Customer Reviews

300

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This book was recommended to me by my boyfriend who is a big Frank Miller Fan. I have to say I definitely can see why. Not only is he a great story teller but an incredible artist, as you will see if you read this Graphic Novel.

It's the story of The Battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartan Warriors lead by their King Leonidas, defend their beloved Greece against a Persian Emperor with an army of hundreds of thousands.

Now this Graphic Novel has been turned into a movie, and they stuck to Frank Millers story and brought his art work to life.

This book was recommended to me by my boyfriend who is a big Frank Miller Fan. I have to say I definitely can see why. Not only is he a great story teller but an incredible artist, as you will see if you read this Graphic Novel.

It's the story of The Battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartan Warriors lead by their King Leonidas, defend their beloved Greece against a Persian Emperor with an army of hundreds of thousands.

Now this Graphic Novel will be turned into a movie to be released soon. From what I have seen of the trailers they are sticking to Frank Millers story and trying to bring his art work to life.

Although not totally accurate, Frank Miller does an excellent job of telling the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, a momentous battle made all the more legendary by the fact that as few as 300 Spartan warriors (some estimates range as high as 1,000)managed to hold off an army that numbered in the hundreds of thousands for three days.

Xerxes, the ruler of Persia, had amassed an army that may have numbered as high as a million, which was moving across the Middle East and into Greece with the intent of conquering the known world. Many of the Greek city-states were prepared to simply submit. But two things occurred after the 300 Spartans held Xerxes's army off for three days. One, it allowed time for Greek naval forces to move into position to challenge Xerxes. Two, as word spread of the battle, it inspired other Greeks to choose to battle Xerxes. Xerxes's forces also were probably somewhat demoralized by the battle as Xerxes probably lost thousands of men as he sent wave after wave of soldiers at the Spartans.

The Spartans eventually fell, but their sacrifice resulted in victory and Xerxes and his army were eventually turned back.

Miller takes a few literary licenses with the story, to good effect, and presents a fairly accurate and engrossing retelling of the battle. Highly recommended.

Frank Miller writes the story of 300 Spartans battling the entire Persian army during the Greek/Persian wars of antiquity. This is good stuff, but you should probably read Miller's classic "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" before "300", to see whether you like Miller's style or not. Despite the different setting the storytelling is very similar; Miller has a hard-boiled, "men are men" sort of style that seems to be present in whatever he writes. The book is based on the Battle of Thermopylae, and though I do not know how true to history the graphic novel is, it does make a gripping story.

Normally when people think of Frank Miller, they think of his groundbreaking work on characters like Batman and Daredevil in dark tales that broke these characters down and left only the vital core of each's meaning behind. Miller has a penchant for exploring the grim and gritty aspects of a character and the world that character inhabits, and in fact he is equally well known and respected for creating such a world himself in his Sin City.

Miller applied these same skills a mere five years ago to a type of fiction that seemed ill-suited for such a marriage of genres when he fused his noir style to historical drama in his momentous work 300. Published originally in the summer months of 1998 by Dark Horse as a five-issue miniseries, this story is set in ancient Greece and dramatizes the Battle of Thermopylae, a monumental conflict in which King Leonidas of Sparta led 300 of his personal guards into a mountain pass to defend his country from the invading Persian empire led by Xerxes. Leonidas knew this skirmish would be certain death for himself and his men, yet still he fought on, in the end inspiring the divided nation of Greece with his sacrifice to unite against this common foe and march on to victory.

Pacifists reading this review might have tuned out already, but anyone thinking of reading this book should be reassured that it is not pro-war. Nor is 300 anti-war really. The case Miller seems to make here is that sometimes, in defense of everything a person holds dear, that person must make difficult choices. Despite my personal feelings against war, I still could see that Leonidas had no other choice but defend his country from invaders, entering into a war that even the staunchest of peaceniks must see as just.

I also couldn't help but admire his noble sacrifice in the end, and really that's what this story is about, these brave men who were willing to die to save their country. It is a story tinged with tragedy because along the way you learn a great deal about these characters, from Leonidas the king down to Delios the storyteller. Delios is ordered by the king to leave the army before their final stand, so that he might spread word of this event to everyone and inspire them to fight back. As he leaves, the sadness he feels is evident in his beautifully crafted posture and expession, but it is a sadness we feel along with him because of the skill with which Miller has presented this character to us.

Leonidas too is brilliantly fleshed out. He is a character as hard and tough as Marv or the Dark Knight ever dreamed of being. Yet he also has within him an emotional center we see more than we did in those other aforementioned Miller protagonists. In part we reach out to Leonidas because his personal narration guides us through the story but also we feel for him because we see the emotions that he normally keeps close to his chest in his every word. We learn after some time to read those feelings he keeps hidden behind his Spartan façade, and thereafter every glance he sends out to his men seems tinged with tragic loss.

The art on 300 is what stands out above all else, however. Even if you disapprove of the themes or find historical inaccuracy in the tale, you cannot help but admire the craftsmanship that went into producing this work of art. Originally the book was published as five monthly issues in which every paired grouping of pages was a two-page spread. Now the book is available only as an oversized hardcover that lays these pages out end to end so that you can fully bask in the glory of the art as you read. The book might seem thin for its price tag, a mere 88 pages for [$$], but its sheer beauty is worth every penny, even if there had been no words in the book at all.

These splash pages would be nothing without the vibrant colors of Lynn Varley, and it is clear to see why Miller uses her as colorist on every one of his projects. Beyond being his wife and keeping the work in the family, her hues and tones just happen to be radiant in the truest sense of the word. It transcends beyond simple favoritism. Miller appears to have gotten the best colorist around to paint the shades of this world and thus breathe life into it; it just so happens he didn't have to look very far to find her.

As for the historical accuracy of the work, no it's no Age of Bronze, meticulously researched and documented. But it doesn't have to be; it never claims to be anything beyond a work of historical drama. Sometimes for the sake of that drama, changes must be made. However, it is also evident that Miller feels strongly about this story and took great pains to make it as true as it can be while still being a piece of fiction.

Many might approach the genre of historical fiction a bit warily, but 300 is a far cry from the stuffy and boring world history texts you tried to avoid reading in high school. It is high art and high drama all rolled into one package which, despite having a high price, is high in magnitude as well.

It's a graphic novel, folks, so if you aren't willing to
suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy a first-rate
re-telling of a legend, then by all means use your money
to buy a historical survey of the same material. Frank
Miller delivers good stories. Leave history to the Schlesingers.

Let's say you're willing to take a shot on this book,
though. You're in for a treat: Miller's artwork has never
been more expressive, and Lynn Varley hasn't lost a shade
of intensity or a single gradation in her palette. And
one thing I tell anyone about a Miller project: you will be
surprised at how well Miller can write, considering how well
he illustrates. It's a truly rare combination of talents,
and I've never been dissatisfied with his work.

Should you own this? I'd say so. And if you get any
criticism for owning a historically inaccurate account,
show them the bibliography at the back and let them see
that it was a conscious decision to tell a good story first.

The only possible criticism of this book is it's inaccuracy. But if you are looking for historical accuracy then you don't buy a comic book. What you do look for is great art and coloring, of which this book has an abundance, and an exciting story, which this certainly is. Miller never claimed that this book was non-fiction, he knows that it is a story with which he has taken many artistic liberties, and so he should. If this was an attempt to be as acurate as possible I would have been very angry. I already have history books, and a famous battle like this is covered in great detail. Frank and Lynn draw and color this book exactly the way they want to, and it works. I have never seen skies look this beautifull before, the coloring may be the best work that Lynn Varley has ever done. I was pleased in every way and now think of this as the best Miller comic ever. More faux history comics please!