Paul Spence's Reviews > Adrastea

"Those whom Jupiter wishes to destroy; he first deprives of reason". This quote has been translated in numerous ways and been the subject of many books, paintings, poems and even Star Trek episodes, but the meaning has never been lost or confused. The gods do not play fair, and if you become their enemy, or even worse a plaything or a pawn in some grand game, well good luck to you. Adrastéa written and exquisitely drawn by noted French artist Mathieu Bablet and edited by Mike Kennedy, is a graphic novel that tells the story of a great king, who seeks the gods to find out why they so blessed him with immortality, but took away his reasons to live.

The immortal King of the land of Hyperborea, whose name and past are lost to himself and others, finally gets the momentum to leave his dead kingdom and journey to Mount Olympus to ask the gods the only question worth asking. Why? Why this gift of immortality this curse that makes him outlive everything and everyone he knows. As he wanders more thoughts come to him, his parents, his wife, a war, his people, long years of emptiness. Above him the gods watch his journey, helping sometimes, hindering him many times, watching his path and those he interacts with. Finally, after much walking, and much discord left in his wake, the immortal king gains his audience.

This is a graphic novel that is hard to describe. The story is not an easy A to B and C, kind of story, but one that floats in time, forward, past, and full of fragments as our endless living king walks. There is a helpful guide in the back which describes the mythology of the gods and places that he travels to, which is very helpful. The ending is a little vague, but it is supposed to be, as life is not what we ask of it, but what we make of it. The art however is outstanding. So much detail, so much going on per panel. The gods look so much different than one would think they should, which really shows off their differences to mere mortals, and really sets them apart. The cities are very lush and one wishes to explore every nook and cranny just to see the detail and the time put into it. This is one of the best illustrated graphic novels that I have seen.