One of the true cornerstones of Western literature comes to the Marvel Illustrated line! The ancient world is embroiled in a mighty clash of armies: Greek vs. Trojan. Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, has betrayed her husband - the Greek, Menelaus - and fled to Troy with Trojan prince, Paris. The Greeks have sailed to Troy to bring her back - and crush all that stand in their way! This is the first chapter in the saga that virtually defines the word epic. It is a tale of gods and men, heroism and betrayal. From the lips of Homer to the pages of Marvel Illustrated! Collects Marvel Illustrated: The Iliad #1-8.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Full Taste of Homer's Poetic Magic,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Iliad (Marvel Illustrated) (Hardcover)
With words by the incomparable Roy Thomas and artwork by Miguel Angel Sepulvedra, Marvel Illustrated has brought to life the full complexity of Homer's Iliad. The Marvel Illustrated version is uncompromising, ranging from Olympus' heights to the sea's depths as it follows the fortunes of the Greeks and the Trojans "far on the ringing plains of windy Troy."
Marvel gives us no dummied-down version of The Iliad as recent movies and mini-series have given us. Rather, writer and artist deal with the full pantheon of gods and a cast of thousands of warriors in the brooding, bloody, and ultimately tragic tale that flows from King Agamemnon's deadly insult to the Greek hero Achilles. Roy Thomas, with rich, antique prose rivaled in Marvel lore only by the sumptuous language of the early Doctor Strange, gives us a full taste of Homer's poetic magic. Miguel Angel Sepulvedra exhausts the possibilities of comic-book art in making each warrior and god individual while he gorgeously pencils scenes ranging from tender romance to gore-drenched fields of war. Together, writer and artist have produced a tale that moves relentlessly from first argument to last battle. Keep in mind that Marvel Illustrated The Iliad isn't for the casual comic-book reader. The complexity of the tale that it brings to life may overwhelm some, despite a thoughtfully included glossary and the care taken to distinguish the characters. I at first thought it over the top for the colorist to color-code the gods in their earthly appearances, but after a while I began to appreciate his help in keeping action and actors straight. Keep in mind, too, that, with the exception of a brief introduction of Helen of Troy, her marriage to the Greek hero Menelaus, and her abduction by the Trojan prince Paris, Marvel Illustrated follows Homer's epic exactly. Don't be disappointed by not seeing the Trojan horse, as Homer didn't write of it in The Iliad. In the graphic novel's relentless tale of war, though, you likely won't miss the horse. If I have one complaint about Marvel Illustrated The Iliad, it's the complaint that Roy Thomas makes in his introduction: that he had just 176 pages to tell the tale. Still, he has come as close as humanly possible to retelling The Iliad for our time in this limited space. With The Iliad, Marvel Illustrated has revived the venerable tradition of Classics Illustrated and brought it up to date with production values of which the old artists and writers could only have dreamed. Marvel Illustrated is now putting out Homer's Odyssey, which, like The Iliad, will be an instant classic among graphic novels.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic,
By K. Tucker (MS, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Iliad (Marvel Illustrated) (Hardcover)
"Marvel Illustrated - The Iliad" is probably the best of the Marvel Illustrated series. It follows Homer's The Iliad, detailing the siege of Troy. From what I remember of the epic poem, this graphic novel follows the story through quite accurately. Roy Thomas also chose full inclusion of the gods in the story, as he felt they formed the logic behind certain characters' decisions.
Miguel Sepulveda and Nathan Fairbairn do a great job of bringing the story to life, from glistening armor to a river running red with blood. Though the book is based around an epic battle, the images within aren't exactly visceral -- they were handled rather tastefully, and I feel that this is precisely how it should have been handled. The book does have a few quirky, off-beat moments. Some characters speak aloud their actions, and others have battle cries that aren't exactly frightening ("I will slay you, if I can!"). These do not take away from the overall experience. It is also worth noting that The Iliad is a very text-heavy graphic novel, and spares no one from complex Greek-era names. At two-hundred pages, this might seem a big slight considering the source material, but this is far from a quick read. This is definitely a book to dive into when time is not a constraint, especially since there is so much substance to sink one's teeth into.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good illustrated re-telling of Homer's classic tale,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Iliad (Marvel Illustrated) (Hardcover)
A very thorough re-telling of Homer's classic tale of the Trojan War. They're all here -- Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Helen. Lots of action and the artwork is excellent. It's a very faithful re-telling of the classic story.However, a large part of the potential audience for graphic novels based on literature or non-fiction topics is likely to find this book to be "too much." These graphic novels have become very popular in recent years as a way to introduce reading to reluctant readers, below-grade-level readers, and English language learners. The thought is that they might take on an attractive, heavily illustrated story where they might be reluctant to take on a "real" book. And the theory has worked. A lot of these graphic novels have action stories, war stories, and other "male" topics because they represent a large segment of reluctant readers. Anyway, while it's a great adventure yarn, this is not a boiled-down, adapted version of the story. It's over 100 pages long and the language is not simplified. It would undoubtedly appeal to high school students reading at grade level or college students, and for these readers the illustrations are a real plus. But teachers thinking about using this for ESOL classes and reluctant readers might find the language too complex.
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