Before superheroes existed, gods and monsters and bastard half-human children wrought violence throughout the universe.

Created by Charley Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides, who also teamed up to write all 16 episodes so far, Blood of Zeus takes mythology very seriously, which makes for a refreshing break from the past two or three decades of movies and television shows that have churned out many lighthearted yet superpowered heroes and villains who are largely indistinguishable beneath their masks and costumes. Greek mythology is largely the basis for superhero tales, after all, so in going back to the source, the Parlapanides brothers treat the original gods and monsters with deep respect.

The gods in the series may be immortal, but they are far from perfect. They are filled with the same flawed personality traits and negative inclinations as humans. Whereas Season 1 started from the perspective of humans, Season 2 begins from the perspective of the gods, focusing mainly on Heron and Seraphim as they follow different paths after the events in Season 1.

Resplendent in darkly beautiful animation, Blood of Zeus feels like a graphic novel brought to life. The characters are well-defined and very expressive, playing against detailed backgrounds without being unnecessarily fussy. The colour scheme slants heavily toward darker tones, which is very appropriate for the underworld, of course, but also in devastations that are wrought upon heaven and earth. Blood flows, flies, and spurts, leaving gaping holes, exposed intestines, and severed limbs.

The Parlapanides brothers often write eloquent speeches for the characters to deliver and the voice cast performs them admirably. Each episode is a little bit different in how it presents its portion of the overall narrative, while featuring compelling B-stories that fill in the background of the gods and humans who (mostly) aim to be brave and honourable in their own actions, even if they feel they must decimate thousands to do it.

For those with a taste for the gods, demigods, and monsters, as well as a few humans, of ancient Greek mythology, the series more than satisfies, while offering something for every lover of a good tale told right.

 

Boluwatife Adesina
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Boluwatife Adesina is a media writer and the helmer of the Downtown Review page. He’s probably in a cinema near you.