Gaia

May 1, 2022
An introduction to the ancient Greek creator of the Earth, sea, and sky--all idyllic realms until the men got hold of them. In the midst of a diversely hued cast, Gaia, portrayed with dark skin and long green hair festooned with earthly flora and fauna, maintains a strong if sometimes vulnerable presence as her power-hungry husband, Ouranos, binds her up in order to rule over the titans uncontested. Later, she sees her likewise authoritarian son Cronus ("Down the hatch!") eat all of his children (except Zeus) and then is forced to watch as her arrogant Olympian grandchildren, led by Zeus ("He's such a brat!"), spread fire and ruin over her creations in their battles with giants and titans. She herself loses her temper ("Enough! You want war? I'll give you war!") and creates the fearsome Typhon...but then repents and, gathering a sisterhood of Fates and Furies together, invites readers to join in a different sort of war: "We will never stop fighting." "For peace." "For justice." "For a better world." Though offering a considerably sanitized version of the original myths--Ouranos is identified as Gaia's "husband" with no mention that she's also his mom, for instance, and to free her, Cronus attacks his dad but doesn't appear to castrate him--the mix of sequential panels and larger scenes includes nods to many of Gaia's immortal offspring as well as Hercules and the Trojan War. Snarky rendition of an old tale, highlighting both sisterhood and a cogent contemporary message. (glossary, bibliography) (Graphic mythology. 8-12)

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