Olympians Volume 7: Ares: Bringer of War (Family Comic Friday)

As a kid, I loved to study mythology in school. With characters like Zeus, Hercules, Thor, and Loki learning mythology was like getting to study comic books at school. Sure, people used to worship these guys (and gals) but there is no denying that these mythical characters are the archetypes for Superman, Captain America, and Wonder Woman.

    I enjoy the Norse gods more than the Greek/ Roman. I'm not sure why, though I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I like Marvel's Thor more than DC's Wonder Woman. Plus, there seems to be more sex in the Greek/ Roman myths as opposed to the mischief and battle heavy Norse tales.

    Well, it may not be Asgard...

  Bringer of War is the seventh book in George O'Connor's Olympians graphic novel series. Released in January of this year, this book also has the distinction of being the first 2015 publication I've read. The book wasn't really what I expected, but that's not a bad thing. Instead of being an overall recount of the god of war Ares' origin and his most famous exploits, this volume explores the Trojan War recounted in Homer's Iliad; most importantly the waning days of the decade-long battle.

   The gods have convened in Zeus' battle room. Overlooking the battle, the gods are divided into two camps- those pro-Trojan and those in support of the Greeks. Only Zeus is neutral and he's allowed the fates to determine the outcome. If the gods have anything to do with it, they will impact the war to achieve their own personal agendas.

   Though Ares plays an important part in the story- often possessing soldiers into a sort of blood lust on the battlefield- he's really a minor character. One such warrior Ares instigates is Achilles and to me, 'Bringer of War' is his story. The original Man of Steel (and my personal favorite characters in Greek myth), Achilles' weakness was his heel. I always hated the story of the fall of Troy as it's also the story of Achilles' death. However, I was unaware that his death was the result of his unheroic actions after he smights his fiercest foe.

    It is darn near impossible to recount Homer's account of the Trojan War in just 72 pages. Thankfully, this book is 80-pages long. Here, O'Connor includes some fact files on some of the major players in this story, discussion questions, suggested readings, and most importantly, a section of "G(r)eek Files"- an annotated account of this story that includes some vital backstory to the Iliad.

  The art of this series was just as awesome of the writing. At the end of this story, George O'Connor gives some important kudos to the superheroes of DC and Marvel. They inspired him to love mythology as much as I do. He really gives in to his admiration during a multi-page scene that has the gods of both factions battling each other in the ultimate battle-royale on Mount Olympus. It was like watching the best of DC duel it out with the titans of the Marvel Universe.

   'Bringer of War' was a very fun read and I deem it the best all-ages graphic novel of 2015. (Thus far...) I might one day explore some of the other volumes of this series. But like I mentioned earlier, I am more of a fan of the Norse gods. Maybe George O'Connor will craft a series based on them. Until then, I'll just have to enjoy the adventures of the lords of Asgard in the pages of Marvel's Thor comics.

   Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.