The Hobbit: A Graphic Novel

By J. R. R. Tolkien and David Wenzel

A graphic novel of the enchanting prequel to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit—the classic fantasy that inspired Peter Jackson’s major motion picture trilogy.

When Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves embark upon a dangerous quest to reclaim the hoard of gold stolen from them by the evil dragon Smaug, Gandalf the wizard suggests an unlikely accomplice: Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming Hobbit dwelling in peaceful Hobbiton.

Along the way, the company faces trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and worse. But as they journey from the wonders of Rivendell to the terrors of Mirkwood and beyond, Bilbo will find that there is more to him than anyone—himself included—ever dreamed. Unexpected qualities of courage and cunning, and a love of adventure, propel Bilbo toward his great destiny . . . a destiny that waits in the dark caverns beneath the Misty Mountains, where a twisted creature known as Gollum jealously guards a precious magic ring.

This comprehensive edition collects the three-issue series originally published by Eclipse Comics and thereafter augmented with many pages of additional artwork and improvements. Carefully abridged from Tolkien’s classic novel, and brought thrillingly to life with striking, evocative art by David Wenzel, this graphic novel is a perennial delight to Hobbit fans old and new.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9780063388475

J. R. R. Tolkien

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 80 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

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Reviews for The Hobbit

[shahnareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this. <3

[ed9pendragon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I scarcely need to introduce the story of Bilbo Baggins, a halfling who is persuaded by a wizard and thirteen dwarfs to go on a long and dangerous journey to an isolated mountain, where treasure is guarded by a wicked dragon, and who finally returns home (as the subtitle proclaims).

First published in 1937, revised in 1951 and adapted for radio, animated and live action films, and for the stage, The Hobbit has been around in in its many guises for over 80 years now. As a graphic novel illustrated by David Wenzel it first began to be issued three decades ago, in 1989, and was reissued with revisions and thirty pages of new artwork in 2006.

Each medium has its advantages and drawbacks and so the question to ask when confronted by David Wenzel's most famous work is, what does it add to the experience of Tolkien’s original saga?

First off, most of the original text is present, so you won't be small-changed there, or not by much. There is some adapting - tenses changed, reordering of sentences and phrases, a few excisions (some verses from the songs, for example) - but this is largely Tolkien's own words. Occasionally the text overloads the images, showing how difficult a compromise it is to remain faithful to the original in a medium in which the guiding principle is 'show, don't tell'.

Next, how enamoured one may be with the illustrations depends on characterisation and on the artwork itself. If you've accepted the image of Bilbo from the Peter Jackson films then you may be disconcerted by the appearance of Wenzel's Hobbit, middle-aged and with a Beatle haircut. (On the other hand, this may be closer to Tolkien's vision, who probably thought of Bilbo as a aspect of himself.)

Gandalf is hard to get wrong but the Rivendell elves are less fay and more medieval than the movie versions while the Mirkwood elves could be extras for a Robin Hood film. The dwarves (this is Tolkien's preferred spelling) are neither Disneyesque nor Jacksonesque, more like grumpy garden gnomes in Lapplander clothing, and Gollum is as you'd expect, bug-eyed and tricksy.

Wenzel goes for a pen-and-ink with colour wash approach, a style associated more with children's picture books (think Raymond Briggs) than with comics or graphic novels. The page layout is never the same twice, occasionally going for a full page illustration as with our first view of Smaug (more impressive than Tolkien’s painting, though clearly inspired by it).

So, what's the final verdict? Certainly this is an enjoyable way to envisage Bilbo's epic voyage to and return from Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, and once you get used to the finish misses little out in the retelling. When the text dominates the presentation too much that's to its disadvantage, but to my mind this is a more successful adaptation than, for example, that of the Ralph Bakshi fotonovel of The Lord of the Rings, however innovative the truncated animated film was.

[m.akter.tonima · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Full of excitement.awesome!

[seschend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very very good adaptation of Tolkien's HOBBIT I finally took down from the shelves after 11 years. I wanted to reread the actual novel but didn't have time, so this was my fall-back. Good storytelling with great art by David Wenzel.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In 1989, Eclipse Comics had Charles Dixon and Sean Deming adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit with art by David Wenzel. The story is as faithful to the source material as it can be in an adapted format, though it far surpasses Peter Jackson's three-movie adaptation. Wenzel's watercolor artwork recalls Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, visually setting Bilbo's adventures in the same heroic tradition as other classic stories, and each page is a work of art on its own, with particularly gorgeous splash pages depicting Smaug, the raft men of Dane, and others. Fans of Tolkien will enjoy this and it would work well to introduce younger readers to the Middle Earth legendarium.

[bookwomble · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A faithful rendition, though it naturally loses some of the richness of the book.

Wenzel's artwork is certainly proficient, and I enjoyed the look of his watercolour technique but (you knew there was a but coming!) I was less enamoured of his characterisations. Bilbo looked a little too homely - perhaps an indication of my own prejudice in regard to what a 'heroic protagonist' should look like - the elves not ethereal or other-worldly enough. Gandalf and the dwarves were very good, though, and the illustration of Smaug on page 101 is magnificent.

Despite my grumbles, this is a worthwhile adaptation and an enjoyable read.

[linsleo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had this unread graphic novel on my shelf and decided that it was time to check out the graphic version of "The Hobbit". I was not disappointed. I recently finished reading "The Magical Worlds of The Lord of The Rings; The Amazing Myths, Legends, and Facts Behind The Masterpiece" by David Colbert and decided to go back to my shelves for another Tolkien read. Great illustrations and adaptation.

[mccandlessn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good images, good story, far surpassed by the lord of the rings trilogy in both scope and language

[scribblekey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars! It wasn't perfect, but laid the foundation for lots of others.

[timmyp-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Received the french version of graphic novel version of The Hobbit as a gift. It is awesome. Great graphics and almost none of the story is left out. The paper is thickand glossy and the cover very nice. My eight year old son also loves it. Truly a book for the whole family.

[jenn.s · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Perfect for fans of graphic novels or those who are not thrilled with the idea of sitting down to read long novels. While I'm not a great fan of these myself I did try this one to see how close the experience was compared to reading the full novel. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised and even gave this to my book hating son to enjoy. He also admitted it was an enjoyable read which is really saying a lot.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf, Fili and Kili, Bifur, Bofur, and all the other dwarves fought trolls, went to see the elves, got captured (many times). Bilbo was happy when he got home. I liked this because it was cool. My favorite character was Gandalf because he turned the trolls into stone. -- review by Sean, age 5

This is a review of the graphic novel version of the classic fantasy novel, which I have read a few times. I enjoyed reading this version out loud to my son and giving him his first taste of the great epic that begins with The Hobbit. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and the story is faithfully retold, although perhaps a little long-winded for a comic. All in all, it is an excellent adaptation. -- addendum by mom

Read out loud to my 5-year-old son (2013).

[raschneid_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reread the Hobbit in preparation for my Great Winter Reread of The Lord of the Rings (since it's been a whole three years or something, and I've been coming down with a cold and needed some comfort reading.)

I should probably read The History of the Hobbit at some point, because I am very interested in the textual history of this book - it is such a weird concept when taken on its own. I mean, hobbits? In some vaguely defined but obviously incredibly rich secondary fantasy world? In a book that's written for children, mostly, but isn't horrible and saccharine?

Most of the book gets by on the merit of being fun and wacky and having a good protagonist, but the end is actually quite dark and moving - Bilbo weaves his riddles before the dragon, a quarter of a town is decimated, Thorin walls himself in with his treasure and dies defending it.

Thorin is a really, really interesting character, actually, although it only struck me on this rereading. Normally Tolkien takes kings and the descendants of kings pretty seriously. Not all kings are good, but nevertheless they are of High Blood and are by default entitled to be a bit imperious, at least in his other writings.

Not so in The Hobbit! Tolkien is constantly poking fun at Thorin's grandiosity and long speeches, pointing to the artificiality of his royal pomp. The Elvenking is also a figure of fond ridicule. And even Bard, who as a warrior and the descendant of kings is of course just the person to kill Smaug, save Esgaroth, and rule Dale (God forbid some upstart commoner accomplish all three), is a slightly comic character. Much of this is due to the difference in tone of The Hobbit from his more "serious" works, but I think it's still interesting to see Tolkien writing questionable rulers more along the lines of Denethor than Feanor, who nevertheless have a right to their power.

[maggie1944 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I need to write a little bit more about having finished The Hobbit: An Illustrated Edition of the Fantasy Classic. The story, of course, was great. We all love our Bilbo Baggins, don't we. What a fine man he is, all the while valuing peace and quiet, a good song, something nice to eat and drink, and a cosy home. What more could any of us want, except perhaps an Adventure from time to time. And he does get his adventure.

This book does an excellent job of sticking to the story and illustrating it in a skillful, and artistic, manner. The watercolor and pen illustrations were all quite good. The handwritten text was also very well done, although my elderly eyes did appreciate a magnifying glass from time to time. I have a much fresher appreciation of the story. And I have a very warm appreciation of this lovely book.

[jimrgill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have a vague memory of having read The Hobbit many years ago, when I was much younger—so vague, in fact, that I chose to reread it. I recalled the basic plot elements and the overall premise of the story. And, because I’m breathing, I know that it’s the prequel to the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. And, since it’s considered a classic, my expectations were high.

I’m wondering, however, why I feel so underwhelmed by this novel. It contains all the elements of a classic, mythic heroic quest. It’s not unnecessarily lengthy or bloated (a mere 255 pages in the edition that I read), and the episodic narrative moves along at a smart pace. Tolkien has indeed created one of the great fantasy worlds in all of literature—Middle Earth.

Perhaps it’s the skimpy character development that bugs me. Bilbo and Gandalf and Thorin are quite memorable (especially Gandalf, who figures prominently in the ensuing LOTR novels), but Tolkien provides minimal characterization. Each is rather two-dimensional, and, as a reader, I found it quite difficult to empathize with any of them. I also found Tolkien’s narrative voice to be decidedly uneven—at times the narrator sounded charming and colloquial only to veer into bombast and melodrama, and the narrative tone fluctuated from self-deprecating to self-important. And a few of the major events in the story lack detail. For example, we are told rather little about the climactic Battle of Five Armies, and, of Bilbo’s return home, the narrator simply states, “He had many hardships and adventures before he got back”—yet he describes none of them. Perhaps I’m quibbling—and I know many of the Tolkien faithful will accuse me of sacrilege—but I expect more substance and narrative depth from a classic of fantasy literature.

[lucthegreat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The quintessential adventure tale. Sure the characters are interesting, the invented world is fascinating, and the plot is full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. All this being said, the thing that makes the Hobbit the gem that it is is Tolkien's mastery of the written word. Reading it, I felt as though a wise old man with sparkling eyes was telling me tales. The beauty is that it helped me to see the world through his eyes. Makes me want to surround myself with kids and regale them with stories of my own.

[aaron8hairstone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is about a young hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. His friend, Gandalf the Wizard has asked Bilbo to come on a journey with him. At first Bilbo refuses, but Gandalf sends 14 dwarves who are also going the adventure to talk Bilbo into it. Bilbo finally accepts to get the dwarves' gold back from the dangerous dragon. On his journey, Bilbo finds a mysterious ring that will turn him invisible when he puts it on. He has saved his dwarf friends many times with this ring. After all the adventuring and dangers, they arrive at the dragon's lair full of gold. The dragon can speak and knows that the dwarves and the hobbit had help from the lake men. The dragon flies out to kill the lake men. The men shoot the dragon with arrows, but the arrows bounce off against the dragon's diamond coat, but the king of the town spots a hole in his underbelly. He aims and fires. The dragon is killed, although the king dwarf, Thorin, dies.

I really enjoyed this book. So much adventure and action. Everyone should read this book. It's the prequel to one of the best trilogies I have ever seen.

[sarley_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Hobbit is considered to be the prelude of Lord of the Rings. It was created as a fairy tale. I chose this book because every child needs to see the differences between reality and fantasy. Any age group could read this book. I gave it a three star rating because it was a little difficult to read, but if you enjoying reading this would be a great book to read.

[fothpaul · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed this one a lot. Never actually read the book itself but knew the story quite well. Found it easy to get through (much easier than when I read Lord of the Rings). The book is packed full of adventures from very early on, but it flows well. Although the writing style isn't the best this doesn't detract from the story at all and I shall certainly read it again in the future.

[jeff123321 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was just as great as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. One of the few books that I can read over and over again. Just hope my kids when they are old enough to read enjoy it as much as I do.

[abbas6jafri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Less melancholy then Lord of the Rings but equally nostalgic, a great primer for the Fellowship and a gentler introduction to Tolkein.

[weeksj10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After re-reading the hobbit I am just amazed at how much I missed and have forgotten from my first reading. This book is a treasure trove of everything good, entertaining, and amazing in literature. All I can say is that if you have not read it in a while then read it again, if you have not read it because you think you know the story then you are wrong, get a copy and read it!

[jayduhon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An engrossing traveler's tale that I find myself visiting time and time again. This precursor to The Lord of the Rings epic stands alone as a testament to Hobbit virtue. I'm not sure if the continuation would have meant as much, or made as much sense, without having read of Bilbo's adventure first.

[cecrow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read The Hobbit when I was nine years old and never since, but thought I remembered it pretty well. My six year old was interested enough this year to accept having it read to him a few pages at a time each night. In the course of doing so, I felt the contrasts between my first impression and now. As a child I was awestruck by the depths of the Misty Mountains and the dreaded Mirkwood forest; the entire story had a vast tone of menace to it, filled with dangers and fear. Conversely, as an adult I now find the book fairly light in tone. As a child I was thrilled by the characters but my memories of the dwarves were vague, and now I can see why. We know that Thorin is their leader, Bombur is overweight, Balin is probably the bravest, Fili and Kili are the youngest, but not a whole lot else. Most of the dwarves we scarcely know besides their names.

Obviously my son wasn't making these observations. There was always something foreshadowed to keep him engaged. The trolls, the goblins, Gollum's riddles, the wolves; then the eagles, Beorn, and the dark path through Mirkwood ... all the way to the battle of the Five Armies, the next encounter or bit of action was always on the horizon. Even the advanced language didn't dissuade him, and I didn't try to simplify it - though I did summarize what had happened as I closed the book each time, to ensure he'd grasped it all. We laughed together over the foolish trolls, the introductions at Beorn's house, and Bombur's slumber. Often we'd speculate over what might happen next.

I was privately astonished how frequently - and for what prolonged duration - Bilbo made use of his magic ring. I recognized Elrond, and the Moria references. The Gandalf presented here is reminiscent of LOTR's opening passages - not much less bumbling in appearance than the dwarves, even when danger threatens. He seems to view the entire Hobbit adventure as a lark; and so must I, in anticipation of the deeper darker story I know is to come. This was a fun trip down memory lane for me, and a satisfying series of evenings for my son who can one day make his own return visit to Laketown and the Lonely Mountain.

[kfbruck · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have not met a person yet who hasn’t enjoyed this book! It is a very interesting book that can be a little difficult for younger ages to understand. However, I think it is a great book to have in your classroom for the older children. There is a mix of fantasy and fairy tale that completely captivates the reader.

[stol0620 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a book I had been wanting to read for a long time and it impressed me. The book was mature but it was action packed. I wouldn't call a fun read but an interesting one.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Vermakelijk verhaal van het avontuur van de hobbit Bilbo Ballings die met een groep dwergen en de tovenaar Gandalf een goudschat gaat heroveren op een draak. Leuk is de humoristische ondertoon en de vlotte verteltrant. Interessant is vooral de diversiteit aan "soorten" in deze fantasiewereld. De Hobbit was duidelijk een blauwdruk voor het latere epos, In de Ban van de Ring.

[nawnie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Hobbit is an amazing, light hearted book that reads easy. It will hook you early and keep you coming back for more. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

[nakisisa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I tried reading this when I was younger and had a hard time with it. As an adult I decided to give it another try and was amazed! I love the adventure, fantasy and magic brought to life in the hobbit. It was easy to be spirited away to another world and become emersed in the story!

[aki5tensai · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Liked the creative twists and the character Gollum.