An interesting twist on an old classic...

Hello, dolls!

We are very excited about our post today, because we feel that being a girl means more than just weddings and shopping. Today's post is reflective of some of our other interests, including art, literature, and yes, even comic books. Pretty much every little girl is familiar with all the traditional fairy tales, and every teenage girl has read the classic novels by Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters featuring strong, independent females. That is why we wanted to share some new updated versions of these classics that have been such an important part of our life. So here are some new renditions of some of the greatest stories of all time:

This illustrated version of Jane Eyre is absolutely gorgeous. With beautifully detailed glossy images in both black-and-white and vibrant hues, these Gothic inspired illustrations by the talented Dame Darcy are wonderful compliment to this haunting tale. It's a must-have for anyone besotted with this unconventional love story.

Like many girls, we are in love with Elizabeth Bennet and Mark Darcy. So you can imagine our excitement when we first saw this 5-issue collection by Marvel. This is a faithful adaptation to the classic by Jane Austen, with Hugo Petras immortalizing all of our favorite characters with his rich illustrations. Plus it's combining two literary giants: Jane Austen and Marvel.

Keeping in theme with Jane Austen, I'm sure many of you have already read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. And if you loved that, you are sure to love Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. The Dashwood sisters are forced to live on Pestilent Island after their father is tragically eaten by a hammerhead shark. Mr. Willoughby sweeps Marianne off her feet after she is attacked by a giant octopus, and poor Elinore learns that her true love, Edward Ferrars, is engaged after facing off against a deadly sea serpent with his fiancee, Lucy Steele. While keeping true to the original plot (to some extent) this version of the story is action-packed, high-paced, and dare we say, romantic?

These are definitely not your childhood fairytales. Vertigo's ingenious series by Bill Willingham is one of our favorite comic book collections right now. All of our favorite fairytale characters, including Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Pinnochio, among countless others, are brought to life in this clever series set in modern day NYC. Be sure to check out your local comic book store to grab Volume 1 of Fables: Legends in Exile.

With all the hype of Alice in Wonderland, the movie, we thought it would be nice to focus on Alice in Wonderland, the book. Lewis Carroll's original story is available, in full, with art by Camilla Rose Garcia. Her art escalates Alice into a darker, more surreal universe than what has been traditionally associated with the classic story, but still keeps the lovely, whimsical feel of the original intact.  

Happy reading!

XOXO,
Jen & Saira