About two years ago, I was on Facebook and for months, I was flooded with advertisements about this webcomic and I mean BOMBARDED! Like, 12-15 suggestions a day. It was crazy. I ignored it until I was at Cosplacon 2019 and I couldn’t sleep. So, seeing this familiar, colorful suggestion, I looked for the app on my phone: Webtoons. I was delighted to see it is free and there are thousands of comics made by independent artists, all expressive, talented, and unique. This title that had to smack my head, siren calling me to read it was the first suggestion, the #1 comic on the app. I began to give it a try since it involved Greek Mythology, something I loved and one of my favorite ships:
And I was hooked, reading all 56 chapters that were out at that time in one night (each chapter only takes 2-3 minutes to read)!
I fell into the rabbit hole that was “Lore Olympus” by Rachel Smythe and I never looked back, proud to go in deeper.
The first thing that drew my attention in the art. The pop color style is stunning, modern, bright art that comes to life in front of your eyes. The lines are simple, but the backgrounds somehow flow like a picture of water. You can see the progression of style with each chapter, how the creator grows. The love is in every stroke and the wild colors will make you never forget it.
Now, the setting! We have the gods of ancient Greece, already a big sell for many. Yet, at first, you think it is the gods living in a more modern environment for they are wearing hip clothes, dapper suits, and use cell phones and computers. Skyscrapers grow towards the skylines and fancy cars lining the streets. Some of the gods run businesses similar to ours today. The main character goes to college and shares an apartment with another goddess. It is such a neat idea. Then, soon, you find out this is their own realm. When they go through the door, they are going to the MORTAL WORLD, which is in ancient Greece. The immortals go through and are wearing traditional togas and gowns, accessories, and detailed hairdos that fit the period. The mortals here fit the part of their original worshippers that we read in history books. Mt. Olympus, Earth, and The Underworld are all present, breathing life of their own.
The story is squealing, table flip, awwwing, roller coaster of emotions worthy in each chapter. You can tell the story was really thought out from the beginning, each part with a purpose, and the fun moments are lines perfectly placed. It takes known lore of these characters, but adds a depth that is relatable to them, a twist that makes it fresh and engaging. This whole comic is fresh and refreshing in general. It also tackles difficult topics in tasteful and informative ways, such a sexual assault, bullying, cheating, toxic relationship, self-worth, mental illness, mandated reporting, and such. These eternal beings go through hardships as mortals do, but it helps connect the readers who have experienced these. The artist even does give warns before the more troubling scenes to help not trigger anyone, that sensitivity kind.
The best part? The characters! The quirks each one has for their modern form are entertaining. Persephone, our lead, is a sweetheart. Innocent to the world as a young goddess, her heart pure for she doesn’t want to hurt anyone, a shy, smart, country girl that just wants friends at first. Yet, she is strong in her own way, probably one of the strongest characters I have ever read about. There is so much more to her lurking underneath. It is really interesting how she has these conflicting abilities even the gods are baffled by and when she is nervous or going through stress or teenage ‘feelings,’ she cannot control her powers and her hair grows, giving the author a tons of chances for CUTE hair styles. I love her clothes too. Moving on… The goddess of spring is endearing, loving animals. good at cooking, trying to make her mother proud although she has her own dreams. Although she goes through confusion and tragedy, there is a calm about her, a tenderness that makes you want to be around her. She also has a wisdom that surprises you, making her the perfect companion.
There there is Hades. First off…YUMMY! He is one of my biggest animated crushes of all time. Look at him?! A sharp dresser, charming, adorkable when nervous, a little gloomy and dark, a true gentleman, wise and witty, loves dogs, can run a kingdom and country but still get jittery when the girl of his dreams touches his hand, respectful, loyal, good at chores… He really is perfect and this is how I always imagined Hades, the brother who got the short end of the stick and just had to deal with it. He’s a dream come true!
He and Persephone have some of the greatest chemistry I have ever read. They mesh together so well, able to read each other’s actions and their conversations flow naturally. These two are always there for each other, even when they are trying to hide their attraction because they are boss and employee or one is in a relationship for the moment. The example I go to is when Persephone has flashbacks of a traumatic event and can’t sleep, not long after she ran away from Hades. She summons him and he comes, his first question asking tenderly if she is okay. And he is a gentleman, staying with her until she can sleep. Not judging, just being there and listening. That is true devotion. They also accept each other’s pasts with patience, understanding, and honesty, even their true godly forms going nuts and they call each other by their true names. Their moments of growing a deeper rapport are beautiful, heartwarming, and sometimes soul-crushing, but I get thrilled reading it every time. I cannot express how precious this ‘couple’ is. They will capture your heart like the first buds of spring.
The other characters are excellent for the story and evolve in their own ways. Again, it is a treasure to see how their modern counterparts compare/contrast to the myths passed down. Zeus is too much, so extra, not always the nicest. Hera is depressed in her rapport, but she has more respect for herself here and I have to commend how she helped Persephone during her hardest times. Posideon is a total goofy surfer dude. Demeter is a savvy businesswoman and helicopter mom. Hecate is a true friend to our pretty love birds, darkly enchanting and smart as a whip. Aphrodite is lovely and lethal, but she also loves to gossip about break-ups and yell at Ares for plugging in the popcorn maker. Speaking of Ares! HA! He’s a beat-up, jocky jerk that deep down would help you with his jagged teeth. The part when he yells to talk to Persophone on the phone cracks me up so much! Artemis is a strong, independent woman, a good roomie, but I feel for her conflict on who to trust right now. Thantos is really growing on me, but now my heart is breaking for him! 🙁 And little Hebe is precious! I do look forward to learning more about Hephatasus, The Fates, Dinoyosus, Athena, Hecate, Pan, and others. Some have them have been in it very little or have not been introduced yet.
My two favorite side characters by far are Eros (above)! Oh, this is my best guy friend! He is a true friend to our spring maiden and is as darling as can be. Plus, his fashion is impeccable (a sexy man who can wear a plum tracksuit with a matching boa and kitty ears and own it is part of my squad!). How he wishes our girl a happy birthday, or evacuation from the womb day, is a riot and a greeting I use now! LOL! Plus, how they wrote his love story with Psyche squeezes at your heart. I put my trust in him in the toughest of times. I also adore Hermes (below.) He is such a chill, fun-loving guy, loyal to the end, as cheerful and good crazy as his tousled hair. He acts like a calm college guy, but when push comes to shove, he has a fire in him for those he loves and will do anything for them. I could hang out with him all day!
Oh! And we all hate Apollo (not pictured) in this series! You’ll learn that quickly (although I like him a lot in “The Percy Jackson” series).
Do I recommend this webcomic? 12/10 pomegranates!!! I have gotten obsessed with this show! Hot Topic and BoxLunch keep making merch. No kidding! I have six shirts/sweatshirts, a mini backpack, three cups, two large stickers, several buttons and enamel pins, a lanyard, and two mini glasses. The two fleece blankets I own of them to are incredible! I know; I am a super fan, but I like this problem. 😉 I DREAM ONE DAY IT WILL BE MADE INTO A SHOW WITH THE SAME ART STYLE!
I’m not the only one! My friend Sarah and I get matching merch. Here is why she likes it:
Amazon Edition:
Barnes And Noble Edition:
These are for part 1. You can also preorder part 2’s books on both sites now. That one releases before Valentine’s Day!
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Color your destiny and keep being amazing! Stay geeky! 🙂
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Educator of young minds by day, super nerdy savior of justice, and cute things by night, Morgan Straughan Comnick has a love for turning the normal into something special without losing its essence. Morgan draws from real-life experiences and her ongoing imagination to spark her writing. In her spare time, she enjoys doing goofy voices, traveling to new worlds by turning pages, humming child-like songs, and forcing people to smile with her “bubbliness.” It is Morgan’s mission in life to spread the amazement of otaku/Japanese culture to the world and to stop bullying; she knows everyone shines brightly.
For more information about Morgan and her works, check out her website, which also has links to all her social medias: http://morganscomnick.com
