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
"The secret to life is TREATS!" intones a canine yogi. With that, at least, even diapered dog devotees will concur.
A large collection of dog-themed cartoons from the creator of the syndicated panel “Speed Bump,” punctuated with snapshots and fond reminiscences of his own real pooches.
From "My bark is worse than my bite but it's nothing compared to my breath" to "Yoga position #42: 'The Licking Dog'," the simply drawn, single-panel zingers all pay affectionate tribute to the intelligence, refreshingly candid habits and overall lovability of man's (and woman's) best friend. In general, the snarky humor isn't pitched to younger readers ("My dog is rolling in your resume," observes a job interviewer. "It's not a hopeful sign for you"), but with the possible exception of the occasional canine dressed as a dominatrix, they won't leave them completely befuddled. Along with sharing occasional memories of Shag, Kenzi and other family pets, Coverly tucks in quotes from the likes of Orhan Pamuk, perfunctory chapters of doggy "Fun Facts" and introductions to such "Amazing Dogs" as Laika and Barry, the original St. Bernard rescue dog. These read more as filler than personal notes or insights.
"The secret to life is TREATS!" intones a canine yogi. With that, at least, even diapered dog devotees will concur. (Cartoons. 10-13, adult)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-62779-042-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Though it’s well-stocked with context-building features, the tale’s flippant dialogue and inconsistent visual details sound...
This spare, graphic retelling of the myth features illustrations that underscore its pervasive sadness.
Not that the story’s tragic events sit heavily on this rendition. In Pommaux’s neoclassical-style drawings, slender, pale Orpheus looks so fetchingly ethereal it’s no wonder that when he plays for the ladies, one sighs: “He’s so dreamy.” Arbitrarily right-handed in some scenes and left-handed in others, he produces music—represented by odd airborne flurries of dots and hinky abstract symbols—from a lyre with a turtle-shell soundbox that likewise switches sides on occasion. When Eurydice, fending off a grabby wedding guest, is fatally bitten by a snake, Orpheus cuts a wrenchingly lonely figure as he makes his way to Hades’ eerie otherworldly realm in an almost successful effort to bring his love back to life. Later, after he is dismembered by incensed female groupies (“Get over her already”), his still-singing head and other parts (unillustrated, unfortunately) are gathered for burial by the Muses. In an apparent effort to keep it from competing with the art for attention, the text is printed in widely spaced blocks of microscopic type, with obtrusive asterisks that accompany the first iterations of every proper name throughout. Both a final spread of “character cards” and the index include explanatory annotations about the tale’s mortals, immortals, and locales.
Though it’s well-stocked with context-building features, the tale’s flippant dialogue and inconsistent visual details sound discordant notes. . (map, bibliography) (Graphic mythology. 10-13)Pub Date: June 2, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-935179-84-9
Page Count: 56
Publisher: TOON Books & Graphics
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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