300

As a collection of the original comics, 300 is much better read in one sitting than reading the individual comics on a monthly schedule (which is what I did eight years ago). This book first achieved phenomenal success after its release as a single graphic novel (or hardcover trade, or whatever, I'm not going to argue terminology here) simply because after one issue you become so restless you just have to read the next one. That's why I enjoyed it much more in its current format; collecting the issues was a chore because Miller makes it so compulsively readable and the interim between issues killed me. The art is breathtaking, the writing appropriate, and the coloring by Liz Varley is brilliantly done. A lot of criticism has been directed toward this hardcover, chief among these being the fact that it is not historically accurate and that it is an excercise in racism while simultaneously objectifying women. Since I loved this comic, I respectfully disagree with all these arguments. Just look at the characterization of the Spartan Queen, done in only a handful of panels, which show that Miller did devote time and thought to what kind of people Spartan women were to survive in such a warlike society. This book is about soldiers, above all else, and during that time soldiers were men who protected their families at the cost of their own lives. The slave-oracle of the Ephors is a device Miller uses to highlight the lecherous and corrupt natures of these so-called holy men, but it is not intended to objectify women (and I meant no offense by calling the girl a 'device.') Miller definitely did not plan to espouse any racist views either; he simply conceived a cosmopolitan Persian army consisting of dozens of conquered nations and hundreds of tribes as a disorganized force unable to match the dicipline of the Spartans who received identical training in war. Authorial intent is what we must consider when reading 300 which uses Greece in 480 B.C as its setting, so it is not meant to comment on current issues in society, but issues that, according to historical speculation, were common at the time. I enjoyed this book because I was looking for a beautifully-drawn, action packed read, and this is exactly what I found. Recommended to all Frank Miller fans and artists starting out in the comics medium.

Although the differences are sometimes difficult to articulate, there really IS a distinction between a comic and a graphic novel. Frank Miller's 300 falls squarely in the former category. As in all comics (here's one of those differences), the plot is simple and the message is straightforward. Miller is intent on depicting and applauding the heroics of military sacrifice exemplified in the stand of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, the "hot gateway." His narrative and dialogue are minimalistic and punch home a few key words: "honor," "justice," "law," "strength," "courage." So far as I can tell, there are only three women in the entire story--Leonidas' wife, an oracle, and a slave girl in the market place--and their presence is fleeting and inessential. The story is relentlessly masculine and a glorification of the masculine art of war. Morally disconcerting as the butchery depicted by Frank Miller is, there really is something stirring about his re-telling of the Themopylae story. Clearly both the story of courageous sacrifice and his rendering of it touch deep responsive chords. Miller's artwork is superb, impressionistic and subtle at times, hard-lined and deliberately brutal at others. The observant eye can discover visual tricks--drawn connotations, as it were--that enhance the story. Just one marvelous example: at one point, Leonidas consults the ephors, corrupt priests of the "old gods" who demand gold for their advice. The ephors keep young maidens as oracles, and the clear implication is that they sexually abuse them. In painting the maiden oracle, Miller has scattered fingerprints across her body--actual ones, from the looks of them--which are so skillfully worked into the overall composition that one doesn't immediately see them for what they are. Brilliant! Highly recommended.

If you like other Frank Miller stuff you'll likely go for this one also. Great art if you like this type of comic and a decent historical fiction portrayal/interpretation. Don't go basing your history paper on the story presented here, however Miller's version is likely a little closer to the actual "gore of war" than was presented in the "clean" movie (The 300 Spartans) it was based on. Personally, I wish Miller had based his book/movie on the "Gates of Fire" book by Pressfield; it would have been even better. It isn't politcally correct, but then it doesn't need to be. The spartans certainly weren't. For me, it was entertaining and that is the bottom line.

Tja, alle die es noch nicht kennen, aber den Film absolut toll finden, sollten es unbedingt kaufen, da es ja direkt von Frank Miller ist! Einfach nur TOLL gezeichnet!!!

I purchased this book for my husband as a gift. My husband loves the film 300. We normally watch it at least once a month. I think that visually 300 is beautiful and the story is a very simple but detailed story about King Leonidas and his 300 spartans. This book is very much like a comic book in terms of layout and illustrations. The illustrations, I feel are very detailed and more detailed than your average comic book. The closest I've seen in comics in terms of illustration is in The Walking Dead, but even that I feel is not as detailed as this book is. The big is a bit bigger than A4, more long than it is tall, and it is pretty much exactly as the film goes. There are certain scenes in the film that are exactly as they are in this book. If you love 300, its a different little thing to have. If you love comics this would go well in a comic collection. I wouldn't recommend having it within easy reach of young children - my 6 year old opened the book and closed it pretty quickly! It is very graphic, but so is the film!

Il fallait oser, Miller l'a fait. Grace à une solide documentation, Miller nous plonge dans la bataille la plus mémorable des guerres médiques, les Thermopyles. L'armée perse a débarqué en grèce dans le but de la conquérir, le seul espoir grec réside dans une confrontation maritime, mais il faut du temps... Pour envahir la grèce centrale, il faut passer par le détroit des thérmopyles, c'est là que Léonidas et 300 spartiates attendent Xerses, ils ne survivront pas, ils le savent, mais ils doivent retenir l'armée perse, suffisammant longtemps. Ils tiendront trois jours, contre 15000 Perses, Miller nous plonge dans le coeur de ses soldats préts à la mort. Une semaine plus tard, les grecs écraseront Xerses sur mer à Salamine, sur terre à Platées. Comme il est écrit sur le tombeau des trois cent "va dire que ceux qui sont morts ici, sont tombés pour la liberté de tous" Magnifique et bouleversant, une magistrale leçon d'histoire et de courage.

Trabalho primoroso, editorial! Incrível a qualidade do produto final. Valoriza demais a sempre incrível e fantástica arte de Frank Miller, que realmente traz à obra um sentido cinematográfico especial. Quanto ao roteiro, não acho dos mais brilhantes, mas é algo bem divertido e sem compromisso com a realidade. Frank aproveita a história e cria sua mitologia. Mas não se engane, somente pela edição e pela arte já vale ter essa peça na sua coleção.

Awesome thing to buy for your comic book collection