In 1820 the whaleship Essex was sunk by a sperm whale, and in 1851 Herman Melville immortalized the event by using it as the basis for his novel Moby-Dick. Then, in 2014 French artist Christophe Chabouté immortalized Melville’s story with his acclaimed graphic novel adaptation, which Dark Horse is releasing in English for the first time next month.

Chabouté used startling black and white artwork to bring to life Melville’s tale of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest to extract vengeance on the white whale that took his leg and his sanity.

From the Press Release:

The great American novel—now a graphic novel!

A masterful adaptation of the timeless literary classic, faithfully and beautifully rendered by an award-winning artist. In striking black-and-white illustrations, Chabouté retells the story of the great American novel in which Captain Ahab strikes out on a voyage, obsessively seeking revenge on the great white whale that took his leg.

* Foreword by John Arcudi.

* A literary classic, adapted by award-winning artist Christophe Chabouté.