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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am just going to say, I don't feel like typing a lot right now, so how about if your reading this, go read the Zeus comment!
This is a fantastic graphic novel for kids and teens about Athena, one of my favorite Greek goddesses. George O'Connor does a nice job of picking a mix of well-known stories about Athena (such as her role in Perseus's slaying of Medusa, or the story of Arachne) and lesser-known tales. His artwork is really excellent -- the pages are full of motion and excitement, and he captures changes of mood beautifully though subtle shifts in characters' facial expressions. I was reminded strongly of P. Craig Russell, one of my favorite comic artists (and the artist behind the graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Coraline). This is thrilling stuff for all ages.
super quick, I like what I’m learning, the story didn’t feel super super complete but it was good
I've been dying to read a few of the books in this series, so I was so excited to find a spare copy about one of my favorite Greek goddesses on book collection day. (My other favorite is Artemis. I'm kind of predictable.)
These tellings of the Greek myths strike a healthy balance between faithfulness to the original and avoiding getting too graphic. If this were written for adults, these stories could have been extremely bloody and gory--but instead O'Connor keeps just enough violence for kids to understand and appreciate the impact of what's happening without going off the deep end.
I appreciate how "adult" the art looks--it could have been so easy to go for rounder, softer images, which strikes me as the visual equivalent of talking down to kids. Although created for a younger audience, the art, layout, and only slightly airbrushed stories seem, to me, to respect kids' ability to understand more than adults give them credit for. Plenty of adult graphic novel lovers would enjoy the artwork here.
The book includes a whole bunch of cool extras at the back: full-page profiles of the major characters with key information about them; an author's note with a bit of comparative history; handy "G(r)eek Notes" with extra details about variants on the myths, changes made for the story, clarifications, and references to other myths; and a brief bibliography, including books that this book's audience would be able to appreciate.
I have only two complaints: First, Athena felt too short (I read the whole thing while Areg was in the shower yesterday morning), but this is probably because of the younger audience and the number of available myths to choose from. Second, the story of how Athena became the patron goddess of Athens isn't here. What the heck! That's kind of an important story, and I would rather have had that than the Perseus myth. Perseus just felt like it was straying too far from Athena...and it might have made its own standalone book, or been part of a book about heroes.
I hope First Second is planning an omnibus once all of the twelve major gods and goddesses have been covered, because I'll definitely add it to my physical book shelf!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.
These tellings of the Greek myths strike a healthy balance between faithfulness to the original and avoiding getting too graphic. If this were written for adults, these stories could have been extremely bloody and gory--but instead O'Connor keeps just enough violence for kids to understand and appreciate the impact of what's happening without going off the deep end.
I appreciate how "adult" the art looks--it could have been so easy to go for rounder, softer images, which strikes me as the visual equivalent of talking down to kids. Although created for a younger audience, the art, layout, and only slightly airbrushed stories seem, to me, to respect kids' ability to understand more than adults give them credit for. Plenty of adult graphic novel lovers would enjoy the artwork here.
The book includes a whole bunch of cool extras at the back: full-page profiles of the major characters with key information about them; an author's note with a bit of comparative history; handy "G(r)eek Notes" with extra details about variants on the myths, changes made for the story, clarifications, and references to other myths; and a brief bibliography, including books that this book's audience would be able to appreciate.
I have only two complaints: First, Athena felt too short (I read the whole thing while Areg was in the shower yesterday morning), but this is probably because of the younger audience and the number of available myths to choose from. Second, the story of how Athena became the patron goddess of Athens isn't here. What the heck! That's kind of an important story, and I would rather have had that than the Perseus myth. Perseus just felt like it was straying too far from Athena...and it might have made its own standalone book, or been part of a book about heroes.
I hope First Second is planning an omnibus once all of the twelve major gods and goddesses have been covered, because I'll definitely add it to my physical book shelf!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.
Graded By: Mandy W.
Cover Story: Oh My Gods
BFF Charm: Caution!
Swoonworthy Scale: 1
Talky Talk: Mythic Meets Modern
Arty Art: O.G. Superheroes
Bonus Factor: Greek Mythology
Relationship Status: Unfinished Business
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Oh My Gods
BFF Charm: Caution!
Swoonworthy Scale: 1
Talky Talk: Mythic Meets Modern
Arty Art: O.G. Superheroes
Bonus Factor: Greek Mythology
Relationship Status: Unfinished Business
Read the full book report here.
This is my last one to read for the Olympians series that he has written so far. I hope he writes more of these. They are FANTASTIC!
I like how George uses the fates to tell the tale of Athena. He finds some interesting source materials for her birth that was in D'Aulaire's mythology or other mythologies I have read. Either he makes it up or he reads very widely on the subject from multiple historical perspectives.
Then, one of the stories told is about Medusa, which is such a great tale. Athena seems less cold in this story and a little warmer. I kinda like her.
The next tale is of the Gigantomachy which attack Mt Olympus and Athena is the one to defeat their leader. They are almost invincible. Lastly, is the famous story of Arachne. I do love this story. I find the hubris of Arachne interesting.
The longest tale is of Perseus and Medusa. That is one of the most well known as well. I simply love these story by George. He tells the myths so well. He has a great perspective and understanding. He carries on the tradition and lineage of this work. I hope he does one on Hestia and Hephaestus.
I like how George uses the fates to tell the tale of Athena. He finds some interesting source materials for her birth that was in D'Aulaire's mythology or other mythologies I have read. Either he makes it up or he reads very widely on the subject from multiple historical perspectives.
Then, one of the stories told is about Medusa, which is such a great tale. Athena seems less cold in this story and a little warmer. I kinda like her.
The next tale is of the Gigantomachy which attack Mt Olympus and Athena is the one to defeat their leader. They are almost invincible. Lastly, is the famous story of Arachne. I do love this story. I find the hubris of Arachne interesting.
The longest tale is of Perseus and Medusa. That is one of the most well known as well. I simply love these story by George. He tells the myths so well. He has a great perspective and understanding. He carries on the tradition and lineage of this work. I hope he does one on Hestia and Hephaestus.
*2.5 ⭐️
I had the same issues with this one as the first one. I can see how it would be interesting to someone who knows nothing about the Olympians, but apart from that I don’t really see much point.
Again, the art style is nothing you haven’t seen before. It’s overall a very classic comic feel. I did not like the colour palette at all in this one, some really odd colour combinations.
I just find the gods to be juvenile in this series. At times it tries to be funny but doesn’t really work. I was just bored for the most part.
Overall, nothing really special, if you’re looking for an introduction into Greek mythology, maybe. But then I’d suggest reading Percy Jackson if you’re looking for an accessible way to consume myths.
I had the same issues with this one as the first one. I can see how it would be interesting to someone who knows nothing about the Olympians, but apart from that I don’t really see much point.
Again, the art style is nothing you haven’t seen before. It’s overall a very classic comic feel. I did not like the colour palette at all in this one, some really odd colour combinations.
I just find the gods to be juvenile in this series. At times it tries to be funny but doesn’t really work. I was just bored for the most part.
Overall, nothing really special, if you’re looking for an introduction into Greek mythology, maybe. But then I’d suggest reading Percy Jackson if you’re looking for an accessible way to consume myths.
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A