300

I first read Frank Miller's 300 prior to the film's release...and then I re read it after the film. It was amazing to see the pure intensity of the film, but it also shows the depth of the novel. Comparing the two side-by-side you notice most of the contents of the novel are in the film. The film really only adds to the subplots of the book...and expands upon the scenes. The art direction is brilliant. Frank Miller has reached the summit of the graphic novel using incredibly detailed art to emphasis his bold story telling. The book does a good job retelling the Battle of Thermopylae. I say good because there is more than a hint of fiction scattered amongst the nonfiction, but that makes the story come alive. Well done Frank Miller, well done indeed.......I would also recommend Clarence Cage's novel Ashes Divide: Ashes Divide (Epic sequel to 300) it expands upon Frank Miller's 300 and the Battle of Thermopylae. Another book I'd recommend is Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle by Steven Pressfield: Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae Both these novels are epic and both expand the story of 300.

Unfortunately, most of the negative reviews for Frank Miller's "300" seem to stem from an outrage to the historical inaccuracy within the book. While certain aspects such as specific quotes, names and the basic story arc are in fact true; many details of the historical account have been changed to allow the author the ability to tell this `legend' in a gritty modern pulp manner. The end result is a highly stylized, gripping, fun, and compelling version of this tale - redesigned and told through the mind's eye of one of today's undeniable leaders in the field of graphic story telling. If you want to learn more about the actual event, read a history book! What Miller has done here is simply to have retold the incredible story of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartan soldiers starring down certain death to defend their home against absolutely impossible odds in a manner that people of our current time and culture can easily understand and become enveloped in. Historical accuracy is not the objective; good story telling is. The artwork is stark and bare and perfectly fits this legendary tale where hope of survival was bleak. It is a quick read, but highly enjoyable... providing that you aren't a pseudo-historian liable of being thrown into a fit because Miller choose to modernize the mythos of ancient Sparta for the benefit of reaching his contemporary audience. Legends evolve as they are passed down through the years so that their lessons may stay relevant. I both applaud Frank Miller's creative adaptation and highly recommend this book to all who can handle a gritty, blood and guts retelling of perhaps the greatest battle man has ever fought.

The story of the battle at the Hot Gates of Thermopylae was always a favorite of mine growing up. King Leonidas and his personal guard of 300 Spartans personified courage and individual strength, as they held off the more than 100,000 strong Persian army, lead by Xerxes the Great King. Think about those numbers. 300 against more than 100,000. For three days, the Spartans stood against Xerxes until a betrayal lead to their downfall. This is manly, hot-blooded stuff here. I cannot think of any other artist who could do it justice.Frank Miller was made for manly, hot-blooded stuff. His art style, used to perfection in "300," is all about strength and weight. The Spartans are carved from the rocky terrain of Greece. Heavy outlines and squared corners add to the effect. The costume designs are symbolic rather than historic, and each heavy cape and bronze sword is used to full effect. Lynn Varley's colors are at the top of her game.This is a work of art, but it isn't pretty.Story wise, Miller has done a clever job of adapting this historical event into a reasonably short comic. Along with the necessary bravado and familiar Spartan quotations ("Return with your shields, or on them!"), he has breathed life and an certain sensitivity into Leonidas and Xerxes. This mix of story and art is all that is good about comics. This edition, in particular, showcases Miller's art and story. The oversized hardcover with high print quality puts the pages in your face. Varley's colors are vibrant. A very worthy purchase.

When you've conquered the comics medium with gritty, film noirish tales as Frank Miller has done time and time again, what project could you undertake which would simultaneously shock and thrill your audience? How about a Classics Illustrated-style retelling of a little-known episode in ancient history? In retrospect, using the comic form to tell the story of Leonidas and his 300 Spartan's stand against Xerxes and his Persian hordes is an absolutely brilliant idea, but for the life of me I do not know how Miller managed to pitch this to the corporate suits and get them to put it out in an oversized hardcover edition to boot. Anyone want a coffee table book filled with blood and gore? Put your hand down, Hannibal Lecter."300" is an absolutely stunning recounting of the heroism of the ancient Spartans as they stood and fell before the might of the largest armed force on the planet. Fans of Xenophon and Thucydides will instantly recognize the ancient Greece depicted herein; the furious discipline of the bristling phalanx, the oppressive heat of the campaign, the rhythmic thud of the marching battalions. Leonidas gleams like the hero-kings of old always do in our imagination, noble and cruel. This simple tale of how one man refused to allow the glory of Greece to fade before a barbarous horde is punctuated by breathtaking battle scenes, glorious heroism, and base treachery. This is truly the power of the comic book medium, a power well-remembered by those of us who dropped the melodrama and tissue paper plots of the X-clones long ago. Bravo, Mr. Miller, and thanks for recalling us to a nobler, bolder, though hardly more savage age. Get this book now, and your coffee table be damned.