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Age of Bronze #3A
Betrayal
High King Agamemnon lusts to conquer the wealthy city of Troy. On the island of Tenedos, just off the coast of Troy, Achilles leads the attack. When the dust settles, Achilles finds himself one step closer to his tragic fate. Meanwhile, the Trojans prepare their defenses and gather allies. Agamemnon's offer of a peace embassy to King Priam reassures few. War appears inevitable. Even Helen dreads to face what lies ahead for her and everyone she loves or once loved.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 7, 2020
Volume 3 and the actual war hasn't really started yet. This one is mostly about the Achaens sending an "embassy" to Troy to try to negotiate a way of avoiding war. Spoiler alert: La guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu.
I had mistakenly assumed that Shanower had already published the complete story, but no. There is one more published volume (mostly about Troilus and Cressida, I think), then probably a long wait for the next. It takes time to draw so many pictures. Sigh.... I don't want to have to wait! But this is a very good telling of the story, so I will continue.
I had mistakenly assumed that Shanower had already published the complete story, but no. There is one more published volume (mostly about Troilus and Cressida, I think), then probably a long wait for the next. It takes time to draw so many pictures. Sigh.... I don't want to have to wait! But this is a very good telling of the story, so I will continue.
April 6, 2023
This is a graphic novel that reads like a good movie. I read the The Iliad and The Odyssey long ago, but this is easier and more fun. It's the start of the story about the Trojan War, told well and illustrated sumptuously.
March 27, 2018
Amazingly, we haven't even reached the war itself in this volume. Yet Shanower makes this telling of the Trojan war massively compelling. He does a great job balancing the worship of the gods and belief in omens against a more pragmatic approach - leaving the reader to assume what he or she will about divine intervention. The characters are all very well crafted, with clear motivations and complex expectations for the coming conflict. Shanower's art is just amazing, detailed, full of historical details that ground the book in its time period. And his storytelling is terrific.
Another great book in the Age of Bronze series, possibly my favorite ongoing series being published today.
Another great book in the Age of Bronze series, possibly my favorite ongoing series being published today.
November 1, 2018
A rather good comic book about Troy war, is fantastic!
May 15, 2022
Oh, boy! This volume was a huge rollercoaster in comparison to the others. Enjoyable as always, with great and detailed art, full of historical accurancy and a huge cast of interesting and dinstictive characters, some respectable (ex.
Odysseus
,
Hector
) and some hateable (
PARIS
).
Here's a list of all my impressions:
1) ACHILLES, as a said in my previous review , Achilles, a hero that I was never fond of, earned my respect in Sacrifice. In this one, however, he lost a great deal of it for various reason, the first one being that .
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The second being when he found out that he wasn't invited to a feast and he whined about (though I understand him in this case, the guy literally risked his LIFE fighting that day and he gets nothing!).
2) PARIS, I LITERALLY HATE PARIS! HE'S COWARD, ANNOYING AND STUPID! A moment that triggered me was in Priam's hall, when Menelaus was arguing and he was trying to recover his wife, Helen, Pariss, who knew that Helen would choose to stay with him, had a smug look on his face that MADE ME IRK! I wanted to enter the story AND SLAP IT OUT OF HIM!!! .
I seriously wonder what does Helen sees in him. Anyway, moving on to something more positive...
3) AKAMAS, ok I admit, I merely mention him 'cause he's so damn hot!!!
And Laodike thinks the same, although her behavior towards him was straight up creepy!
The battle begins in the next volume! Stay tuned! We will enter the most interesting part of the series now!
Here's a list of all my impressions:
1) ACHILLES, as a said in my previous review , Achilles, a hero that I was never fond of, earned my respect in Sacrifice. In this one, however, he lost a great deal of it for various reason, the first one being that .
The second being when he found out that he wasn't invited to a feast and he whined about (though I understand him in this case, the guy literally risked his LIFE fighting that day and he gets nothing!).
2) PARIS, I LITERALLY HATE PARIS! HE'S COWARD, ANNOYING AND STUPID! A moment that triggered me was in Priam's hall, when Menelaus was arguing and he was trying to recover his wife, Helen, Pariss, who knew that Helen would choose to stay with him, had a smug look on his face that MADE ME IRK! I wanted to enter the story AND SLAP IT OUT OF HIM!!! .
I seriously wonder what does Helen sees in him. Anyway, moving on to something more positive...
3) AKAMAS, ok I admit, I merely mention him 'cause he's so damn hot!!!
And Laodike thinks the same, although her behavior towards him was straight up creepy!
The battle begins in the next volume! Stay tuned! We will enter the most interesting part of the series now!
April 30, 2016
do you know what would be great?
what if some person went and gathered all the mythology of the trojan war
combed through the various and contradictory versions, picked their favourite and mixed them together until it made a coherent narrative
and then said holy shit, these men are terrible! LET'S WRITE A SERIES ABOUT THE WOMEN
just sit with me and imagine for a minute. think about a series about the women of the trojan war. think about the fact that it'd be trodding pretty fresh ground -- the western world hasn't shut up about achilles and odysseus and hector for like hundreds of years -- and about the fact that you wouldn't be exasperated with 80% of the cast for being wasteboys. think about the fact that helen's viewpoint could be fascinating if truly explored - i don't particularly care whether you go with the goddess cursed to love paris interpretation or not because either way you have to wonder at how and why she would make the choice to go with paris, and how she lives with being made the figurehead of the war. think about the opportunity to check back in at ithaka every now and then to see penelope using all her wits to avoid being pressed into a second marriage she doesn't want. think about andromache and how she feels marrying into a city on the brink of war and the fact that her and hector's love story is both epic and highly underexplored
just imagine
3 stars
what if some person went and gathered all the mythology of the trojan war
combed through the various and contradictory versions, picked their favourite and mixed them together until it made a coherent narrative
and then said holy shit, these men are terrible! LET'S WRITE A SERIES ABOUT THE WOMEN
just sit with me and imagine for a minute. think about a series about the women of the trojan war. think about the fact that it'd be trodding pretty fresh ground -- the western world hasn't shut up about achilles and odysseus and hector for like hundreds of years -- and about the fact that you wouldn't be exasperated with 80% of the cast for being wasteboys. think about the fact that helen's viewpoint could be fascinating if truly explored - i don't particularly care whether you go with the goddess cursed to love paris interpretation or not because either way you have to wonder at how and why she would make the choice to go with paris, and how she lives with being made the figurehead of the war. think about the opportunity to check back in at ithaka every now and then to see penelope using all her wits to avoid being pressed into a second marriage she doesn't want. think about andromache and how she feels marrying into a city on the brink of war and the fact that her and hector's love story is both epic and highly underexplored
just imagine
3 stars
October 4, 2013
Graphic used to mean a novel of Lady Chatterly's ilk, now it means what aged me calls a comic. 'Age of Betrayal Part One', however is not the jolly 'Beano' comic, this book, written and illustrated by Eric Shanower, tells the first part of the story of the Trojan War. And it does it very well. At the front of the book there are detailed maps, a plan of Troy, a translation from Sophocles about Philoctetes, and an excellent summary of the story. At the back of the book are a glossary of names, a genealogical chart and bibliography. You don't find those in a comic.
As for the story, told over 143 pages, in clear, black and white pictures with speech bubbles, it looks dramatic and moves with rapid pace, allowing the reader to met the protagonists in their worlds, then pulling together all the threads of the stories so that we can understand who become involved in the war and why.
My problem with stories told in pictures is that the pictures of the people are never as I imagine them to be in my head. I prefer plain words, but children and teenagers don't. This book should be in every school library, given to young male readers and used as an introduction to the Trojan war for anyone who enjoys manga and illustrated books.
April 22, 2023
This is the beginning of a gorgeous and wonderful retelling of the Trojan War. The characterizations are rich, the art is stunning and the details are meticulous. The author has clearly done his homework and is more than deserving of all the accolades, nominations and awards he has received for this series. Actually, he deserves more than those he’s already gotten. I simply cannot praise this enough.
September 27, 2023
I have very much enjoyed this series. Unfortunately at this time I can't find the final volume but maybe I'll get to finish it someday.
July 17, 2023
The epic tale of the Trojan war continues, as things finally come to a head as the Acheans and Trojans finally meet face to face - can war be averted?
Shanower has produced such an extraordinary detailed retelling of this legendary tale, that even though we are on the third volume, the war is still yet to start. Combining muliple sources Shanower covers every aspect of the saga (minus depictions of the Greek gods) allowing time for minor character's stories (such as Troilus and Cressida) up to major players like Odysseus and Achilles. He doesn't shy away from the unpleasantness of many of the main cast either. Heroes they may be, but just as in the Homeric texts they are still flawed and petty. We also get to see the impact of their decisions. Agamemnon's choice to sacrifice his daughter does weigh on him for example, which all goes to delivering such a complete tale.
This is a comprehensive retelling that leaves no story path unexplored. The illustrations too are masterful, the quality maintained throughout. Each character is distinctive, and easily identifiable - despite the vast cast. While the main narrative being strayed from can be frustrating this is only to weave a richer story tapestry, and actually true to the ancient source material.
Shanower has produced such an extraordinary detailed retelling of this legendary tale, that even though we are on the third volume, the war is still yet to start. Combining muliple sources Shanower covers every aspect of the saga (minus depictions of the Greek gods) allowing time for minor character's stories (such as Troilus and Cressida) up to major players like Odysseus and Achilles. He doesn't shy away from the unpleasantness of many of the main cast either. Heroes they may be, but just as in the Homeric texts they are still flawed and petty. We also get to see the impact of their decisions. Agamemnon's choice to sacrifice his daughter does weigh on him for example, which all goes to delivering such a complete tale.
This is a comprehensive retelling that leaves no story path unexplored. The illustrations too are masterful, the quality maintained throughout. Each character is distinctive, and easily identifiable - despite the vast cast. While the main narrative being strayed from can be frustrating this is only to weave a richer story tapestry, and actually true to the ancient source material.
April 27, 2013
Oh no! Interest in ancient Greece slipping, slipping, goooooone. I found this installment really, really boring. It's like... those few episodes in an otherwise excellent TV show that makes you go, OMG so bored! What are they doing with the characters? What's the conflict in this one? Where's the story? People are just wandering around, talking and crying and shouting.
August 12, 2017
The continuing story of Age of Bronze finds the Achaeans arriving in Troy. There's a few nice pages of pre-war diplomacy and lots of drama surrounding love and sex.
December 23, 2022
12/22/2022 No idea why it's so difficult to find the full-color edition on this site. Full review tk later today at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
12/23/2022 reissued in full color throughout, with the colors exquisitely done by John Dallaire.
I remember the first time I read the first book in this series. Having been a bit of a Greek mythology buff in my youth, I was completely blown away by how historically accurate Eric Shanower was in his depiction of the stirrings of the Trojan War, but also by how human he made the historical figures, often eschewing tales of gods and "powers" for more prosaic explanations. I never managed to snag a copy of Sacrifice, but when I was offered the chance to review Betrayal, I absolutely leapt at it. Besides, it's not like I don't know most of what happened to Iphigenia anyway -- tho that said, I'd still love to read Mr Shanower's interpretation of it, which I'm sure will be as carefully chosen as the rest of his work so far.
This third book in the series takes place after the events at Aulis, with the Achaean army well underway but still a fractious beast. The Achaeans have been trying to wage war against Troy for over three years now, but keep stabbing themselves in the foot. Now that they've collected all the men they need and finally understand where Troy is on a map and have found prevailing winds, they're ready to either treat with or capture some of Troy's neighbors in order to increase their strategic foothold in the area.
It's on the island of Tenedos that things start to fall apart for the Achaeans again, as Achilles kills someone he shouldn't and Philoktetes gets bitten by a serpent. Paris launches a failed assassination attempt, Achilles gets petty, and finally Menelaus and Odysseus get Agamemnon to agree to let them meet with the Trojans in diplomacy one final time, asking for the return of Menelaus' wife, son and other sundry properties, stolen by Paris all those years ago. But the summit doesn't go as well for Menelaus as planned, as Helen searches her soul and decides that yes, actually, she'd rather stay with Paris. He might be a selfish shithead when it comes to other people, but he's devoted to her and her children. He's also rich and good in ned. There are lots of worse reasons to stay with a dude, ijs.
Ofc, Agamemnon was never going to not sack Troy regardless of the result of the summit, and Menelaus isn't going to ever be a grownup and let Helen go, despite her telling him -- rather poignantly, I thought -- that his quarrel is not with her but with the gods who turned her heart away from him. Despite another attempt by certain Trojans to revoke the laws of hospitality, the Achaeans manage to make it back to their ships and prepare for war. And that's where this book ends, on the precipice of the main... I don't want to say battle, so perhaps engagement? that would extend over seven more drawn-out years.
As its title implies, Betrayal (Part One) hinges on the treachery of many. Odysseus, Paris and Helen are only three of the more well-known characters shown to be kinda bullshit in the way they do others dirty. For all that, their motivations are varied and, to a large extent, understandable. Everyone's a little selfish, a little unkind, but also has good qualities: they're all very human, which portrayals are ongoing testament to Mr Shanower's genius.
One thing I thought a little odd about this book was the inclusion of the medieval tale of Troilus and Cressida, but hey, if Mr Shanower wants to have a little fun with other fictions, I'm certainly not going to deny him that. That said, it was also a little strange to me that Kalchas was so unerring in his prophecies. Those bits aside, the book is overall a thoughtful, historically accurate interpretation of the Trojan war (with six pages of bibliography!) that I greatly enjoyed. Granted, it's a bit of a filler in the overall tale, depicting as it does the lull before the real fighting begins, but it's a valuable, if not outright necessary part of the epic, and is told brilliantly as always by Mr Shanower's words and art, now supplemented with Mr Dallaire's gorgeous and also historically accurate colors.
Age Of Bronze: Betrayal (Part One) by Eric Shanower was published December 20 2022 by Image Comics and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
12/23/2022 reissued in full color throughout, with the colors exquisitely done by John Dallaire.
I remember the first time I read the first book in this series. Having been a bit of a Greek mythology buff in my youth, I was completely blown away by how historically accurate Eric Shanower was in his depiction of the stirrings of the Trojan War, but also by how human he made the historical figures, often eschewing tales of gods and "powers" for more prosaic explanations. I never managed to snag a copy of Sacrifice, but when I was offered the chance to review Betrayal, I absolutely leapt at it. Besides, it's not like I don't know most of what happened to Iphigenia anyway -- tho that said, I'd still love to read Mr Shanower's interpretation of it, which I'm sure will be as carefully chosen as the rest of his work so far.
This third book in the series takes place after the events at Aulis, with the Achaean army well underway but still a fractious beast. The Achaeans have been trying to wage war against Troy for over three years now, but keep stabbing themselves in the foot. Now that they've collected all the men they need and finally understand where Troy is on a map and have found prevailing winds, they're ready to either treat with or capture some of Troy's neighbors in order to increase their strategic foothold in the area.
It's on the island of Tenedos that things start to fall apart for the Achaeans again, as Achilles kills someone he shouldn't and Philoktetes gets bitten by a serpent. Paris launches a failed assassination attempt, Achilles gets petty, and finally Menelaus and Odysseus get Agamemnon to agree to let them meet with the Trojans in diplomacy one final time, asking for the return of Menelaus' wife, son and other sundry properties, stolen by Paris all those years ago. But the summit doesn't go as well for Menelaus as planned, as Helen searches her soul and decides that yes, actually, she'd rather stay with Paris. He might be a selfish shithead when it comes to other people, but he's devoted to her and her children. He's also rich and good in ned. There are lots of worse reasons to stay with a dude, ijs.
Ofc, Agamemnon was never going to not sack Troy regardless of the result of the summit, and Menelaus isn't going to ever be a grownup and let Helen go, despite her telling him -- rather poignantly, I thought -- that his quarrel is not with her but with the gods who turned her heart away from him. Despite another attempt by certain Trojans to revoke the laws of hospitality, the Achaeans manage to make it back to their ships and prepare for war. And that's where this book ends, on the precipice of the main... I don't want to say battle, so perhaps engagement? that would extend over seven more drawn-out years.
As its title implies, Betrayal (Part One) hinges on the treachery of many. Odysseus, Paris and Helen are only three of the more well-known characters shown to be kinda bullshit in the way they do others dirty. For all that, their motivations are varied and, to a large extent, understandable. Everyone's a little selfish, a little unkind, but also has good qualities: they're all very human, which portrayals are ongoing testament to Mr Shanower's genius.
One thing I thought a little odd about this book was the inclusion of the medieval tale of Troilus and Cressida, but hey, if Mr Shanower wants to have a little fun with other fictions, I'm certainly not going to deny him that. That said, it was also a little strange to me that Kalchas was so unerring in his prophecies. Those bits aside, the book is overall a thoughtful, historically accurate interpretation of the Trojan war (with six pages of bibliography!) that I greatly enjoyed. Granted, it's a bit of a filler in the overall tale, depicting as it does the lull before the real fighting begins, but it's a valuable, if not outright necessary part of the epic, and is told brilliantly as always by Mr Shanower's words and art, now supplemented with Mr Dallaire's gorgeous and also historically accurate colors.
Age Of Bronze: Betrayal (Part One) by Eric Shanower was published December 20 2022 by Image Comics and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
July 23, 2023
Eric Shanower's adaptation of the Trojan War continues with the Achaeans finally making landfall near Troy after their previous blunders. But it isn't all smooth for the Achaeans, who once again due to Achilles' hotheadness, end up in a fight against a force that could potentially have been an ally instead of an enemy. One of the things I love most about Shanower's take on this is that he doesn't sugarcoat anything, and Achilles is presented as a pretty pompous, arrogant killer as opposed to a hero worth respecting. The mishap in Teledos doesn't deter the Achaeans in the end, and they embark on their last leg of their sea journey to arrive near Hellespont.
The Trojans don't have things any easier. With the looming war hanging over them, many of King Priam's advisors urge the king to send Helen back and sue for peace. Priam rightfully sees that the Achaeans are only using Helen as pretext, but they will want war regardless now. Hektor plans to go for diplomacy, while Paris tries his best to ensure that Troy is committed to war. The Achaeans send a detachment led by Menelaus, Odysseus, Palamedes and Akamus to negotiate terms with the Trojans. The talks fall apart quickly when Paris taunts Menelaus and Helen proves to her former husband that she has moved on from him romantically. Shanower adds some great bits of dialogue to make this scene gripping and tense.
As always, it's the attention to historical and archaelogical detail that makes Age of Bronze such a treat. People might bash this series in hindsight for not progressing into the actual Trojan War, but as someone who just loves the deliberate pacing of these volumes and relishing the historical contexts, I really liked this irrespective of the series completion status.
The Trojans don't have things any easier. With the looming war hanging over them, many of King Priam's advisors urge the king to send Helen back and sue for peace. Priam rightfully sees that the Achaeans are only using Helen as pretext, but they will want war regardless now. Hektor plans to go for diplomacy, while Paris tries his best to ensure that Troy is committed to war. The Achaeans send a detachment led by Menelaus, Odysseus, Palamedes and Akamus to negotiate terms with the Trojans. The talks fall apart quickly when Paris taunts Menelaus and Helen proves to her former husband that she has moved on from him romantically. Shanower adds some great bits of dialogue to make this scene gripping and tense.
As always, it's the attention to historical and archaelogical detail that makes Age of Bronze such a treat. People might bash this series in hindsight for not progressing into the actual Trojan War, but as someone who just loves the deliberate pacing of these volumes and relishing the historical contexts, I really liked this irrespective of the series completion status.
January 7, 2020
A detailed view of the Achaeans and the Trojans as they prepare for the battle and ensuing siege of Troy.
Includes the Greeks last appeal to have Helen returned to Menelaus, the Spartan King and her rightful husband. At this juncture Helen and Paris have co-habitated for 5 years and have 2-3 children from their pairing. We often lose sight that Helen wasn't so much abducted as she ran off with Paris and while she loved Menelaus on some level her desire was to remain with Paris.
Having previously read the Iliad and recently read a new version of the Odyssey by Emily Wilson (excellent) the extreme level of graphic detail (175 pages) fits my expectations.
Includes the Greeks last appeal to have Helen returned to Menelaus, the Spartan King and her rightful husband. At this juncture Helen and Paris have co-habitated for 5 years and have 2-3 children from their pairing. We often lose sight that Helen wasn't so much abducted as she ran off with Paris and while she loved Menelaus on some level her desire was to remain with Paris.
Having previously read the Iliad and recently read a new version of the Odyssey by Emily Wilson (excellent) the extreme level of graphic detail (175 pages) fits my expectations.
December 11, 2022
I know, I know, I know. “Bestie,” you think, “how can the first 2 1/2 volumes of these books all be three stars???”
Because they just are.
Finally, FINALLY, we’re starting to see some direct interactions because the Achaeans and the Trojans. And yet…still no war. Just when you think “Aha! The war HAS to be starting soon”, there is another side-quest that takes 15 pages to get through. I like nutty gritty detail as much as the next guy, possibly more. But at this point…let’s get to the war already.
Also, I just need to point out that Paris is literally the most annoying fuck. I know that’s he’s supposed to be like that, but I hate him so much.
Because they just are.
Finally, FINALLY, we’re starting to see some direct interactions because the Achaeans and the Trojans. And yet…still no war. Just when you think “Aha! The war HAS to be starting soon”, there is another side-quest that takes 15 pages to get through. I like nutty gritty detail as much as the next guy, possibly more. But at this point…let’s get to the war already.
Also, I just need to point out that Paris is literally the most annoying fuck. I know that’s he’s supposed to be like that, but I hate him so much.
June 7, 2024
More of the Iliad in comic book form. Quite good.
This volume continues the telling of the Trojan War in comic book form. I haven’t read Volume 2 but know the story. There’s plenty of detailed art, mainly of the characters, although it’s often difficult to distinguish one from another. My main gripe is that there’s just far too much dialogue. In fact, there’s little else. The reader must really want to take the plot slowly and meticulously. Anyone wanting to read about the Trojan War might enjoy this but it’s not for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This volume continues the telling of the Trojan War in comic book form. I haven’t read Volume 2 but know the story. There’s plenty of detailed art, mainly of the characters, although it’s often difficult to distinguish one from another. My main gripe is that there’s just far too much dialogue. In fact, there’s little else. The reader must really want to take the plot slowly and meticulously. Anyone wanting to read about the Trojan War might enjoy this but it’s not for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 30, 2024
I do have one gripe about this book on the writing side. Whenever they refer to someone, it's not just by name, it's "John Doe, son of John Doe Sr." or whatever. I am sure that it is historically accurate, but it gets tiring after 160 or so pages. On the OCD side of things, it totally sucks that they do not include the covers in these books as chapter markers, or even as a cover gallery in the back.
February 4, 2021
Shanower is really building towards an all-timer of the medium here. Combining sources from across centuries, he deftly maneuvers between inexorable tragedy (Odysseus realizing Hektor is a decent guy) and sometimes actual laugh-out-loud comedy (Philoctetes' curse).
Can't wait to be one of the people stuck in release limbo once I've read all the collections!
Can't wait to be one of the people stuck in release limbo once I've read all the collections!
February 17, 2021
Tercer tomazo y aún no se han acercado a Troya los aqueos. Sigue todo lo bueno pero el peso de la mitología abruma la historia y la ahoga. Episodios "menores" se extienden por el comic acaparando protagonismo y restándole a la épica.
November 25, 2023
Little bit of letdown compared to previous volumes. The story drags because of too many story lines that are underdeveloped. It still has a lot of potential and I'm looking forward when the Troyan war starts in earnest.
May 8, 2024
First not colored volume that I read and I can say now that the coloring improves the overall "readability" and quality of the graphic novel. It felt that there were more subplots going on (even more than in the classical texts) but it added to the world building.
October 13, 2024
Don't know which part of this series has the quote "lover of war and men" about Achilles but his romance with Patrocolous is going to kill me slowly, they are so cute and knowing how their story ends makes my heart ache.
April 22, 2020
I was a little bit disappointed that this volume was in black and white. The first two volumes were full color and I thought that added to the experience.
August 6, 2021
Not as good without colour as you have to concentrate a lot to work out who everyone is. Hektor is adorable. Paris is a douche. It's still a good read but hopefully they will colour it soon.
May 22, 2023
I really wish this series got finished. Also, just this buildup to Troy/the side quest drama is so smartly done.
February 5, 2024
Another fine installment of the graphic re-telling of the Trojan War. The hardest part is keeping all the Achean and Trojan names straight. Clean, beautiful artwork abounds.
October 31, 2024
Great graphic novel series about the Trojan War.
April 16, 2021
I have read the Iliad before and I feel I learned something from this telling. Possibly other things just didn't stick with me, but this time they did.
I didn't always appreciate how women were depicted, but then Homer didn't do a great job either/
Very fast read and quite enjoyable.
I didn't always appreciate how women were depicted, but then Homer didn't do a great job either/
Very fast read and quite enjoyable.
June 7, 2016
While I enjoyed reading the first two volumes in the series, I was starting to feel some annoyance with this volume as the pacing started to slow down considerably. With one volume left, it's hard to believe that the Aegeans will ever get around to besieging Troy anytime soon. Logically it makes sense to see a last-minute diplomatic effort by the Aegeans but having reading this volume, you begin to realize that the Aegeans were too conservative in their battle strategy and needed Achilles to help them, mostly because he was so rash and didn't overthink the attack plan.
I also found it ironic that Priam refuses to send Helen back because she is the mother of his grandchildren. Priam had previously refused to accept this similar notion that his sister, Hesione, who had been kidnapped by Hercules, would remain with her so-called captors because she had become a mother and lived most of her adult life with her new Aegean family. And yet, Priam seems to ignore this hypocrisy although he is shrewd to realize that the whole Helen kidnapping charge is just a ruse to attack Troy. The panel where Menelaus finally realizes once and for all that Helen has truly abandoned him is really eye-opening. I really wonder if Menelaus would have really gone to all of this trouble to try and retrieve Helen if she had just abandoned their son, Pleisthenes, in Sparta. If anything, this volume re-emphasizes the selfish vanity and cowardice of Paris whose subsequent actions of attacking the Aegeans at night, just galvanizes the Greek army.
This volume also focuses on the rather complicated romantic story of Troilus and Cressida, moving steps closer to their eventual hook-up. Of course, being that volume 3 is split into 2 books and the first half is titled "betrayal," I think it's safe to assume that their romance will not end up well and its telling will take up much of the last and final volume. Personally I would have preferred if Shanowever had focused less on Paris/Helen and Troilus/Cressida in this volume and more on Hector/Andromache, whose new marriage brings a small semblance of hope and optimism in spite of the situation. Alas, I have this feeling that hope, no matter how fleeting, has been firmly squashed.
Equally disappointing is how women are simply portrayed in this series so far. Unlike the men who are painted in different lights at given point of time, the women are painted with one of two shades--saint/helpless victim (Iphigenia/Cassandra) or harlot/vindicative harpy (Helen/Klytemnestra). Even Cressida seems fluctuates between the two shades depending on which man that she is interacting with. While I applaud Shanowever for creating complex characters and being more historically accurate in his storytelling, I can't help but feel that he has still missed the boat with his female protagonists.
I also found it ironic that Priam refuses to send Helen back because she is the mother of his grandchildren. Priam had previously refused to accept this similar notion that his sister, Hesione, who had been kidnapped by Hercules, would remain with her so-called captors because she had become a mother and lived most of her adult life with her new Aegean family. And yet, Priam seems to ignore this hypocrisy although he is shrewd to realize that the whole Helen kidnapping charge is just a ruse to attack Troy. The panel where Menelaus finally realizes once and for all that Helen has truly abandoned him is really eye-opening. I really wonder if Menelaus would have really gone to all of this trouble to try and retrieve Helen if she had just abandoned their son, Pleisthenes, in Sparta. If anything, this volume re-emphasizes the selfish vanity and cowardice of Paris whose subsequent actions of attacking the Aegeans at night, just galvanizes the Greek army.
This volume also focuses on the rather complicated romantic story of Troilus and Cressida, moving steps closer to their eventual hook-up. Of course, being that volume 3 is split into 2 books and the first half is titled "betrayal," I think it's safe to assume that their romance will not end up well and its telling will take up much of the last and final volume. Personally I would have preferred if Shanowever had focused less on Paris/Helen and Troilus/Cressida in this volume and more on Hector/Andromache, whose new marriage brings a small semblance of hope and optimism in spite of the situation. Alas, I have this feeling that hope, no matter how fleeting, has been firmly squashed.
Equally disappointing is how women are simply portrayed in this series so far. Unlike the men who are painted in different lights at given point of time, the women are painted with one of two shades--saint/helpless victim (Iphigenia/Cassandra) or harlot/vindicative harpy (Helen/Klytemnestra). Even Cressida seems fluctuates between the two shades depending on which man that she is interacting with. While I applaud Shanowever for creating complex characters and being more historically accurate in his storytelling, I can't help but feel that he has still missed the boat with his female protagonists.
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