Stickman and his Quest

As soon as I saw the cover for STICKMAN ODYSSEY, BOOK ONE, AN EPIC DOODLE by Christopher Ford (Philomel 2011), I knew it was going into my TBR stack and pretty near the top at that. Having suffered through (erm, enjoyed) The Odyssey and watched as the three granddaughters did the same, I was curious to see how this book might play out. One word: HILARIOUSLY! Of course, it did help to have some background knowledge to get all of the inside jokes and references, but I can see this book perhaps serving as a gateway in the opposite direction: as a prelude to further study of Gerek myths and epics. Zozimos battles golems and other creatures that intend him harm as he struggles to find his way back home again. He is aided by a hermit who believes he is hideous and two women he meets in his journeys. I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful ladder that includes George O'Connor's HERA (in which Heracles figures prominently) and, at the other end, Garth Hinds' graphic novel version of The Odyssey (Candlewick 2010). <407>