Book : 300 - Frank Miller

-Titulo Original : 300

-Fabricante :

Dark Horse Books

-Descripcion Original:

The armies of Persia-a vast horde greater than any the world has ever known-are poised to crush Greece, an island of reason and freedom in a sea of madness and tyranny. Standing between Greece and this tidal wave of destruction are a tiny detachment of but three hundred warriors. Frank Millers epic retelling of historys supreme moment of battlefield valor is finally collected in its intended format-each two-page spread from the original comics is presented as a single undivided page. Review 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 Varleys art is terrific, as always; the combat scenes are especially powerful. And Millers 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 doesnt say how many Greeks remained for the climactic battle--youd think 300 Spartans and maybe a dozen others, when there were between 700 and 1,100 Greeks. Herodotuss Histories does not identify the traitor Ephialtes as ugly and hunchbacked, or even as Spartan. 300 establishes a believable connection between Ephialtess affliction and behavior, but his monstrous appearance, King Xerxess 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 Herodotuss Histories or, for a concise, graphic-novel retelling, Larry Gonicks 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 Kieths witty and gorgeous graphic novels, Epicurus the Sage Vol. I and Vol. II. --Cynthia Ward From Publishers Weekly The Battle of Thermopylae ranks as one of the ancient worlds 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 ones 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 Millers 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 isnt 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: Millers writing