Clockwise from top: Shade Silverwing, Marina Brightwing, Goth, Romulus, Brutus and owls.
Silverwing: The Graphic Novel is an adaptation of the first book in the popular trilogy of xenofiction novels by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Christopher Steininger and published on September 5th, 2023.
Shade, a young Silverwing (silver-haired bat), is looked down upon by the others in his colony for being a runt. Desperate to prove himself, he stays out past dawn—forbidden on pain of death by the ancient Law—on a dare, leading to his colony's Hometree being razed by owls when the wise elder Frieda refuses to give him up. With the colony forced to migrate early, Shade is swept off-course by a storm and meets Marina, a young Brightwing (Eastern red bat) who was exiled from her colony for having been marked with a metal band by humans, which Frieda—similarly banded—believes has something to do with Nocturna's Promise, an ancient prophecy that the Law would be overturned. However, sinister forces are at play: Goth and Throbb, a pair of Vampyrum Spectrum (spectral bats) captured from their jungle home and brought north, escape from the lab they're imprisoned in and must find a way south before winter sets in. When their paths cross with Shade's, the young bat finds himself torn between Goth's promises of power and revenge and Marina's worries that their vicious new allies are plotting something terrible.
Silverwing: The Graphic Novel contains examples of the following tropes:
- Adaptational Ugliness:
- Goth is described as fairly handsome looking by his species' standards in the book, but is fairly monstrous-looking in the graphic novel... albeit better-looking than Throbb.
- Remus the rat-king is simply described as being fat in the book but in the graphic novel is also diseased—seemingly being afflicted with mange.
- Bat Out of Hell: Vampyrum Spectrum (spectral bats) like Goth and Throbb are giant carnivorous bats that live in the jungles of South America and are large enough to prey on just about anything—including birds as large as owls... though they have a particular taste for other bats.
- Cannibalism Superpower: Invoked by Goth when he states that the Vampyrum Spectrum worship Cama Zotz by devouring other creatures with the belief that in doing so they absorb their prey's vital essence and make it their own.
- Compressed Adaptation: Although the graphic novel covers most of the main story beats as the novel, it skips over a few scenes—such as Goth's dream-vision of enslaving the Silverwing colony.
- Evil Plan: Initially, Goth and Throbb just want to find a way south before winter sets in. However, after learning about the Silverwing colony's hibernaculum and the thousands of bats therein, Goth schemes to trick Shade into leading him there with the intent of convincing the Silverwings to fly south with him and Throbb under the pretence of amnesty from the northern owls' tyranny... and then enslaving them as a limitless supply of food and sacrifices. When Throbb's incompetence ruins this, Goth decides to salvage what he can by torturing the rest of the map out of Shade, killing him, and overwintering at the Hibernaculum while feasting on the sleeping bats until spring.
- False Friend: While Throbb wants to just eat Shade and Marina, Goth—more intelligent and cunning—realizes they need a guide to show them the way south and plays to Shade's insecurities and desire for glory by pretending to befriend him, teaching him how to fight, and offering to give his colony asylum in the southern jungles and raise an army of Vampyrum Spectrum to liberate the northern bats—with Shade being made their general. Shade falls for it until he sees Throbb eating another bat, and once the jig is up Goth drops the Affably Evil facade.
- Hard-Work Montage: Goth is shown teaching Shade how to fight larger opponents like owls by sculpting a pile of leaves and tearing through it with his fangs and claws. While Shade initially bounces off due to his smaller size, he eventually gets the hang of it—which seemingly impresses even Goth... though it's later revealed he was just pretending, sneering to Throbb that he finds Shade's hunger for glory pathetic.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Goth and Throbb massacre Scirocco's human-worshipping cult and claim their bands as trophies. After cornering Shade and Marina in a thunderstorm, Goth rips off Marina's band to use as a tongue-ring... only for he and Throbb to be struck by lightning. Throbb is atomized, while Goth is set ablaze and seemingly plummets to his death.
- If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!: When Shade and Marina are recaptured by Goth and Throbb after escaping the rats, Shade—who'd harvested leaves used to make a sleeping draught—pretends to have pulled a Face–Heel Turn and offers to lead Goth to his colony in exchange for being spared and inducted into the cult of Cama Zotz. Goth is immediately suspicious and tests Shade by ordering him to prove his dedication by eating from the corpse of a bat he and Throbb had been devouring. Shade drizzles the sleeping draught onto the corpse, but is forced to commit cannibalism in the process—to Marina's disgust and horror.
- My God, What Have I Done?:
- Shade is horrified when his staying out past dawn leads to the owls burning the Silverwing colony's Hometree to the ground in retribution.
- Shade teaches Goth part of the map to the Silverwing colony's Hibernaculum, which he berates himself for doing once he realizes the Vampyrum Spectrum's true nature.
- Mythology Gag:
- Brutus, the general of the owl army, has upswept eyebrows resembling his counterpart's in the Silverwing animated series.
- Marina has a mane with sidelocks that resembles the hair sported by her counterpart in the Silverwing animated series.
- Goth sports a short mohawk-like mane of red fur similar to the hair sported by his counterpart in the Silverwing animated series—though it's a brighter shade in the graphic novel.
- Not Quite Dead: Shade and Marina assume Goth to have been killed after he's struck by lightning, but the final pages show him regaining consciousness and limping his way south hellbent on revenge.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Romulus, a benevolent rat with an atavistic mutation giving him patagia, hypothesizes that his pseudo-wings are proof that millions of years ago bats and rats shared a common ancestor, and thus have more reason to be allies than enemies.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Goth has black fur and a red mane, and is the Big Bad of the graphic novel—pretending to be Shade's ally while plotting to trick the Silverwing colony into flying south with him and Throbb, then enslave them to have a limitless supply of meat for the royal family.
- Sequel Hook: The final pages set up a graphic novel adaptation of Sunwing when Shade learns that his father is still alive—having last been seen entering a strange building made by humans—and makes plans to find him in the spring, while Goth limps his way south swearing to raise and army of Vampyrum Spectrum and have his revenge on Shade by committing genocide on the northern bats.
- Surrounded by Idiots: Goth has nothing but contempt for his bumbling servant Throbb, only keeping him around because having an ally is better than going it alone in unfamiliar and dangerous territory... though Throbb's incompetence ruins Goth's plan to manipulate Shade into leading him to the Silverwing hibernaculum.
