A Thousand Ships: Age of Bronze - Hardcover

Shanower, Eric

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582402213 ISBN 13: 9781582402215

Publisher: Image Comics, 2001

Synopsis

"I'm going to Troy!"

With these simple words, the poor cowherd Paris lights the fire which will become one of the most famous conflagrations of all time--the legendary Trojan War. When Paris reaches the magnificent city of Troy, he discovers a lifelong secret hidden from him by Troy's king, Priam. From that moment Paris begins a daring journey that will lead him to the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta.

Helen's fateful decision to forsake her homeland and join Paris brings sorrow to thousands--to her husband Menelaus, deserted without cause or explanation--to the young king Odysseus, who faces decades of separation from his wife and infant son--and to the priestess Thetis, whose son, Achilles, must choose between long life at home and glorious death battling before Troy.

Drawn from the myths and legends of centuries, A Thousand Ships presents anew for the twenty-first century the complete prelude to the Trojan War--each sensual touch, every savage blow, the smiles and tears, the lust and betrayal, the entire tapestry of drama and action. Eric Shanower's historically accurate illustrations and compelling dialogue bring new life to this ancient epic.

About this title

About the Author

Eric Shanower's comic book work has appeared in many publications in the USA and Europe. His favorite past projects include his five Oz graphic novels and An Accidental Death with Ed Brubaker. He has illustrated a number of children's books by various authors, including his own The Giant Garden of Oz. His comics work was featured on the PBS television show Ghostwriter. Currently he is working toward completion of his retelling of the Trojan War legends, Age of Bronze. He has received several awards, including the 1996 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award.

Mr. Shanower was born in 1963 in Key West, Florida. He lives in San Diego, California, with his partner, David Maxine, where they maintain a publishing company, Hungry Tiger Press, and a Boston terrier named Road.

From the Inside Flap

The Trojan War is one of the world's most enduring and exciting epics. Great poets of every age have told the story, each in his own way--Homer, Euripides, Virgil, Ovid, Chaucer, and Shakespeare. Countless others have told the story, too, adding to and expanding on earlier versions.

In the 1870s, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann revealed to a fascinated world the remains of the ancient city of Troy. Ever since, excavations at Troy and elsewhere have shed light on the Late Bronze Age cultures of the eastern Mediterranean, the world of the Trojan War.

Now, Eric Shanower combines the various Trojan War legends with the findings of archaeology to present a new retelling of the Trojan War, built on the foundations of the past, but uniquely envisioned for today's readers by a modern cartoonist.

A Thousand Ships brings to vibrant life the prelude to the Trojan War. Here, once more, shines the glory of Troy. Here the famous names of legend breathe again, Achilles, Odysseus, Paris, Agamemnon . . . and Helen, the face that launched a thousand ships.

Reviews

Gr. 9-12. Shanower's graphic novel rendition of the Trojan War, the first volume in the projected seven-volume Age of Bronze series, is a feast for those new to Homeric tradition and modern archaeology as well as those who simply love mythology. The story begins with Paris' reconnection with his royal family and the subsequent kidnapping of Helen, with nuances of the legend roving through the viewpoints of various characters, including Paris and a youthful Achilles. Shading, texture, and Shanower's use of a single image across several panels give depth to the black-and-white cartoon artwork that carries the story. Students in search of an alternative telling will be delighted to have this resource: there's a tremendous amount of appended material--an extensive bibliography, genealogy charts, a glossary, even explanation of variant spellings. Sacrifice, the next volume in the series, is currently being serialized and is available in comic book stores. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Image Comics
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1582402213
• ISBN 13: 9781582402215
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224