When I set this book down, I told my husband, “Mythmakers is a masterpiece!” I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. Mythmakers by John Hendrix is a non-fiction graphic novel about the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, a friendship which shaped the course of modern fantasy and science fiction.
But this book is so much more than just that story. Hendrix masterfully weaves together their lives, history, explanations of myth and fairy tales, and so much more. He structures the book around a meta narrative of Wizard and Mr. Lion. These two characters explore the depths of these topics while uncovering the lives of Lewis and Tolkien. And if your thinking a lion and a wizard might just be stand-in’s for our titular heroes, you’d be right.
What I loved
Storytelling–Having Wizard and Mr. Lion guide the reader through the story is a stroke of genius. And no spoilers, but I cried at the end of this book. Beautifully done!
Writing–I’ve always admired Hendrix’s art, but his writing is exceptional! Much like Lewis, who was able to distill complex topics for the masses, Hendrix has made this complex story digestible. Bravo!
The Portals!–This is just fun. There are a few times where a deeper dive into a topic like myth or fairy tale is warented but might detract from the over all story. So the reader is offered choose-your-own-adventure style portals to the back of the book if they want to learn more. (still told in comic format, of course)
Art–This is clearly a labor of love with every detail put in service to the story. Hendrix employs a minimal color pallet to great effect!
Reality–Hendrix doesn’t shy away from the hard parts of Lewis and Tolkien’s friendship.
Parents should know
There are heavy parts of this book, especially during the section covering World War I. The monochrome art of that bit ensures nothing is too gory, but there are a couple dead bodies depicted. But the book is likely too dense for kids under 10-12, so I don’t think it should be an issue.
Recommended for…
I highly recommend Mythmakers to anyone who loves Lewis and Tolkien, but I think it will appeal most to those twelve to adult.
And if this book sounds great, check out my review of Hendrix’s other non-fiction illustrated biography The Faithful Spy.
