The Hero Twins: Against the Lords of Death: a Mayan Myth

Graphic Myths and Legends

by Dan Jolley, David Witt (Illustrator)

In graphic novel format, retells the Mayan myth of the twin brothers, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, who are challenged to play a game of pok-ta-pok after they anger the Lords of Xibalba, rulers of the land of the dead.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mythology, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Comics

48 pages, Library Binding

First published December 15, 2007

Reviews

[Darcy Roar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly cute and snappy read for younger teens. Weird little frame story on the first and last page, but mostly folktale-y goodness. Cute, snappy, and short while emphasizing a nice mix of skill and cleverness.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a good retelling of the myth- but I hated the frame story of the whole thing just being a homework assignment for some white boy.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on an ancient Mayan Myth, this tale is of two brothers who discover they are destined to compete in a game called Poke a Poke with inhabitants of an underground city. The story is told graphically and uses an American boy who hates books and is forced to read the myth for school. He is disinterested at first then is totally absorbed. I'm sharing this book with a Guatemalan boy in middle school with Mayan heritage. I hope he likes it and enjoys it.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a note at the very beginning of The Hero Twins: Against the Lords of Death, it is explained that the myth comes from a collection of Mayan stories known as the Popol Vuh. In the story, twin brothers Hunahpu and Xbalanque find out from a rat that their dead father and uncle were once great ballplayers of a game known as Pok-Ta-Pok. When the twins begin to play the game and are good at it, they meet the same fate as their father and uncle – the Lords of Xibalba, the Land of the Dead, hate the noise the boys make when they play the game and want to get rid of them. The book follows the boys as they go through trials put to them by the Lords of Xibalba and is split into “chapters” based on those trials (i.e., “Dark House”, “Razor House and Cold House”, “Jaguar House and Fire House”, etc.). Young readers are sure to enjoy the mischievous ways of Hunahpu and Xbalanque as they trick the Lords of Xibalba again and again, as well as Witt’s beautiful story art based on Mayan history, art, and architecture. While parts of the story could easily become dark and scary, the Hero Twins’ comedic timing saves the story from becoming too much for its young audience. The Hero Twins: Against the Lords of Death is an essential purchase for school and public libraries.

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for a school assignment and enjoyed very much!

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to read this book

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great intro to parts of the Popol Vuh.

[Kassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this at the UPenn exhibit on the Maya calendar end date. It's a cute children's story, a somewhat reliable representation of the Popol Vuh, and certainly easier to understand than the original. It obviously leaves a whole lot out.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, accessible version of the Mayan myth

[Lindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graphic novel. Interesting, but you should not read it on the computer if you are an old person. When you make the font bigger, the pictures go away. What good is a graphic novel with no pictures?

[Rob Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A children's version of a story in the "Popol Vuh." Possibly suitable for grades 3-6 but too simplified and shallow for an adult like me.

[Igor Tishchenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is what i want

[Elizabeth]

Dan Jolley is an Eisner Award nominated author has previously written for DC and Tokyopop. Aside from his work with Graphic Universe, artist David Witt creates commercial art. Both Jolley and Witt studied the myths of the Popol Vul and the art and architecture of the ancient Mayas in order to accurately tell the legend of The Hero Twins.

Bright illustrations tell the story of Hunter and Jaguar Deer, twin brothers who show a remarkable skill at ball—skill so remarkable, it angers the gods. Forced to channel their skill at trickery to outsmart the gods and return to their village, the boys must navigate the god’s trickery. To frame the book, a modern boy provides a little background to the story before the tale of the twins begins.

Just under 50 pages, The Hero Twins is both a good leisure read and a supplement to a unit of folklore or to expand understanding in a cultural studies unit. This is an essential purchase for a public library. If it meets a curricular need, it would be an essential purchase for an elementary or middle school, otherwise it would be supplemental to the collection. ($8.95, 48 pages)