-apocalyptic novel The Road feels almost tailor-made for the comics medium. Manu Larcenet takes the original author’s vivid descriptions of a burned world and paints them to life with tremendous detail and careful consideration.”

Comic Drops

“A perfect example of how sequential art can elevate an already profound narrative… His adaptation is nothing short of stunning, perfectly capturing the bleakness and emotional depth of McCarthy’s original novel.”

draw attention to the message by using a given medium as effectively as possible.”

“There are all kinds of reasons why this adaptation need not exist…And yet, as one goes through French artist Manu Larcenet’s bleak yet powerful panels, this argument starts to render itself obsolete. The book comes alive again, plunging the reader into a post-apocalyptic world that seems more plausible than ever in our time of genocide, extreme rainfall, and super storms. … What Larcenet does is what all political art is meant to

Cinema Sentries

"It’s a must for any graphic novel fan and especially anyone who loves McCarthy’s work.”

About the Author

Cormac McCarthy (1933–2023) was a playwright and novelist hailed by many, including Stephen King and literary critic Harold Bloom, as one of the major American novelists of our time. McCarthy’s multiple bestselling and award-winning works over the course of his 57-year career include The Orchard Keeper, Outer Dark, Child of God, Suttree, Blood Meridian, All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, Cities of the Plain, No Country for Old Men, The Road, The Passenger, and Stella Maris. Many of his novels have been adapted into blockbuster films, including The Road. Manu Larcenet is a 29-year veteran of the comic book industry who has published work with Fluide Glacial, Spirou, and multiple books for the French publisher Dargaud. He is a founder of comic book publisher Les Rêveurs and has received multiple awards and nominations for his work in France, including the Best Comic Book Award at Angoulême in 2004, and the 2010 French Comics Library Prize for Best Comic Book.

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