Gilgamesh: A Graphic Novel
With all the graphic adaptations of mythology flying around, it’s about time someone got to old Gilgamesh. The Mesopotamian culture that bore the first heroic narrative in recorded history may not be as flashy as, say, the Greeks’, but Winegarner’s adaptation demonstrates the extensive debt mythology and religion owe this ancient tale. Copious footnotes and a fine balance of action, emotion, and information make the tale of the king’s transformation from tyrant to monster-smashing hero and his search for immortality after his brother’s death instructive and exciting. The adaptation also powerfully distills the message that immortality lies in one’s deeds and legacy, even if the black-and-white art offers a merely satisfactory interpretation, with occasionally amateurish stabs at perspective, rather than the stark awe the story’s scope suggests. The surprisingly graphic depiction of the priestess Shamhat’s mission to sexually “civilize” the beast-man Enkidu makes this book rather difficult to use as a pedagogical tool. Instead, older teens and adults can enjoy it as a mythological adventure with a strong historical background. --Jesse Karp