Age Of Bronze Vol. 3: Betrayal, Part 2

Age of Bronze #3B

by Eric Shanower

The Trojan plain fills with death as Achaean forces clash in blood with the Trojan army. In the city of Troy Pandarus pulls the strings to put Troilus in Cressida's bed. But when Cressida is ripped away to the enemy camp, how far will Troilus fight to recover her? Collects AGE OF BRONZE #27-33.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Mythology, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Greece, Graphic Novels Comics

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2013

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wager the only reason this volume is rated higher than the rest is due to the fact that only fans of the series stuck around long enough to read this one. I think this is the weakest volume of the bunch because it focuses on the love affair of Troilus and Cressida two character whom I don't think Shanower did a good job of introducing to the story. I'm waiting impatiently to hear more about the characters of Paris and Achilles.

That being said this volume still has the artwork, storytelling, and detail that we've come to expect and appreciate in this series.

I'm looking forward to future issues (which hopefully will come out sooner than later)

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five years. It took five years for the original issues that this omnibus collection contains to come out. And it was worth every day of those five years. Eric Shanower is doing a phenomenal work in creating this narrative of the Trojan War. His research is exhaustive and it shows in every line of art he draws, whether it is a designs on pottery or a tapestry, the clothing and armor of the characters or the consistent facial characterizations from issue to issue. Sure it might be a challenge to maintain interest in a graphic novel like this for five years, but the reward is unquestionably worth the wait. This is a beautiful work of art and clearly a labor of love. And something I do dearly love giving one of my highest Rickommendations to. If you haven't yet read Shanower's Age of Bronze, you should. Even it takes another five years for the next volume to come out, I'll be waiting - eagerly.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating retelling of the Trojan war, but the last book has yet to come out. Worth reading, but would be best to wait until all are released due to the huge number of characters you have to keep track of. Especially if you're not already familiar with the story.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slowest yet but even then it's still a solid 4 stars. But now that publication of single issues has slowed to a crawl, and the statement that there will be an entire third volume of "Betrayal", makes me seriously wonder if Shanower will ever make it to the end.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading all four volumes, I finally understand what's the series' biggest strength, but also, its biggest weakness: the extreme slow-pacing!

*It's a strength, 'cause: It allows space for every single character (and the series is load with characters!) to grow and develop throughtout the story. In contrast to other adaptations of The Iliad and of The Trojan War in general, the author doesn't restrict himself only in the most famous events. Instead, he works pretty hard to mention in such a detailed way the lesser known facts. In this volume, it's all about Troilus and Cressida's love! <3

It's a weakness, 'cause: The story takes a really long time to unfold in front of you. As a result, I can imagine that many "Age of Bronze" readers may have lose interest by now, as more than TWENTY years has passed evere since we started and we are still on the THIRD year of the battle. Not only that, but in this volume's case, I felt like Troilus and Cressida's love was shortlived, as the two don't make out after 100 pages and quickly after this, Cressida is kidnapped by the Acheans and decides to stay with them.

Aside from that, let me show you some of my favorite moments between Cressida and Troilus...

Cressida seeing Troilus wearing her veil in battle to gather strength...

Cressida and Troilus finally confessing to each other...

Cressida telling goodbye to Troilus before she leaves for the Acheans' camp, an extremely tearful moment...

Pandarus was also really funny in this volume. Any girl who has an uncle like him is so lucky!

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as strong as the preceding volumes, but Shanower's Age of Bronze has consistently shown high standards. The opening days of the Trojan War sees clashes between Achilles & Ajax vs. Hektor & Sarpedon. While the Achaeans nurse their wounds and worry about camp conditions, the Trojans prepare their stores for a long, drawn out war behind their walls.

The bulk of this volume follows Shanower's adaptation of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida which details the love affair between Prince Troilus of Troy and Cressida, the daughter of the Trojan aristocrat, Pandarus. Cressida's father, Kalchus, has turned traitor and works as an advisor to the Achaean High King Agamemnon. Kalchus pleads with Agamemnon to include Cressida as a part of a hostage exchange so that she may be safer in the Achaean camp. Though Cressida does not want to go due to her affair with Prince Troilus, she ultimately accepts the deal but privately promises Troilus that she will find a way to sneak back into the walls of Troy. The story plays out like a tragic love story similar to Shakespeare's play, but Shanower makes a lot of adjustments to make it work in a more condensed manner. This did take away from the other major players of the story, but it was still enjoyable overall. Unfortunately, this is pretty much where Shanower left off with the series (aside from an uncollected issue #34 that came out years later) so we never really got that much further into this adaptation of the story.

While some might knock Age of Bronze down a few pegs due to not having been a completed series, I still think that even with the partial completion of the series this still is one of the best comic runs ever published by Image Comics. The story was always gripping, and the artwork was always sharp, and I'm still glad that these volumes exist even without a proper ending. Of course I'd love to see Shanower make more, but if this is all we get then I'm content with it.

[Derek Millard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is started off with a message from Kassandra stating that Achilles has killed Kyknos. Pandarus allows a bond between his niece Cressida and Prince Troilus. Troilus splits a piece of cloth and asks that she keep half to remind her to be true to him, which she says she will do it. Troilus then splits a piece of cloth to symbolize his love and that she should hold onto it until they see eachother again but when Cressida is sleeping Pandarus kidnaps her and takes her to the enemy base and gets Troilus to fight back and try to recover her back to safety.Troilus meets Diomedes on the battlefield she discovers that Cressida has given Diomedes her piece of the cloth, he believes she was cheating on him. Another very powerful king named Agamemnon and he has to cross the sea but there is a lot of fighting involved just to cross the sea but he makes it across the sea. Other fights along with this one include the war between the powerful leader Achilles and his cousin against the strong fighting Hector. This war is getting one step closer to Achilles death.Everyone is preparing for this huge battle and when it happens Helen the only woman standing after this battle. She can barely watch as most the heroic fighters fall to the ground. The battle is very gruesome and Helen sometimes looks away until the battle finally ends.I would give this book four stars because there was just too much blood and fighting throughout the book and it got too boring.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

For over 20 years, Eric Shanower has been slowly crafting his impeccable comic book retelling of the Trojan War, working masterfully to wrestle as many of the sprawling and oft-contradictory traditions into one story. This is the fourth collected volume of that opus, and it maintains the crazy high standards he has set.

This volume centers on Troilus and Cressida, characters that didn't even appear in the original classical myths--they're transplants from the middle ages, bringing a longing chivalric romance into a story that had very little of the sort. You can almost see the cracks show--material from Shakespeare inserted into the classical rhythms--but Shanower's storytelling ability bridges it all with verve. This takes place in between chaotic battle scenes that are rendered with detail and attention. Shanower captures the insanity and fog of war, but never at the expense of the narrative.

After a hiatus of a few years, Shanower has begun the series anew as well as republishing the collected volumes in color. The color version of this volume is due out in a few years. I can't wait to read it again.

[Luana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as I had been talking up the interesting exercise this series was in getting submerged in a world where patriarchy goes unquestioned, Shanower kind of pulls a fast one on me with Cressida. I'm not familiar with the Shakespeare play beyond its basic set-up, but from the quotations here I feel like Cressida may have been a "false woman," whereas Shanower recontextualizes her as a woman just trying to survive in an extremely unfriendly environment.

Battle has also truly kicked off for the first time between the Achaeans and Troy and whoo boy, I get why it takes forever to do these babies. The detail in these massive tableaux in truly astonishing! Big fan of the montages of Troilus' battle-filled days and his pining nights.

The down-to-Earth take on a centaur (I think) was pretty awesome. A... a horse archer? "You can just sit straight on the horse??? I never thought of that!" I lol'd.

Worst part about this book is I am now in the same boat with Shanower as I am with Martin and Miura: waiting on a thing that will never come out/finish.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE WAR HAS STARTED, PEOPLE! THE WAR HAS STARTED!

Finally, we have reached the start of the war. I was starting to think this day would never get here. Unfortunately, we’re only in the first few years of the war, and this is the last book that has been published (there is one additional issue available online only). This volume was very heavily focused on the romance between Troilus and Cressida and their part in the beginning of the war. Not the topic I would have necessary chosen to focus on, but at least Paris had a minimum part in this volume 🙏🏼 although, Cressida’s uncle Pandarus isn’t much more tolerable than Paris.

I hope the author decides to release the last 3 volumes that were promised in the first volume someday…

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shanower‘s retelling of the Trojan war in graphic novel form has been a joy to discover. His drawing is exquisitely executed and apparently historically accurate for the period. I have been impatiently waiting for each new volume in the series. It’s not that I don’t know the story because I do know it. It is the way he is going about it. The people as he presents them seem more real to me than they did when I read Homer’s original. If you like the stories of Ancient Greece and enjoy them in as graphic novels I strongly urge you to read Shanower‘s work. My only complaint about him is that he is taking too long a time producing each volume.

[Merin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as entertaining or interesting as the previous installments. Considering that this volume took ages to come out, I'm overall pretty disappointed. While the artwork still tells an amazing story, I would've liked more focus to be on the war itself and less on Pandarus' meddling and the doomed romance between Cressida and Troilus. I just don't feel like it did anything to advance the overall story.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Troilus storyline feels too emotionally over the top, as you would expect from a Shakespeare tragedy. But that clashes with the subtlier story lines. Still I loved seeing how the war starts, watching everyone's expectations for a short war start to crumble.

[Paul Keller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one leaned too much into side stories, which I didn't care for too much and dragged on a bit too long. Nevertheless, I would really like to see a continuation/finalization of the Trojan story in graphic novel form but it doesn't look like that one is coming...

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly impressive project.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raging that this series isn't actually finished. Also the black and white battle scenes are really confusing. But he draws hair so nicely. Haha.

[Esha Nas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent expressive work and the armor is exquisite! I am used to the color ones but even still…can’t wait for part three!

[Susan Dorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched graphic novel of the beginning of the Trojan War. This volume tells the story of Troilus and Cressida. Released in 2013, the next volume is yet to be printed.

[Janessa Paun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so pissed about the fact that I don't know if there is going to be another one in this series, I love it so much. It's such a good series with great art.

[Edward Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continues the Graphic Novel version of the full Iliad. This book finds the Achaeans and Trojans fully engaged in battle and settling in for the long hall. Story focuses primarily on the love story of Troilus and Cressida.

[Tue Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid continuation of what went before, this volume picks up the pace, but the story remains unfinished. I hope the author will publish the next volume soon.

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second half of the third arc, Betrayal, of Eric Shanower's brilliant comics adaptation of the Trojan myth cycle, and like the first half, presented in the previous volume, much of the narrative focuses on the story of Troilus and Cressida, but it also sees the Trojan War properly begin, as the Achaeans reach the beaches outside Troy and begin their siege.

Shanower's retelling thus far has impressed me very much, and my one regret at this point is that there appears to be no more work done, and I cannot find any real indication as to whether there is any hope that Shanower will ever finish his tremendous adaptation work. And I would honestly love to see him tackle the segments of the myth cycle known from Homer's Iliad (and Odyssey, for that matter), given how much I have enjoyed the preceding material. But who knows, maybe one day ...

In the meantime, few retellings of these stories encompass everything; Homer's Iliad famously leave out so many things people assume to be in it, given its focus on a brief time period in the war. So, in this sense, Shanower's work, even left unfinished, is a fitting interpretation of the material and holds strong.

[Vincent Desjardins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each time I finish a volume of the series Age of Bronze, I’m amazed at the amount of research that must have gone into the creation of this epic retelling of the Trojan War. This is not only evident from the supplied bibliography in the back of each volume, but in Shanower’s marvelous artwork where each costume and piece of armor has the feel of authenticity. The story is a vast one and anyone familiar with Greek mythology or Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey will recognize many of the character names and story lines. Shanower does a great job of bringing these stories and people from ancient times to life. The complex events of the Trojan War involves a huge cast of characters and fortunately, to help us keep events and characters straight, Shanower gives the reader some help along the way. He not only begins each volume with a recap of previous events, but in the back of the book he provides a glossary of names (with pronunciations) where he briefly explains who the characters are and who they’re related to. As if that weren’t enough, he also provides genealogical charts of the two main family lines involved in the story. This particular volume is Part Two of the third volume which collectively is known as “Betrayal.” There are a lot of battle scenes in this volume and to keep the detailed battle drawings from becoming too confusing, Shanower helps the reader identify the various warriors by giving them distinctive armor. By looking at their helmets, I was usually able to identify which character was involved in a scene. But this volume isn’t all about battle, a good portion of this book also relates the love story between Trolius and Cressida, whom Shakespeare immortalized in one of his plays. My only disappointment with this volume was that it ended too soon, leaving me wanting more and I know it will be a long wait before the next volume becomes available. I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in historical fiction.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Shanower's graphic retelling of the Trojan War continues. In this volume, we get the Greek armies landing on the Trojan beach as well as the tragic tale of Troilus and Cressida.

Shanower's art is amazing as always, with his finely rendered black-and-white drawings capturing everything from rough life in the camp to the hand-to-hand gore of Bronze Age warfare. His characters can be tough to distinguish in their armor, although Shanower does give us hints with ornate helmets to help us keep track of who's who.

The story us a little too wrapped up in the action, however. Page after page of battle scenes capture the drudgery and brutality of this long war, but they end up conveying a bit too much of its repetition to the reader. I ended up wanting more variety in the telling.

There's also not much advancement in the character arcs here. Achilles remains a glory-hungry psychopath, Hector noble, Paris vain. Young Troilus suffers the agonies of love from afar, but he doesn't really rise above one-note longing. Similarly, there's a lot of talk about hunger and discontent in the Greek camp, but the politics of the situation don't advance much, and the alliance never seems to really be at risk of fracture or mutiny.

Still, it's a joy to watch Shanower capture these classic tales in his own style, and he humanizes the iconic characters by emphasizing their pettiness and cruelty. When Cressida is "rescued" by the Greek camp, the assault that welcomes her is shocking, making it near impossible to identify with any of the Greek kings as heroes. They're more like bandit-kings, waging war for their own reasons--or advancement. The resulting bloodshed, we're reminded, is an epic waste for nearly everyone else.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been so long I didn't realize Shanower was still doing these. This is a retelling of the Trojan War, using not only Homer but countless other sources. Here we focus primarily on the story of Troilus and Cressida, for instance. Great looking, solid drama, but I don't like Shanower's scenes of the actual battles as much as everything else he does in this book. Otherwise it would get another star.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like forever since the last volume of this series was released, but Eric has been doing other things. This chapter of the retelling of the Trojan War focuses heavily on Troilus and Cressida, a Trojan prince and the daughter of an unpopular seer from Argos, respectively. Shakespeare wrote a play about the characters, focusing on Cressida's unfaithfulness to her lover, but I haven't read it. Cressida's father Kalchas, who defected from Troy to the Achaeans but isn't trusted by them either, is also a significant player; and the prophetic but never believed Cassandra makes a few appearances. As usual, the art is excellent, very detailed and full of attractive people and violent battle scenes. Eric generally does a good job at differentiating the characters, who can admittedly be somewhat difficult to keep track of at times. It's a fascinating look at an old story.

[Miss Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay these trojan youth really need to learn to better regulate their emotions?

what kind of cheap excuse for love does troilus even have for cressida, to give up on her because he thinks she's been with diomedes

she's a woman who was just forced into an enemy war camp, it's not like she had a choice?

like if you don't have the generosity of heart to be grateful that she's found some way to have a protector in enemy territory, fine, but to be like, oh if she came back now i wouldn't accept her?

troilus you seemed okay but i guess i was wrong, you're joining the long list of male wastes populating this comic

priam should thank the gods daily for hektor, he's literally the only son of his who seems to be able to maintain a sense of common decency day to day

3 stars

[Devero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prosegue l'opera di cui, un grande intenditore, disse "se la guerra di Troia è davvero avvenuta, allora deve essere avvenuta come Shanower la narra!"
L'unica pecca è che il ritmo delle pubblicazioni originali è davvero calato tantissimo.
Ritengo che Shanower si sia posto una sfida veramente enorme; si sta rendendo conto che probabilmente non ce la farà a portarla avanti come desidera. Spero di sbagliarmi perchè questa serie-capolavoro è davvero la migliore apparsa negli USA degli ultimi 30 anni.

[bkwurm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume was devoted to the story of Troilus and Cressida. Hardly any development of any of the other characters or any other plotlines.

As a result, for months to pass while the romance blossomed without touching on Achilles' resentment of Agamemnon's use of his name to lure Iphigenia to her death or any other interactions between the Greek kings, it just seemed like everything else was put on hold.

Finally, the setup for the betrayal seemed incredibly contrived. Really, was there no other material available to be ripped up use as a bandage other than the gift from Troilus?

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magnificently detailed telling of the Trojan War. Shanower's art is packed with historical specifics and his script is strong, focusing this volume (maybe a little too heavily, although with devastating effect) on the tragic romance of Troilus and Cressida. My only minor complaint is my lazy wish for Shanower to differentiate the characters more - all those Greek features are sometimes hard to tell apart! Age of Bronze is one of the best comics being published today. Check it out.