Olympia #1
Written by: Curt Pires, Tony Pires
Art by: Alex Diotto
Image Comics
2019
MINISERIES PREMIERE! DOUBLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE! Elon is a latchkey kid who spends his days alone reading comic books-until his favorite superhero, Olympian, comes crashing off the page and into reality! But as he nurses his wounded and delirious hero back to health, he discovers Olympian isn’t the only thing that came through… something evil followed him.
A comedic yet heartfelt love letter to the comics medium, OLYMPIA is also a meditation on hope and loss, conceived by CURT PIRES (Wyrd) and his father, TONY PIRES, while Tony was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Olympia is very proud to call itself a meta homage to everything the creator loved about comics when he was young, and that’s a cool thing. But it’s got a very limited appeal, and just can not see stand up to today’s standards.
First off, the story telling is a bit of a mess. In the first few pages, we jump between three different frameworks, and we’re not even sure which is “real” in the context of the book. It’s confusing, and it dulls anything the reader may have felt for the characters. And he dialog may be purposefully wooden, which is a neat throwback, but we’ve all come to expect better these days.
Secondly, and I feel most importantly, the old school art is just juvenile. Sure, it may be neat to see this famous style in decades old books, but why do we need more of it? The lack of details, poor anatomy, flat views, and simplest of shading is completely out of place today. Comics used to be this bad because it was a young science. No one knew how to do better. Now, we do, or should.
I admit that I’m probably just missing something about Olympia. I have respect for those who came before, but I don’t think we need to repeat the past to honor it. Olympia may be a fun little read for some fans seeking a nostalgia overdose, but I don’t see it going far with any one else.
Straight of out the Silver Age
But I'm not sure that's a good thing. Olympia is a nice homage to things passed, but the old-world sensibilities are way out-classed by modern talent.
Brian Reed
Brian has been reading comics since January, 1987, when the death of Optimus Prime rocked his young world. Once a regular presenter on The Nerdstravaganza Podcast, Brian now writes for Florida Geek Scene.
