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300 #2
Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander
This historical epic, set in the world of 300, tells of the upsurge and decline of the Persian King's empire, and the ascent of the Grecian realm through Alexander.Written and illustrated by comics luminary and legend, Frank Miller (Sin City, The Dark Knight, 300), and colored by Alex Sinclair ( The Dark Knight The Master Race), this companion to Miller's epic masterpiece, 300, brings the historical story of Xerxes to the graphic novel audience with grit and visual style!The ongoing Greek rebellion against Persian tyranny reaches a turning point after the destruction of the city of Sardis and the later battle of on a military campaign to vanquish the city of Athens and silence the Greeks once and for all, Xerxes, Persian Prince, watches as his father, King Darius, falls in battle . . . The mantle of king is passed and while his newly-inherited fleet retreats toward home, Xerxes' hatred is cemented toward Athens--and his incentive to build the Persian empire is fueled. Xerxes becomes the king of all countries--the king of Persia, ruler of Zion, and Pharoah of Egypt--and his empire is unlike any the world has ever seen, until . . . The mantle is again passed, the god king dies and Darius III continues as the king of all. But then, from the west, a tiger force strikes in Asia Minor and is on a course for collision with Persian forces. This will be the beginning of the end for Persia and the launch of Alexander the Great's rise to power!
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2019
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362 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,355 books5,348 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
May 19, 2021
(C+) 66% | Almost Satisfactory
Notes: Boring, bland and muddy, all namby-pamby goop, no bite to its flavor, nor nuance to savor: it’s cream of drivel soup.
Notes: Boring, bland and muddy, all namby-pamby goop, no bite to its flavor, nor nuance to savor: it’s cream of drivel soup.
February 18, 2019
Striking when the iron’s hot, Frank Miller follows up 300 20 YEARS after it was first published with Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander - and it really wasn’t worth the wait. It’s such a rubbish sequel. And so confusing! I had no idea what was going on and had to do my own research to understand what Miller should’ve been able to convey if he were still a competent storyteller.
So: the first three issues are a prequel/sequel to 300, in that they’re set before, during and immediately after 300 - except 300 is never referenced. Why not??? This book is a companion piece to 300 - why not add some context to help the reader understand what’s going on?!
The main focus is on Xerxes’ Persian army fighting the Greeks. Miller’s story structure is an absolute mess. Xerxes is killed, though how and why are unnecessarily muddled, and then Miller jumps back in time to Xerxes getting married for no reason! Then, for the final two issues, fast forward 150 or so fucking YEARS to Xerxes’ descendant, Darius III, who faces Alexander the Great.
...what? Why? I guess to show us the fate of Xerxes’ empire. Did we need to see that though - wasn’t the 300 postscript about how Xerxes’ empire would eventually fall sufficient? And that’s the thing: what was the point of this book? Was anybody clamouring for a 300 sequel? Lord amighty. This book is at least 10 years too late.
The blurb uses the word “sprawling” which is accurate - this thing is a shambles. There’s no real story, no real characters, nothing to really engage the reader. This all really happened yet good luck learning anything from this uninformative mish-mash of baffling historical events as seen through Frank Miller’s frenetic action movie lens. It’s such a boring read. And this has nothing to do with anything but I think I saw Richard Corben’s Mag the Hag character - complete with penis nose - in one of the scenes, though who knows why. I guess Miller and Corben are buds?
I know Frank Miller’s art is divisive but I’ve always liked it. Thankfully the art here is better than the utter crap he turned in for the Dark Knight III backups, helped enormously by Alex Sinclair’s colours, though Sinclair can only do so much. Still, Miller remains a master of framing and layouts and I feel like this would be a much better book if he handed over the actual art duties to someone who hasn’t lost whatever talent they once had.
And that’s Xerxes - a very disappointing sequel to one of Frank Miller’s last great books. I wouldn’t recommend this drek to anyone but if you’ve not read 300, that one is definitely worth a read.
So: the first three issues are a prequel/sequel to 300, in that they’re set before, during and immediately after 300 - except 300 is never referenced. Why not??? This book is a companion piece to 300 - why not add some context to help the reader understand what’s going on?!
The main focus is on Xerxes’ Persian army fighting the Greeks. Miller’s story structure is an absolute mess. Xerxes is killed, though how and why are unnecessarily muddled, and then Miller jumps back in time to Xerxes getting married for no reason! Then, for the final two issues, fast forward 150 or so fucking YEARS to Xerxes’ descendant, Darius III, who faces Alexander the Great.
...what? Why? I guess to show us the fate of Xerxes’ empire. Did we need to see that though - wasn’t the 300 postscript about how Xerxes’ empire would eventually fall sufficient? And that’s the thing: what was the point of this book? Was anybody clamouring for a 300 sequel? Lord amighty. This book is at least 10 years too late.
The blurb uses the word “sprawling” which is accurate - this thing is a shambles. There’s no real story, no real characters, nothing to really engage the reader. This all really happened yet good luck learning anything from this uninformative mish-mash of baffling historical events as seen through Frank Miller’s frenetic action movie lens. It’s such a boring read. And this has nothing to do with anything but I think I saw Richard Corben’s Mag the Hag character - complete with penis nose - in one of the scenes, though who knows why. I guess Miller and Corben are buds?
I know Frank Miller’s art is divisive but I’ve always liked it. Thankfully the art here is better than the utter crap he turned in for the Dark Knight III backups, helped enormously by Alex Sinclair’s colours, though Sinclair can only do so much. Still, Miller remains a master of framing and layouts and I feel like this would be a much better book if he handed over the actual art duties to someone who hasn’t lost whatever talent they once had.
And that’s Xerxes - a very disappointing sequel to one of Frank Miller’s last great books. I wouldn’t recommend this drek to anyone but if you’ve not read 300, that one is definitely worth a read.
March 15, 2024
This could be used as Exhibit A on why Frank Miller should no longer write comics. This is based on actual known history but I dare you to tell me the context of these issues without looking it up elsewhere. What story there is, is structured terribly. The first two issues take place at the same time as 300 but are about the Athenians. Of course, you have no way of knowing it's the same time unless you remember the exact year 300 occurred in. The third issue is about Xerxes. It starts off with him dying then flashes back to when he got married for some reason. The last two issues take place hundreds of years later during the rise of Alexander the Great. There's no story here though. It's just random pinups of people fighting with no narration or dialogue to explain what's happening.
The other thing I noticed was how bad the lettering is. I guess Miller did it himself because no one else is credited. Lettering is something you don't really notice unless it's awful and it really stands out here. At least Alex Sinclair's colors make Miller's cash grab look good. Miller must have really needed the money to release this turd of a comic.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
The other thing I noticed was how bad the lettering is. I guess Miller did it himself because no one else is credited. Lettering is something you don't really notice unless it's awful and it really stands out here. At least Alex Sinclair's colors make Miller's cash grab look good. Miller must have really needed the money to release this turd of a comic.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
April 5, 2022
This gets 2 stars from me because I’m a sucker for anything set in this time period and there’s some cool (albeit outlandish) artwork, but this graphic novel is a clear example of why Frank Miller just shouldn’t be writing comics anymore. The story starts with Xerxes witnessing his father Darius get killed at the hands of the Greeks (not historically accurate at all but whatever I didn’t mind) and then you think it’s going to be this cool coming-of age tale about Xerxes and his rise to power and then it’s...not. At all. There’s no story structure, or hardly any. The entire thing, from start to finish, is basically a huge exposition and info dump with a few mediocre action scenes thrown in. It’s too bad, but it seems clear at this point, what with the abomination of Holy Terror and now this that Miller will never return to his glory days when he wrote cultural icons such as Batman Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, and 300.
May 4, 2019
Less a story and more Frank Miller skipping through the events before and after those in 300 and drawing the ones he found most interesting. Some images are quite powerful, others are as ridiculous as the narration.
August 12, 2018
By far the most badly written comic by Miller. Once you come to the third issue out of the total 5, all game is lost...
My full review in Greek @ comicdom.gr:
http://www.comicdom.gr/2018/08/12/xer...
My full review in Greek @ comicdom.gr:
http://www.comicdom.gr/2018/08/12/xer...
December 19, 2020
Nejhorší komiks roku, nečtěte to.
July 21, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
It’s always a shame to see a creator wear his worse costume as he approaches the end of his career. In this case, his end came much earlier but he continues to work in the industry as he embraces his passion for comic books and his desire to publish stories set within the same universe as his previous work. Unfortunately, all I could gather from that is a man clinging onto the success of his past work to continue to do what he does. Frank Miller is the creator in question whose critically-acclaimed work, such as Sin City, Batman: Year One, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and 300, have caught the eye of many readers around the world and set the bar high for a lot of writers and artists who look to leave their own impression in the world of comics. This time around, Frank Miller revisits the world of 300 with a story crucial to our understanding of history yet fails miserably in his execution.
What is Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander about? Collecting issues #1-5, this story recounts the rise and fall of the Persian King’s Empire as well as the rise of Alexander the Great. While focusing exclusively on the key events, such as the death of kings and armies, the story jumps through time without any sense of direction to quickly present historical events, marriages, and conflicts. As much as I’d like to delve into the details by presenting the context behind everything, this graphic novel completely overlooks it all and offers a jumbled mess that could never elucidate any question you could possibly have about the events illustrated in this story.
This is the kind of story that makes you want to hit the pause button and wonder why you even cared enough to pick it up and read. For something set within the universe of 300, it was never supposed to be this convoluted and incomprehensible for the reader. While it is supposedly based on historical events, it is nearly impossible to follow any of the events illustrated and it’s not even because of the atrocious artwork. There’s also a panoply of key characters introduced but never properly contextualized, making it futile to follow the narrative or care about anything happening in the universe. Split into multiple segments highlighting either the fall or the rise of different empires, the story somehow also manages to blend realism with mysticism without ever clearly defining one or the other. Even if I wanted to understand what was going on, I would have to do my own research and revisit this tale, and even then I believe I’d consider this abomination to be impertinent for readers. Let’s not forget the incredible amount of simplification and all the unnatural dialogue incorporated within this story to make it so much harder for the reader to comprehend anything..
Although 300 had a similar graphic novel format and the intention to maintain that format was extended to this latest installment, the story and artwork failed to justify that need and simply came across as pretentious. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call the artwork monstrous but it wasn’t unexpected from Frank Miller. I’ve never been a huge fan of his talents—if you can call it that—as his visual style is honestly grotesque, rough, and careless. So far, none of his work where he takes on both the writing and the artwork has ever worked well with me. In this story, his focus is often on epic battle scenes—which isn’t surprising considering the historical events in question and the graphic novel format—but none of the drawings make any sense. From individuals getting stabbed by spears in awkward positions and sliced up at odd angles, nothing was intended to impress but seemed to only convey raw brutality through infantile artwork. I sort of feel bad for Alex Sinclair being involved in the colouring but at least he’s not in fault for any of Frank Miller’s ludicrous ideas.
Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander is a disaster that marks the end of a creator’s ability to deliver quality material.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy for review!
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
February 13, 2022
É como imagino que sejam os quadrinhos da realidade paralela onde nazistas venceram a 2ª Guerra e reescreveram a História. Ou uma releitura da estética de Joãozinho Trinta feita por Leni Riefenstahl e roteirizada por Goebbels.
April 27, 2019
I like this book in general. Frank Miller can tell a damn story and it's manifest how, with such a sprawling thesis, he carefully chose the events that would provide the most impact. His art is superb as per usual, and in pivotal historical scenes he can project moments of great visual power and emotional wallop. He illustrates imperial Oriental splendor with a verve and unbridled opulence that's simply breathtaking. The palette he draws from is more extensive here - witness the dazzling robes and iridiscent accoutrements of the royal women. Alexander did not look as I pictured him in my mind's eye, but aside from that I hold nothing against Frank Miller's art.
It's also refreshing to see the Greco-Persian wars through other perspectives. I like how the book tackled the Battle of Marathon from the Athenian point of view, showing that they can evince the same grit and cunning as the Spartans at their moment of truth. I also enjoyed how the book showed the war through the eyes of the Other - the Achaemenid god-kings - moving beyond the static, lustrous villainy with which Xerxes was depicted in 300.
I do have gripes with this book though, and unfortunately these are major ones
Firstly - all those historical errors. I feel like the story can be just as rich without them. Greek fire was used by the Byzantine Empire centuries later, not by the Athenians in the naval defense of their city. Darius the Great was not fatally attacked head on by any Greek following his loss in Marathon. In the Battle of Gaugamela, while the size of the Macedonian army is correctly pegged at around 40+000 men, modern experts estimate the Persian forces to be around 120000, far from the million or half shown in the book. Etc etc.
As with its predecessor, I could've disregarded those if they were in the service of a grandly inspiring narrative. The thing is, the book wove itself around so many events scattered across decades that it spread itself thin. The stories that it weaves are certainly interesting, but the lack of a unifying and focused vision meant that readers can sometimes get confused as to what the point of the entire thing is. I know that it is to illustrate the rise of the Hellenes and the beginning of the fall of the mighty Persians, but giving just a few concentrated pages to each battle or emperor puts the book in danger of seeming like a mere recital of events. We don't get enough time to know the dramatis personae better so we fail to care for them or their feats. Again I like how Miller explored other perspectives here. But I think that maybe he should have focused on a specific campaign or monarch for this book and expanded to other vistas in subsequent ones.
Lastly, the zigzagging timeline can be pretty confounding. I just wish that the pacing wasn't so choppy, centering on scenes and personages with intense focus and in riveting detail before abruptly cutting to another scene, unceremoniously stopping that particular story dead in its tracks.
Going by the narrative alone I won't be rating it highly. But this is a graphic novel, and as I'm a fan of the art, it somehow redeems the book for me. I'm giving it 6/10 or 3 majestically lavish stars out of 5.
It's also refreshing to see the Greco-Persian wars through other perspectives. I like how the book tackled the Battle of Marathon from the Athenian point of view, showing that they can evince the same grit and cunning as the Spartans at their moment of truth. I also enjoyed how the book showed the war through the eyes of the Other - the Achaemenid god-kings - moving beyond the static, lustrous villainy with which Xerxes was depicted in 300.
I do have gripes with this book though, and unfortunately these are major ones
Firstly - all those historical errors. I feel like the story can be just as rich without them. Greek fire was used by the Byzantine Empire centuries later, not by the Athenians in the naval defense of their city. Darius the Great was not fatally attacked head on by any Greek following his loss in Marathon. In the Battle of Gaugamela, while the size of the Macedonian army is correctly pegged at around 40+000 men, modern experts estimate the Persian forces to be around 120000, far from the million or half shown in the book. Etc etc.
As with its predecessor, I could've disregarded those if they were in the service of a grandly inspiring narrative. The thing is, the book wove itself around so many events scattered across decades that it spread itself thin. The stories that it weaves are certainly interesting, but the lack of a unifying and focused vision meant that readers can sometimes get confused as to what the point of the entire thing is. I know that it is to illustrate the rise of the Hellenes and the beginning of the fall of the mighty Persians, but giving just a few concentrated pages to each battle or emperor puts the book in danger of seeming like a mere recital of events. We don't get enough time to know the dramatis personae better so we fail to care for them or their feats. Again I like how Miller explored other perspectives here. But I think that maybe he should have focused on a specific campaign or monarch for this book and expanded to other vistas in subsequent ones.
Lastly, the zigzagging timeline can be pretty confounding. I just wish that the pacing wasn't so choppy, centering on scenes and personages with intense focus and in riveting detail before abruptly cutting to another scene, unceremoniously stopping that particular story dead in its tracks.
Going by the narrative alone I won't be rating it highly. But this is a graphic novel, and as I'm a fan of the art, it somehow redeems the book for me. I'm giving it 6/10 or 3 majestically lavish stars out of 5.
June 2, 2020
Well, that was.... Pointless. And forgettable.
I thought this was gonna be the sequel to 300 but it's a prequel, a companion novel and a sequel all in one.
The story begins with the battle of Marathon, where Darius is wounded and lays in the arms of his son Xerxes. After Darius' death, Xerxes wanders in the dessert, until he finds the secret to becoming a god. And then.... He dies. And after that... He gets married and possibly commits a genocide?
There's also a plot and a vizier is forced to commit suicide? And then Alexander the Great invades Persia, kills a king, then his queen is abducted and then kills some other king and that's the end?
No, I am not exaggerating, that's the order of the events happening here.
I have no idea what I just read.
It's clear that Frank Miller wanted to capitalize from the great idea he had 20 years ago. But some things cannot be repeated.
I'm not crazy about the original novel (I prefer the movie version to be honest) but at least it had a clear and easy to follow plot. And even though, I didn't really like the movie sequel, at least it was better than this.
Here, there is no structure nor a clear plot, and I'm sorry, but great artwork won't save a mediocre graphic novel this time...
well, the artwork wasn't that great either but at least some panels looked good.
If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care :) :) :)
I thought this was gonna be the sequel to 300 but it's a prequel, a companion novel and a sequel all in one.
The story begins with the battle of Marathon, where Darius is wounded and lays in the arms of his son Xerxes. After Darius' death, Xerxes wanders in the dessert, until he finds the secret to becoming a god. And then.... He dies. And after that... He gets married and possibly commits a genocide?
There's also a plot and a vizier is forced to commit suicide? And then Alexander the Great invades Persia, kills a king, then his queen is abducted and then kills some other king and that's the end?
No, I am not exaggerating, that's the order of the events happening here.
I have no idea what I just read.
It's clear that Frank Miller wanted to capitalize from the great idea he had 20 years ago. But some things cannot be repeated.
I'm not crazy about the original novel (I prefer the movie version to be honest) but at least it had a clear and easy to follow plot. And even though, I didn't really like the movie sequel, at least it was better than this.
Here, there is no structure nor a clear plot, and I'm sorry, but great artwork won't save a mediocre graphic novel this time...
If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care :) :) :)
December 14, 2022
ლ(ಠ_ಠ ლ) Who is who and who is doing what in this comic? The storytelling here makes the storytelling in "300: Rise of an Empire" seem like Citizen Kane. I was half-expecting a story similar to "Rise of an Empire" but noooope. Dear Frank went and made another Dark Knight Strikes Again! What's wrong with that man? Is he set on destroying his own bibliography? Imagine my surprise when I saw that Xerxes was published 4 years after the movie it was supposed to be adapted into. 4 years for what, Frank? ヽ(‵﹏´)ノ
SO! "300: Rise of an Empire" is a prequel, midquel and sequel to "300", okay sure. Now, Xerxes's first two chapters sorta show the prologue to the movie, but the third chapter is not shown in the movie and also there's no "Artemisia " character here (played by Eva Green in the movie). After the third chapter there's no Xerxes to be found and in place of that we get Alexander the Great...? I mean... what? Talk about an unfocused mess, this graphic novel is the definition of that! Not to mention the horrible art displayed here.
Frank tried to milk the cow 12 years too late but that was a barren cow with no milk to show.
FROM WIKI: "In May 2021, Snyder revealed he had written a third film, adapting the Alexander the Great segments of Xerxes as a conclusion to the 300 trilogy but Warner Bros. was not interested in it."
Adapting what? I just read it and I don't even remember what happened, I was just confused and bored out of my mind. There's no "300 trilogy" here, just one movie. Forget about the rest. Watch/read the first 300 movie/novel and don't bother with this one.
凸(￣ヘ￣)
SO! "300: Rise of an Empire" is a prequel, midquel and sequel to "300", okay sure. Now, Xerxes's first two chapters sorta show the prologue to the movie, but the third chapter is not shown in the movie and also there's no "Artemisia " character here (played by Eva Green in the movie). After the third chapter there's no Xerxes to be found and in place of that we get Alexander the Great...? I mean... what? Talk about an unfocused mess, this graphic novel is the definition of that! Not to mention the horrible art displayed here.
Frank tried to milk the cow 12 years too late but that was a barren cow with no milk to show.
FROM WIKI: "In May 2021, Snyder revealed he had written a third film, adapting the Alexander the Great segments of Xerxes as a conclusion to the 300 trilogy but Warner Bros. was not interested in it."
Adapting what? I just read it and I don't even remember what happened, I was just confused and bored out of my mind. There's no "300 trilogy" here, just one movie. Forget about the rest. Watch/read the first 300 movie/novel and don't bother with this one.
凸(￣ヘ￣)
July 10, 2019
Δε περίμενα ποτέ να το πω για κόμικ του F. Miller και μάλιστα με θέμα την αρχαία Ελλάδα, αλλά ήταν απογοητευτικό! Ασύνδετα σχέδια (όμορφα, αλλά χωρίς ουσιαστική συνέχεια μεταξύ τους), πολύ χαλαρό σενάριο, προσπαθεί να πει πολλά, αλλά στο τέλος δε λέει τίποτα ουσιαστικό. Ότι χτίζεται στους 300, εδώ γκρεμίζεται σαν χάρτινος πύργος... Κρίμα
September 28, 2020
New Worlds to Conquer
The enmity between the Persians and the Greeks is recorded from the Battle of Marathon to Darius III's death at the hands of his cousin.
A bright and golden mirror to '300', this is yet another astonishing work by Frank Miller. The iconography is beautiful and the grotesque human characters are exciting to examine.
The enmity between the Persians and the Greeks is recorded from the Battle of Marathon to Darius III's death at the hands of his cousin.
A bright and golden mirror to '300', this is yet another astonishing work by Frank Miller. The iconography is beautiful and the grotesque human characters are exciting to examine.
July 1, 2020
Como dirían los españoles: menuda ida de olla. Narrativamente críptica pero estéticamente impresionante, Miller sigue dando cátedra hasta cuando hace lo contrario a lo que todos esperan.
July 3, 2023
El ¿guión? de Xerxes no tiene ni pies ni cabeza. No ya a nivel histórico, que es un totum revolutum que abarca 200 años sin la más mínima coherencia. La manera de enlazar imágenes, especialmente en los tres últimos números, roza por momentos lo ridículo. Las ilustraciones de Miller son poderosas y tiene composiciones, y se fija en detalles, que realmente son dignos de verse: ejércitos formados en la batalla, recreaciones de lugares sacados de su imaginación, estampas del combate... El tema es que este es un tebeo y no un libro de ilustraciones, y las secuencias de viñetas, y el relato, no están ni se les espera.
Curiosamente de mi lectura rescato algo. He leído los comic books, algo que no hice con 300, y en los escasos momentos en los cuales sí que hay una narrativa en la historia me doy cuenta de cómo Miller sigue cuidando este aspecto. Y cómo mi edición de 300 de Norma, con el formato apaisado que pone las dobles páginas en una página con las proporciones adecuadas, desvirtúa la lectura tal y como la tenía pensada el autor al desplazar el centro de gravedad. Creo que merece la pena leer los tebeos tal y como fueron publicados porque ahí está todo con el peso donde Miller quería ponerlo.
Curiosamente de mi lectura rescato algo. He leído los comic books, algo que no hice con 300, y en los escasos momentos en los cuales sí que hay una narrativa en la historia me doy cuenta de cómo Miller sigue cuidando este aspecto. Y cómo mi edición de 300 de Norma, con el formato apaisado que pone las dobles páginas en una página con las proporciones adecuadas, desvirtúa la lectura tal y como la tenía pensada el autor al desplazar el centro de gravedad. Creo que merece la pena leer los tebeos tal y como fueron publicados porque ahí está todo con el peso donde Miller quería ponerlo.
October 13, 2025
So if you're not a fan of Miller's recent art and consider it a devolution or regression of his previous work, then you'll likely take issue with Xerxes. As well, while 300 took place over a three day battle, the follow-up jumps around all over the place. From the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE to the campaigns of Alexander the Great in 334 BCE, it'd be an understatement to say it's a bit of a jumbled mess.
For myself, there's still some choice panels and the art doesn't bother me. Miller was my intro to more "grown up" fare with my comics, so I'll always have a soft spot for him. Not necessary but not entirely unwelcome.
For myself, there's still some choice panels and the art doesn't bother me. Miller was my intro to more "grown up" fare with my comics, so I'll always have a soft spot for him. Not necessary but not entirely unwelcome.
January 17, 2024
As with 300, this is a yearly read for me. I read them back to back, one on one day, the other the next. This I feel is not as good as 300 but it tells the tale of the fall of the Persian Empire under Darius and Xerxes' involvement in those acts, as well as the role Alexander the Great figured into all of it. This is a far stretch from the historical data but it still is a great graphic novel. Enjoy!
Danny
Danny
May 31, 2021
It's a story worth telling, a story that needs telling, but the scant 112 pages could be tripled and still leave out much of the tale, and the art, recognizable and entertaining as it is, gets in the way of the plot.
January 29, 2022
I'm on a Frank Miller, Spartan, Xerxes, graphic novel ancient history mega-binge, and I think this one is certainly better than the Goodreaders have given it credit for. The artwork is stunning, the story serves as a jump-off to further reading, and it correlates well with both of the movies. It's a lot of story to pack into a 114 page graphic novel and Miller does it well.
Now I'm on a quest to figure out what the heck happened to Xerxes.
Now I'm on a quest to figure out what the heck happened to Xerxes.
July 26, 2019
La verdad que no puedo hablar de Miller como "placer culposo" si vengo disfrutando tanto lo último que leo de él, tanto cosas nuevas como este experimental Xerxes como sus geniales últimos tomos de Sin City, que pese a lo que me habían pintado recontra están a la altura de los primeros de la saga.
Este libro en particular, quizás sea de lo menos historietístico que hizo en mucho tiempo, pero aun así, entre sus dibujos feístas y sus diálogos (si es que cuentan como tales) medio crípticos, la verdad que me hizo pasar un muy buen rato y hasta me dejó con ganas de que esto termine en trilogía.
Este libro en particular, quizás sea de lo menos historietístico que hizo en mucho tiempo, pero aun así, entre sus dibujos feístas y sus diálogos (si es que cuentan como tales) medio crípticos, la verdad que me hizo pasar un muy buen rato y hasta me dejó con ganas de que esto termine en trilogía.
July 30, 2019
I have no clue why Miller took so many years to follow-up 300... or why he bothered at all if this was going to be the end result.
June 28, 2022
Well... that was odd.
October 30, 2022
Only for about twenty years now has the creative reputation of Frank Miller been a shambles. Even as Hollywood fell in love with him, comic book fans grew to despise him. Until the recent launch of his own imprint, Miller’s last work looked like it would be Xerxes, a sequel to 300. Although it’s more of a sketch than a story (I haven’t read 300 so have no basis for comparison other than the movie), it’s more typically glorious artwork from Miller and more exploration of the deeds of towering men.
This time, it’s a succession of figures, several of them Persian, until we reach Alexander the Great, the most famous conqueror of the ancient world. One almost wishes Miller had given us his vision of Alexander alone, but as a whole, Xerxes concludes the narrative of the Persian Empire’s wars against the Greek states, and as such that’s its primary purpose, to round out what happened after Thermopylae, which was a doomed heroic act but hardly the end of the story.
Fans will complain, surely, that there’s no epic romantic sweep here, unless you take in Miller’s whole vision, his intention. And, really, the results are no different than Dark Knight Strikes Again which had the audacity to exist at all after the triumphal “last Batman story” that was its predecessor. Infamously there were release delays and of course 9/11 that affected initial reception, and it usually takes time (more than twenty years) for any critical reassessments to kick in, much less present a more hopeful vision. Sometimes people insist they just want the cynical vision intact. Dark Knight Returns, like Watchmen, is best understood as a response to an era still scraping away from Vietnam, not yet emerged from the Cold War, after all. And here we are, still trying to figure out the world post-9/11. So it only figures.
Xerxes is an achievement that only makes sense in context. On its own it appears slim, almost insubstantial. But Miller always believed there were saints in the inferno. And sometimes the good guys get to win. This is a clear statement to that effect.
This time, it’s a succession of figures, several of them Persian, until we reach Alexander the Great, the most famous conqueror of the ancient world. One almost wishes Miller had given us his vision of Alexander alone, but as a whole, Xerxes concludes the narrative of the Persian Empire’s wars against the Greek states, and as such that’s its primary purpose, to round out what happened after Thermopylae, which was a doomed heroic act but hardly the end of the story.
Fans will complain, surely, that there’s no epic romantic sweep here, unless you take in Miller’s whole vision, his intention. And, really, the results are no different than Dark Knight Strikes Again which had the audacity to exist at all after the triumphal “last Batman story” that was its predecessor. Infamously there were release delays and of course 9/11 that affected initial reception, and it usually takes time (more than twenty years) for any critical reassessments to kick in, much less present a more hopeful vision. Sometimes people insist they just want the cynical vision intact. Dark Knight Returns, like Watchmen, is best understood as a response to an era still scraping away from Vietnam, not yet emerged from the Cold War, after all. And here we are, still trying to figure out the world post-9/11. So it only figures.
Xerxes is an achievement that only makes sense in context. On its own it appears slim, almost insubstantial. But Miller always believed there were saints in the inferno. And sometimes the good guys get to win. This is a clear statement to that effect.
August 30, 2019
Sort of a prequel, sort of a side-sequel to 300, Xerxes fails to be even remotely as interesting or exciting as its predecessor. Frank Miller's bizarre artwork is still prominent, perhaps more bizarre than ever with many characters appearing to be more carapace than human. The storytelling is all over the place, jumping between narratives and timelines. It's basically just a picture-book barely worth skimming.
August 5, 2018
I love Miller's work but this felt so plotless and abstract that could almost be considered as an artbook...
January 1, 2020
I found the storyline to be very confusing.
February 29, 2020
2.5/5
May 3, 2020
Pobre continuación de 300, en la que Frank Miller trata de repetir el éxito original mezclando parte de precuela y la historia de Alejandro Magno. Es muy corto como para poder contar algo que no sean batallas violentas, y la originalidad de la primera entrega queda diluida al ser más de lo mismo y con peor trama. Mediocre.
February 7, 2022
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE READERS: Read the prequel section (until the king’s death) and then enjoy the artwork. No point in reading it.
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