After the book came the film, then the play, and now Hosseini's bestselling tale has been made into a graphic novel. The bright panels and abridged dialogue follow bookish Amir and his childhood friend Hassan as they roam the kebab-scented alleys of 1970s Kabul, their dancing kite bright against the blue sky. The middle-class parties, chaotic bazaars and sense of possibility are captured rather nicely, and Amir's father, by turns hulking and sympathetic, is neatly realised. But the Disneyish illustrations, all big eyes and wide mouths, jar with the book's ghastly central assault and the horror of the Taliban, and the fast pace and tight focus (inevitable in a short comic) mean that the angst and resentment that eventually pushes Amir into a great betrayal doesn't quite ring true. What's left is an exciting and sometimes melodramatic story told with appealing but not particularly interesting artwork  it's unclear whether this adaptation is designed as a keepsake for fans or an introduction for kids; it feels too insubstantial to stand up on its own.