Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Christian Ward
Release Date: 26th November 2014

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When I read the synopsis for this comic I was intrigued. A retelling of “The Odyssey,” in space with mostly female characters, sounded worth a read. Upon completing the first issue I have to admit either I know nothing about The Odyssey to begin with or I just had no clue what was going on. I’ve never read The Odyssey personally but I’ve heard stories about it and seen a few films so my judgments may be flawed. But, to be honest from a readers standpoint and someone who may not be at all familiar with the base story, it’s very hard to engage in this book.

As I am reading through the pages I found myself in a constant state of trying to focus and get into the story but confused by what was actually happening page by page. I don’t feel right pointing fingers at the creators I’m sure this is a labor of love and that this story means a lot to them. I just had a really hard time digging in and immersing in this Odyssey in space.

The artwork in this book is busy; actually that word may be an understatement. The artwork is beautiful to look at full of color and every page is crammed full of visuals. The colors are vibrant and really capture the eyes attention but I found it hard to distinguish who was who, which could partly be due to the fact that the speaking was done not in traditional word bubbles attached to the characters but mainly in boxes placed throughout. As the story progresses and the focus is only on Odyssia the distinction is apparent, but not from the
start.

I would suggest this to readers familiar with “The Odyssey” who know the story and what to expect, that way the new take to them makes it worth the read. But, again as a reader not strongly rooted in the base mythology I found it a daunting task to read and keep interested in as I was lost from the beginning.

Rating: 2/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Shane Hoffman (aka “Hoff”)
You can also find Hoff on Twitter.

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