The Phantom of the Opera
Few works of French literature resonate with audiences like Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, or as it's better known in English, The Phantom of the Opera. Written by Gaston Leroux, the story of a horribly disfigured, homicidal specter that haunts a Parisian opera house who falls in love with an up-and-coming singer has captivated audiences and influenced pop culture for over a century and shows no signs of slowing down.
Gaston Leroux | 1st edition cover of the French version by Adolphe Cossard |
First adapted into a film version in 1916 (Das Phantom der Oper) of which all copies have been lost or destroyed. The second adaptation is probably the most famous celluloid adaptation to date - 1925's The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney and subsequently setting the stage for all future adaptations of the story.
Lon Chaney as the Phantom
The reveal still stands as a testament to both Chaney's acting ability and the timeless power of his ability to horrify.
Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin
The next major celebration of the Phantom came in 1986 with Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster musical of the same name. Debuting on January 26, 1988, the original production ran for 35 years (a total of 13,891 shows)1 and is the longest-running musical in America (second in the world).
Announcement Poster for the British Theater
So, what does this history lesson about The Phantom of the Opera have to do with comics? Well, a lot and a little at the same time. In a recent deep dive into comics, I discovered three different versions of comic adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera, which will be discussed this time around. In this installment of The Graphic Reader, we'll discuss The Phantom of the Opera adaptations published by A Wave Blue World, Innovation Comics, and Eternity ((an imprint of Malibu Comics) which was originally published in Scream #3 (1973)) (man that's a lot of parentheses)).
The Phantom of the Opera (1988)
Eternity Comics (1988)
Adapted from the story by Gaston Leroux
Author: Al Hewitt
Artist: Jesus Duran (Castillo)2
Original Cover Price: $1.95
Issue #: 1
The shortest of the three adaptations, this story clocks in at a whopping 18 pages, with a backup story. This is a highly abridged retelling of the story, with an entirely new introduction (The Phantom breaks a man's arm in plain sight as opposed to hanging Buquet in the third basement), and a total disregard of all subplots in the original story. The art has hints of Dan Spiegle and Jim Steranko but feels much rougher and less refined. The story moves at a quick enough pace but doesn't engage enough to really hook the reader. At the time it was published, it was probably more engaging and entertaining. The main story was joined with a backup story (The Thing in the Black Dress) which read like a rejected Twilight Zone/Vault of Horror/Tales from the Crypt script. The fascinating thing (and what prompted this whole deep dive) was that this was a reprint that was originally published in 1973 by Skywald Comics.
The Phantom of the Opera (1991)
Innovation Publishing (1991)
Adapted from the story by Gaston Leroux
Author: Mitchell Perkins
Artist: Wanda Daughton
Original Cover Price: $6.95
Issue #: 1
The second entry in this review is visually sumptuous, but still excises some subplots and side stories. This version follows the original story fairly closely, until the climax, where it diverges from the source material and completely alters the ending (they don’t manage to drown the gunpowder, and the opera house explodes). Another fascinating angle this version examines is that the story is told from the Persian’s point of view and explains what happens to the Viscount and Christine after the end of the story.
The Phantom of the Opera: The Graphic Novel (2020)
A Wave Blue World (2020)
Adapted from the story by Gaston Leroux
Author: Varga Tomi
Artist: Varga Tomi
Original Cover Price: $16.99
ISBN: 978-1-949518-09-2
The newest of the three titles also happens to be the most faithful to the original story. This version is also the most engaging, with a reasonable pacing to the story. The texture of the illustrations blends well with the theme of the story, and Erik’s pain and frustration come through in ways that are rarely seen in graphic novels. This is the most faithful adaptation of the source material I have seen to date. If you’re going to read the story in an illustrated format, I highly recommend this version.
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Sources
Hewitt, A. H., & Leroux, G. L. (1988). The Phantom of the Opera: Eternity Comics. (Original work published 1973)
Originally printed in Scream #3 (1973)
Leroux, G. (1911). Le Fantôme de l’Opéra. http://digilib.umsu.ac.id/index.php?p=show_detail&id=21411
Leroux, G. L., & Perkins, M. P. (1991). The Phantom of the Opera: Innovation Publications (1st ed., Vol. 1) [Graphic Novel]. Innovation Publications.
Leroux, G., & Varga, T. V. (2020). The Phantom of the Opera: A Wave Blue World Publications (1st ed.) [Graphic Novel]. A Wave Blue World.
Museum, V. a. A. (n.d.). The Phantom of the Opera poster | V&A Explore the Collections. Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1163460/the-phantom-of-the-opera-poster-dewynters-ltd/
Shields, M. (2020, June 18). Unmasking the death’s head reveal of ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ Film School Rejects. https://filmschoolrejects.com/phantom-of-the-opera-face/
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, June 21). Gaston Leroux. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaston_Leroux#/media/File:G._LEROUX.jpg
Wikipedia contributors. (1910). File : Gaston Leroux - Le Fantôme de l’Opéra.jpg - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gaston_Leroux_-_Le_Fant%C3%B4me_de_l%27Op%C3%A9ra.jpg
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). File: Lon Chaney Phantom of the Opera Cropped.jpg - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lon_Chaney_Phantom_of_The_Opera_Cropped.jpg
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