steppenwolf presents
ABRIDGED
odysseus surveyed the burning ruin that once was the mighty city of troy.
it was his ruse—the gift of a wooden horse—that enabled his warriors to breach the gates and lay waste to the city. a 10 year battle had ended, and now his thoughts turned towards his beautiful wife penelope.
had he been able to read the portents in the smoke above troy, he would have known it would be another 10 years before he would see home again.
while sailing home, odysseus and his men foraged—and pirated—provisions along the way. one expedition led them afoul of the gigantic cyclops, who trapped them in a cave. the ever-resourceful odysseus blinded the cyclops, allowing his men to escape!
For every trial he overcame, the gods placed three more in his path. Odysseus knew he must seek supernatural counsel.
as the cries of the scylla tore through the air, it devoured six of odysseus’ men. barely escaping with their lives, the crew landed on a nearby island.
As Odysseus stood over the gaping maw of hades, he prayed that the witch circe was right.
.
it was she who told him that he must journey to the realm of the dead to learn how he could finally return home. Armed with secret knowledge, Odysseus set out to face the monsters Scylla and Charybdis.
Ignoring the warnings from hades, they slaughtered the cattle of helios, the sun god. in his wrath, helios sent a storm which killed the remaining crew, and left odysseus shipwrecked on the island of calypso. he would remain there for seven years as the gods decided his fate.
meanwhile...
As Odysseus struggled to return, a horde of violent suitors lay seige to his home. The interlopers were attempting to seduce Penelope and usurp his throne! the competition had been fierce and bloody. at the beginning of the trojan war there were over a hundred suitors.
now only four remain. will one win penelope’s hand before the warrior odysseus returns?
Illustrations: Dav Yendler davyendler.com