Graphic novel roundup

A Thousand Ships (Age of Bronze, vol. 1), by Eric Shanower For those of us who never actually got around to reading The Iliad, this volume's a must-read. Shanower portrays the events leading up to the Trojan War in dramatic, fast-moving fashion. I didn't spot any significant departures from mythology as I know it, but for those who want to check up on him, he provides an afterword in which he discusses the sources he used and the problems of chronology and contradiction that he encountered with them.

My Faith in Frankie, by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, et al. A witty look at the problems of having a personal diety. Frankie's a cute brunette who would really like to have a boyfriend. She also has a personal diety who is, quite literally, a jealous god. Things get complicated when Frankie heads off to college and becomes the target of both a lecherous upperclassman and more sinister forces. The artwork is cartoonish and lighthearted, especially when portraying Frankie's younger years in flashback. There are some adult themes, although no explicit nudity.

Once in a Blue Moon, by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Jennifer Quick, et al. An entertaining, anime-style interpretation of that old fantasy staple, the mysterious/magical book that transports a modern-day teenager into a parallel world of mortal combat between good and evil.