A true and personal version of the Trojan War

This volume is the second of the series, after A thousand ships (episodes 1-9). It includes episodes 10-19 published from 2001 to 2004, written and drawn by Eric Shanwer, black & white. The story continues in "Betrayal" in 2 parts: part 1 Betrayal (episodes 20-26) and Betrayal part 2 (episodes 27-33).

At the end of the previous volume, a strong fleet of 1,000 ships led by Agamemnon was heading to conquer Troy and recover Helen. This volume begins with the arrival of Paris to Troy, preceded by Aeneas. Priam receives Pâris coolly, since it did not fulfill the mission he entrusted to him. Helen must also convince Priam agreeing to let stay in the city. Cassandra has reservations in a way that is unique to her. Meanwhile, the Achaean fleet finally see land ... and landed in Mysia on the lands of Telephus. The confrontation between the Achaean and Mysians begins forthwith. A chase brings two fellow soldiers that are Achilles and Patroclus. After this first battle, Agamemnon must reconsider its strategy and postpone his plans. After a stay at home, he gathered his armies at Aulis (near Thebes). But the tide prevented the ships to sail the Mediterranean Sea. According to the augury Kalchas, the goddess Artemis requires significant sacrifice on his part.

Obviously, if you already know the Iliad, it is possible that you start with this volume if the idea takes you. Otherwise it is highly recommended to start with the first to have the time necessary to become familiar with the myriad of characters. This is also the first pleasant surprise: the significant investment required when reading the first volume pays off since a few new characters (eg Télèphe and son) are integrated into progressively and all other readily remind the reader's memory. So the reading effort is thereby reduced.

In terms of shape, Shanower has not changed its approach. His graphic style may appear a bit frozen in an academic form. In return, this way of drawing allows him to be both didactic and maintain a good level of detail with an obvious concern for historical accuracy. Connoisseurs of the culture of ancient Greece may even recognize sources of visual inspiration Shanower, beginning with performances on pottery. So there is always this pleasure to be able to say that this comic has a naturalistic approach with a will of authenticity (in the limit of what archeology allows to know). There remains the boundary faces sometimes a bit similar. Shanower overcomes this defect through different hairstyles (or beards trimmed differently), and through outfits or accessories (headbands pattern) that identify the characters one space to another. It also has some temporary difficulties in designing an attractive staging for 2 or 3 conversations that are represented mainly by talking heads.

For the remainder (ie 90% of this volume), reading is easier than the first, more immersive and Shanower creates several moments with a strong dramatic intensity. The characters exist more as individuals with feelings and passions, as in the first volume.

The ability to develop a Shanower narrative tension appears fully with the arrival of Paris and Helen of Troy. On one side the reader already knows the decision of Priam, and Shanower has to do with the stress of exposing many arguments through the mouth of the characters to achieve what the reader already knows. On the other, the dialogues highlight empowered with strategies developed by each other to have the upper hand in this conversation, as well as the different levels of challenges, both personal (his future, his pride), and political (which direction will take the foreign policy of Troy?), and even religious. Shanower shows the paths of thought each other, without the use of thought bubbles. The drawings show both the eloquence of the characters, but also how the crowd reacts to their words, making it visually interesting scene.

In the clash between the armies of the Achaean and Mysians Shanower chose to conduct detailed boxes whether outfits soldiers, their weapons and tanks. If he fails to bring out the strategy of each army (where to attack?, What movement adopted between infantry and tanks?), The rest is impressive. Shanower not playing the card of gore for injuries, or image shock. He prefers to show the physical efforts of the fighters (walking and sandals), the chaos of battle (several strokes are more due to luck than the ability of the soldier), the crude nature of the weapons, etc. In contrast superhero fights that seem to take place over a generic scene Shanower takes care to integrate the environment in the clashes, and show how the woods or vineyards influence the movements and struggles of fashion soldiers. Finally he had enough confidence in his designs for the battle takes place on 9 pages almost devoid of text.

By the very nature of its project, Shanower is required to meet more closely the original text, which requires it to integrate one or two coincidences slightly accommodative (the convergence of several leading protagonists on the beach of 'Aulis, such as very timely arrival of Thetis, mother of Achilles). Despite these few tricks, this story is exciting from beginning to end (especially if like me you keep a very distant memory is summarizing the horse). As the final scene takes place over several days and are designed to sacrifice (mentioned in the title) reads like a thrilling novel combining the management of stress army wait, alliances more or less honored, the growing popularity some troops sometimes against their will (Palamidi), inner torments, hunger for power, tragedies and the first sense of the word. Shanower uses free space that gives it the comic and unlimited budget to build a multifaceted vision of the complex drama being played.

What makes this volume even taking is the familiarity gained with the characters and the sensitivity with which Shanower manages to make them exist. He manages to reconcile the obligation to show the force of destiny (the torments of Agamemnon), and intimate moments. The most obvious and simplest example is that of Achilles. Through a touching night scene, Shanower shows (rather than explain by long laborious texts) how their feelings have turned away from Deidamia to be directed towards Patroclus. It also addresses the sexual aspect of the relationship without shame or condemnation, through delicate images, respectful, and highlighting the feelings without hiding the physical aspect. In more unexpectedly Shanower also demonstrated a rather sarcastic humor. Agamemnon seeks a symbol of the war against Troy that can galvanize the imagination of troops; he turns to Odysseus suggesting him to Helen the epitome of beauty. And he launched into a description of her physical attributes emphasizing the perfection of her breasts (she can always show the soldiers once gained the victory), all this in the presence of Menelaus, husband of Helen (including 'ego is so seriously damaged).

As in the first volume, the reader may refer to valuable aids that are a map of the Mediterranean identifying different cities and kingdom (do you mean, there were 2 different cities calling Thebes?), A family tree for Achaean, and one for the Trojans, and 4 glossary pages. However, the player that has a storage effort from the first volume will almost do not need.

While reading the first volume was somewhat burdened by the mass of information to assimilate and remember, and sometimes too didactic aspect, this second volume has a greater fluidity and a less amount of information important swallow. Eric Shanower has progressed in terms of narrative. The pleasure of reading becomes more immediate in a still incredible and fascinating history, at the crossroads of ancient tragedy (obviously), the war campaign narrative, political strategies, strength of destiny, and even a staging a less primary form of faith that a priori could suggest. Shanower scored his vividly bet by making an adaptation of the Iliad, both faithful and personal.