I saw this on display at the comic store and it looked interesting. The owner said it was a retelling of the Odyssey with the genders reversed. I did not buy it at first, but after I got home and thought about it some more, I decided I should read it. So I went back and picked up a copy.
I’m kind of on the fence about this one. There are things I liked about it and things that didn’t work for me. I guess I’ll start with the things I liked.
The first thing that struck me was the map and timeline at the beginning. These are big multi-page foldouts that are lavish and detailed. The timeline, although a little confusing, builds the mythology on which the tale is constructed, while the map provides an overview of the area through which the female warrior Odyssia (the central character in this retelling) must travel.
Graphically, there is some interesting symbolism incorporated into the illustrations. There is a good amount of goddess symbols incorporated, which I found interesting. A great example is the title graphic that employs lunar goddess symbols to form the letters.
Finally, I thought the artwork was very good. The drawings are rich and vivid, and the color schemes are surreal and psychedelic. Visually, I find this comic stunning.
What didn’t work for me in this first issue is the actual storyline and writing. It is kind of choppy and disjointed. I am hoping that this is just the result of the writer establishing the foundation of the tale, which I concede is no easy task. For this reason I am going to reserve judgment until I am a few issues into the series. I feel there is potential and if the writer can focus a little more that it will be a great graphic series. I’ll commit to two more issues before I make my final decision on whether to continue or not. I do hope that the writing improves because I am very intrigued by the concept.
Thanks for stopping by and I will share my thoughts on issue #2 as soon as it is released.
Stuff Jeff Reads 
It is an interesting idea, but if the writing gets in the way, it would be hard to read.
Yeah, my feelings exactly. But as I said, I’m willing to give it a few issues before I decide 😉
Check out science & religion in archaic greece by Roger Sworder. He discusses astrological symbolism of Odysseus’s trials.
His return “home” is achieved by overcoming the threads of necessity woven by fates, as well as Poisidon’s will.
I’m interested in his navigation of the straits between Scylla & Charybdis – finding safe passage between twin dangers- Buddha’s middle way.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll look into getting a copy. Have a great New Year!!
You too Jeff. Keep up the good work.