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Gilgamesh: A Graphic Novel
"With all the graphic adaptations of mythology flying around, it’s about time someone got to old Gilgamesh.... Winegarner’s adaptation demonstrates the extensive debt mythology and religion owe this ancient tale." ― Booklist
Before the Bible and legendary figures like Hercules, King Arthur, and Beowulf, there was Gilgamesh. As the king of Uruk, a city in ancient Mesopotamia, Gilgamesh protected his people from harm, battling a multitude of fierce demons with the steadfast help of his brother, Enkidu.
But Gilgamesh's reign faced the ultimate challenge from the power-hungry goddess Ishtar, who proposed marriage only to be unceremoniously spurned by Gilgamesh. Ishtar's rage led Gilgamesh to his greatest battle, a battle that shook Gilgamesh to his core and led him to travel further than any other man—to the land of the gods on a quest to find immortality.
Written down on cuneiform tablets nearly five thousand years ago, Gilgamesh's story was originally recorded in the form of an epic poem. In this bold retelling of the ancient legend—presented for the first time in graphic novel form—graphic novelist Andrew Winegarner revitalizes the ultimate adventure story. His illustrations breathe new life into the story of humanity's first hero, and the result is a page-turning take on the world's oldest epic poem.
Before the Bible and legendary figures like Hercules, King Arthur, and Beowulf, there was Gilgamesh. As the king of Uruk, a city in ancient Mesopotamia, Gilgamesh protected his people from harm, battling a multitude of fierce demons with the steadfast help of his brother, Enkidu.
But Gilgamesh's reign faced the ultimate challenge from the power-hungry goddess Ishtar, who proposed marriage only to be unceremoniously spurned by Gilgamesh. Ishtar's rage led Gilgamesh to his greatest battle, a battle that shook Gilgamesh to his core and led him to travel further than any other man—to the land of the gods on a quest to find immortality.
Written down on cuneiform tablets nearly five thousand years ago, Gilgamesh's story was originally recorded in the form of an epic poem. In this bold retelling of the ancient legend—presented for the first time in graphic novel form—graphic novelist Andrew Winegarner revitalizes the ultimate adventure story. His illustrations breathe new life into the story of humanity's first hero, and the result is a page-turning take on the world's oldest epic poem.
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 23, 2015
As Gilgamesh is understood to be our oldest epic in Western literature (I use Western very loosely), it is not hard to comprehend that its composers and writers used sexuality, specifically female sexuality, as a plot point to "civilize" man and bring his beast-like and baser natures out of the forest and into a life of the city. This graphic novel adaptation, however, really takes that theme and runs with it, making the city of Uruk seem like a continual orgy of delight with a constant threat of mythical violence lurking on the town's edge. This graphic novel, which manages to stay quite close to the original, misses being accessible to younger audiences as it is (at the least) R rated, if not NC-17. The art was distracting and downright embarassing to be viewing on the subway. Also, don't get me wrong here, I'm no puritan; I love a good Ishtar tale as much as the next ancient goddess fan, but all the topless Sumerian babes distracted from Gilgamesh's real themes: loyalty, the power of friendship, and the challenge of facing our inevitable mortality.
July 22, 2015
Warning: lots of nudity, (male and female, front and back), lots of sex, both consensual and nonconsensual, both graphically shown, and lots of Superman-style grudge match punch fests.
However, the sex and violence are not there for pure titillation – it’s all part of the plot, and makes sense to the story, especially since a large part of the story is a group of people yelling at Gilgamesh to stop it already with the rape and rampage!
A modern-feeling but grounded in its origins retelling of Gilgamesh. It stays very close to the original text and time and place – but there is an energy to it as if you are watching the latest Marvel movie rather than reading a 4,000 year old clay tablet.
A great introduction to the world’s oldest hero, my only quibble being that I would have liked to have seen it in color.
April 7, 2012
I was not familiar with the story of Gilgamesh, and now I am. And while the story leaves me with a renewed interest in cultural anthropology, and a note to self to read (and re-read) works by greats such as Joseph Campbell and James Frazer, I admit I hesitate to recommend this book to any patron younger than 14. In short, Gilgamesh and Enkidu (his wild man adopted brother/ id manifestation) were ALL ABOUT SEX. Like, all the time. As in, sex was as important, and as sacred, to Sumerians as breathing. And Sumerian women were apparently - "Hubba-Hubba!" Which is great, but something to be aware of if you are looking to handsell the Epic of Gilgamesh to curious 10-year-olds. (Hey, it could happen!)
February 8, 2014
Winegarner does a reasonable attempt to summarise the epic poem without losing its overall mythological power. Unfortunately it is drawn quite crudely and thus loses the power that the visual image can and should have. This, I was disappointed.
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April 28, 2022Picked this up on a whim at the library, because I haven't read the text proper since high school. Brings back vague memories, but I remember liking the actual epic poem more than I liked this. Still, fun & quick. Maybe I'll reread the poem soon.
June 2, 2019
A light introduction to the ancient (pre-Iliad) epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian hero-king. He was a tyrant until the gods gave him Enkidu, a friend and equal, who convinced Gilgamesh to change his despotic ways.
I'm glad this exists as it helps fill a pretty big gap in my knowledge of mythology. It's accessible, the legendary monsters are badass, and the academic footnotes are a welcome, interesting addition.
The bland black-and-white line art is a flaw. And despite an abundance of sex and violence, the book still manages to feel childish sometimes. I'm not entirely sure at whom it's targeted.
I'm glad this exists as it helps fill a pretty big gap in my knowledge of mythology. It's accessible, the legendary monsters are badass, and the academic footnotes are a welcome, interesting addition.
The bland black-and-white line art is a flaw. And despite an abundance of sex and violence, the book still manages to feel childish sometimes. I'm not entirely sure at whom it's targeted.
February 18, 2018
This graphic novel retelling of Gilgamesh is an easy way to approach the epic poem. Although some of the story is messed up, and is admitted by the author in * notes. It is still a good way to get into the story for young reader and those that want to understand the basics of the story. Just as a side not it shows women naked fully but men nudity always seems to be hidden in shadows. It still tastefully done, although the expression of the women during the rape scene is questionable and could have been done differently.
April 18, 2018
It's a quick read, and I guess serves as an introduction to the story of Gilgamesh. I don't think it is terribly successful, and I am not sure why. Maybe the story is too shallow, or maybe it is too compressed in this format. But it never carried me away. The scholarly footnotes were interesting, but sometimes distracting. And none of the characters really felt alive, even Gilgamesh, who mostly seemed like a jerk.
July 18, 2020
Initially, I thought I'd add this to my classroom library because graphic novel + world's oldest hero tale = awesome. SO GLAD I READ IT FIRST. While it followed the original rather closely [at least enough to get the idea and flow of the original story], there was a lot of nudity and sex in this. Purposeful nudity but not something I would have marked as Young Adult as my library did.
March 10, 2017
Great fun, good research, quite enjoyed it.
December 31, 2018
Muhteşem bir k,tap. Görseller ile beraber özgün halinden okadar güzel yansıtarak anlatmış ki bayıldım. Herkes mutlaka okumalı.
Awesome...
Awesome...
August 13, 2022
This version deviates too much from the flow of standard version that it is not the Epic. it is okay and if this is your only source of the story of Gilgamesh then you will be entertained.
January 19, 2019
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** An interesting precursor to western thought and thought behind Abrahmic religions..questions the mortality of men..The hero reaches the epiphany that men are immortal through their deeds..while true in a sense ..we truly are immortal self ...That insight is missing
July 21, 2016
Enkidu- Wild man who tempers the inherent tyranny and brutality of Civilized Man- Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh- Tyrant who is softened by Enkidu, Originally foes, but eventual brothers.
They must acquire more cedar wood from the forest, which is inhabited by Humbaba. Enkidu's decision to kill him, and Gilgamesh's repeated romantic and sexual rebuffs of Ishtar anger the Gods. They send a disease which kills Enkidu. GIlgamesh goes mad, and becomes as much of a wild man as his pink, fleshy, person can become.
He, traumatized by his brother's death, goes on a quest for immortality. He eventually finds it after battling through many horrible monsters, and into the kingdom of the Gods. In the course of his journey he meets some characters which you might recognize from other sorts of mythologies. For instance, the predecessor of the Noah myth makes an appearance.
Anyway, after capturing the secret to immortality (suspiciously named Hoama, as in the Zoroastria Hoama, or the Vedic Soma), he falls asleep and loses it to a greedy snake. Thus, again, left with nothing. Though he is semi divine, he cannot escape his mortality. It would seem that all is lost.
But when he is returning to his city he realizes that his works, deeds, and contributions to culture will live beyond him! and in this way he has immortality. I find it hard to believe that this part part was actually in the myth, but I could be wrong. There are some other areas in which the story strays from the original myth, but they are generally noted. Its captioned for someone interested in mythology, language, or history, not like most comic books.
Also, the logic of the concluding message is wrong. Death's searching eye has already found Gilgamesh's city of Uruk. And even his myths will pass away once our species fades into the historical record.
Gilgamesh- Tyrant who is softened by Enkidu, Originally foes, but eventual brothers.
They must acquire more cedar wood from the forest, which is inhabited by Humbaba. Enkidu's decision to kill him, and Gilgamesh's repeated romantic and sexual rebuffs of Ishtar anger the Gods. They send a disease which kills Enkidu. GIlgamesh goes mad, and becomes as much of a wild man as his pink, fleshy, person can become.
He, traumatized by his brother's death, goes on a quest for immortality. He eventually finds it after battling through many horrible monsters, and into the kingdom of the Gods. In the course of his journey he meets some characters which you might recognize from other sorts of mythologies. For instance, the predecessor of the Noah myth makes an appearance.
Anyway, after capturing the secret to immortality (suspiciously named Hoama, as in the Zoroastria Hoama, or the Vedic Soma), he falls asleep and loses it to a greedy snake. Thus, again, left with nothing. Though he is semi divine, he cannot escape his mortality. It would seem that all is lost.
But when he is returning to his city he realizes that his works, deeds, and contributions to culture will live beyond him! and in this way he has immortality. I find it hard to believe that this part part was actually in the myth, but I could be wrong. There are some other areas in which the story strays from the original myth, but they are generally noted. Its captioned for someone interested in mythology, language, or history, not like most comic books.
Also, the logic of the concluding message is wrong. Death's searching eye has already found Gilgamesh's city of Uruk. And even his myths will pass away once our species fades into the historical record.
May 28, 2013
Fantastic adaptation of one of the earliest and greatest heroic tales of all time. Winegarner lets Gilgamesh's badass nature shine, as Gilgy goes around beating the crap out of god-children monsters and sleeping with a new beautiful woman every night. Sumerian culture is highlighted, such as how temple priestesses slept with worshippers to 'purify' them (imagine if Christianity was like that! Sign me up), and how Sumerian warriors used nifty curved swords. Also, the Epic's timeless messages are well-conveyed; such as how mankind deals with the loss of loved ones, our fear of death, and our longing for immortality. Occasionally there's a wacky religious picture (pg 126) and intricate Sumerian inscriptions on mythical beasts. Scenes are very well-illustrated, and Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Humbaba the Manticore, and the sexy ladies are all joys to behold. Note how the Epic includes references to a great flood/ark/noah figure/animals by twos (influenced Judaism and Christianity); a world tree (influenced Norse religion?); an otherworldly ferryman (influenced Greek religion); a Manticore (influenced Greek Chimaera); etc. etc. Check out the tasty afterword for a few more bits of interesting triviology. I've always found Gilgamesh fascinating, and this GN is a boon which reawakens my interest!
*Note: Lots of sex and violence -- not for everyone.
True Rating: 4.8 Stars
October 16, 2014
Gilgamesh is a pretty good book about an awesome dude! And, he reminds he of Chuck Norris because of his fighting skills.
Like Chuck Norris and Gilgamesh,there are many similarities between the characters of Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Their stories,The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Beowulf, both include a quest for improvement. In Beowulf, he tries to improve the lives of the Danes who have a Grendel infestation on their hands. In Gilgamesh, he and his brother fight a lion god named Humbaba. Another simmilarity is the return with knowlege and respect, wich is a step in the heros journey. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh retrns with knowlege on how to run his empire and rule hid people more successfuly. In Beowulf,our Chuck Norris-like hero returns with respect because of his quest to fight Grendel. Gilgamesh was seeking eternal life and Beowulf was only trying to do a favor to repair a friendship. They both gain eternal life, however, because Beowulf is built a temple and Gilgamesh is remembered for his empire. They both recive a reward for their efforts: Beowulf gets a shiny new sword, and Grendels head,while Gilgamesh is rewarded with a prosperous empire.
Like Chuck Norris and Gilgamesh,there are many similarities between the characters of Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Their stories,The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Beowulf, both include a quest for improvement. In Beowulf, he tries to improve the lives of the Danes who have a Grendel infestation on their hands. In Gilgamesh, he and his brother fight a lion god named Humbaba. Another simmilarity is the return with knowlege and respect, wich is a step in the heros journey. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh retrns with knowlege on how to run his empire and rule hid people more successfuly. In Beowulf,our Chuck Norris-like hero returns with respect because of his quest to fight Grendel. Gilgamesh was seeking eternal life and Beowulf was only trying to do a favor to repair a friendship. They both gain eternal life, however, because Beowulf is built a temple and Gilgamesh is remembered for his empire. They both recive a reward for their efforts: Beowulf gets a shiny new sword, and Grendels head,while Gilgamesh is rewarded with a prosperous empire.
June 5, 2012
This slim little book does a good job at portraying the stories in this sprawling epic in an engaging style. The interesting thing is to see how different the Sumerians were from us, but how the final question Gilgamesh asks himself feels so startlingly modern. In a few places, the details of the stories have been adjusted to make for better narrative flow, and they also throw in a number of footnotes to explain some of the cultural references which would have been familiar to an ancient audience.
September 19, 2016
A very accessible way of reading this story. Well-edited, which makes all the difference in texts like this. The graphic novel form allows for many sequences to be summed up in a picture or two, while others are slowed down and examined. I appreciated the footnotes, which gave just enough interpretation and scholarly perspective for context without being too common or distracting. The art varied between serviceable and amateurish, the latter parts being frequent enough to detract from the overall quality of the work.
June 15, 2012
excellent rendition of gilgamesh, good (short!) footnotes, a few small changes to the story but those are explained. one small complaint, ishtar looks like veronica from the archie comic books. maybe intentional 'cause veronica is almost always a bitch.
warning to librarians, lots of nudity and sex like in the written version. good to have in a library but to save yourself trouble, keep it behind the desk.
warning to librarians, lots of nudity and sex like in the written version. good to have in a library but to save yourself trouble, keep it behind the desk.
January 13, 2013
This graphic novel is a decent representation of the epic.
While accurate to the epic, there is too much sex in it to make it of use in the classroom.
The artwork is acceptable, but could have been better. Additionally black and white line art was a poor-choice for an epic story like this which demands well-rendered full color artwork.
While accurate to the epic, there is too much sex in it to make it of use in the classroom.
The artwork is acceptable, but could have been better. Additionally black and white line art was a poor-choice for an epic story like this which demands well-rendered full color artwork.
September 20, 2013
Really great drawing in this one, retelling of (parts of) the Gilgamesh epic. The story was fairly true to form and not a huge amount of author interpretation. Good for studying the hero's journey. Worth a read for mythology fans as well as for graphic novel fans. Winegarner's cuneiform decorated animals and demons are excellent and really bring the story to life.
April 26, 2015
This novel was too graphic. I know his mother was a goddess, but did she have to go topless? Please! Not recommended for your school library. The illustrations are engaging, but the writing is not. You will learn a thing a two about the original monomyth and erotic poses. I would recommend the Kama Sutra instead.
June 30, 2016
As a fan of mythology and graphic novels, I liked this book. However, as a teacher-librarian at a middle school...I really wish the illustrator had put tops on the women, because I can't use a book with my students that has this level of nudity in it.
October 31, 2012
A good introduction to the tale.
December 6, 2012
The art could have been loads better, but I appreciated this graphic novelization of the myth, though the couple changes that the artist made were in my opinion, uncalled for.
May 27, 2016
I never read the Epic of Gilgamesh so I though this would give me an overview of his story. The author did a pretty good job of condensing the epic; I just did not really connect to the story.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews