Ares: Bringer of War (Olympians Series #7)

by George O'Connor, George O'Connor (Illustrator)

Overview

George O’Connor’s vibrant, kinetic art brings ancient tales to life in the New York Times Bestselling series The Olympians. This fusion of super-hero aesthetics and ancient Greek mythology is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson!

The myth continues in the tenth year of the fabled Trojan War where two infamous gods of war go to battle. The spotlight is thrown on Ares, god of war, and primarily focuses on his battle with the clever and powerful Athena. As the battle culminates and the gods try to one-up each other to win, the human death toll mounts. Who will win this epic clash of power? And how many will have to die first?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626720138
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	01/27/2015
Series:	Olympians , #7
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	145,344
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	GN490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 14 Years

About the Author

George O'Connor is the New York Times–bestselling author of Olympians, the series of graphic novels featuring the tragic, dramatic, and epic lives of the Greek Pantheon and its counterpart featuring the Norse Gods, the series Asgardians. His first graphic novel, Journey into Mohawk Country, pushed the boundaries of the genre, using as its sole text the actual historical journal of the seventeenth-century Dutch trader Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert. He also illustrated acclaimed playwright Adam Rapp’s Ball Peen Hammer. He teamed up with writer Daniel G. Newman on Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy, the first volume in the World Citizen Comics series. George is also the creator of popular picture books such as the New York Times–bestselling Kapow! and If I Had a Triceratops. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit him at georgeoconnorbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

O'Connor draws most of his material for his final volume of his popular series from The Iliad, an account of a long and bloody war perfect for showcasing Ares' anger.” —Booklist

“In this nuanced, multilayered view of the usually vilified bringer of war, O'Connor continues his exceptional graphic novel series about the Greek gods. Less a biographical take on the subject and more of a character study, this entry is seen through the lens of the events that take place in Homer's iconic battle-driven epic poem The Iliad. Just like the original source material, the complex relationships among the deities and the tension and drama that arise when the glory and fate of their own demigod sons are at stake, take center stage. Ares is presented in many ways as his father's son, as evidenced by his affair with Aphrodite, but he also tries to rebel against Zeus's practice of using humans for sport. O'Connor highlights that of all the gods, Ares is the only one who grieves the death of his mortal son, shedding light on his own strained relationship with his father. Humor and zingers combine with the author's adept handling of Greek mythology, history, and popular culture. The variety of panels lends a dynamic feel to the battle scenes and confrontations between the dueling sides. The mostly scarlet-tinged color scheme is in perfect tune with the raging, bloodthirsty god of war's modus operandi. The author's extensive notes amusingly explain connections to The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and the series' previous works. VERDICT This expertly executed graphic novel will have fans anxiously awaiting even more adventures of mythological proportions.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2015
Gr 4–8—In this nuanced, multilayered view of the usually vilified bringer of war, O'Connor continues his exceptional graphic novel series about the Greek gods. Less a biographical take on the subject and more of a character study, this entry is seen through the lens of the events that take place in Homer's iconic battle-driven epic poem The Iliad. Just like the original source material, the complex relationships among the deities and the tension and drama that arise when the glory and fate of their own demigod sons are at stake, take center stage. Ares is presented in many ways as his father's son, as evidenced by his affair with Aphrodite, but he also tries to rebel against Zeus's practice of using humans for sport. O'Connor highlights that of all the gods, Ares is the only one who grieves the death of his mortal son, shedding light on his own strained relationship with his father. Humor and zingers combine with the author's adept handling of Greek mythology, history, and popular culture. The variety of panels lends a dynamic feel to the battle scenes and confrontations between the dueling sides. The mostly scarlet-tinged color scheme is in perfect tune with the raging, bloodthirsty god of war's modus operandi. The author's extensive notes amusingly explain connections to The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and the series' previous works. VERDICT This expertly executed graphic novel will have fans anxiously awaiting even more adventures of mythological proportions.—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

★ 2014-10-22
In the latest of his inimitable Olympians series, O'Connor comes around to Ares and the Trojan War.The heroically ripped Ares is depicted howling maniacally on the cover and later thundering into the melee in a chariot driven by Eris, the goddess of discord and plainly (as the author puts it in his closing "G[r]eek Notes") "crazier than an outhouse rat." Ares is openly reviled by his father, Zeus, thoroughly drubbed by his cooler-headed half-sib Athena ("Bring it, blowhard!") but ultimately savvy enough to see his father's subtle hand in the war's course. In short, he comes across (like much of his immortal family) as wild and flawed but not one-dimensional. In compressed form, the major events of the Iliad and the subsequent sack of Troy serve as cause and backdrop for the internecine strife that the earthly war brings to Olympus. On both stages, Athena, still fuming from the beauty contest that started it all, practically steals the show. Zigzagging between Earth and Olympus, the sequential scenes present a typically lively mix of melodramatic action and strong reaction shots—enhanced, often, by not-exactly-Classical language. For all the chaotic violence, though, there is little visible gore. What family doesn't have its little disagreements? Thank goodness the Olympians have many. (family tree, afterword, discussion questions, source notes). (Graphic mythology. 8-14)

Kirkus Reviews