Classics as Comics: Trojan War #1

By Andy Frisk
May 13, 2009 - 17:57

Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are the two proper epics of the classical world that most fully comprise the majority of the knowledge available about the fabled, but in some historic form true, story of the destruction of Troy, located in Asia Minor, by Grecian armies. Roy Thomas, the longtime comic book writer who recently has been adapting many works of literature into graphic novel form such as Moby-Dick and Last of The Mohicans, to name a few, for Marvel under the Marvel Illustrated line, reminds us that the Iliad and Odyssey weren’t the only classical sources on The Trojan War. As he states regarding these other sources in his introduction to Trojan War, “Known as The Epic Cycle, they included The Cypria (which dealt with events preceding The Iliad), The Aethiopis (the days afterward, through the death of Achilles), The Little Iliad (which carries the story through the building of the great wooden horse), The Sack of Ilium (the fall and destruction of Troy) and The Returns (the homecomings, some of them tragic, of the Greek heroes). Today only scattered fragments of these works remain, quoted in other writings of antiquity.” These sources along with the big two mentioned, comprise the source works for Thomas’ amalgamation of them into one concurrent storyline. Issue #1 of this storyline gets off to a good start in Thomas’ capable hands.

Most people and avid readers alike are familiar with at least some aspect of the legendary story of The Trojan War, if limited only to the story of the Trojan Horse. If not familiar with the war through the tale of the Trojan Horse, which comprises but a small part of the epic story of the Fall of Troy, many are familiar with the Trojan War through the major motion picture Troy (2004) which was, despite what many critics said, a well acted, filmed, and thought out take on what could have been the most likely, real historical and political actions, and ambitions that may have caused the fabled war between the Greek city-states and Troy. Troy though leaves out any mention or portrayal of the mythical Greek gods and their supposed activity and influence on the events which lead up to the war. Roy Thomas’ adaptation is tied more closely to the original epics, as stated, so he does employ all of the classical Greek gods and goddesses, as well as their jealousies and squabbles which influence the war.

Thomas starts his epic with a conversation between Zeus and Themis (“the goddess who was justice incarnate”) where Zeus laments the oppression of the “deep bosomed Earth” by the “countless tribes of Man,” and therefore decides, with Themis’ help to “cause a great struggle in Troy-an Ilian War-that the load of death might empty the world.” Thomas’ epic then proceeds to relate the tale of the dispute between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite over who is the most fair, and therefore deserving of the Golden Apple, which is decided by Paris, long lost prince and prophesied ruin of Troy. Trojan War then relates Paris’ trip to Sparta as Menelaus’ guest where he steals the heart of Helen of Sparta, Menelaus’ wife and the most beautiful woman of the classical world, soon to be Helen of Troy, with the help of Aphrodite in reward for awarding her the Golden Apple, and therefore title of most beautiful. Menelaus rounds up Agamemnon, Palamedes, and Odysseus and makes plans to go to war against Troy in order to get Helen, and “treasures” back. Finally, after rounding up Achilles who is hiding out at the court of Lycomedes, King of Scyras, in disguise as a girl, under the direction of his mother, the sea goddess Thetis, they all set sail for Troy.

Referring to Trojan War as an epic is a fallacy, as Thomas’ take on these scattered and fragmented classic epics does not start in the middle of the action, “medias res,” if you will, which is a defining characteristic of the epic, but lays out the plot in a linear and regrettably, straightforward way with little artistic interpretation. Granted, Thomas is telling the story chronologically using the Epic Cycle as his guide, but with his considerable authorial skills, he really could have created a new graphic novel epic. Imagine him begining with the landing of the Greeks on the shores of Troy and working forward to a certain point, then relating the back-story until we are up to speed with the epic’s opening events. Unfortunately, Thomas’ admirable but terribly linear narration, while interesting and informative, lacks the feel of the grand epic style and sweep a tale such as Trojan War deserves.

This narrative defect though is the only issue that can be pointed out as a negative to this otherwise excellent first issue of the mini-series. While straightforward, the plot is quite meticulously detailed, and all characters, god, goddess or mere mortal are accurately named. The art conveys period dress and architecture as accurately as our knowledge of Ancient Greece and the Mediterranean allows. Miguel Sepulveda’s pencils are sharp and grand in style. Much like Oliver Copiel’s renderings of the Asgardians over in Thor, Sepulveda’s Greek gods and goddesses are beautiful, with stately and kingly Zeus leading his Olympian Court of well muscled male gods, and well endowed and breathtakingly beautiful goddesses. In difference to Copiel’s pencils though, Sepulveda’s pencils are less gritty and grimy in their realism, but this style fits the tale of classical characters set in a classical world, which our best images of come from the art of this period which highly idealized.

Overall, idealized is perhaps the best way to sum up issue #1 of Trojan War and what looks to be more of the same from issues 2 through 5 of the mini-series. Trojan War is the idealization of the Epic Cycle, which covers the events of before, after and during the war. Thomas has taken all of these fragmentary tales, and along with the Iliad and Odyssey, has created the ideal graphic novelization of this grand tale. With Sepulveda’s pencils giving the reader beautifully idealized images of the human form, architecture and dress of this time period, Trojan War is a work that will most likely stand its own test of time.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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