A while back, we had the opportunity to speak with writer Zach Weinersmith about this book. During that interview, Weinersmith spoke about how strange of a concept it was. After all, “Bea Wolf” from First-Second is a nearly beat-for-beat retelling of the literary classic Beowulf, or at least the first third. But this book has garnered the attention of educators and authors alike. The front cover features glowing pull quotes from Lemony Snickey and Neil Gaiman. The back has praise from university scholars. This concept, however bizarre it may be, resonates with almost every audience it aims towards.
And per our interview with Weinersmith, it certainly helps that Boulet might very well be a literal wizard.
Written by Zach WeinersmithCover by Boulet
Drawn by BouletThe young hero Bea Wolf must save Treehart from the evil Mr. Grindle.
Full disclosure: I have read Beowulf a grand total of twice, with the last time being a Western Civ course I took back in college. So my familiarity was the source material was a bit shaky. Which was perfect, because half remembering the original epic helped illustrate two points: “Bea Wolf” not only absolutely nails the language and cadence of its literary predecessor, but can stand on its own as a piece of fiction.
It’s no surprise that educators and librarians have taken to the book as hard as they have, because it’s all here. The story begins with the rise of king Hrothgar and the construction of Heorot, except it’s a kid named Roger building the massive treehouse “Treehart.” And instead of their revelry waking up the beast Grendel, the noise of children playing annoy their cranky neighbor Mr. Grindle. According to the text, “From Grindle’s family grew all the fun-grinders! The grim-faced joy-gobblers.” When he begins turning the kids of Treehart into adults, a hero “forged in sparkles and fury” leads the charge to stop him. It is worth pointing out that for a book just shy of two-hundred pages, it takes almost a solid third of the way for the title character to show up. This struck me as a bold choice for a kids book for some reason, but it didn’t feel out of place in an entire book of bold choices.
“Helmets of undies,” the narration reads. “No hand-me-downs these—fresh from the undie-pack! Your leader sparkles with power and also with sparkles.”
Weinersmith’s work in adapting the language of the ancient poem is where the book shines. The rhythm and kennings of the prose reek of Old English bombast, even when it’s describing chocolate milkshakes. I’m sorry, I mean “a cup of creamy drink, it’s color never dreamt by cow.” Even if you don’t immediately recognize the exact rhythmic structure in use, it feels epic.
It helps that the book looks absolutely incredible. Gilles “Boulet” Russell illustrates strikes a delicate balance between cartoony whimsy and full on Edward Gorey. The children and teenagers are exaggerated and expressive. But they occupy a world of stark black and white chiaroscuro, with lanky grown ups structured more like spiders than humans. The art walks a remarkable, razor-thin line between frightening and still appropriate for children. That’s not even discussing how solid Boulet’s draftsmanship is in general. Every child in this story is unique, and he’s not afraid to cram as many of them into a single tree house as possible. I didn’t even bother counting how many unique toys were part of the horde of Treehart. The light and shadow work is some of the most stunning I have ever seen in a black and white comic, ever. Whether it’s the moon, or the lights from inside the treehouse, his work glows like few other books for any age range.
The uniqueness also applies to Boulet’s adults. Many of whom were kids in earlier pages. This brings us to the aspect that makes this book stand on its own the best. It would be one thing to just do a one-to-one retelling. But one of the significant changes is Mr. Grindle’s power to transform children into adults. Granted this was a necessary change to make the book young reader friendly, but it plays into themes of holding on to youth, fleeting though it may be. The story opens with the first king, Carl (taking the Scyld Scefing role), who goes from “four Halloweens old” to “teen-lands, sacking groceries, gaining job skills.” When Mr. Grindle is finally defeated, he is de-aged and sent back to his mother.
When you close this book, you may find yourself ruminating on the simple joys of childhood, and how much we lose as we grow older. Is this the first comic to explore that theme? No. But with great art and pitch perfect writing, it elevates what could have been a simple pastiche into something that can stand on its own power. Although in all honesty, each element elevates the others. The level of craft on display in every aspect is superb, making it an exceptional piece, no matter your experience with the source material. If you are a librarian or an educator, “Bea Wolf” is absolutely a great way to introduce your kids to the classics. But make sure you take a little time to read it yourself too.
