A history of the Trojan War in meticulously researched and drawn graphic novel form.

If you have even the slightest memory of the Greek epics from high school or college (or just an unhealthy appetite for history) you'll recognize a lot of players and scenes here. The gods are mostly absent from the plot, appearing only in dreams and the occasional vision, which grounds the story in human terms and makes the events all the more impressive.

If you get into this series, you've got to be in it for the long haul - but so far it's definitely worth picking up.

This is the events leading up to the ships leaving for Troy. What you have is the discovery of Paris, the gathering of the army, and so on. Shanower pays very good attention to the threads of the story.

Tras [b:Troy|53443339|Troy|Stephen Fry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589888687l/53443339._SY75_.jpg|83153659] me apetecía revisitar este cómic que se esfurza en dar una visión detalladísima y documentadísima de la historia de la guerra de Troya. Me gustó mas la versión original en tinta negra. El coloreado es posterior y no termina de cuajar con el estilo del dibujo (aunque haya permitido más matices). No hay dioses, pero los presonajes viven como si los hubiera.
Una gran lectura con una dimensión divulgativa que no hay que descartar.

A surprisingly well-researched and engaging adaptation of the Iliad.

Volume 1 of an apparently abandoned series
Review of the 2001 Black & White original edition from Image Comics

Writer and artist Eric Shanower showed real ambition with this series which had been forecasted to reach 7 volumes by its conclusion but which appears to have ended with [b:Age Of Bronze Volume 3B: Betrayal|17850524|Age Of Bronze Volume 3B Betrayal (Part Two)|Eric Shanower|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386944643s/17850524.jpg|24985161] (2013) while sidetracking into the non-canon subplot of Troilus and Cressida. So unfortunately we never reach the actual Iliad confrontations centring around Hector and Achilles.

There may have been an attempt at a reboot with the release of a colorized edition of [b:A Thousand Ships|39952036|A Thousand Ships (Age of Bronze, Volume 1)|Eric Shanower|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1533306228s/39952036.jpg|468321] being issued in 2018, but until now in early 2019 there is no indication of further books beyond Volume 3B at the Image Comics home page: https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/age-of-bronze.

Shanower's ambition was to incorporate all Iliad related subplots and legends but to exclude divine elements (by showing their influence instead through dreams and visions). For that purpose his research is very extensive and his Greek and Troy family trees are the most impressive that I have ever seen. Both of them take up a full 8 & 1/2 by 11 inch pages in the Volume 1 book. It is unfortunate that final 4 Volumes will likely never be seen.

Turns out that before Game of Thrones there was something from long ago. The Trojan War is one of literature's greatest influences. From culture to point of view, every side tells a story. Some parts are more exaggerated fantasy than fact. But that's many events are told from different people's points of view.

There's also a lot to be said about this on how the Greek's look at life. The "heroes" in these stories genuinely appear to be guys living in their fantasies. As for what passes for signs by the oracles, people can put that off as signs from the gods who can be writers, illustrators, and audience in this case. Heck, the snake climbing a tree and eating birds can even be what becomes foreshadowing.

But perhaps the greatest pieces come not from the battles and legends surrounding everything but the politics behind them. Cause let's face it whoever tells the story will often get some of the events mixed up. While there are times that events look like they are acts from gods, it's also how despite how close people get to glory they're just playthings. That is what constitutes a true Greek Tragedy. Frankly it's about time this gets a reprint.

A solid 3.75 stars. I was lead here from The Song of Achilles because of a fascination with the Battle of Troy and wanted more Achilles and Patroclus.

A tale as old as time
Crazy amount of research
Grounded sans the gods, yet still fantastic

Brilliant art and story. Loved reading the notes at the end.