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Epicurus: The Sage #2
Epicurus el Sabio, Volumen II: Los muchos amores de Zeus
Book by William Messner-Loebs
50 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
William Messner-Loebs
445 books46 followersWilliam Francis Messner-Loebs (born William Francis Loebs, Jr.) is an American comics artist and writer from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs. His hyphenated surname is a combination of his and his wife Nadine's unmarried surnames.
In the 1980s and 1990s he wrote runs of series published by DC Comics, Image Comics, Comico, and other comics publishers, including DC's superhero series Flash and Wonder Woman among others. Additionally he has both written and drawn original creator-owned works, such as Journey: The Adventures of Wolverine MacAlistaire.
In the 1980s and 1990s he wrote runs of series published by DC Comics, Image Comics, Comico, and other comics publishers, including DC's superhero series Flash and Wonder Woman among others. Additionally he has both written and drawn original creator-owned works, such as Journey: The Adventures of Wolverine MacAlistaire.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 10, 2021
#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. (Collect them all!)
From the March 1998 edition with a theme of "Sui Generis":
INTRODUCTION
A German centaur who fought in World War I. A shaman who talks like a 1940's detective. An inscrutable wanderer caught up in a domestic squabble on a bizarre planet that blurs the line between fantasy and science fiction. An easy-going Greek philosopher who tutors a young Alexander the Great and who finds himself caught up in the affairs of the gods.
It's readily apparent: these aren't your father's comic books. No superheroes. No tights. No precedents. The comics I'll be looking at this month are truly sui generis. Latin for "of its own kind," sui generis means unique or individual. ("The American Heritage Dictionary: Second Collegiate Edition," Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1985, p. 1216.) Cover shots of any of the following books could easily serve as the illustration for that dictionary entry.
FROM THE BACKLIST
EPICURUS THE SAGE Volumes #1-2 (DC Comics/Piranha Press)
Epicurus is a country boy who has come to the big city to become a star. But his isn't a run-of-the-mill rags-to-riches story. The big city is Athens, Greece. The time is the 4th century, B.C. And Epicurus' chosen profession is philosopher. History, philosophy, and a foreign locale. Any one of these three elements might turn off a typical comic book reader. Combined, I'm sure they drove fanboys away in droves. Is it any wonder EPICURUS THE SAGE didn't get past its first two volumes?
Actually, yes. And for two reasons: the creators and the sheer hilarity of the work.
Writer William Messner-Loebs and artist Sam Kieth are probably best known for their collaboration on THE MAXX (Image Comics & MTV). Their skewed take on superheroics was a true original in the genre thanks to Loebs's quirky dialogue and Kieth's even quirkier layouts and character designs. While I initially enjoyed the novelty of THE MAXX, I gave up on it several years ago, writing its story off as a sloppy and confused mess. I'm inclined to blame Kieth for THE MAXX's failure, as I have continued to enjoy Loebs's offbeat scripts on such superhero books as FLASH, WONDER WOMAN, and IMPULSE, as well as Loebs's writing and drawing on his own creations: the recent BLISS ALLEY (Image Comics) and the long-gone JOURNEY (Fantagraphics Books, et al). Regardless, I'll always best remember the Loebs and Kieth team for defying all genres with their earlier, short-lived satire of Greek philosophy.
The main advantage EPICURUS THE SAGE has over THE MAXX is that EPICURUS THE SAGE has all quirkiness of THE MAXX without sacrificing purpose, sense, or humor. Loebs and Kieth succeed in making history, philosophy and Greece funny. They do this by tearing the history, philosophy and Greek setting to bits. Believe it or not, properly shredded and combined with a healthy helping of mythology and a tablespoon of tomfoolery, the once-daunting ingredients congeal into a tasty and amusing concoction. Anachronisms, oversimplifications and outright lies abound, making EPICURUS THE SAGE extremely accessible, immensely enjoyable, and only marginally educational.
In an age and place where gods run roughshod over the population and people have gone gaga over the most outlandish philosophical ideas and theories, Epicurus is a voice of reason and moderation. While all the other philosophers sit and tie themselves up into intellectual knots, Epicurus is the man the common folks come to for assistance and action. Oh, and he works cheap. When Demeter, goddess of the Earth, shrouds the world in an unnatural winter while mourning the kidnapping of her daughter by the god of the underworld, it is up to Epicurus to bring back summer. When Zeus can't keep his fly zipped, only Epicurus can save the Paula Jones, Monica Lewinksy, and Kathleen Willey of his day from the wrath of Hera.
Epicurus is joined (and only occasionally sidetracked) in his adventures by the greatest succession of teachers and students of all time. First, there is the smug know-it-all, Socrates. He taught the airheaded -- but nice -- Plato. Plato mentored the arrogant prig known as Aristotle. And Aristotle has just been entrusted with educating a young hellion named Alexander. Alexander will later be dubbed "The Great" after conquering every inch of ground he ever saw. For Epicurus, dealing with this headstrong group of peers is usually more vexing than handling the gods.
Loebs's mastery of wit and slapstick combines with Kieth's wild art to create a very amusing and unique experience. Overall, the first book is much stronger than the second -- which is okay, since the second book is not available for order in PREVIEWS this month. While I may never pick up another issue of THE MAXX, I would be very interested in seeing Loebs and Kieth teaming up for a third volume of EPICURUS. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
Grade: B-
From the March 1998 edition with a theme of "Sui Generis":
INTRODUCTION
A German centaur who fought in World War I. A shaman who talks like a 1940's detective. An inscrutable wanderer caught up in a domestic squabble on a bizarre planet that blurs the line between fantasy and science fiction. An easy-going Greek philosopher who tutors a young Alexander the Great and who finds himself caught up in the affairs of the gods.
It's readily apparent: these aren't your father's comic books. No superheroes. No tights. No precedents. The comics I'll be looking at this month are truly sui generis. Latin for "of its own kind," sui generis means unique or individual. ("The American Heritage Dictionary: Second Collegiate Edition," Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1985, p. 1216.) Cover shots of any of the following books could easily serve as the illustration for that dictionary entry.
FROM THE BACKLIST
EPICURUS THE SAGE Volumes #1-2 (DC Comics/Piranha Press)
Epicurus is a country boy who has come to the big city to become a star. But his isn't a run-of-the-mill rags-to-riches story. The big city is Athens, Greece. The time is the 4th century, B.C. And Epicurus' chosen profession is philosopher. History, philosophy, and a foreign locale. Any one of these three elements might turn off a typical comic book reader. Combined, I'm sure they drove fanboys away in droves. Is it any wonder EPICURUS THE SAGE didn't get past its first two volumes?
Actually, yes. And for two reasons: the creators and the sheer hilarity of the work.
Writer William Messner-Loebs and artist Sam Kieth are probably best known for their collaboration on THE MAXX (Image Comics & MTV). Their skewed take on superheroics was a true original in the genre thanks to Loebs's quirky dialogue and Kieth's even quirkier layouts and character designs. While I initially enjoyed the novelty of THE MAXX, I gave up on it several years ago, writing its story off as a sloppy and confused mess. I'm inclined to blame Kieth for THE MAXX's failure, as I have continued to enjoy Loebs's offbeat scripts on such superhero books as FLASH, WONDER WOMAN, and IMPULSE, as well as Loebs's writing and drawing on his own creations: the recent BLISS ALLEY (Image Comics) and the long-gone JOURNEY (Fantagraphics Books, et al). Regardless, I'll always best remember the Loebs and Kieth team for defying all genres with their earlier, short-lived satire of Greek philosophy.
The main advantage EPICURUS THE SAGE has over THE MAXX is that EPICURUS THE SAGE has all quirkiness of THE MAXX without sacrificing purpose, sense, or humor. Loebs and Kieth succeed in making history, philosophy and Greece funny. They do this by tearing the history, philosophy and Greek setting to bits. Believe it or not, properly shredded and combined with a healthy helping of mythology and a tablespoon of tomfoolery, the once-daunting ingredients congeal into a tasty and amusing concoction. Anachronisms, oversimplifications and outright lies abound, making EPICURUS THE SAGE extremely accessible, immensely enjoyable, and only marginally educational.
In an age and place where gods run roughshod over the population and people have gone gaga over the most outlandish philosophical ideas and theories, Epicurus is a voice of reason and moderation. While all the other philosophers sit and tie themselves up into intellectual knots, Epicurus is the man the common folks come to for assistance and action. Oh, and he works cheap. When Demeter, goddess of the Earth, shrouds the world in an unnatural winter while mourning the kidnapping of her daughter by the god of the underworld, it is up to Epicurus to bring back summer. When Zeus can't keep his fly zipped, only Epicurus can save the Paula Jones, Monica Lewinksy, and Kathleen Willey of his day from the wrath of Hera.
Epicurus is joined (and only occasionally sidetracked) in his adventures by the greatest succession of teachers and students of all time. First, there is the smug know-it-all, Socrates. He taught the airheaded -- but nice -- Plato. Plato mentored the arrogant prig known as Aristotle. And Aristotle has just been entrusted with educating a young hellion named Alexander. Alexander will later be dubbed "The Great" after conquering every inch of ground he ever saw. For Epicurus, dealing with this headstrong group of peers is usually more vexing than handling the gods.
Loebs's mastery of wit and slapstick combines with Kieth's wild art to create a very amusing and unique experience. Overall, the first book is much stronger than the second -- which is okay, since the second book is not available for order in PREVIEWS this month. While I may never pick up another issue of THE MAXX, I would be very interested in seeing Loebs and Kieth teaming up for a third volume of EPICURUS. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
Grade: B-
June 25, 2021
I actually bought this bagged up from a comic store but it was in their "rpg" section so I thought it was an rpg illustrated by Sam Keith (the Maxx), so I jumped on it. But it was still fun and funny. Basically making fun of Zeus and his promiscuousness and also poking at philosophers.
March 10, 2026
The central story of this volume is Zeus' womanizing, which means this volume has to get a big content warning for discussion of non-consensual sex. If you are OK with reading the mythology that this is based on, you should be OK with this story, but it could be a surprise to someone not familiar with the underlying mythology.
This volume (and the nudity in both volumes), is why Epicurus the Sage gets the "mature readers" warning.
This volume (and the nudity in both volumes), is why Epicurus the Sage gets the "mature readers" warning.
August 21, 2022
Just not as good as the first volume. Kieth's line art is muddier, or the reproduction is worse --- I can't tell. And the storyline from Messner-Loebs doesn't have the same pop, especially since we are dealing with Zeus's serial womanizing and raping, and there isn't a satisfactory conclusion to god-level abuse.
June 14, 2023
I want more!
It advertises something like 'look for upcoming 50 page albums' in the back- so there must be the script for another that never made it to the drawing board. Was it low sales? Did Kieth have something else he ditched it for?
It advertises something like 'look for upcoming 50 page albums' in the back- so there must be the script for another that never made it to the drawing board. Was it low sales? Did Kieth have something else he ditched it for?
June 19, 2020
The last full issue of Epicurus The Sage. I wish Loebs would have done more of these; they are hilarious and aren't afraid to take the piss out of philosophers that are generally revered.
September 30, 2019
La segunda historia de Epicuro es un poco menos brillante que la primera, pero aún así tiene escenas de antología, como el encuentro con Esopo.
January 29, 2026
Even if not quite as good, still filled with a transmuted love of Ancient Greece
7/2012 It still gives a glimpse into the author's creativity and joy
7/2012 It still gives a glimpse into the author's creativity and joy
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews