Review of "The Trojan Horse: The Fall of Troy, A Greek Myth, Graphic Novel," by Justine & Ron Fontes and Gordon Purcell

Review of

The Trojan Horse: The Fall of Troy, A Greek Myth, Graphic Novel, by Justine & Ron Fontes and Gordon Purcell, ISBN 0822530856

Five out of five stars

 The myth of the Trojan Horse is one of the best myths and an integral part of the epic poem “The Iliad.” There seems little doubt that there was a lengthy war between Greece and Troy that took place around 1200 B. C. so there has been plenty of time for the artifacts to disappear and the legends to arise.

 Whatever actually happened, some of it was preserved in the poem “The Iliad” that was verbally passed from generation to generation before it was finally put down on parchment. It is a true classic of Western Civilization that all educated people should be familiar with. 

 While this graphic novel gives some historical context for the war as well as the system of gods worshipped by the Greeks, the emphasis is on the myth of the wooden horse and the role it supposedly played in the defeat of Troy. It is a compact and entertaining introduction to one of the foundation stories of the western world.

 I have long been a proponent of using educational content in whatever form it exists, including graphic novels and comic books. This short book is an excellent way to introduce young students to one of few myths that may have some factual justification as well as what may have been one of the first great wars in the western world.