Noe’s Comics Nook: Olympia

Review

Elon – a loner, latchkey, comic book loving kid – is reading is favorite superhero comic, ‘Olympian’, when suddenly, none other than Olympian himself comes crashing out of the sky right in front of him. After sneaking medicine from his mom and finding more comics to confirm Olympian’s memory, Elon finds himself on a mission to save not just Olympian, but the entire multiverse when Vilayne and his minions attack! They can’t do it alone though, so first they seek out ‘Olympian’ author Kirby Spiegelman (yes, really), but they might have to same him from himself first…

Writer Curt Piers and his late father Tony conceived of Olympia while Tony was in treatment for cancer and the love found in the story is a testament to their relationship. Chapter Three: The Ballad of Kirby Spiegelman, superbly guest illustrated by Jason Copland, is a masterclass on what it looks like when everything is going wrong and depression becomes too much. While Elon’s story is the one of hope you expect, the chance to watch Kirby survive and climb out of that hole, of that dark place, is the part of this comic that will stick with me. That and the moment Olympian cries out, “Say a prayer… and crack the sky!”

Olympia is truly a love letter to comics, tugging smartly on tropes from the superhero genre while weaving together a story of grief and hope that leaves the reader shaken – but in a good way that you won’t soon forget.

Elements of Story

Plot: When Elon’s favorite comic book superhero, Olympian, crashes down in front of him for real, he finds himself in a race to save the not only the Olympian, but the multiverse – including saving Olympian’s earthly comics creator from himself.

Characters: Olympian, Vilayne, Elon Andrews, Joyce Andrews (Mom), School Teachers & Classmates, Security Guards, Godbox, Olympian’s Father, Kirby Spiegelman, Comics Shop Owner, Jeff (Empire Comics), Bartender, Janice (Kirby’s ex-wife), Wally Toth, Jacob (Kirby’s son), Rod, Maximus, Elon’s Dad

Major Settings: New Olympus, Olympia (woods, Andrews home, school, comics shop, downtown area buildings), Castle Rock (Spiegelman home(s), Nanta (bar), lakeside), DARPA Lab

Themes: Loss, grief, hope, suicide, redemption, family, superheroes

Lesson Plan Idea Using Common Core Standards (CCS)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9 – Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Directions: Olympia is described as a “love letter to the comics medium” – in this case, comics serving as shorthand for superhero comics specifically – and it is a description well earned. While it is written with a fair bit of cursing, it’s themes of hope and redemption in the face of loss – not to mention the throwback artistic style – are pure superhero comics. This presents an opportunity to analyze similar themes across different works in the same genre and medium.
For this assignment, students are asked to read Olympia and another comic in the superhero genre of their choice. While I suggest they read something by the late Jack Kirby (from any of the Fourth World or Thor in particular), the recent Mister Miracle by Tom King and Mitch Gerads, or from Mighty Thor that sees Jane Foster fulfill superhero demands while having cancer, any comic that deals with similar themes is appropriate. After reading both comics, students will prepare a written report that addresses the following:

1. Briefly describe the plot and themes of each comic (2 to 3 paragraphs)
2. Compare and contrast both the writing and illustration of each comic (2 to 4 paragraphs)
3. Make an argument for one comic over the other for understanding the themes presented and provide textual/visual examples to make your case (2 paragraphs)