Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis
An Original Graphic Novel
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In his debut graphic novel, legendary award-winning director Francis Ford Coppola brings Megalopolis to life with an all-new, reimagined story, adapted by Coppola with Chris Ryall and award-wining artist Jacob Phillips
Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel is a unique 160-page graphic novel that presents an alternate version of Francis Ford Coppola’s visionary film, created and written by Francis Ford Coppola, adapted by Chris Ryall in collaboration with Coppola, and illustrated by Eisner Award–nominated cartoonist Jacob Phillips.
The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare.
Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.
This graphic novel is a unique, standalone interpretation of the larger world Coppola created; or as Coppola himself put it, Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel is "a sibling of the film, rather than just an echo."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hollywood director Coppola collaborates with veteran comic creators Ryall (Zombies Vs. Robots) and Phillips (That Texas Blood) on a melodramatic graphic novel adaptation of his 2024 film that falls short of its grand ambitions. Cesar Catilina, a revered and reviled architect and inventor from an elite clan, holds fast to a utopian vision of reshaping the allegorical city of New Rome with his revolutionary material "Megalon." His foil, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, is the pragmatic protector of the status quo, champion of casino revenue and "traditional values." Complicating this otherwise straightforward battle of ideals are Cesar's conniving relatives, his love affair with the mayor's daughter, his apparent ability to stop time, and a power-hungry television reporter. Coppola personally directed the effort to reimagine the script, and the backstory of his reaching out to Ryall about his ideas is itself fascinating material. But the task of adapting here seems to diminish the intended spectacle, as scenes, sequences, and soliloquies that might be impactful on the big screen get crammed into close panels, overly dense dialogue, and often stiff character art. On-the-nose visual gags (like a Make Rome Great Again hat) don't help matters. Coppola completists may find something of interest, but as a standalone comic this falls flat.
