Beautifully done, and a great introduction to a classic tale that many folks do not encounter until high school or college.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Publishing for access to a digital copy of Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith in exchange for an honest review.

CW: violence, see full list on StoryGraph

This book was just not for me. Granted, I was not the intended audience of this book, as it is a middle grade retelling of Beowulf.

The illustrations were not to my taste. These were the type of line drawings that indicate too much intensity and make me uncomfortable. I also had a hard time following the plot line and the language used, so I cannot imagine that a middle-grade-aged reader would be able to follow this story well either.

This is a creative concept, but I didn't feel like it was well executed.

This graphic novel takes the idea of the classic Beowulf and turns it on its head. It’s children who like to play and be loud going up against the grouchy neighbor man, Mr. Grendel. What makes this book unique is that it keeps the vocalization of the classic epic. It’s very’ very’ very wordy. The words trip all over themselves. On reading it feels like a troubadour of old, trying to get the audience’s attention. Think of it like Geoffrey Chaucer in the movie, a Knights Tale (played by Paul Bettany), and how he would introduce Heath Ledger. That is the wording format of this book from page one to page end. Tt makes this book a tad hard to read and gives the reader a bit of a headache. But at the same time, it has a Monty Python and the Holy Grail feel if one can just get to the end of the story. Overall, I like this book, but I didn’t love it. I love the cover. The artwork is great, but I wish it was in full color. I could see this maybe winning awards but what I don’t see is it being read frequently by kids.

In this middle grade retelling of Beowulf, a gang of troublemaking kids must defend their treehouse fort, Treeheart, from a boring, fun-hating adult, Grindle who can turn the kids into boring teens and adults with just a touch of his finger.

Just going to start this off with the claim that I don’t believe I ever read Beowulf - there may have been a time in high school when I should have read it when we were in the unit of classics, but I tended to fight against being told what to read at that time.

I wanted to read this one graphic novel because of the cover - I immediately fell in love with the little girl on the cover. The illustrations were gorgeous and beautiful to look at and that’s what kept my attention the most.

Since this was a retelling, Zach Weinersmith used the formatting and style methods from the original Beowulf, which they talk about at the end in a note (which I was laughing at their call out to being either a librarian or a future writer as to why exactly you were reading a super long note written by the author in the first place)

This will be a different reading style for Middle Grade readers, but I believe once they get started on reading it, they will get the rhythm of it and they’ll fly through it in no time with giggles erupting with every page.

Bea Wolf is fun for everyone, all ages will be laughing at the shenanigans of the kids from Treeheart and their allies.

Thanks to NetGalley & First Second for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can't say I was a huge fan of this one. The art style is befitting the dark, yet humorous story.

To be honest, I can't see kids enjoying this. The art style they'd like, but the writing would remind them too much of school, ha. Grades 6-8 might enjoy it but not sure.

This is a hard one to pinpoint for an audience. I notice that it's published as a middle grade graphic novel retelling however the humor, as explained in a detailed author's note, is very specific to using Beowulf-like Old English in a modern context (think Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet) but it'll take specific concentration by a middle grade crowd to understand each and every dig and cut that the kids are fighting back against the adults around. But it's also where the graphic novel helps contextualize the fight that rampages from the treehouse against the "Grendel" and eventually Grendel's mother.

The fun romp is that mix of animated material that suits the adults reading it as much as the kids but again, I still am puzzled until enough kids read it to see if they "get" it as much as they could. I find this similar to [book:Stuntboy, in the Meantime|57057907].

I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this story when I first began reading, but it didn't take long to really get into it. And even though it has been many years since I read Beowulf, that began to come back to me as I read. Basically, it is a story about kids who are having a great time being kids, but who have to watch out for lugubrious Mr. Grindle. One touch from him and childhood is over and it's adulthood from then on. So the kids build an elaborate treehouse called Treeheart. When Grindle destroys that, it is five-year-old Bea Wolf to the rescue. Weinersmith uses alliteration and word play throughout, giving the story a rich, textual lyricism. There are even some words that will remind readers of the original Beowulf. All this moves the story along at a rapid pace, but stop and explore the wonderful black & white illustrations. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for medieval story, and I have to say that in the end, those misbehaving kids won my heart and I had a great time playing in their wonderful treehouse. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC.

This retelling of Beowulf mirrors the classic in interesting ways. A band of neighborhood children keep a treehouse as their hallowed hall, protecting their toys and candy. The hero Bea Wolf has heard of the damage grownup neighbor Grindle has caused, turning some of the kids into teens or adults and scattering the remaining kids. She gathers kids together to reclaim the kingdom. The poetic language also imitates the classic with many kennings and similes, and alliteration on every page. The black and white illustrations of the graphic novel give this modern story a more classic feel, and the variety of the panels draw the eye across the pages with lots of action. While kids of all ages will enjoy the story, younger readers might have trouble with some of the language. This will be great for middle and high school, even for the classroom because young readers will find lots to talk about.

This is a fun book that will appeal to many. It is a great reminder to hang onto your childhood as long as you can. The excellent graphics make it a must read.

I have enjoyed Zach Weinersmith's webcomic for many years, but this was something truly special. Gorgeous, hilarious, and true in spite of its fantastic nature, Bea Wolf is the Beowulf reimagining I never knew I needed. The poetic language is gracefully peppered with moments of unabashed comedy, and Boulet's art, as well, is stunningly evocative, lively, and hilarious. I have already recommended this book to five people, and I only finished it this morning. This book is a marvel, and I will be thinking about it for a good long time.

An interesting concept but the execution didn't do it for me. It didn't feel like a complete enough storyline for an adult reader, but felt out of the interest range for a child reader. Excellent art.

Bea Wolf, written by Zach Weinersmith and illustrated by Gilles Roussel, is a modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf currently scheduled for release on February 21 2023. The story features a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups. Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life. As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior—a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded. They call for Bea Wolf.

Bea Wolf is a well written and highly entertaining graphic novel, that does a great interpretation of the Beowulf tale for children, and adults alike. I think the choses about what to keep, and how to keep the story all ages, were thoughtfully made and resulted in a poetic and engaging story. I also really enjoyed the art style, and thought it was not only very well done but perfect for the story and characters. The shading and detail work were phenomenal. As a reformed english major, one that focus on works in middle and old english, this retelling entertained me and almost made we want to go back and reread the copies of Beowulf that I have in my collection. Almost. I absolutely love that at the end of the book the author takes the time to include information on the story and how it came to be so well known today, and a bit about old english as well. I love when authors include these bits of context and information.

Bea Wolf is a highly entertaining and accessible take on the Beowulf story, and I think it will be enjoyed by readers from a wide variety of ages and interests.

With the cover art, I was so looking forward to this, but I was underwhelmed. It's not *bad* at all, I just don't see kids enjoying this? Or understanding it for that matter. I think it might be a hard sell to put it in their hands. There were parts that I found pretty humorous, but overall, not for me.

What a wonderful, weird and very fun book. The rave reviews this book has already received didn't prepare me for just how fun I would find this book. It's easy to forget how fun and carefree and wild childhood can be, but this book captures that sense while also retelling the Beowulf story for a younger middle grade audience. Does Beowulf feel like an obvious story to be adapted into a children's graphic novel? No. But that's part of what makes this story work so well. The dramatic and cartoony line illustrations and epic panel work complete the effect. This book is nothing but fun and I can't wait to share it with other young readers.

This is such a clever retelling of Beowulf where the adults are the monsters and the kids must protect their tree house. Kids and adults alike will love this book.

This was one of the most unique graphic novels I have ever read. Combining epic poetry and the graphic novel form was not something I have encountered before but it was impressive. What a delightful story and one that will hopefully intrigue readers of all ages and serve as an introduction to epic poetry and Beowolf.

So great! It was so funny and I loved the illustrations (but I wish they had been in color!). I will definitely purchase this for my library's collection.

Somebody understood the assignment of re-casting Beowulf, down to the alliteration and poetic structure and I am here for it! And that's not even talking about the amazing artwork in this. Every page was a delight. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC and a special shout out to the author because this went above and beyond my expectations.

I believe that newer graphic adaptation such as this one will help younger readers gain an appreciation for classic literary. While also exploring the themes under a more modern lenses.

Oh, this modern retelling of Beowulf was delightful! Pitting kids against grown-ups, and one grown-up, Grindle in particular. This is an epic story of adults rushing children into growing up, and children fighting back. And it's just plain funny. Illustrations by Boulet are wonderfully paired with the writing, and this is a winner of a graphic novel for elementary students!