Mythology has captured the human imagination in a way that nothing else ever has. Passed down from generation to generation and written into ancient teachings, almost every country has its own mythology on some level. The more popular ones that have stood the test of time have even made it into popular culture and to the pages of our comic books. It’s these mythologies that have inspired many writers, producers, and artists to come up with new and spectacular pieces to add some whimsical fancy to our lives. Today we are taking a look at the best comic books based on mythology.
Thor – Marvel
Written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1962, the hammer-wielding ruler of thunder that we all love is, in fact, originally from Norse mythology. Wondering what this is? This is the mythology passed down by the North Germanic people of Scandinavia. While most of the Thor series, including his family and land are true to the mythology, there are some things that Marvel changed for the sake of making it safer and more enjoyable for their readers.
The Incredible Hercules – Marvel
Another creation from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the 1960s, the silver age of comic books. While Hercules originally first came into being with the Thor comics, it wasn’t until 2008 when “The Incredible Hercules” was released and this super-strong demigod from Greek mythology finally got his own series.
Age of Bronze – Image Comics
From 1998 to 2013 there was a series of comics called “Age of Bronze” created by Eric Shanower and published by Image comics. The series totaled 33 issues and followed Greek mythology with characters like Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Helen of Troy to name but a few. The series won several awards including the Eisner Award for best writer and artist in 2001 and 2003.
Greek street – Vertigo
This one takes a rather different swing at things. Published in 2009 and 2010 by Vertigo, these 16 issues were created by Peter Milligan. The stories give a modern, grungy twist to Greek mythology by telling the ancient stories on the modern streets of London. The characters have all been given different names. Eddie, one of the main characters is meant to represent Oedipus and the three mad women represent Dionysus’ followers and so on.
Hawkman – DC
Created by Dennis Neville and Gardner Fox, we first see Hawkman in the first issue of Flash comics in 1940. Hawkman is the reincarnation of an Egyptian prince named Khufu. He had a pretty cool outfit and was a super crime-fighting vigilante. He later joined as part of the justice league. Joining him and fighting at his side is his love interest, who is aptly named Hawkgirl. She is the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian princess named Chay-Ara.
Black Adam – DC
This awesome DC villain is the predecessor to Shazam. He gains his powers from the ancient Egyptian mythology gods Shu, Hershef, Amon, Zehuti, Anpu, and Menthu. There was some reference made to him in the deleted scenes of the Shazam film and there is talk of a Black Adam film starring Dwayne Johnson in the coming couple of years.
The story of good vs evil will always be one that we love to read about because deep down, we all want to be superheroes.
