That brings us to the third and final comic this week, and it's a good'un. The word "epic" is perfectly suited to describe Eric Shanower's Age of Bronze. Not only has Shanower chosen to Homer's poetry within his story about the Trojan War, but he's also drawn from the myth, literature and archaeological evidence available as well. It is a complete retelling of the Trojan War, starting from the very beginning up until the city finally burns.
What is unique about this series is both the huge amount of time Shanower has dedicated to both writing and drawing the book for a proposed seven volumes and the sheer magnitude of research he undertook to help him accurately represent the Bronze Age. Everything from the weapons to the dress and buildings are based on archaeological evidence and academic writings. While elements of the story are based on Greek myth or tragedy he still retains a realistic look.
So far, we have witnessed the origins of the conflict. It's obvious for these early stages that Shanower has used many different literary sources, like Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, to fuel the drama.
Now into its third volume, the series, which first debuted in 1998, moves slowly. It's hard not to appreciate the in detail in both the writing and the artwork as it unfolds, and every ship, city, landscape and character is pencilled with a beautiful level of detail. While the pacing is slow, this is highly necessary if we are to incorporate all the characters and drama of the age. Age of Bronze isn't simply Shanower's current project, it's a labor of love that has lasted over a decade.
If indeed Marvel Illustrated: The Iliad is a good introduction to the Homeric myths and The Infinite Horizon a good example of the timelessness and poignancy of the stories today, Age of Bronze the is the highest form of retelling, taking on all sides with the research and passion required to make it work. It is a phenomenal achievement, and it's not even half way through.
I was originally worried that the Greek myths don't hold the same power over our culture today, but perhaps I was being too hasty. It seems there is something of a fight to be had before the Greek heroes and gods are finally forgotten. Maybe through these books we can understand that they are important not only to us as entertainment, but also as the foundations for our own civilization and culture.
Comic books helping us understand our own heroic background?
Sounds good to me.
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In other news, if you recall what I was saying a few weeks back about good creative teams, you'll be excited to know Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch lengthened their proposed Fantastic Four run with Marvel from 12 weeks to 16, and Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins will be getting back together for a Flash mini about the rogues. Also, Leph Loeb finally admitted (MP3) that he is a troglodyte and said, "Plot doesn't interest me as much as character does." I want you all to know I called it first. Stick around in two weeks when I look at J. Michael Straczynski's The Twelve and tell you why you should be excited about David Lapham's new book with Vertigo.
What's Actually Good (In Comics) appears in this space every other Thursday. Collect each issue. They will be worth more if kept in plastic.
