A by turns epic, amusing, and tragic caper that’s even more toastworthy (for obvious reasons) than its 11 predecessors.
Discover “a new type of god” in this final installment in the outstanding Olympians series.
Depicted eerily as an enigmatic, unclothed figure wrapped in flames, Hestia, goddess of hearth and home—and the oldest of the Olympians—narrates this strange and wild tale of Dionysos’ birth and rise. The youngest of the gods, Dionysos is conceived by a human mother and raised first as a girl then as a boy before he goes on to invent wine, vanquish death itself, and ultimately claim his seat on Mount Olympus with the rest of his immortal clan. Though not immune to tender feelings (such as when he meets the spirit of his dead mother, Semele, in the realm of Hades and when he marries Ariadne after she’s dumped by that cad Theseus), Dionysos generally comes off as a slap-happy party animal. He cavorts through the illustrations shirtless, displaying appropriately godlike charm and charisma as he dispenses his marvelous beverage far and wide and gathers followers—of both the mythological and racially diverse human variety—for wild rumpuses. “The Olympians may be deathless, but no god is as alive as Dionysos,” Hestia observes. More than any of his fellow deities, he is “a god of the people. Of humans. Because he was born of them.” The pages of this well-conceived graphic novel are laid out using an irregular grid that emphasizes some panels while retaining flow. All major characters present as White.
A by turns epic, amusing, and tragic caper that’s even more toastworthy (for obvious reasons) than its 11 predecessors. (sources, resources, discussion questions, endnotes) (Graphic mythology. 10-14)Pub Date: March 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-62672-530-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
Budding Holmesians not yet ready to tackle the originals will certainly get a taste of what’s in store.
A bit of nautical skullduggery leads to a brutal former sea captain’s murder in this graphic adaptation.
Consistent with series formula, it is retold in easy-to-follow framed panels of various sizes and shapes interspersed with prose transitions and capped by analyses of the significant clues. This case has Holmes and Watson helping a novice police inspector nab a hulking tar who left his victim pinned to a wall with a harpoon. The resultant confession reveals murky deeds in the pasts of both mariners. The gruesome elements here and in the co-published #12, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Cardboard Box, are not explicitly depicted, and the simply drawn art’s dark palette gives the visuals a muted look. Characters have an unfortunately cartoony look; Holmes, in particular, lacks the expected gravitas. Still, the plots remain intact, and the language and settings have a properly period flavor.
Budding Holmesians not yet ready to tackle the originals will certainly get a taste of what’s in store. (map, reading list) (Graphic mystery. 10-12)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7613-7100-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
Eisner Award winner Larson effectively mixes magical realism with the timeless rituals of summer camp in this pitch-perfect graphic novel for ‘tweens. After arriving at camp, bookish Abby finds herself torn between her familiar bunkmates and the intriguing new girl Shasta, who has an older boyfriend and claims to have been struck by lightning. Amid the rounds of swimming and hiking, Abby learns to stand up for her new friend when other girls judge her unfairly. Tensions rise when both girls find themselves attracted to the same boy (a sweetly nerdy Dungeon Master named Teal), but after Abby saves Shasta from a mysterious will-o’-the-wisp that results in a second near-lightning strike, they part amicably and Abby gets the guy. The clean black-and-white panels are detailed without being busy, and the addition of a supernatural element symbolic of the physical and emotional upheaval of adolescence deepens an otherwise typical camp story. Extensive how-to sections on rainy-day card games and friendship bracelets are an added bonus. A delightful addition to any duffle (or library). (Graphic novel. 10-14)
Pub Date: June 17, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3584-1
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Ginee Seo/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2008
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