A Couple More Myths and Legends

Today's look at Lerner Publishing's Graphic Universe books features a couple written by Jeff Limke. He is an educator who has written many comics, and he seems to specialize in historical myths and fantasy stories.

Jason: Quest for the Golden Fleece is sort of like the Greek myth version of The Expendables, with a band of Greek heroes, including Heracles and the twins, Castor and Pollux, led by Jason on a series of adventures. In terms of this story, both brute strength and intelligence are necessary elements. I also have to say to those who are familiar with this story that the characters here are more clever than duplicitous (there are a bunch of double crossers in the versions I remember). On the plus side, the story has all kinds of great action/adventure elements, with Jason contending against fire-breathing bulls, skeleton warriors, and even a dragon.

I liked the energy and pacing in this story. The artwork, by Tim Seeley, co-creator of Hack/Slash and Revival, was crisp and very enticing. He also draws great monsters and attractive human beings in a dynamic style, which is very well suited to this particular narrative.

If I had a quibble with this book, it is with the ending, which has Medea tossing her kid brother into the ocean rather than cutting him up into little bits and a happy scene with Jason and Medea pledging their love to each other. I get that this book is geared toward younger readers, but I did blanch a little that the gory details and abject state of affairs Jason finally fell into were omitted.
 

This second book, King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed, is an excellent introduction for younger readers into the world of Arthurian legends. Adapted from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, this book recounts tales of King Arthur from his youth, from his pulling the legendary sword from the stone, to his struggles to assert his rule as a young king. He vies with King Pellinore (who will later be his ally), meets Lady Guinevere (who will later be his wife), and adventures with Merlin as he seeks his birthright and a new sword. These are fun, exciting, and extremely well rendered episodes in the time before Arthur grew his beard and came to more complicated and treacherous affairs. Like the Jason book above, the narrative ends before the grim parts of these heroes' lives.

 

Also like the Jason volume, the highlight (not to detract from the good story) is the artwork, here by Thomas Yeates, a very respected comics veteran. His style is intricate, realistic, and somewhat soft, smacking of his influences, Hal Foster, N.C. Wyeth, and Wally Wood.

So, to sum up today's books. They both have well presented stories, excellent artwork, and I recommend them as introductions into the world of myth and legend. I think they would both be popular with upper elementary readers who like action and adventure tales especially.

Happy Thor's Day!

Fun fact: Thursday is named for Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Today, to commemorate this fact, I am going to tell y'all about three books I read recently about this free-wheeling, somewhat dim, and mighty warrior.

This first book is a retelling of traditional legends about the thunder god. Here he has a big red beard and not the flowing blonde locks and clean shaven look made popular in comic books and movies.

Today's preview theme: two folks riding in goat drawn chariots.

This book retells the tale of Thor and Loki visiting giants and being challenged by Utgard-Loki and his hall of illusions. Faced with a number of challenges, the two Asgardians and the two human children they have in tow acquit themselves well, but are no much for the giant's chicanery. In the end, brains are much more effective than brawn. I like that there are some modern flourishes in the story, such as the young girl calling the giants on their sexism, which make the whole narrative more light and enjoyable. I also appreciate the relationship between the god-like siblings, where Loki comes off less an antagonist and more like a know-it-all younger brother and Thor less heroic and more a bullish mook.

Collaborators Jeff Limke and Ron Randall made this book. Limke is a frequent writer of mythological tales for young readers. Randall has drawn comics for decades and has worked for all the big companies. He is best known for his work on fantasy and sci-fi books, such as his original series Trekker and licensed Star Wars adventures. He recently also had a Kickstartr project for an art book successfully funded.

Reviews I have read of this book are positive though not spectacular. Bekka felt the story was a bit "flat," the artwork "vivid and colorful," and summed up that "for the Norse lovers, this is a must-have comic to add to your own library." Rob McMonigal called it "a pretty well-done comic" for younger readers. He also added, "I'd easily recommend this to anyone with children who want to learn about the legends and myths surrounding the days of the week."

Thor and Loki: In the Land of Giants was published by Lerner Publishing Group under their Graphic Universe imprint.

I reviewed the first volume of Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee's Thor: The Mighty Avenger series here. This second volume continues the action-packed tales of adventure that also contain some excellent character work, and I particularly like the take on Jane Foster, who is warm, feisty, and intelligent. In  these stories, Thor is still banished on earth to learn humility, but he is also somewhat confused about this circumstance because of the machinations of his trickster half-brother Loki. I very much liked the range of adventures, which show him fighting Prince Namor, The Submariner, who is an excellent foil/mirror for Thor, battling the dragon Fin Fang Foom, contending with robots, and meeting Iron Man for the first time.

Thor sure does love riding his goat drawn chariot.

This book contains excellent storytelling and some great, straight-forward superhero stories. I found the artwork crisp and attractive, and the stories are appropriate for all ages, accessible to fans and non-fans alike. The contents of this book are flat-out fun and well told. Plus, as an added bonus, there are two additional tales to round out the book, by original Mighty Thor creators Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Leiber, which give readers a glimpse into the early output of Marvel Comics.

Originally slated to be 12 issues, this series was cut short to 8 issues and never resolved, even though it was very well received and reviewed. Conor Kilpatrick called it "fun in a way that most superhero comic books aren’t anymore" and added that it "features the wonderfully lush and detailed pages that Samnee is now famous for." Mario Lebel wrote, "If you like accessible, well written and superbly drawn superhero comics with as much brains and heart as there is brawn and creative costumes, do yourself a favour, pick up a copy of Thor: The Mighty Avenger and savour the brief glimpse into a grand story that could have been."

Marvel Comics originally published this book in digest size, but it is now available bundled as a complete collection containing the entire series.

If the first two books were all ages and aimed toward younger readers, this one is clearly aimed at a more mature audience. The story is dark and foreboding, full of horrific elements and lots of intrigue. The story is clearly couched in not only Norse myth but all mythological pantheons. There is a powerful entity that is hunting down and butchering gods of all sorts across dimensions, universes, and traditions. Thor first encounters it when he is a younger godling and is badly hurt in the battle. Centuries later, he finds clues that the adversary is back and he also finds himself in a very unfamiliar situation, feeling fear as he hunts for the killer.

No chariot, and I don't want to ruin what is hanging, but I will tell you it's not goats.

The story here is by Jason Aaron and the art by Esad Ribic. Aaron is an accomplished writer known for his series Scalped and Eisner Award-nominated The Other Side as well as his work on series like Ghost Rider and Wolverine. Ribic has also done much work for Marvel including the series Silver Surfer: Requiem and Submariner: The Depths. Both talk about their plans for this book and beyond in this interview/preview.

All of the reviews I have read about this volume have been very positive. Charles Payseur wrote that "the story comes across as focused and kinetic, full of memorable visuals and dialogue." The reviewer at Packrat Comics summed up, "This is a Thor book for anyone.  It balances the fantasy with science fiction and horror, and focuses on Thor as a character rather than being overly enthralled with the pantheon and mythology attached to him." Matt Lippman wrote, "While the dark and grim tone might not appeal to some people, it’s so skillfully done and so powerful that I find it tough to imagine it doing nothing for you if you’ve got the slightest interest in the character."

Thor: The God Butcher Volume 1 was published by Marvel.

So there you have it, three different books about the popular Norse god for a variety of readers. Happy Thursday!

Isis & Osiris: To the Ends of the Earth

This retelling of the ancient Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris is rendered in dynamic fashion by David Witt, an accomplished artist whose work has shown up in t-shirts, comics, rock posters, Guitar Hero II, and art exhibitions. The narrative was laid out by Jeff Limke, a frequent contributor to Lerner Publishing's Graphic Universe imprint. Limke has worked in comics for a long while, as chronicled in this interview, and has also been a high school teacher.

The myth presented here deals with Isis and Osiris , who are wife and husband as well as sister and brother, having to contend with their jealous brother Set. Set tricks Osiris into a sarcophagus and kills him. Isis finds his body and sets out to resurrect him, but Set discovers this and cuts his brother into 14 parts and scatters them about. Isis eventually recovers most of his body and brings him back, much in the same fashion of the Egyptian mummification process. After defeating Set, Osiris becomes the final judge in the afterlife, determining who is good and evil.

As with other books in the Graphic Universe series, there is a glossary, pronunciation guide, and other resources that would be helpful in using this book with students. It has received decent ratings on Goodreads and Amazon. The editorial reviews on Amazon, from Booklist and The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, point out some story drawbacks as well as the vivid artwork and their potential appeal for young readers.

A preview is provided by Lerner Publishing.