Beowulf: Doom of Glory

Beowulf #3

by Gareth Hinds

The conclusion of the epic Beowulf comic book trilogy.

It is the late viking age. An escaped prisoner wanders into a mysterious rocky defile on the windswept coast of Geatland. Inside, he discovers an ancient barrow, heaped high with decaying riches and sparkling gems. Sleeping atop the treasure is a 50-foot winged fire-drake, an ancient creature who has guarded the hoard for untold centuries. The prisoner, hypnotized by the sight of the treasure, steals a single golden goblet and flees in terror.

Beowulf has ruled his people well for 50 years, shielding them from all threats and giving unstintingly of his treasure. In a single night, his peaceful reign is ended. The enraged dragon flies to Beowulf's village, where it burns his throne-hall and the homes of many of his people to the ground. Even in his old age, Beowulf is still by far the strongest of the Geats, and so he goes forth with a band of warriors to seek out and destroy the dragon. This will be Beowulf's most desperate battle, and the fate of the entire Geatish tribe hangs in the balance.

40 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Gareth Hinds is the creator of critically-acclaimed graphic novels based on literary classics, including Beowulf (which Publisher’s Weekly called a “mixed-media gem”), King Lear (which Booklist named one of the top 10 graphic novels for teens), The Merchant of Venice (which Kirkus called “the standard that all others will strive to meet” for Shakespeare adaptation), The Odyssey (which garnered four starred reviews and a spot on ten “best of 2010” lists), Romeo and Juliet (which Kirkus called “spellbinding”), and Macbeth (which the New York Times called “stellar” and “a remarkably faithful rendering”). Gareth is a recipient of the Boston Public Library’s “Literary Lights for Children” award. His books can be found in bookstores and English classrooms across the country, and his illustrations have appeared in such diverse venues as the Society of Illustrators, the New York Historical Society, and over a dozen published video games.

Gareth lives in the Washington DC area.

Reviews

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in the graphic novel collection version (2007). This was a graphic novel I could get behind. The original (one of my favorites, and undoubtedly one of the greatest pieces of literature in the entire history of the world) is so vivid that it does well when translated to this visual medium. Of course this comic was a bit truncated, but the overall story remained true, and the events were all right from the original poem. There was some beautiful art in here as well. Grendel looked great, the dragon was gorgeous, even Beowulf's helmet had the important but all too easily overlooked detail of boars on it. Quite good!