I've read the novel. I've got the DVD box set of the BBC's Neverwhere TV mini-series (low-budget, campy but dark and fun as well). I have no doubt I'll see the Neverwhere movie if and when it's made and released. And now I've read the first issue of the Neverwhere comic book. Yes, I'm a Neil Gaiman fanboy; he's a talented writer who never disappoints. Of course, there's also the concept of too much of a good thing ain't that good. Though this coimc adaptation is penned by Mike Carey, it's based on Gaiman's novel/TV series, so those who have already delved into the writer's London Below won't get as much out of this latest incarnation. It's still enjoyable, but for the initiated, it lacks the newness and novelty that made the property so much fun to begin with. Those unfamiliar with Neverwhere, though, are in for a treat.
Richard Mayhew lives a life of constant surrender. He lets his co-workers push him around. He lets his financee push him around. Richard is barely a participant in his own life, but it's a comfortable, safe one. Those notions are about to be lost to him when he finally takes action, though. A strange young woman appears on the street, injured and desperate for help, and he answers her call. Her name is Door, and she's being hunted to two strange and unsavory men. Richard hides her and then helps her arrange for some protection.
Fabry's line art always pales in comparison to his painted work. Just compare the painted cover to the interior art. Of course, Fabry's more conventional comic art is still strong, and he captures the weirdness and danger of the fantastic underworld quite well. His depiction of Door doesn't quite work for me, but that's due in part to my experience with this story in other media. Door seems much more adult and even desirable here, and I've always seen the character as being more like a child. She doesn't seem as fragile or innocent here. There's a sultry, seductive look to her at times. I do have to give Fabry credit, though, for a fantastic cliffhanger (literally) splash page.
Again, maybe it's my experience with the other Neverwheres, but the script here doesn't seem to have the same punch. Gaiman's dialogue often boasted a kind of lyrical quality that drew the reader further into the fantasy world. Mike Carey's script doesn't seem to have the same quality. Still, Carey has definitely put his own mark on the material. Though the plot is the same and the dialogue highlights are familiar, there's a different approach and slightly different elements emphasized. In some ways, Carey's more straightforward with the more gruesome elements. For example, there's Door's successful defence against attack early on in the story. Gaiman was more mysterious and vague about what Door had done to her would-be assassin, but Carey offers a more unflinching look at what's done.
Neverwhere works well as a comic series because after all, it was designed as an episodic tale to begin with. For those who haven't sampled the story in other forms before, Neverwhere will delight with its imagination and black humor. Those who have read or viewed the story before won't be disappointed, but they won't be missing much by skipping it either. 7/10
