Olympians: Dionysos: The New God

by George O'Connor

Overview

George O’Connor’s vibrant, kinetic art brings ancient tales to life in the New York Times Bestselling series The Olympians. This fusion of super-hero aesthetics and ancient Greek mythology is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson!

Dionysos, is the last Olympian, and maybe, just maybe, the first of a new type of God. His story is told by the first Olympian herself, Hestia, Goddess of the hearth and home. From her seat in the center of Mt. Olympus, Hestia relates the rise of Dionysos, from his birth to a mortal mother, to his discovery of wine, his battles with madness and his conquering of death itself, culminating, finally, in his ascent to Olympus and Godhood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626725317
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Series:	Olympians , #12
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	204,006
Product dimensions:	7.55(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

George O'Connor is the New York Times–bestselling author of Olympians, the series of graphic novels featuring the tragic, dramatic, and epic lives of the Greek Pantheon and its counterpart featuring the Norse Gods, the series Asgardians. His first graphic novel, Journey into Mohawk Country, pushed the boundaries of the genre, using as its sole text the actual historical journal of the seventeenth-century Dutch trader Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert. He also illustrated acclaimed playwright Adam Rapp’s Ball Peen Hammer. He teamed up with writer Daniel G. Newman on Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy, the first volume in the World Citizen Comics series. George is also the creator of popular picture books such as the New York Times–bestselling Kapow! and If I Had a Triceratops. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit him at georgeoconnorbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Dionysos:
"O'Connor's illustrations are bursting with action, humor and lots of details. He researched the ancient myths in order to get as close as possible to the original stories. That means his gods and goddesses are fierce, but also voluptuous, mischievous and even snarky."—NPR Morning Edition

“A by turns epic, amusing, and tragic caper that’s even more toastworthy (for obvious reasons) than its 11 predecessors.” —Kirkus, starred review


Praise for the Olympians series:

“Definitely worth a visit for any young demigod.” —Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series

“George O’Connor has put a new spin on the Greek gods, making their tales fun and exciting again. This series is a must for every graphic novel collection.” —SLJ Good Comics for Kids

"O'Connor's brand of classical mythology for modern sensibilities serves as a good introduction to the gods and settings of the Greek myths." —Publishers Weekly

"A first-rate series." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2021-12-03
Discover “a new type of god” in this final installment in the outstanding Olympians series.

Depicted eerily as an enigmatic, unclothed figure wrapped in flames, Hestia, goddess of hearth and home—and the oldest of the Olympians—narrates this strange and wild tale of Dionysos’ birth and rise. The youngest of the gods, Dionysos is conceived by a human mother and raised first as a girl then as a boy before he goes on to invent wine, vanquish death itself, and ultimately claim his seat on Mount Olympus with the rest of his immortal clan. Though not immune to tender feelings (such as when he meets the spirit of his dead mother, Semele, in the realm of Hades and when he marries Ariadne after she’s dumped by that cad Theseus), Dionysos generally comes off as a slap-happy party animal. He cavorts through the illustrations shirtless, displaying appropriately godlike charm and charisma as he dispenses his marvelous beverage far and wide and gathers followers—of both the mythological and racially diverse human variety—for wild rumpuses. “The Olympians may be deathless, but no god is as alive as Dionysos,” Hestia observes. More than any of his fellow deities, he is “a god of the people. Of humans. Because he was born of them.” The pages of this well-conceived graphic novel are laid out using an irregular grid that emphasizes some panels while retaining flow. All major characters present as White.

A by turns epic, amusing, and tragic caper that’s even more toastworthy (for obvious reasons) than its 11 predecessors. (sources, resources, discussion questions, endnotes) (Graphic mythology. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews