Rage of Poseidon

Nilsen (Big Questions) uses a large panel consisting of intricate silhouettes accompanied by captions beneath to recount the fates of the Greek gods in the modern world, tell Bible stories with slight tweaks, and provide other variations on classic texts. Nilsen’s trademark understated handling of big themes presents stories that veer from funny to tragic: Poseidon’s disgust at a water park named after him, the angel Gabriel’s struggle to get a depressed God to stop the flooding of the Earth and save Noah, and the becoming-mortal of Athena and her accompanying steep decline. The book showcases Nilsen’s ability to play with the characters’ frustrations and hopes; it serves as a reminder of how durable the underlying myths and stories are, as well as how timeless human dreams and disappointments can be. The silhouette-heavy art is spellbinding, reminiscent at times of Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli’s work in City of Glass, telling the strangest stories with the straightest possible face. The book is also presented in an impressive accordion foldout format, making it an art object as well as a haunting collection of stories. (Oct.)