Review: Dread Gods Volume 1

So I’m one of those snobs about mythology.  You know the ones, the guy who read all the old myths from dusty tomes and mumbles under his breath when a book, movie or comic takes liberties with these ancient characters.  That said, it takes a special book to make me put that aside and appreciate a new twist on tales that were some of my favorites as a child.  Dread Gods is one of those books.

Dread Gods by Ron Marz (Samurai Heaven and Earth, DC vs Marvel:  All Access) brings together a disparate collection of gods and heroes from Greek myth in a dystopian future setting.  Those characters include Zeus, Hera, Hades, Tyche, Achilles, Prometheus, Apollo, Artemis and Ares.  In the early part of this volume Hades, rendered by Tom Raney (Alpha Flight, Ultimate X-Men), is the main antagonist.  He seeks to overthrow his brother from his throne on Olympus.  It is an oft-repeated tale presented in a familiar ancient Greek setting.  However, the internecine family drama that is so often the meat and potatoes of Greek myth is merely entertainment for a captive TV audience.  These people tune in for each episode and plug-in via earbuds to see what new adventures await their heroes and villains.  This entertainment is beamed to them from the nation’s chief city; aptly named after its primary company and founder, Prometheus.

Prometheus City is a post modern metropolis.  Technologically advanced and overpopulated, it stands in stark contrast to the backwater wasteland where we first meet one of our heroes in the ‘real world’.  During one of the broadcasts Carver, a disabled little person with a penchant for machinery, receives a message from Zeus asking for help.  Meanwhile, in ancient Greece, Zeus is plagued by nightmares.  These nightmares are always the same as he finds himself drowning as he attempts to retrieve a coffee mug with a stylized letter ‘P’ on it from the bottom of the ocean.  As the story unfolds, Carver makes his way to Prometheus City and uncovers the secret behind the nations favorite show and what part the gods and heroes of myth play in it.  In addition, we are given the briefest glimpse of who Prometheus truly is and what he desires for this nation he holds in thrall with his programming.

Dread Gods is a fascinating tale; combining elements of old and new myths in an eclectic mix that produces something new and original.  Marz has stayed faithful to the spirit of the source myths but has somehow combined them with a post apocalyptic wasteland setting and a post modern futuristic setting.  Ordinarily, attempting something so ambitious would result in a hot mess of confused genres and a mishmash of styles.  However, Marz and the equally talented Raney manage to bring everything together into a coherent whole which is entertaining and compelling.  Raney’s art design is unique, presenting a new vision for many of these characters.  This art direction was a shock to my system at first, but as I continued reading I grew to love this new take on these ancient characters.  Additionally, there were times that Raney’s drawings had me hearken back to stories in 2000 AD and Mega City One.  I have enjoyed Raney’s work before.  While I saw hints of his old work in this book there were also new wrinkles that were visually pleasing and worth the price of admission.  All in all, this is an excellent book and one I highly recommend.

Writing – 5 of 5 Stars
Art – 5 of 5 Stars

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Writing – Ron Marz
Art - Tom Raney
Color – Nanjan Jamberi
Letters – Dave Lanphear, Troy Peteri