Cormac McCarthy’s novelThe Roadhas been the subject of another stellar adaptation, this timeby artist Manu Larcenet, whose graphic novel version of the post-apocalyptic father-son tale may ultimately rank as the definitive reinterpretation of the legendary author’s source material.First published in France earlier this year to critical and commercial acclaim, Larcenet’sRoadgraphic novel is now coming to the U.S. courtesy of Abrams ComicArts.
Screen Rant is thrilled to share an exclusive first-look at Manu Larcenet’sThe Road, which seems to have captured the visceral quality of McCarthy’s prose to an incredible degree, even moreso than the lauded 2009 film adaptation of the novel – which, in its own right, did a remarkable job of transposing the story’s essence across mediums.
Prior toMcCarthy’s passing in 2023, the author personally approved the adaptation, following correspondence with Larcenet, which shows that his graphic novel is a product of extreme passion forThe Roadin its original form.
Available June 26, 2025 From Abrams ComicArts
The preview for Manu Larcenet’sThe Roadshows how the artist has expertly translated not just theplot of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, but its feeling. Larcenet’s illustrations carry much of the weight of this, adding a haunting dimension to the story with the tone and hue of the graphic novel’s artistic style.The Roadis best known for its bleak imagery, and while the 2009 film adaptation of the book was able to evoke this effectively on screen, but here,Larcenet uses the comic medium to his advantage in order to truly capture the unrelenting despair of McCarthy’s work.
Manu Larcenet’s graphic novel adaptation of McCarthy’s unforgettable book has managed to encapsulate the emotional gravity ofThe Roadin a way that will be mesmerizing for fans of the original.
The preview centers around the kind of quiet, heartbreaking moments thatThe Roadis full of. The book tells the story of a father and son wandering post-apocalyptic America, facing increasingly desperate circumstances as they try to survive against all odds. In the preview, the son spots another child hiding in the desolate landscape, and begs the father to rescue the child. The father refuses; while the boy is ready to “give that little boy half [his] food,” the father realizes that is simply not an option.
In other words, the wasteland transmutes the father’s love for his son into cruelty toward another boy just like his son. It is a familiar theme in post-apocalyptic literature, but it has rarely been elaborated on in as gutwrenching a way as Cormac McCarthy did withThe Road. Now, Manu Larcenet’s graphic novel adaptation of McCarthy’s unforgettable book has managed to encapsulate the emotional gravity ofThe Roadin a way that will be mesmerizing for fans of the original.
Artist Manu Larcenet Wrote To Cormac McCarthy To Get Approval For His Adaptation
Manu Larcenet’s illustrations in his graphic novel version ofThe Roadexpresses the kind of creative commitment and confidence that distinguishes good art from great art. Few 20th century authors knew this better than Cormac McCarthy, and evidently, the author was impressed by the illustrator enough to sanction a second adaptation of his work. Larcenet’s original letter to McCarthy, seeking his approval to work on the project, makes it apparent how clearly he sawThe Roadin his head even before he’d begun.
Now that his ambition has been fully realized, Many Larcenet’sThe Roadhas offered a stunning tribute to the author of the original, Cormac McCarthy.
Larcenet wrote:
I lovedThe Roadfor the atmosphere it creates. Most likely because I enjoy drawing the snow, the chilling winds, the dark clouds, the sizzling rain, tangles and snags, rust, and the damp and the humidity. I draw violence and kindness, wild animals, dirty skin, pits, and stagnant water. I enjoy the contrast between the characters and their environment, and as conceited as it may sound, I feel like I’m up to the task.
As readers of the original French version of Larcenet’s adaptation can attest, and American audiences will soon find out for themselves, the artist was right: he was very much up to the task. In his letter,Manu Larcenet was quick to assure McCarthy that he had no intention of altering the story, stating:
If I am so bold as to ask you to draw yourRoad, it is not to rewrite anything, or change the feel of the story. I have no other ambitions but to draw your words. The magical part of being an illustrator is to find a silent line to draw with every word. These lines could support yours without distorting them. At least, that’s the goal if this project should come to fruition.
Now that his ambition has been fully realized, Manu Larcenet’sThe Roadhas offered a stunning tribute to the author of the original, Cormac McCarthy.
The film version ofThe Roadwas released in 2009, as the culmination of several big years for Cormac McCarthy and his work; in 2007, the novel won the Pulitzer Prize, while the highly acclaimed Coen Brothers adaptation of McCarthy’s previous novel,No Country For Old Menwas released in theaters.The Roadwas a successful film in its own right, and it is notable for its fidelity to the source material. That said, there is always something lost in transmission during the adaptation process, especially with prose as dense and deliberately-constructed as McCarthy’s.
There is something about the way in which Larcenent manifests the post-apocalyptic landscape on the page that amplifies the civilization-wide trauma that the world has gone through.
Manu Larcenet’sThe Roadgraphic novelmight not be immune to this cross-medium loss entirely, but with that in mind,it is able to capture the desolate quality of McCarthy’s story to an even greater extent than the film. There is something about the way in which Larcenent manifests the post-apocalyptic landscape on the page that amplifies the civilization-wide trauma that the world has gone through, which the story’s characters are forced to endlessly react to. The darkness and the brutality of McCarthy’s vision are on display in every frame of the graphic novel, but so is its sadness.
The Artist Told McCarthy He Was “Racking His Brain”
In his letter to Cormac McCarthy, Manu Larcenet explained that he had become deeply attached toThe Road, and after an exhaustive stretch of his own creative career, realized that all he now wanted to do was adapt it. He wrote:
I’m coming off years of writing that wore me down, and I want nothing more than to draw! For almost six months now, I’ve been reading your book again and again, almost living in it. I’m starting to see how I could tackle the challenge of following the guidelines you set without feeling trapped by them. On top of that, I’ve been racking my brain to avoid any reference to the movie adaptation.
I usually write my own comics, one of which (Blast) shares common themes with your book. But I didn’t writeThe Road; I really wish I had! I sincerely thank you for allowing me to put my pencil down where your pen went.
Notably,Larcenet also expressly pointed to the film adaptation – at that point over a decade old – and explained that he expressly wanted to distinguish his graphic novel version ofThe Roadfrom what had been done on screen.
When they pick up Larcenet’sThe Road, readers will find themselves pleasantly surprised by how fully it renders the spirit of the book, even if they know the story well.
In his letter, Manu Larcenet reveals himself first and foremost as an admirer of McCarthy’s book; for any artist, it is not always easy to admit they “really wish [they] had” created someone else’s work. It is, essentially, the greatest compliment they can pay to another creator. Larcenet’s gratitude at being able to even consider adaptingThe Roadcomes across as incredibly endearing, and makes it clear why McCarthy, one of the most legendary figures in the history 20th-century literature, would be charmed by the artist’s desire to adapt his work into a new medium, for a new era.
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Attempting to create an “original” adaptation is a quixotic creative endeavor, but Manu Larcenet has proven as successful as anyone. His graphic novel iteration ofThe Roadshould be an inspiration toany artist on a similar path. Considering that Cormac McCarthy gave the artist, and the project, his blessing, this should come as no surprise to readers – yet hopefully, when they pick up Larcenet’sThe Road, readers will find themselves pleasantly surprised by how fully it renders the spirit of the book, even if they know the story well.
The Road graphic novel adaptation is available now from Abrams ComicArts.
The Road
Cast
Based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, The Road centers on a father and son who attempt to make it to the coast after a global apocalypse wipes out all plant and animal life on Earth. The Road was directed by John Hillcoat and stars Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
