The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel: Deluxe Edition

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Author(s)

Gareth Hinds

Publisher

Candlewick Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

10+

Release Date

May 12, 2026

ISBN

978-1536254525

Buy This Book

With bold imagery and an ear tuned to the music of Homer’s epic poem, award-winning graphic artist Gareth Hinds reinterprets the ancient classic as it’s never been told before. A New York Times bestseller, now in a sumptuous collectible edition with new cover design, gold foil, and painted edges.

“Gareth Hinds brings The Odyssey to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this graphic novel is a worthy new interpretation of Homer’s epic.” —Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Fresh from his triumphs in the Trojan War, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, wants nothing more than to return home to his family. Instead, he offends the sea god, Poseidon, who dooms him to years of shipwreck and wandering. Battling man-eating monsters, violent storms, and the supernatural seductions of sirens and sorceresses, Odysseus will need all his strength and cunning—and a little help from Mount Olympus—to make his way home and seize his kingdom from the schemers who seek to wed his queen and usurp his throne. Gareth Hinds masterfully reinterprets a story of heroism, adventure, and high action that has been told and retold for more than 2,500 years—though never quite like this.

Editor review

1 review

engaging adaptation of the classic

May 16, 2026 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

THE ODYSSEY: A GRAPHIC NOVEL is an interesting adaptation of the original classic that brings the story to the next generation. The graphic novel follows the original closely, telling the story of Odysseus as he traverses on his way home and encounters all manner of dangerous things.

What I loved: This is an interesting new way to share THE ODYSSEY with young readers. The images have a unique, sketch-like quality that feels realistic with detailed people and mythological beings. The use of color was interesting and gave it an older feel throughout while capturing the emotions of the scenes along the journey.

The font selected for the text was clear and easy to read with speech bubbles appearing in white to aid with readability. The original story seemed well-captured in the book with all the key elements of the journey included. Due to content and length of text in places, this will work best for older readers.

What left me wanting more: The text was very dense on some pages, almost like an illustrated chapter book more than a graphic novel. This is probably to avoid having to make it too long, so that some things can be described more than shown. For graphic novel lovers, this may feel a bit dense in places. Additionally, this will work best for older readers, and the illustrations the same. There are some bloody and mildly graphic violent imagery that will work best for older middle grade and YA readers (might lean more to the YA side).

Final verdict: THE ODYSSEY: A GRAPHIC NOVEL is an engaging adaptation of the classic that captures the key elements of the story along with plenty of illustrations and thoughtful selection of text. This will work best for older MG and YA readers.