It’s not really mythological at all, but I have to recommend The Dark Knight Strikes Again. You say you’re looking for something more than just the run of the mill superheroes. The current Batman (for a while now) has been a series of more than just supervillians. They play a lot more into his detective capabilities than his fighting abilities. The Dark Knight Strikes Again is a series that places Batman as the most important hero of them all. The writing is very original, and the artwork is not exactly typical for a comic. I’d at least take a peek the next time I went to B&N.
Wonder Woman has been dealing quite a bit with the greek pantheon (Under Greg Rucka).
I also have some TPB about the nazis bringing the Norse Gods to earth. When I remember the name, I will come back and post it. It was GREAT.
And I second Fables. Good stuff.
I think you’ve gotten the point by now, jarbaby, but if you looked that up in the dictionary you’d see a picture of Sandman.
Let me also second Lucifer, which spins out of Sandman, and which you can read when you’re done with the first series.
–Cliffy
I can’t second this enough. Everyone who reads Sandman loves it–I did as well, and I’m sure you would too, jarbabyj. But Sandman is so popular and universally-loved, I don’t know how many more cheerleaders it needs.
Age of Bronze, on the other hand, might be the best comic that most intelligent comic fans haven’t discovered yet. It is Eric Shanower’s epic retelling of the Trojan War, beautifully illustrated in black and white, and written for the benefit of people who have never translated The Iliad or even read it. That’s not to say he dumbs it down in any way–quite the opposite, in fact. The medium of comics is perfectly suited for retelling such an epic story of action and war and love and friendship, and Shanower’s series is truly a labor of love. I’m always worried Image Comics will cancel it due to low sales (and it does sell poorly compared to books like SPAWN), so I try to tell everyone I can about it. It sounds like it would be right up your alley, so try the first trade paperback, A Thousand Ships. With the movie Troy coming out this year, you can even compare the two (and I’m hoping more potential readers will discover it that way).
That said, I am recommending you the novel American Gods, written by Neil Gaiman (yes, another cheerleader for the writer of Sandman! See how this post went full circle?) It’s a great, quick, engrossing read, and it contains many of the elements you’re looking for in comics. In fact, with your tastes, I’d almost sooner recommend the novel than the Sandman series! But by all means, try them all. Check out eBay, Amazon, Half.com, and even your local library.
But you don’t have to take my word for it!
You want the Greek gods?
Bacchus aged, missing an eye, and often lonely is still the god of wine. All he wants or needs is a good bar and folks to listen to his stories.
Joe Theseus remains a tragic hero. He’s been given the secret of immortality. But sometimes feels he’s cursed to bring pain and death to every one near him.
Hermes still carries out his appointed duties. Though his masters are dead and the world has left him behind.
Hephaustus is long dead. But, some of the masterpieces he made are still around and quite potent. And he set certain things in motion long ago.
What about Dave Sim’s Cerebus and the new Conan series? Much mythology in them books?
The book I eluded to that has Norse gods allying with the Axis is The Life Eaters. Good book.
Hey, here’s an idea… have you heard of Sandman?