*Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, James Sturm, and Joe Sutphin

The graphic-novel version of Watership Down combines the dramatic force of the original story with winning art.

*Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm and illustrated by Joe Sutphin. Ten Speed Graphic, 2023, 384 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-up

The Great Quest

Hazel is a low-ranking member of the Sandleford warren, and his brother Fiver has even less status. Still, it’s not a bad life, even if the Owsla (patrol rabbits) can be overbearing at times and the Chief Rabbit tends not to listen. All that changes the day Fiver (considered a bit nuts by his peers) experiences a terrifying vision of their peaceful warren churned to mud and all the rabbits in a bloody help.

Inclined at first to dismiss his brother’s vivid imagination, Hazel comes to believe him, and manages to convince a few others that they must flee before disaster. The most consequential recruit is Bigwig, a powerful member of the Owsla who doesn’t really believe Fiver’s vision but may have ambitions to lead his own warren.

Thus begins one of the great quests of modern literature. Though it covers less than a mile and involves creatures not known for aggression, it’s a story of courage, loyalty, perseverance, and faith—all the best things. These are not fuzzy bunnies but real characters fighting for their future and their very lives. Heroes emerge: unassuming Hazel becomes a wise leader, Bigwig overcomes his own arrogant recklessness. But all the rabbits of Watership have their particular gifts, each of which contributes to the success of the warren. As I wrote in my review of the original novel, “These characters occupy a small space, but it’s big enough to live with integrity and wonder. And the same is true for each of us.” That makes a classic.

Does the format work?

How does the graphic novel compare? As well as it can. That is to say, readers of the graphic novel will miss a lot of the subtleties of rabbit life as Adams imagined it in a consummate achievement at world-building. And, in a story all about rabbits, readers may have to look close to distinguish some of the characters. Joe Sutphin, whose Little Pilgrim’s Progress we absolutely love, manages this with subtle lines and color shades. I especially like his representations of Lord Frith (the sun god) and Elahrairah the trickster rabbit of legend. The Black Rabbit of Inlé is duly frightening (and a reminder that this is not a story for young children) and General Woundwart, the story’s main villain, is duly fierce. Adapter James Sturm’s account of how he and Sutphin decided what to leave out is an interesting sideline, and don’t miss the glossary of Lapine terms in the appendix.

The story’s conclusion in the graphic novel is just as heart-rending as in the original novel, and we can hope younger readers will get around to the original someday. But even if not, this is a story to be treasured, and the format does it justice.

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Other graphic treatments of classic literature that we especially like are The Iliad, Snow White, and The Great Gatsby.
• Review: Here’s our starred review of The Green Ember, S. D. Smiths epic series of “rabbits with swords.”
• Resource: More rabbits! Here’s our Bunny Book List on the 100^th anniversary of The Velveteen Rabbit.

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