Review of 'Lore Olympus: Volume Four'

Witness what the gods do after dark in the fourth volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe.

The rumor mill of Olympus is constantly churning, but Persephone and Hades are all anyone can talk about. With the constant gossip creating intense pressure on the pair, they decide to slow down their budding romance and focus on sorting out their own issues first.

But that’s easier said than done.

Hades struggles to find support in his personal life, with Zeus trivializing his feelings and Minthe resorting to abusive patterns in their relationship. And while Hades tries to create healthier boundaries where he can—like finally putting a stop to his sporadic, revenge-fueled hookups with Hera—he still feels lonely and adrift.

Persephone feels equally ostracized as her classmates shun her for her connection to Hades, and she can find no refuge at home, with Apollo constantly dropping by unannounced and pushing his unwelcome advances. And on top of it all, the wrathful god of war, Ares, has returned to Olympus to dredge up his sordid history with the goddess of spring, threatening to surface Persephone’s dark and mysterious past and ruin her tenuous position in the land of the gods.

Despite agreeing to take it slow, Persephone and Hades find themselves inextricably drawn toward each other once more amid the chaos. The pull of fate cannot be denied.

This edition of Rachel Smythe’s original Eisner-winning webcomic Lore Olympus features exclusive behind-the-scenes content and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 76–102 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

Review

Lore Olympus: Volume 4 continues to breathe fresh new life into a webtoon, presenting the same story differently, creating a different feel for the narrative.

Expert Storytelling

Graphic novels can be tricky. The reason is that the art choice, the color, the direction, and the placement of panels influence the story as much as the words do. There have been times when I would not get comics simply because I didn’t like the art style. In those cases, I felt the art direction didn’t capture the story’s direction or the characters correctly, so there was a disconnect between the story and me.

Not in the case of Lore Olympus. I have been hooked since I first discovered Lore Olympus as an ad on Facebook. I fast-pass this webtoon every Saturday when a new episode is released. But reading it in a novel format gives the story a different feel.

Smythe was thoughtful in combining panels and using white space to her advantage. Even in scenes with no dialogue, the emotions bleed off the pages because of the storytelling leading up to that moment and the scene’s structure. Reading them this way creates a different feel to the story because the information is presented differently.

And Smythe’s color choice is fantastic. Colors have meaning, so the fact that the gods are a variety of colors instead of any skin color was brilliant. Persephone’s pink captures her spring element; Hades’ blue skin exudes a coolness that captures the Underworld; purple and gold mean royalty, so they are Zeus, and Hera respectfully is impactful.

Once again, the artistry is fantastic.

Final Thoughts

Lore Olympus: Volume 4 continues to be excellent, tackling serious topics. Smythe continues to mesmerize readers with her impactful storytelling and artistic talent.

• Writing Quality : 10/10
• Illustrations: 10/10
• Character Development : 10/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 10/10
• Intellectual Depth: 10/10
• Originality: 10/10
• Overall Rating: 5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.