The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel: Deluxe Edition
by Gareth Hinds

1 out of 5 stars

This graphic novel faithfully follows the narrative structure of the Odyssey, as Odysseus struggles to find his way home where his wife Penelope is beset by suitors. The writing is quite a good modern adaptation of the story, but I felt like it lacked a little polish. The writing could have used more rich language that I have seen in other adaptations and translations. Some of the sentence structure was a bit awkward, and the dialogue could have flowed a little more naturally. It felt stiff sometimes. If it were just some random fun story, I wouldn’t be so critical, but with a classic like the Odyssey, there are a lot of other adaptations to compare it to.

The artwork is also good, but again, lacked polish. I liked some of the art very much, and other pages just didn’t look quite finished or the proportions were a little off or the perspective was awkward. I showed a few pages to my brother who has an art degree, and he agreed with me. I think some people would really like this art style, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

My biggest problem with this book was the explicit content. The story could have been told without showing nude scenes of Odysseus in bed with Calypso, and then in bed with Circe, and then in bed with his wife. And then we had a nude mermaid and a nude lotus eater and the nude sirens. It was just so unnecessary.

There is also a lot of graphic violence shown in the artwork. Blood and gore and nastiness is, of course, a big part of Greek mythology. The Odyssey is not a pretty story. But I didn’t need to see quite that much blood and gore in such vibrant red colors. Yuck.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book has been screened on the Screen It First website for sexual content, explicit nudity, and graphic violence. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-odyssey-a-graphic-novel-deluxe-edition-2595668