Graphic Novel Review: THE TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET

Part of a series of graphic novels from Walker Books for Young Readers, THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET is an adaptation of an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE by the same name.  On a suburban street, all the power goes out when a meteor seemingly crashes nearby. However, not only is the power out, but cars won't start, radios don't play, and most other electronic devices seem to have stopped working. Soon the seemingly close neighbors become suspicious of each other and paranoia runs rampant. There are monsters on Maple Street, but they aren't who the people think.

Although THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET is a classic Twilight Zone story, it really doesn't translate well into this graphic novel adaptation. Other than a few tweaks here and there, the episode has been translated almost exactly from the tv episode. While the overarching themes are still the same, they lose some of their power in this particular book form. This is an example of the tv show being much better than the book.

I liked the illustrations in the story. They are similar to the illustrations in other books in the series. They are kind of cartoony, but not too much so. They do an excellent job of capturing the mood and atmosphere of the tale. The text is written in a font a little larger than most graphic novels and comics and the panels are easy to follow. The book includes introductory and concluding essays as well as a page that gives many details about the original episode, including cast, crew, and trivia.

Overall, while the illustrations are good, the story of THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET doesn't translate well in this particular graphic novel adaptation.