Greek mythology in a graphic novel/comic style makes for a legendary series.
Summary: An online comic series centering around the romance of Persephone and Hades. The artful format incorporates all your favorite gods, goddesses, and mythological figures in a modern fantasy retelling.
Verdict: 10/10
I know it’s not necessarily a book, but this series really captured me. It’s online at WEBTOON or you can do what I did and just download the app to read it (all free).
I read all 75 “episodes” in one night, not too hard seeing as they’re all pictures. But it reads like a graphic novel with fantastic artwork, dialogue, and characters.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for Greek mythology (I did my capstone on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice) so I was really intrigued to see how Rachel Smythe would keep the old tales with the modern format. And she did so masterfully! Minor characters such as the Furies are included though only a seasoned pro would pick up on some of the more obscure references.
Even if you’re not a Greek geek, the story has something for everyone: humor, romance, drama, monsters.
Persephone makes some odd and awkward friends like Eros and Hermes, whose interactions definitely put a smile on my face. There’s very serious themes as well though that literally made my stomach sink when I read them.
The theme of trauma is an extremely impactful one, especially nowadays. Smythe embraces this as part of her story while still being tasteful and not pushing an agenda. The artwork was honestly what sold me on this. Every time trauma is on a character’s mind or dialogue, there is a chaotic and split strand of ink that runs through the picture.
Suddenly the colorful graphics and characters are replaced with a blank black-and-white screen with thoughts and words. It makes it stand out and make you take a moment to pause and think. It’s a very powerful effect that I wasn’t expecting to find in a mythological comic series.
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