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Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs (review)

Williams, who’s been the go-to woman for comic book adaptations since back in the day when pickin’s were slim, offers nine engrossing myths and historic legends in her signature style of humorous illustration and schtick-laced word bubbles paired with serious narrative. The first four entries include a creation story, the well-known tale of Isis and Osiris, and stories of treachery and vengeance between Seth and Horus, which surely rival anything classical mythology can offer in terms of family dysfunction among the gods. The following five entries focus on historical figures—Zoser, Hatshepsut, Thutmose, Tutankhamen, and Cleopatra—with an eye toward capturing their legends rather than reconstructing historical events. Williams makes the most of her layouts, with a full-spread battle scene between Horus and hippo-morphed Seth, foldouts of Zoser’s step pyramid and Tutankhamen’s burial, and a painted papyrus map of the Nile region. A running strip of papyrus at the bottom of the pages is allotted to Ra’s cat, who offers some largely unnecessary (and sometimes visually distracting) remarks on life in ancient Egypt. Children who enjoy Williams’ volume of classic myths will welcome this trek deep, deep into the past. EB