cover image Sacrifice: The Story of the Trojan War

Sacrifice: The Story of the Trojan War

Eric Shanower. Image Comics, $29.95 (223pp) ISBN 978-1-58240-360-1

This second volume of Shanower's award-winning series offers readers an intense retelling of the saga of the Trojan War using multiple literary and historical sources as a springboard. Shanower is the rare talent who can adapt such a well-known work and not only make the dense material accessible, but utterly compelling. Each panel drips with detail and epic scope, yet the characters are never lost in the fray. The Greeks of yore are refreshingly depicted as ethnic in appearance, and a mind-boggling amount of research has been expended on the story and visuals. This collection opens with Paris, Prince of Troy, returning home with Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, as his stolen paramour, unconcerned that she is wed to a king who is determined to reclaim her. Paris's father, Priam, reluctantly welcomes Helen to his land. Meanwhile, the inexperienced warrior Achilles leads a bloody assault on an island which he mistakenly believes to be Troy. Bitter sibling rivalry, obsessive lust, full-scale battles, simmering homoerotic tension, and drama and intrigue on every page combine to create a stunning addition to the literature of the Trojan War.