The Mighty 12

April 21, 2008
Future students of Homer get a handy checklist of muscle-bound Greek gods in this combo of mythology, comics and loose rhyme. Like a contemporary troubadour riffing on the ancients, Smith (Twelve Rounds to Glory
) furnishes poems on 12 immortals, including Zeus, Apollo, Artemis and Athena. (A concluding “Who's Who” indexes the characters and explains why the Gorgon Medusa is included rather than, say, underworld goddess Persephone.) An uppercase comics typeface, peppered with bolds and italics, emphasizes Smith's parallel between jealous Greek gods and American mythic figures in the Superman mold. Graphic novel illustrator Russell, working in the relatively muted palette of his Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde series, pictures the heroes and villains with flowing hair, ripped bods and strategically draped togas—or, in Zeus's case, a well-placed eagle's wing. The characters' dramatic, pouty-lipped poses are undeniably mannered, and the loquacious rhymes can overstretch. Even with the excesses, however, Smith and Russell make the pairing of classical material and a comics-like format look completely natural, with a gee-why-didn't-we-think-of-that simplicity. Ages 8–12.

April 1, 2008
Gr 5-8-In Smith's odes, each Olympian is reminiscent of the superheroes in today's canon of graphic novel and film-adventure stories. Colorful illustrations drawn in classic comic-book style bring this connection vividly to life; men are mostly muscular, while women are presented with long hair, flowing gowns, etc. While sometimes awkwardly structured or confusingly verbose, the poems nevertheless succeed in their intent to present the most notable attributes of these larger-than-life figures. An appendix of "Who's Who" lists the gods or goddesses' parentage, other monikers, symbols, and brief details of their legendary acts. A bibliography notes both classic and newer references for further reading. Fans of fantasy, comic books, and adventure stories will be irresistibly drawn to "The Mighty 12" for general reading. Despite some flaws, the accessible artwork and popular subject matter should generate circulation."Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.