A Thousand Ships by Eric Shanower

Shanower, Eric. Age of Bronze Volume 1: A Thousand Ships. Image Comics, 2001.

In this first of a projected seven volumes, Shanower combines exquisite artwork, meticulous research and compelling storytelling to recreate the prelude to the Trojan War. From Paris tending cattle on Mount Ida to the fateful meeting of Helen to the setting off of the men to battle, the Greek epic is painstakingly crafted in spectacular fashion.

I was shocked that I enjoyed this so much! While I tend to be a visual learner, the few times I've glanced at graphic novels, I found them visually overwhelming and over-stimulating, so I was not expecting to like this. I chose something related to history hoping that would help the "bitter pill go down," but a sugar-coating of history was unnecessary. Everything from the dialog to the illustrations to the authenticity and historicity strikes just the right note. Whereas a novelist is limited to words to convey emotion, the graphic novelist has at his disposal both words and pictures. Shanower uses them both to great advantage, the illustrations portraying the full range of experience of the characters. Especially poignant was before Paris set off, as his parents pack his belongings, they find his baby swaddling and wonder at the fact that their son is now a man. The feeling conveyed in the images is heart-wrenching.

Even more impressive are the detailed maps, fascinating Afterword, glossary of names, genealogical charts and seven pages of bibliographic material. This is a class act from start to finish.

Recommendations:

Fables, Volume 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

For those who enjoy old tales made new or for those still not sold on the idea of graphic novels, Fables offers full-color mayhem as the characters of our childhood fairy tales eke out lives in New York City. These are a much lighter frolic, but as well-executed in their own right as Shanower's epic.

Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy Trilogy #1) by David Gemmell

Peopled with both historical figures and those from Gemmell's imagination, the Troy Trilogy strays a little further into fiction than Shanower's take, but is still an excellent retelling of this epic.

Greek Gods and Heroes by Robert Graves

Readers interested in some of the background and characters from A Thousand Ships will enjoy this concise look at Greek mythology.

The Trojan War: A New History by Barry Strauss

Classics professor Strauss offers a fresh look at the plausibility of Homer's Iliad and what elements may be fact or fiction.