Graphic Novel Reviews: Hera The Goddess and her Glory & The Last Dragon

On top of my regular fiction reading, I've been feasting on graphic novels too. As a high school librarian servicing reading guidance to young adults, reading the literature available for them is part of the job. How fun!

Here are two reviews of graphic novels that may be of interest to the teenager in search of a good read this long term break.

Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory
By George O’Connor
First Second (an imprint of Roaring Brook)
$16.99
ISBN: 978-1596437241

George O'Connor's the Olympians' series is a must read. The library has Zeus, the first book in the series, and my review of it can be read here. Having read the second one, Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory makes me look forward to reading the next, which is Poseidon. I wonder what new discoveries would I encounter from O' Connor's version of Poseidon's life story. This is O' Connor's strength as a storyteller. He is able to fuse together a new story from the old classics.

In Hera, O' Connor depicted her as the wife Zeus truly deserves. When she agreed to marry Zeus, she knew what she was getting into and so, she was prepared to attack,  counter and handle every philandering act her husband committed. In my eyes, she is no longer the mere jealous wife who acted on anger and resentment. She is the smart, sophisticated and wise woman worthy to be Olympus' queen.

Much of what Heracles is today in myth and legend, is to Hera's credit. She's a winner in more ways than one as she was able to bring out the best in Heracles despite her intense emotions of jealousy and anger. I liked the ending too because Hera is the only Greek goddess who can make Zeus doubtful and suspicious. The King of the Gods has an insecurity, after all.

Photo source: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2011/08/19/review-of-the-day-hera-by-george-oconnor/

The Last Dragon
By Jane Yolen and illustrations by Rebecca Guay
Published by Dark Horse Books

ISBN: 978-1595827982

The dragons are back! After years of living safely from the terror of dragons, a seaside village comes face to face with the fire breathing demon of legends. Two unlikely heroes,  a daughter of a herbalist and a village truant saved the day by simply trusting on each others wits and wisdom. Tansy, the female lead character shines as the woman behind her man's success. Guay's illustrations are rich in color and detail. She used sepia, brown, red and orange as prevailing colors that evoke a legendary and fiery atmosphere to the whole story.

Yolen worked on the old formula of the happily every after. Dragons be gone. Dragons are back. People are terrified. A maiden pursues the truth. A flawed hero is put to the test. They fall in love. They slayed the dragon. The end. But. But. But.

Yolen's narration is true to form in the fantasy tradition. Her use of language fits beautifully to the genre. Her plot is tight and no loose ends dangle in the sides. She knows her young adult readers well enough by creating characters that complement each other. This romance story is not for fools and the foolish. In The Last Dragon, we find a smart and sensitive young woman paired with a challenged hero who rose to the occasion.

Photo source: http://patesden.livejournal.com/85180.html

Four bookmarks out of five for these two graphic novels!

Graphic Novel Review: Zeus King of the Gods

For the next seven days, I will be posting reviews of graphic novels I've read so far. This is in congruence to the celebration of Teen Read Week. This year's theme is Reading for the FUN of it: Picture It @ your library. In the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) website, you would find support materials, neat ideas and promotional resources in celebrating Teen Read Week in your library.

So here's the blog's first graphic novel review. One down, seven more to go!

The Olympians: Zeus King of the Gods by George O'Connor

I was in fifth grade when I read about the creation of the world according to the Greeks. It was a strange story. My context was too limited to fully appreciate Gaea's love for her children and Chronus' abominable hate for his off springs. Then came Edith Hamilton in freshman college. Everything changed from there. Visiting Greece is an item in my bucket list I wish to cross out soon. For the meantime, I just have to satisfy myself with reading and viewing anything Greek in books, travelogues and documentaries.

Recently, I came upon George O'Connor's graphic novel, The Olympians: Zeus King of the Gods. The cover design is fierce. The image of a young Zeus holding his thunder amidst Titans and Cylopses promises an exciting read.

And it was, indeed!

O'Connor's visual storytelling, mixing shadows, clouds and a lot of indigo at the start of the novel creates intrigue. Chronus is up to no good. Gaea has her own sneaky ways of dealing with things. No wonder, the Olympians are complicated creatures. The Titans, Cyclopses and monsters seem to represent the natural catastrophes that beset the natural order of the universe. His illustrations at the opening pages suggest more than the story between Gaea and Chronus but the very process in which the physical world changes and continues to evolve.

Then came Zeus who looks, walks and talks very much like any mortal. He looks every inch a man, yet powerful and cunning. With his siblings, they fought and defeated Chronus, the evil father who took control of time and space. I like this rendition. The early Olympians working together to claim their place in the universe is a fresh depiction of the soap operatic way they're presented in movies and TV shows.

I also enjoyed the part where Chronus spits out his off springs relegating each to a part of the world where the gods became master of that domain. Poseidon landing in the sea. Hades falling in the underworld. Demeter flying down to farm and field. Zeus catching Hera from the skies. It was attraction at first sight. But we who are familiar with the Greek myths know that Hera had a tough time taming the King of the Gods.

I'm giving the graphic novel four bookmarks over five. The illustrations are well thought of. It bridged my imagination to constructs of the real and the physical world. The narration and storytelling are done with enough drama, emotion, promises of wonderful stories left untold. I want to get a copy of the other titles in the series.