Hades: Lord of the Dead by George O'Connor Series: Olympians #4
on January 31st 2012
Genres: Graphic Novel
Format: Paperback
Pages: 80
Goodreads
Volume 4 of the highly acclaimed Olympians series! Hades: Lord of the Dead tells the story of the great God of the Underworld and one of the most famous of all Greek myths: Hades’ abduction of Persephone and her mother’s revenge. Be prepared to see a new side of Persephone in this dynamic adaptation of the story of the creation of the seasons. In Olympians, O’Connor draws from primary documents to reconstruct and retell classic Greek myths. But these stories aren’t sedate, scholarly works. They’re action-packed, fast-paced, high-drama adventures with monsters, romance, and not a few huge explosions. O’Connor’s vibrant, kinetic art brings ancient tales to undeniable life in a perfect fusion of super-hero aesthetics and ancient Greek mythology.
Plot: I love the twist on this myth of how Persephone became the Queen of the Underworld. I loved the way that the plot changed from what original tales I had heard when it came to this myth and definitely was appealing in graphic novel format. Always a fan of mythology, this retelling is one I'll remember for a while and I can't wait to read the others in the series.
Characters: The characters go a bit beyond what you get a glimpse of in traditional mythology. Persephone reacts differently than any way I'd ever describe and I like the way that she changes throughout the graphic novel to better fit her role. Hades is everchanging in rehashing of mythology, but I really liked the way he was drawn in this graphic novel. Definitely intimidating, but also a bit of that good looking, bad boy edge to him.
Graphics: I really enjoyed the graphics in this novel. It reminds me a bit of Sandman, only not quite. I can't really describe it, but it definitely put the world in perspective and the characters were so well-done.
Rating:
Nice! I’ve taught a unit on Greek mythology every year and I would have loved to have used this series. The idea of using primary sources in the writing is fascinating. Is that detailed at all anywhere in the books? I will definitely be checking out The Olympians!
Thanks for reviewing graphic novels! Not many blogs do and it’s very refreshing and shows us another art form in storytelling.