Pantheon: The True Story of the Egyptian Deities by Hamish Steele
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Pantheon is a delight from cover to cover. A wonderfully drawn recreation of the Egyptian myths, Hamish Steele approaches the story with a vibrant enthusiasm that brings all the characters to life. Loyal to the original tale, the comic is witty and humorous, and stands (in my opinion) as one of the best retelling of this ancient (and very often forgotten) story.
There is nothing I don’t like about this comic. From the charming drawing, to the well formulated story-telling, to the progressive and engaging pace of the plot, Pantheon has you hooked from the beginning.
With a handy key at the back, and with each character designed very uniquely, it is easy to keep track of who is who (something which can sometimes prove difficult with stories based on mythology.). The hours of dedicated research are clear from the get-go, but Steele has a refreshing way of reworking it into a easily accessible story, even making fun of some of the more ridiculous or convoluted parts of the myth.
Informative and engaging, please note parents that this is not a good book to introduce to your kids. Tastefully graphic, Pantheon has several violent moments, a sex scene and contains…sort-of bestiality/incest at one point too… Needless to say, not for children, but definitely something for adults to have a giggle at.
As for the quality of the book itself; it’s beautifully bound, with a colored front-cover, and sturdy black and white pages on the inside; so nice and durable with clear lines and drawings.
I cannot recommend Pantheon enough to anybody. It is a joy from start to finish, with several real ‘laugh out loud’ moments, and a wonderfully thoughtful ending. Definitely something I’ll be reading over and over.
5/5
Madeleine. E. Vaughan 