There was nothing that particularly spoke to me when it comes to this comic overall.
I found the classic illustration style to be a little too bleak. It fits the subject matter of the myths for sure, but I do believe that this comic misses the chance at using a more contemporary style to invite more people to discover Norse Myths.
Overall, this comic does not lend itself to people who already have a better understanding of those myths either, and it is sort of drab and not at all a fun time to read.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this advanced copy in place of an honest review. When I initially saw this book, I was dying to get ahold of it. As someone who believes in the old gods, and reads a lot relating to Norse Mythology, I was chomping at the bit to start reading it. Everything in this work, I felt, was very well researched and written. The author found a way to stay true to the tales but create his own swing to it. I highly recommend!

A retelling of Norse mythology in graphic novel form that tells their myths about the creation of the realms, where Odin came from, and how he lost his eye.

This is absolutely nothing like pretty much any Norse mythology rewrite I've ever come across. O'Connor went way, way, way back to the most ancient source there is for the Norse myths and stayed true to those. So forget what you think you know about Norse mythology and be prepared to be surprised how much the tales have changed to be in the forms you may know from Rick Riordan or Marvel or other sources.

Notes on content:
Language: I don't remember any swearing
Sexual content: There are some naked people (but strategically positioned so they don't really show anything except a pair of purple butt cheeks at one point). At one point it says Odin lays with a woman, but it doesn't spell out what that means and doesn't show anything.
Violence: There are several battles with some dead figures on page (not very gorily depicted), though Odin losing an eye is the grossest.
Ethnic diversity: The gods/people are White (Scandinavian-looking).
LGBTQ+ content: Some gods seem to spontaneously generate or form asexually from piece of another being.
Other: Odin has an unhealthy obsession with a desire for knowledge.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three all-knowing orators of Valhalla, Kvasir and how Odin wanted to keep command of this strangely-created humanoid – there is a lot in here that the general Norse myth guide cannot get to feature. That said, the big reveal near the end – the actual purpose of Valhalla – should be common enough knowledge. In between the extremes we see just how well these books can be done, and for my sins I didn't expect it to be this competent – I've seen copious graphic novels retelling myth from different corners of the world and it either being too stilted and encyclopaedic, or just too fast and loose. This is much more on the appealingly authentic side of things. Still, I hadn't seen any of the creator's earlier Greek series, but this chunk of story is finely done, even if it could be said to underplay Odin's hubristic search for knowledge. I'm sure we'll touch on Ragnarok more in future books, and in the light of this I'd be eager to be there.

Asgardians: Odin is the first volume in a graphic novel series about Norse gods. The story introduces Odin including how he came to be and how he rose to become the All-Father discussed in many well-known tales. This novel was a great introduction to Norse mythology and even included character profiles and a glossary. The story is shorter, but since it is a graphic novel there is a lot that can be put on a page as there isn’t the need to describe everything with words. The artwork itself did a nice job of portraying everything in the story. The novel is displayed in a way that is accessible to a young adult audience as well as an older audience. The content is also well presented as those with no background of Norse mythology can understand the story and those who do have the background are not bored with the introduction.

I think this series has a ton of potential as there are a lot of great characters to portray. There is a lot of material in the story, so, at times, it is a little hard to engage with it, but it was still interesting. There are a lot of pieces in this story as the creation of the nine realms is explained, the main gods are introduced, and other mythology surrounding Odin are explored. The shortness of the story did mean a lot of material had to be packed into each page. The wealth of resources, while great, felt more educational than pure entertainment. I still enjoyed them, but I expected more actual storylines than what was delivered. Norse mythology is really interesting, and I think this story did a great job at portraying Odin. I look forward to trying the next novel in the series.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, First Second, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I really enjoyed this author’s Olympians graphic novel series, so I was very excited when I found out he was going to be starting a Norse mythology series!

I love mythology, but Norse mythology is one I’m not super familiar with. And I really enjoyed this retelling! We start off with the myth of creation which, again, I didn’t know. But apparently, Odin and his two brothers killed the giant Ymir and made the world and the first two humans from that. They made Midgar from the giant’s eye... 🤢 I did not know any of this! Most of the myths that were retold in this graphic novel I was severely unfamiliar with, so I really enjoyed reading about them! One thing I noticed though, is that Odin is the type of guy to attack first and ask questions never. This guy would just attack people left and right just because he, idk, didn’t like the look of them. Lol. At the end of the book in the author’s notes section called Norse Code (I love this part of the book by the way! It is so informative!), he mentions xenophobia and I was like yes! The way that Odin is portrayed? Absolutely! It made me not like him very much if I’m honest.

Another thing I noticed is that these myths seemed choppy, skipping over things and characters just straight up disappearing at times. Well, the myths seemed fragmented because they are!! Unfortunately, a lot of the original material is either missing or lost, and as a lover of mythology, this makes me so sad! These myths are so interesting and it would’ve been nice to get the complete picture. But I guess that’s just the way history is.

But I very much enjoyed this! I loved learning about Odin and the Norse myths, especially after the Marvel movies totally tainted my knowledge of Norse mythology. The way those movies crammed so much inaccurate information in my head. Lol. And one thing I liked about these myths is how hard they go! In Greek mythology, more often than not, it’s about Zeus romancing anything and everything that passes him by and him just having a bunch of kids. Lol. But this one had a lot of action and fighting, which I enjoyed. Even if Odin was the one to always initiate it, which honestly made me question his sanity 👀😂

I read this authors Greek myth series and when I saw he was doing one for Norse I was thrilled. This is a perfect retelling of Odin’s story

Title: Asgardians: Odin by George O'Connor - A Graphic Novel Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars

As someone with aphantasia who holds a deep passion for folklore and mythology, "Asgardians: Odin" by George O'Connor was an absolute delight to read. This high-level graphic novel effortlessly weaves together thoughtfully crafted imagery with an accessible interpretation of Norse mythology. As an introductory dive, it will certainly be enjoyed by readers of most ages.

I loved the playful approach in telling the surrealistic creation stories of the Norse gods. The illustrations are beautifully rendered and bring the stories from Snorri's Prose Edda to life.

The use of multiple points of view for narration adds an extra layer of depth to the storytelling, reminiscent of the narrative style found in Patrick Rothfuss's "Name of The Wind." One particular silly highlight is the tale of Odin transforming into an eagle, bursting with mead and ultimately resulted in human's terrible rhyming and poetry.

The addition of the historial background discussed author's note enriches the reading experience, offering readers a deeper understanding of the lore behind the myths. The character profiles at the end of the book are beautifully illustrated and serve as a helpful visual index for readers to reference with subsequent glossaries and other educational materials.

Having recently struggled with the imagery of Norse mythology, such as Neil Gaiman's "Norse Mythology," (I did love it!!) I found "Asgardians: Odin" to be a refreshing and accessible pairing to digest the more in-depth variations.

Overall, "Asgardians: Odin" is a wonderful read. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast of Norse mythology or simply looking for an entertaining read, this book is sure to enchant. Highly recommended.

Thank you First Second Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Children's graphic novel describing Norse mythology and particularly Odin. It will be popular with the kids!

Thank you First Second Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this great book. George O’Connor has done it again. This is a great start of the new series about the Norse gods. The first book is about Odin and how the Norse gods came to be. Well-researched, detailed storytelling, accompanied by great illustrations. Looking forward to the next volume!

This is a solid introduction to Norse mythology—specifically Odin—in graphic novel format. I like the art and the older style of writing, though it's still accessible. There's also lots of back matter for readers interested in learning more. I haven't read O'Connor's Greek series, but I'd be keeping up with these.

This was such a great introduction to Odin, and to Norse mythology as a whole. Focused on Odin, this story covers the creation story of Norse mythology, the discovery of runes, the mead of poetry, the Aesir and Vanir, and the beginning of Odin and Loki's brotherhood. (I also appreciate that this book didn't just immediately demonize Loki, I hope future novels are the same.)

The art is lovely, and a great way to read the myths. I really enjoyed it, as someone familiar with Norse myths, and would be a great read for those both new and familiar to the pantheon. I look forward to the rest of the books.

Kids are going to love this new series by George O'Connor! When I told students that The Olympians author was now doing this series, they were very excited. March 24th is going to be a great day!

George O'Connor's mythology titles are always a huge hit, and I'm excited to see he's expanded into Norse mythology. The storyline is great, but the illustrations are emotive and also sometimes comedic or weird so are very popular with kids. I love the glossary and "Norse code" at the back (full disclosure: my kid didn't actually read that far). I think these could definitely be accused of being "edutainment", which is great for kids.

I'm personally less familiar with the norse gods, but Ibvery like this book. First the grafic was very good. Also the story was very good and also easy to understand even if I didn't know much about it.

Thank you

Readers of O’Connor’s Olympians series will enjoy this new adventure into the tales of the Norse gods. In his signature gritty illustrations, O’Connor tells the story of Odin, king of Aesir, and his journey for knowledge.

An excellent and engaging resource on Norse Mythology! I've been a big fan of Greek mythology since I was a kid and have always been intrigued by Norse myth. I think these graphic novel could be just the ticket for me! I really liked the art style and narrative structure. I also really appreciate the appendix at the end where the author goes panel by panel and explains his illustrative and narrative choices.

As a fan of mythic tales, I was eager to immerse myself in the world of Odin and his pantheon, and O'Connor did not disappoint. The graphic novel brings the gritty and profound tales to life. Each page is a visual feast, depicting Odin's relentless quest for wisdom and the dramatic lives of the Aesir.

I especially appreciated the wealth of resources at the end of the book. The index, glossary, and character profiles are a treasure trove for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of these ancient myths. It's evident that a lot of research and love for Norse mythology went into this work.

However, I did find the narrative a tad more challenging to engage with compared to O'Connor's Olympians series. Perhaps it's due to my own familiarity with Greek myths over Norse ones, or maybe the inherently fragmented nature of Norse mythology. The comic jumps from one story to another, sometimes leaving me craving a stronger thread to tie them together. And while the harsher, more rugged illustration style fits the theme, it took me a moment to adjust from the sleekness of his previous work.

Despite these hiccups, the journey was well worth it. This book has left me with a deeper appreciation for the All-Father and a curiosity piqued for more stories from the Nine Worlds. I'm left with questions, sure (some stories are left for later, but never expanded upon), but also with a newfound respect for the complexities and nuances of Norse lore. This book is a solid pick for anyone looking to brave the burning rainbow bridge into a realm of gods, wisdom, and epic tales. A vivid start to what promises to be another mesmerizing series by George O'Connor!

I read all of O'Connor's Olympians graphic novels and when I heard that Asgardians were being written, I was so excited! The artwork is still just as stunning as the first series. I am very familiar with Greek mythology, but not much so with Norse. It was fun learning something new and seeing it written/drawn out rather than watching it on a screen. The back matter (further art/info of a few characters, the Glossary, and the Norse Code) were all helpful if readers wanted to learn further explanations!

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books, First Second for the eARC!

as a fan of george o'connor's olympians and various mythologies, i am happy to report that this first volume in a brand new series has been an absolute delight to read. o'connor never fails to deliver when it comes to his retellings. his dynamic and colorful art style combines with meticulous research to bring us yet another masterpiece in graphic novel form. i finished this in a few hours, and i'm so excited to see his vision for the rest of the norse pantheon unfold.