- Paperback: 96 pages
- Publisher: Rackham Editions (Oct 1 2002)
- Language: French
- ISBN-10: 2878270312
- ISBN-13: 978-2878270310
- Product Dimensions: 31.4 x 24 x 1.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 821 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
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Product Description
From Amazon
An emperor amasses an army of hundreds of thousands, drawn from two continents, to invade a third continent and conquer a tiny, divided nation. Only a few hundred warriors stand against them. Yet the tiny nation is saved. It sounds like the plot of a preposterous fantasy novel. It is historical fact. In 481-480 B.C., King Xerxes of Persia raised forces in Asia and Africa and invaded Greece with an army so huge that it "drank rivers dry." Then they entered the mountain pass of Thermopylae and encountered 300 determined soldiers from Sparta....
Writer-artist Frank Miller and colorist Lynn Varley retell the battle of Thermopylae in the exciting and moving graphic novel 300. They focus on King Leonidas, the young foot soldier Stelios, and the storyteller Dilios to highlight the Spartans' awe-inspiring toughness and valor. Miller and Varley's art is terrific, as always; the combat scenes are especially powerful. And Miller's writing is his best in years. Read it.
Do not, however, read 300 expecting a strictly accurate history. The Phocians did not "scatter," as Miller describes. His Spartans are mildly homophobic, which is goofy in such a gay society. Miller doesn't say how many Greeks remained for the climactic battle--you'd think 300 Spartans and maybe a dozen others, when there were between 700 and 1,100 Greeks. Herodotus's Histories does not identify the traitor Ephialtes as ugly and hunchbacked, or even as Spartan. 300 establishes a believable connection between Ephialtes's affliction and behavior, but his monstrous appearance, King Xerxes's effeminacy, and the Persians' inexplicable pierced-GenX-African looks make for an eyebrow-raising choice of villain imagery. Nonetheless, 300 is a brilliant dramatization.
For the full story of the failed invasion, read Herodotus's Histories or, for a concise, graphic-novel retelling, Larry Gonick's great Cartoon History of the Universe: Volumes 1-7, From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great. For a lighthearted look at post-invasion Athens and a very young Alexander the Great, check out William Messner-Loebs and Sam Kieth's witty and gorgeous graphic novels, Epicurus the Sage Vol. I and Vol. II. --Cynthia Ward --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
The Battle of Thermopylae ranks as one of the ancient world's most important events, where Spartan King Leonidas and his 300-man bodyguard met the massive army of Emperor Xerxes of Persia, who intended to add Greece to his empire. To no one's surprise, the Spartans were destroyed. While the battle bought the Greeks enough time to defeat the mighty Persians, it was more important for the metaphor it created: occasionally one has to lose to win. This is clearly the inspiration behind Miller's attempt to place this epic tale in the context of a graphic novel. A renowned comics artist and writer known for hard-boiled stories of almost operatic intensity and stylishly overwrought violence, Miller (Sin City) injects his own brand of graphic sensationalism into this ancient tale of national survival. Miller clearly isn't as interested in being a historian as he is in telling a story, but his portrayal of the ancient world is compelling. His drawings of the bearded Leonidas are pensive and starkly imperial. The Persian King Xerxes is represented as majestically African, his body covered in a gaudy and bejeweled network of meticulously rendered chains and bracelets. Form and content are ideally wedded: Miller's writing is stark, his drawings moody and dramatic, and intensified by Varley's grimly appropriate palette of earth and blood. The reader can see and feel the harshness of both the Grecian landscape and Sparta's battle-worshipping culture, as Miller presents the complex historical moment facing the 300. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Machismo Par Excellance,
By
This review is from: 300 (Hardcover)
It never cease to amaze me how awesome Frank Miller is as BOTH artist and storyteller. If you have had the pleasure of enjoying his earlier works, and honestly what comic book aficionado have not, this is a must have.If you seek a compelling story about unrelenting bravery and honour, this is definately also a book for you. In so many ways, 300 is a refreshing forray into traditional macho virtues and values, something rarely expressed in a sensible way in today's society. So for all the big boys out there, get 300, kick back in your favourite comfy chair and gush with delight as King Leonidas does the unthinkable at Thermopylæ.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
to the Hot Gates,
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: 300 (Hardcover)
The legendary Battle of Thermopylae is one of the greatest battles in history, but somehow it seems like an odd choice for a comic book.But Frank Miller, who was enamoured of the story even as a kid, brought it to vibrant life in the sprawling graphic novel "300," which is all about what caused the battle, and how it ended. With a tightly wound plot and colourful, striking artwork, this is perhaps the most impressive dramatization of this battle... except for the movie based on this book. A Persian messenger arrives, telling King Leonidas that the god-king Xerxes wants the Spartans to bow to him. Leonidas' response: shove the Persians into a pit. But before he can go to war, he must consult the corrupt priesthood of Ephors and their beautiful Oracle. She predicts that Sparta will fall and the gods forbid war at the approach of the Carneaian festival -- courtesy of a hefty bribe from the Persians. So Leonidas takes out three hundred of his best men, along with their nervy Arcadian allies, and begin trouncing the Persians. But they are being sabotaged, when he sadly tells hunchbacked outcast Ephialtes that he cannot be a part of the Spartan army because he cannot lift his shield high enough. So the embittered Ephialtes reveals their plan to Xerxes, as Leonides prepares the 300 for their final stand -- a battle that lasted days, and left only one alive. Not a lot of comic books tackle ancient Grecian culture, and even fewer could bring it to life. But Frank Miller's enthusiasm for the Thermopylae story is what makes it come to life -- he crafts a taut, sparely-written storyline, sprinkled with ethereal moments and some grotesque bad guys. Miller's art is reminiscent of the "Sin City" series, with grotesque old wrecks, muscular men and the occasional seminaked woman. Even more so, he shows graphic battle scenes, full of shattered bloodied bodies and severed limbs, and even adds in some great variety by introducing Xerxes' Immortals, which are silver-masked uberwarriors. Creepy. But Miller doesn't neglect the storyline. He explores the maneuvers and problems in detail, and even adds both hatred and pathos for Ephialtes. And when they aren't fighting, he explores the way the soldiers lived and thought -- teasing, telling stories, making fun of the Athenians, and even on their injuries ("It's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare"). And Leonides is one of Miller's greatest characters. He's a tough, potentially vicious king who (as Miller shows us) killed a giant wolf as a kid, but he's also honorable, impressive, and even shows kindness to Ephialtes (who, by Spartan law, should be dead). And Miller gives personality to various other characters, including a clumsy young soldier, the arrogant Xerxes (who has the nastiest body piercings), and the only Spartan to survive. "300" is an epic story, full of graphic batles and larger than life characters. This battle may be an unlikely choice for a comic book, but it's also one of the most memorable.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent livre,
By
This review is from: 300 (Hardcover)
Le livre 300 sort de l'ordinaire en premier par son apparence. Plutôt que d'être à la verticale, il est fait à l'horizontal. Un peu difficile à lire comme format mais c'est acceptable. Les images et l'histoire est tout à fait excellente. J'ai trouvé que c'était un peu cours, comparé au film où il y a un peu plus d'histoire. Le livre reste très bon et un must pour tout amateur de Frank Miller ou du film.
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