Blood and Rain
Blood for the Masses

Originally published in SavageNight Ezine

300
Story and Art by
Frank Miller

Reviewed by
B.L.Morgan

5 Stars

Q: When can a graphic novel be elevated to the level of high art?
A: When truly beautiful and stylish artwork and resonating dialogue is used to illustrate a story of epic proportions that tell a tale of a heroic struggle against insurmountable odds.

At The Battle Of Thermopylae in 480BC 300 Spartan warriors delayed an invading Persian army of somewhere around 150,000 combat troops long enough so that the rest of the cities of Greece could raise armies and stop their country from being invaded. It was a suicide mission from the beginning.

The king of Sparta, Leonidas knew the odds were overwhelmingly in favor of the enemy. It didn't matter. To the last man, the 300 Spartans fought and died. None gave nor asked for mercy.

The artwork in 300 is moody, tense and in some places downright gross. Hand to hand combat with swords and spears is not a pretty sight. Frank Miller shows this kind of warfare in all its ugliness.

Do I recommend 300 by Frank Miller? You better believe I do! I've never read any story better than this in any medium.

The glorious stand of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae still echoes in history nearly 2500 years after it took place. Frank Miller's interpretation of this historic battle does it justice.

I doubt that the historical accounts tell the side story of betrayal and the treachery of the humpback as he sides with Xerxes and the Persians. But this is what makes up a great piece of fiction, the unexpected and untold story of gods and ghosts. This is one of the best graphic novels ever produced. It has enraged some historians and students of the Battle of Thermopylae, however, taken for exactly what it is; fiction based on a historical event, it is an amazing piece of work. Frank Miller is truly and artist and that includes his ability to tell a story.

If I wanted a historical account I would read "Gates of Fire," or watch the History Channel's account of the Spartans. But for the richness of imagery Miller has put into this book, I can forgive him for not representing King Leonidas as an old man. I also enjoy the way Miller has represented the Lakedaemonians (Spartans) as more than just men, but as Greek warriors, the epitome of physical power and proportion. This includes giving them manly facial hair and leaving their protective uniforms off showing every muscle and tendon.

Lynn Varley set a great tone, pun indented, with colors and gives continuity to the book. It is a complete piece of work from beginning to end, you have a feeling of great power and immanent doom. Anyone who had to learn the story of the Hot Gates will enjoy this as much as the teenager who never learned why their school mascot was a Spartan.

If you're a fan of comics, graphic novels, or (especially) Frank Miller, then I'd consider this a must-read. The art and color are both beautiful. Although the movie contains almost everything in the novel, it is still well worth reading even if you've seen the movie. I also enjoyed the movie and thought that a lot of the cinematography was spectacular, and the reason for that is because they remained faithful to the style of the novel.

If you don't own a copy then at least borrow one from a friend or the library and read it because it simply looks amazing.

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.

I bought this book because I really liked the movie. I bought it for the entertainment value, and not the historical lesson. I think that in this day and age, if you are looking to Hollywood for a historical lesson, you are totally wasting your time and money. Real history rarely makes good entertainment. The artwork and coloring is off the charts as far as detail. The movie and the book are almost identical. The movie had a few scenes in it that weren't in the book, but they probably did that so they could have a full length movie. The book isn't really that long. It takes about 45 minutes to read cover to cover. The dialog in the book and the movie are nearly identical as well. I am very happy with my purchase and will definetly buy more of Frank Miller's work.

I've read reviews in here of people complaining that the graphic novel isn't representative of the movie. Of course not! The graphic novel came first! Anyone intersted in Frank Miller artwork would love adding this to their collection.

This is one of the best comics I have ever read, it is very awesome, and possibly even better than the movie.

I am very happy with this product, arrived SUPER fast and was as promised, doesn't get much better!

This book has presents the historic battle of the spartans, the art is relly strong and definatly Frank Miller knows how to tell stroy. This is a Must have.

"300" is Frank Miller's take on the 480 BCE Battle of Thermopylae, in which a small Greek army (including the three hundred Spartans of the title) held off a much larger invading Persian army. Miller's tale focuses on Spartan King Leonidas, courageous to the point of brashness. Leonidas is prone to walking around in a loincloth (if that) and a billowing blood-red cape. When in battle, he tops this off with a bronze helmet. His opponent, Xerxes, is dark-skinned, pierced with facial rings and bedecked fabulously in gold. Leonidas is a man who defends freedom. Xerxes fashions himself a god, and insists on the subjugation of everyone. The inevitable battle between the two is rendered in all its bloody glory, with Spartan lances and obscenely-hooked Persian arrows uses to the utmost to impale and skewer their hapless foes.

The story is told with all the martial gusto that Miller could manage. The Spartans are honor-driven and ultra-hardened by a lifetime of punishing training. They are happiest when they are war, or at least taunting their foes before battle. Taken at face value, the story is exhilarating and compelling. Miller's art, plotline and spare dialog ably portray the fury of battle, the pride of the Spartans and the megalomania of Xerxes. As can be expected, geographical features are exaggerated for effect, making the hazards more hazardous and the perils more perilous.

Aside from the fact that the forces of Leonidas and Xerxes did fight, I'm not sure how much history anyone can take from story. Were the Spartans really abstract lovers of freedom, or some force of extreme libertarianism? Were Persians as dark-skinned as shown here, or is some sort of quasi-racist use of skin color to convey purity of spirit? Did Spartans really do all their fighting with their long lances? The story's two subtexts -- freedom versus slavery and old ways (religion) ways versus new (reason) -- seemed somewhat grafted onto the story. But no wonder the tale (the movie, especially) is so popular with US fighters in Iraq. Whether the parallels are apt is something that need not be discussed here.

In any case, "300" is an excellent showcase of the graphic novel medium. The story is bloody and brutal (but not gory) with occasional glimpses and hints of mostly male nudity. Great action, great color and excellent plotting that deserves a 4.5, but I'll round up.

A fantasizes interpretation of the battle of Thermopylae from Mr.Frank Miller (sin city) The theme of , when you go down you go down fighting , is still here . So are the Greeks and Persians , but the facts are altered a little . I didn't know the persians employed basketball players as emperors.

It's still an enjoyable graphic novel . Showing what we, the man tribe, do best , fighting one another . And not forgetting the coffee table size of the book that adds to the macho tendencies it offers .

I purchased this for my husband who has always been intrigued with the story, he liked it almost as much as the movie !

The detail and concept are quite interesting.
Generates alot of discussion when used as a coffee table book.

I am a Frank Miller Fan and this is one of his better works. Ifyou have seen the movie then this is a nice companion so you can view how they captured MR Miller's imagery with live actors

a must have for 300 fans, definitely alot cheaper than Barnes&noble or borders. i was a little disappointed because one of the corners was a little bent from bouncing around in the box, and the pages didn't sit straight on the book when u looked at it sideways, as if humidity had gotten to it, or something, but aside from that it was a good buy.

the artwork was awesome in that frank miller sort of way. also the story was just way better than i expected. all in all it was a great book.

This is the ultimate 300 experience. This book is a must have for anyone who loves comic books.

What can I say, it's Frank Miller's epic opus. I believe every other review has covered the nuances of this graphic novel. I actually read it late in the game, having vaguely heard of it before but not actually laying hands on the book until after the movie came out. Both the movie and the book prompted me to revisit the historical accounts of the Spartans' valiant struggle against overwhelming odds. For some reason, Thermopylae reminds me of JFK - I believe he quoted the famous epitaph in one of his speeches. If 300 inspires young and old to read up on history because of the valor of its protagonists, it will have served its purpose.

This book was recommended to me by my boyfriend who is a big Frank Miller Fan. I have to say I definitely can see why. Not only is he a great story teller but an incredible artist, as you will see if you read this Graphic Novel.

It's the story of The Battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartan Warriors lead by their King Leonidas, defend their beloved Greece against a Persian Emperor with an army of hundreds of thousands.

Now this Graphic Novel has been turned into a movie, and they stuck to Frank Millers story and brought his art work to life.

A retelling of the battle of Thermopylae. Miller is taking the style that it appears he now works in, a la Sin City, and applied it to this historical recreation. No detailed wedding tackle for those hoping for such.

A story of the uncompromising military attitude (and xenophobia, of course) that leads to a last stand.

Although I had seen the recent film adaption of this graphic novel the novel is in itself far better in its simplicity. With one or two words, you understand the harsh life of the Spartans and the task at hand in this story.

There's been a lot of attention paid to this comic book series since the movie was released based on it, and I have to say I don't know what all the excitement was about. Generally speaking, I like Miller's work, both his writing and his drawing style. But this thing is just silly. Historically, in fact, it's a bad joke. Both the Persians and the Greeks mostly look Moorish, not Aryan at all. And Xerxes (who appears sub-Saharan) is a travesty, with piercings all over his face. The hoplites seem to have no food, no baggage, and no spare weapons, which is unhistorical. Nor was facial hair allowed. Also, hoplites were heavy infantry -- emphasis on "heavy" -- and they most certainly did NOT fight near-naked. The Immortals are pure Hollywood in appearance. The Phocian wall, where the heaviest fighting took place, was NOT built for the occasion but was already a centuries-old old frontier fortification. Not to mention -- where exactly IS the Spartan phalanx? And on and on. . . . Thermopylae is a great subject for a graphic novel, but this treatment of it is just dumb.

This is a MUST HAVE for every fan of the 300 film! It is truly amazing how they adapted the movie from this incredibly well written graphic novel!

After viewing the movie 300 I wanted to see the graphic novel that started it all. The novel is amazing! The novel creates a visual representation of historical events for readers. The quality of the graphics is wonderful. This is well worth purchasing both because of the graphics and its historical value.

I took this book for one that would actually tell more of the tale and illustrate it. In fact, there is very little of the story, and it is more of a table book for guests to browse through in a few minutes over cocktails. It should have been made more clear that it was a picture book, not a fleshed-out account of the event.

This is a great book with lots of cool art and a great story. Definitely worth buying.

This was a real disappointment. Great artwork, and that's about all. Otherwise, it is predictable, laden with bigoted stereotypes, and just lacking in substance. Surprisingly short and spare in content. Contrast this with Alan Moore's outstanding "V for Vendetta".

Ultimately, this is a conservative screed suggesting the current hysteria dubbed the "Clash of Civilizations" by Harvard racist Samuel Huntington. If any doubt this, they need only check the "Recommended Reading" at the end, which includes "The Western Way of War" by the right-wing bigot Victor Davis Hanson.

- For example, "The 300" of the title are betrayed by a hideously deformed Spartan -- the standard association of "bad" and "ugly".

- Miller and Varley try to conceal the essentially racist overtones of their work by making the vast majority of the characters African in physical attributes.

- Like George Lucas and Star Wars, the authors do not seem to grasp the essential contradiction in lauding the ostensibly "democratic" Greek Spartans with their King Leonidas.

This is a great book (comic book). I studied it for one of my MA classes in history and the book has many political and social commentaries. The movie adaptation is AMAZING. The graphics are insane and the social and political commentaries are even that much more apparent. This book is a great addition to any book collection and will be a great companion to the DVD (which is bound to come out here in the semi-near future).

Great Book. When you read it, you will see that the movie it quite true to it. It is a little pricey though. For working adults like myself, it was a good read that did not occupy much of my time. The whole book is less than 100 pages long. With hindsight, I would buy it again, especially if it was cheaper.

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.

Great graphic novel, Frank Miller never disappoints. Definitely see the movie as well and pick up the Sin City graphic novels. This one is definitely a classic, and the artwork is beautiful.

Okay, I'll admit I got this after seeing the movie (which I loved). I've never really gotten into graffic novels but maybe I should since i enjoyed this book so much. The movie really was very faithful to the book's visuals. The artwork is great!

if you liked the movie youll LOVE this book. the paintings are great and the story is cool. moves a little slow in parts....

Frank Miller never fails to disappoint. This telling of the grand Battle of Thermopalae (I know I mispelled that) is filled with everything that makes his work so great. 300 Spartans against insurmountable odds yet manage to find a victory that resonates throughout all time. Is it silly and over the top? Yes. Is it politically charged and biasd? Yes. Is it equally appicable to current events? Yes. Does it still manage to resonate themes that all humanity should appreciate and embrace? Yes. Is it a form of literature? Hell yes. Miller demonstrates exactly how words and pictures in unison can tell a tale worthy of any homeric epic. Highly recommended.

I'm very happy to the service received by Amazon related to the purchase that I did. The book that I purchased it's shipped on time and without any defects. In my opinion just a little bit expensive the transportation cost.

The legendary Battle of Thermopylae is one of the greatest battles in history, but somehow it seems like an odd choice for a comic book.

But Frank Miller, who was enamoured of the story even as a kid, brought it to vibrant life in the sprawling graphic novel "300," which is all about what caused the battle, and how it ended. With a tightly wound plot and colourful, striking artwork, this is perhaps the most impressive dramatization of this battle... except for the movie based on this book.

A Persian messenger arrives, telling King Leonidas that the god-king Xerxes wants the Spartans to bow to him. Leonidas' response: shove the Persians into a pit. But before he can go to war, he must consult the corrupt priesthood of Ephors and their beautiful Oracle. She predicts that Sparta will fall and the gods forbid war at the approach of the Carneaian festival -- courtesy of a hefty bribe from the Persians.

So Leonidas takes out three hundred of his best men, along with their nervy Arcadian allies, and begin trouncing the Persians. But they are being sabotaged, when he sadly tells hunchbacked outcast Ephialtes that he cannot be a part of the Spartan army because he cannot lift his shield high enough. So the embittered Ephialtes reveals their plan to Xerxes, as Leonides prepares the 300 for their final stand -- a battle that lasted days, and left only one alive.

Not a lot of comic books tackle ancient Grecian culture, and even fewer could bring it to life. But Frank Miller's enthusiasm for the Thermopylae story is what makes it come to life -- he crafts a taut, sparely-written storyline, sprinkled with ethereal moments and some grotesque bad guys.

Miller's art is reminiscent of the "Sin City" series, with grotesque old wrecks, muscular men and the occasional seminaked woman. Even more so, he shows graphic battle scenes, full of shattered bloodied bodies and severed limbs, and even adds in some great variety by introducing Xerxes' Immortals, which are silver-masked uberwarriors. Creepy.

But Miller doesn't neglect the storyline. He explores the maneuvers and problems in detail, and even adds both hatred and pathos for Ephialtes. And when they aren't fighting, he explores the way the soldiers lived and thought -- teasing, telling stories, making fun of the Athenians, and even on their injuries ("It's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare").

And Leonides is one of Miller's greatest characters. He's a tough, potentially vicious king who (as Miller shows us) killed a giant wolf as a kid, but he's also honorable, impressive, and even shows kindness to Ephialtes (who, by Spartan law, should be dead). And Miller gives personality to various other characters, including a clumsy young soldier, the arrogant Xerxes (who has the nastiest body piercings), and the only
Spartan to survive.

"300" is an epic story, full of graphic batles and larger than life characters. This battle may be an unlikely choice for a comic book, but it's also one of the most memorable.

we wanted the book that the movie 300 was based on. this said it was that book. when we got it it was a comic type book. very disappointed with that.

This graphic novel retells the ancient story of the stand by 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. There, the Spartan King Leonidas and his army held off the Persian tyrant and his mighty empire for three days, giving Greece and the entire idea of freedom time to survive. Leonidas and the Spartans are not presented here as Disney-esque, sugar-coated heroes. Instead, they are shown with all of their bravery and cruelty as they make their noble stand.

This book, and the subsequent movie, made quite a splash, and seeing it now certainly shows you why. The story is powerful and enthralling, and the illustration work goes along excellently with it, adding to the power of the story. I think that this is a great graphic novel, one that is certain to be considered a classic. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

I'm writing my review in response to this frequent comment: "I did not know this was a COMIC BOOK (shudder!)"

There are many different ways were there to come to the conclusion that this product was not a book, but rather a graphic novel. Any one method or even a combination of methods would be appropriate:

1. Use the look inside feature on Amazon, and view some of the pages of a product. If this feature was used on the 300 comic book, it would show that 300 shockingly has words juxtaposed next to pictures, and therefor a comic book.

2. View other peoples comments and reviews on Amazon and in this way glean that the product is a comic book.

3. Google the title, find reviews, etc. There would be plenty sources that would acknowledge that 300 is a comic book.

4. Go a store, open the book up or see what section it is in, which would probably be the graphic novel section.

If someone buys a product knowing absolutely nothing, and then say there were mislead then they are an idiot. In our consumer-based society there are so many ways to find information on a product before buying it. And the motto: "caveat emperor" always applies (just in case you don't the meaning of this phrase, it means buyer beware.) If you buy something, and know nothing about it, it is metaphorically equivalent to the small child chasing a shiny object.

The idiots that bought a product they know nothing about, further show their stupidity by giving the product a poor review because of it's chosen medium: the comic book. They believe that comic books are for children or "stupid" uncultured adults. This an incorrect, elitist view of comic books. It is funny that people can hold such views with little knowledge of the comic books, graphic novels or trade paperbacks; especially after making a mistake in buying a product they know nothing about.

Here is a quick tutorial that I hope those high-minded individuals who think little of the non-comic book can comprehend (If you are familiar with these terms feel free to skip the next 6 paragraphs to see my review of 300. No cheating those that disparage the comic book form- this is for you.) :

The comic book is a monthly publication, a lot like a magazine. A reader experiences the comic book both through the words and pictures found in panels, a lot like the cartoon section of the newspaper. Like books, comic books have different genres: superhero, western, science fiction, fantasy, horror etc. They also appeal to different audiences from children to adults. The comics that are written today are very different than those written in the past. They feature more complex stories, dialogue and art.

Oftentimes the comic books are popular enough to print in more hardy publication method, much like a paperback book. These are called trade paperbacks, which collect about five normal comic stories into one book. They have been around for a while but are now growing in popularity. Ironically trade paperbacks often sell better than the original comics they contain. This is a similar phenomenon to the cancelled tv shows that are later bestsellers as dvds.

A graphic novel is almost an interchangeable term with trade paperback. Except that it would be incorrect to call all graphic novels trade paperbacks. (This is a lot like the idea that a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square.) There are some writers that decide they would rather used the format of a comic book without making a monthly publication. These writers skip to the graphic novel form and make a comic book that is bound like a book. These graphic novels are not correctly named trade paperbacks. Don't be fooled with by the comic book form, many tales that aren't common comic book fare are made into graphic novels.

For instance there is Maus by Art Speigelman. Maus recalls use the graphic novel format to tell the tale of a holocaust survivor, with anthropomorphic characters. (animals with human characteristics, in this case: humanoid mice, dogs, cats, pigs, etc., this technique is also used George Orwell and other writers. ) A great story that benefits from the comic medium. Maus is highly praised, won awards and is study by academics, which is a lot to say for a comic book.

There is also Persepolis by Marjane Satarape, an autobiographical tale of an Iranian girl growing up through the 1980's and trying to cope with all the political upheaval in her country.

Another great graphic novel is Jimmy Corrigan, Smartest Kid in the World. This book looks at the story of Jimmy who meets his father after a long absence. It also looks at his father's history as well. Never has the human feeling of embarrassment and loneliness hit home for me than in this story.

So, back to 300. You could call it a graphic novel, or comic book. Trade paperback wouldn't really make sense as much because it is hardcover.

I thought that the art was very expressive, particularly the coloring. The story was very unique and entertaining, and it was told mostly by the pictures. I followed the path that most reader went and didn't glare at all the historical inaccuracies. I feel the courage and the dedication of the 300 soldiers shined through the story. Yes, the fighting is fantastic and not strictly how it occurred historically. But the gritty reality of the man to man, spear to spear style of combat translates well. The violence is not only just demonstrated, it is felt by the reader. The greates goal this graphic novel can accomplish is to get people interested in the real story, and perhaps history in general.

The Persians in this story are the enemy and the Spartans are the protagonists, that is why they are shown as so strange, foreign and depraved. Miller doesn't have an agenda in this story, he just wants you to fear the Persians and sympathize with the Spartans. I don't care if this portrayal is accurate because it is fiction. I know a little about this battle myself. (I have read Herodotus) I know enough to pick out the inaccuracies. I don't judge Persia or Iran differently because of 300 and I don't think anyone else in America does either.

I don't think that this was the greatest graphic novel I read, or even really all that exceptional. I would say that it was good and worth a read by most people. There is a wonderful place called a library where people can borrow books and even graphic novels. This way people can read something without having to purchase it. I also recommended that those with such strong feelings against comics books and graphic novels actually read one, especially Maus, Persepolis, or Jimmy Corrigan. You might actually be surprised what wonders open up to you when you open your mind.

Frank Miller has a portfolio to justify buying this book alone much less actually seeing it and being able to read through it.

An amazing work, by an Amazing writer. If you like Frank Miller, or comics in general, get this book.

Well... enough and more reviews have been posted about the historic aspects and graphic aspects of the book and the movie... all i'd like to say is that this is an awesome collector's book and if you love greek and roman history like me dont even hesitate.... buy this... frank miller gives a whole new dimension to the "turning point batte of greek history".... worth the money...

I didn't realize I was ordering a comic book. Next time I place an order I will be more careful!

I gave this graphic novel only two stars because it so terribly misrepresented the history of the Battle of Thermopylae, a critical point in Western history. Had the Greeks not been able to delay the Persians, the Athenians would not have had time to withdraw their people from Athens to the island of Salamis nor would they have been able to have rallied the navies of the other Greek city-states to the Straits of Salamis to defeat the Persian fleet. This is a critical turning point in Western history and needs to be told truly, not made into a comic book fantasy. And that is what Frank Miller did. He made the history into a fantasy, complete with a monster for the traitor and a cross-dressing transvestite of dubious sexuality for Xerxes. That dubious sexuality for the Persian enemy was especially ironic given what we know of Ancient Greek, and especially Spartan, sexual practices. Try reading Steven Pressfield's [i]Gates of Fire[/i] for a fictional version of the Battle of Thermopylae that holds true to the history as we know it.

I gave the book two stars for its stunningly good artwork, but that does not make up for its bad history.

Con el hype de la pelicula estrenandose muchos caemos en el error de comparar el comic con la novela. Lo que puedo decir es que la idea romantica del honor esta muy bien representada en este libro. Toma en cuenta muchas situaciones que inspiraron al pueblo griego (los gritos de batalla ahora son usados en los estandartes de los ejercitos).

Frank Miller nunca se ha caracterizado por que sus dibujos sean detallados o proporcionales. En realidad son a veces burdos, pero al final del dia le da mucho libertad a la forma de narrar la epica. Y es ahi donde es el fuerte de Frank Miller.

Shows how well the movie was adapted. A beautiful graphic interpretation of the story of Leonidas' effort against the Persian invasion.

I'm being a fan from Frank Miller since his books of Batman. When I find out that the 300 book is gonna be in a movie i just can't believe. I think it was dificult to capture the images from the book to put into the big screen. The drawings of 300 are unique and is a piece worth collectible!

Luis

The hardcover collection of 300 by frank miller is a very good comic. I had seen the movie first, and had high hopes for the original comic. The comic is much better than the movie. First, all the mushy love-scenes that took up so much time in the movie did not originate from the book. All it contains is the story of a group of men defending their country. If you like the art of Sin City then you will probably also like this comic, because Miller's typical way of drawing is what makes this such a good book. The colors are splattered all over the pages and this gives a sense of actually being in the battle with Leonidas and his men.
The lay out is very clear, with the main picture filling the top 4/5 of the page, and dialogues and such occupying a smaller frame at the bottom, which makes it easy to oversee the scenes.
All in all this is a great book, and definitely worth it.

This book is great. The coloring and drawings are picture perfect. The book is identical to the movie, of course the movie had some extra things added for time. Overall, the book is a best buy.

Si te gustó la película, te gustará tener este libro de colección. Comprenderás como fue creado el estilo visual de la película porque está todo aquí. El director pudo interpretar en la pantalla lo que vió en las páginas de esta novela ilustrada. Es sin duda una sensacional e imaginativa dramatización de fábula, de eventos que sucedieron pero que son engrandecidos por quien los cuenta. Es como un relato heróico que pasa de boca en boca y crece y se magnifican las hazañas cada vez que se cuenta. He aquí una excelente ejemplar de colección para poner en tu mesita de café y que te sirva como una gran pieza de conversación.