TINTIN 637
“Chapter Five: Victory” begins on day two of the great battle. Th e forces engage one
another and the death toll rises, all the while the Spartans are holding their own against
the Persians. Th at night, Leonidas realizes this is the end and prepares his army for the
fi nale. Also, Ephilates fi nds Xerxes and declares loyalty to him.
At the end, surrounded by Persian soldiers, Xerxes off ers Leonidas one last chance to
capitulate. Hesitant, he falls to his knees but then suddenly lunges his spear at Xerxes, a
call to arms for his troops to attack. Th e Persian king is wounded, but not killed. How-
ever, all of the other Spartans are killed on the spot. Th e last scene in the book is set
a year later and Captain Dilios recounts the story of brave Leonidas going into battle,
much the same as was done in Chapter One.
Th e unique shape of the hardback book is wider than it is tall, forcing the reader
to engage the artwork in a diff erent way than traditional comics or graphic novels.
Th is double-page spread format also allows Miller and Varley to detail profi le shots or
illustrate the sweeping battles from varying perspectives, all the while giving the reader
an experience akin to that of watching an epic movie on the silver screen. Th e detailed
drawings creep across some spreads, bleeding into various panels. It is, by many stan-
dards, a momentous undertaking, not just for the historical nature of the story but also
in constructing a believable story around what little is really known.
In 1999, 300 won Eisner Awards for “Best Limited Series,” “Best Writer/Artist,” and
“Best Colorist,” and also won Harvey Awards for “Best Continuing or Limited Series”
and “Best Colorist.” In 2007, Warner Brothers released 300 to moviegoers worldwide.
Th e fi lm version was applauded for its visually stunning CGI graphics; however it was
also criticized for being historically inaccurate and insensitive in its “Orientalist” depic-
tion of Persians.
Between fact and fi ction lays the real story of Th ermopylae; but that is not the point
with Miller and Varley’s 300. Rather, their rendition engages readers on a diff erent,
more emotional level not seen in previous works. In this way it brings history alive for
readers to experience, right alongside Leonidas and the Spartan army.
Alec R. Hosterman
TIMELY COMICS. See Marvel Comics
TINTIN. Th e young investigative reporter Tintin, celebrated for his bravery, quick think-
ing and positive moral outlook, is perhaps the most recognizable European comic-book
hero and was Hergé’s most successful creation.
On January 10, 1929 in the pages of Le Petit Vingtième, the children’s supplement
of the Belgian Catholic newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle, Tintin began his fi rst adven-
ture accompanied by his white fox terrier Snowy. Over the next fi ve decades, the pair
was joined by a large cast of supporting characters, including the bungling detectives
Th omson and Th ompson, the opera singer Bianca Castafi ore, Tintin’s fellow adventurer
Captain Haddock, and the hard of hearing scientist Professor Calculus—in addition to
ruthless villains such as Dr. Müller and Rastapopoulos.
