Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders (review)

Raging jealousy, suicidal lovers, kidnapping, drowning, avarice, and chaos are not generally the stuff of kid comedy, but when Townsend (creator of Kit Feeny: On the Move, BCCB 11/09, and Billy Tartle in Say Cheese!, BCCB 9/07) takes on the Olympians in graphic-novel format, what else can you expect? Nine myths—Midas, Pandora, Pygmalion, Persephone, Arachne, Pyramus and Thisbe, Perseus, Icarus, and Hercules—are firmly rooted in tradition and actually spun with a modicum of restraint. The comic book–style illustrations, though, are rendered with runaway goofiness, from the spindly, doll-like immortals to the pop-eyed fauna and monsters, all tricked out in confetti colors and composed with the whimsical panache of pop art. The resultant effort, which initially promises to be an intro to Greek mythology, will probably be better enjoyed by readers who are already familiar with the story outlines and are now ready to kick back with the visual lunacy that veers toward satire: Pyramus and Thisbe's ashes smooching through their respective urns; humankind adjusting to a winter season by donning live rabbits as coats and headwear. Kids who favor Marcia Williams' graphic interpretation of these classics will want to check out this wilder ride.