Kill the Minotaur

Kill the Minotaur #1-6

by Chris Pasetto (Story), Christian Cantamessa, Lukas Ketner (Artist)

Athens lost the war to Crete. Now, they pay tribute to King Minos by sacrificing their best citizens to his unearthly labyrinth. Conspirators believe Theseus can be the hero they need, who can end the mad king's bloody reign... but no one on this world has ever encountered anything like the savage minotaur.

Chris Pasetto, Christian Cantamessa (Red Dead Redemption) and Lukas Ketner (WITCH DOCTOR) reinvent the most fearsome beast in all of mythology with this horrific tale of heroism.

Collects KILL THE MINOTAUR #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Horror, Mythology, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2018

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I found this to be a disappointment. I'm a fan of Greek mythology so a comic about Theseus and the minotaur sounded great. But Theseus was nothing more than a spoiled brat, the rest of the characters outside of Ariadne weren't any better. The minotaur was some weird cross between the movies Leviathan and Predator. There was no quick thinking or intelligence to defeating the monster. Just let's keep poking it until it quits moving and we put a magic star inside it. The ending made no sense whatsoever.

Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Scott Sigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it one sitting, on an iPad, with all the lights out. Oh, don't worry about the darkness, I lit up the room with my burning jealousy for such an obvious horror story that no one else ever thought to write before Pasetto did. But isn't that so often a mark of brilliance? I.e., "Oh come on, that story seems so easy! So weird that no one else came up with it before, though, in, like ... 3,000 years ... "

Pasetto puts a couple of spins on a classic myth that has permeated Western culture for millennia, taking a story we've all heard of at some point and modernizing the crap out of it. All the benchmarks of a formula screenplay are added in. Wide character arc for Theseus, where he goes from spoiled brat to scarred hero? Check. Strong female character added to the story where there wasn't one before? Check. Mad ruler of an oppressive dystopia presented as a prominent character? Check.

As a storyteller, I think this is a brilliant, well-crafted work. Aside from seeing what checkmarks Pasetto ticked off in creating something that should be an awesome monster movie, the writing itself is wonderful and the story is excellent. It's pure "last man standing" Hollywood horror formula and very, very enjoyable.

[Dev · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss

This wasn't awful by any means. The art was good, the storyline for the most part way okay even if it probably could have done with a bit more complexity, and I really liked what they did with Ariadne [Theseus ...not so much, although for how annoying he was I surprisingly didn't actually hate him]. I was all ready to give this 3 stars for a fairly decent read but then they had to thrown in some weird minotaur rape suit and also a few panels of the king having a threeway with Random Naked Women and I was just so done. I know those of you who have read this will probably go 'that was literally a few pages out of the whole thing' and ...yeah, that's kind of actually my point. It was ENTIRELY unnecessary but apparently they just couldn't help themselves. Ugh.

[Dom Nuno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worthless!
A waste of time and money, trying to put a "new spin", and a completely ridiculous one at that, on a classical story and making a total mess it if it.
If you like senseless blood and pointless slaughter, by all means read this drivel. Otherwise, find something worthwhile to do with your time and money.

[ScottIsANerd (GrilledCheeseSamurai) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Greek mythology and Theseus and the Minotaur has long been a favorite story of mine. While this comic isn't a very faithful adaptation of that story it's still a lot of fun to read and enough of the original story beats are still present that it's not really that big of a deal that they've gone and switched things up.

And why wouldn't they? Put their own spin on things I mean - It's not like the original suddenly disappears if you read this one and that's what you are stuck with.

All in all, this had some pretty cool action - some solid artwork, there's a two-page splash in the 2nd last issue that was freaking awesome, and some cool character twists that could leave for even...more?

It was all good fun. Great to revisit one of the classics from my childhood. I mean hell...if it wasn't for this original story I don't even know if I would have fallen in love scouring dungeons while playing Dungeons and Dragons!

[Barbara Senteney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent graphic book, I guess they call it manga now days, but I just think of it as an adult comic book. I liked this a lot because you actually got a cohesive story and so I wasn't having my head spinning wondering how I got from point A to point R. I hate it when the story is compromised just because there is beautiful graphic art so they think it's ok. No it's not Ok. I want a true story, beginning, middle and end. This is a very adult, foul talking, sex insinuating, bloody book so enter at your own risk.

[Bea]

Decent artwork, okay story, nothing wonderful. My attention wandered frequently while reading. Visual details and character attitudes were sometimes anachronistic. Theseus was a typical spoiled brat, didn't change or develop much. Skip this one.

[Oneirosophos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edgy, gritty, alienated. Cool twists, but eventually, gets too gory.

Just another cult thriller, loosely based on an ancient myth.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the concept of taking a classic story and fleshing it out - and of course adding in some new twists and turns. I was drawn to this book because I love the world of ancient Greece and the artwork is fantastic.

King Minos of Crete demands tributes from Athens to sacrifice to his adopted son the semi-mystical Minotaur trapped in the labyrinth designed by Daedalus. Theseus, the Prince of Athens, is tired of this - and also desirable of fame and heroism. He's approached by the Cretan Daedalus who admits to wanting to destroy the Minotaur and overthrow the tyrant Minos. Theseus arrives in Crete in the guise of just another Athenian tribute. Things go south when Minos discovers he's been betrayed and Daedalus's severed head is displayed before the tributes. Theseus and the group of Athenians wake up in labyrinth. Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, is also there to help them out. She takes a much more active role in this telling of the story.

I thought the labyrinth was suitable eerie and the origin of it was suitably obscure (was it from the Gods, another planet maybe?). There's some great conflict within the Athenian group and between the Athenians and the Cretan's (Ariadne and a soldier) who say they're there to help. This makes for some interesting personal conflicts as they try to stay alive.

Unfortunately the third act turns into a simple brawl between everyone and the Minotaur and ends predictably enough. The book does end on an interesting cliffhanger, thankfully not one that hangs on a second volume.

[Two Envelopes And A Phone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh. Who would have thought the old maze had so much blood in it?

A brutal re-coagulating of the Theseus and Minotaur myth, Minos any restraint, plus ooze, slime, slicing, dicing, mazing, crazing, curses and curse words.

Everything that happens in the maze is dreadfully riveting, even just starting with the infighting within Theseus' impromptu team (yes, there's a team), featuring Athenians and Cretans who refuse to get along long enough to kill a minotaur, or flee successfully. Don't get too attached to anyone who still has limbs attached...

Even before the prolonged maze crawl, the lead-up is terrific - full of its own surprises - and finally, the denouement is dust settling, but unsettling.

I loved this. The art holds nothing back, and the first five rows will get splashed.

[Seizure Romero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kill the Minotaur is an odd horror-show remake of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. I don't have a whole lot to say about the story itself, but I did notice another reviewer's comments about

a) the random fan-service;
b) the 'Minotaur rape suit.'

First, I'm a little sad that I'm so used to it that I barely notice fan-service in stories like these. Minos sitting naked on his throne getting a hummer when his wife Pasiphae and adviser Glaucus walk in is just another way of demonstrating his character. His rule is absolute; he is shamed by nothing. The last panel of this two-page spread shows the 'Minotaur rape suit' and we learn that Minos planned to put his daughter Ariadne in it, but since she can't be found, his wife Pasiphae will do just fine. He is obsessed; no one will be spared in his desire for power.

By all accounts, Minos of Crete was a right bastard. There are plenty of ways to demonstrate this, and I think the writers were doing just fine without the fan-service. There is little, if any other nudity in the book, making this scene somewhat gratuitous and unnecessary.

The 'Minotaur rape suit' however? That's an adaptation from the original myth.

Pasiphae screwed up by comparing her own beauty with that of Aphrodite. Aphrodite was all "No you DIDN'T" and cursed Pasiphae with "an inconvenient love for one of her husband's prize bulls," according to Gods, Demigods & Demons: An Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology.* Pasiphae has Daedalus build her a wooden cow she could "position herself inside" and thus "approach the bull," which she clearly then did because the Minotaur is actually her offspring. Minos saw the bull-baby, had Daedalus build the Labyrinth, and then threw everyone in (Pasiphae, Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus).

Which means, despite the darkness and gore (and fan-service) in Kill the Minotaur, nothing quite compares to the pettiness and fuckery of the original stories of the gods themselves.


* This book was a favorite of mine as a child. From Scholastic if you can believe it. It may help to explain some of the things wrong with me as an adult.

[Alex Sarll]

A retelling of the Theseus myth justified solely by its art - in particular the gorgeous, impossible intricacies of the towering, lowering Labyrinth, which is fit for comparison with Ranson's Mazeworld (though delivered in a very different style - far grottier and more organic, though who isn't?). Beyond that...well, we get the glaringly obvious (Theseus isn't a natural hero! He didn't do it alone! He's a flawed, rash and entitled kid who has to rise to the occasion to become a man - imagine my surprise!). We get the seen-it-too-often-before (Asterion and the maze which confines him have much the same no-longer-shock origin as the menaces in two other recent Image books with historical-fantasy settings). And we get the little tweaks to the myth which serve no obvious narrative purpose, feeling more like annoying glitches than clever reinventions - Minos killing Daedalus rather than vice versa; outfits recognisably Minoan in outline but anachronistic in how much they cover; a severing of the Theseus-Hercules connection. Beyond which, the characters never really feel like ancient Greeks, or indeed Cretans - they have very much a modern idea of what is and is not plausible when it comes to monsters, one predicated on categories a Bronze Age Hellene wouldn't recognise at all. I'll be looking out for the artist's future work a lot more keenly than the writers', put it that way.

Oh look, there's already a film adaptation in the works. Again - imagine my surprise.

(Edelweiss ARC)

[Sandra]

Muddled and surprisingly boring for all the blood and action. I'd say to read Bull by David Elliot for a better recent retelling of this story.

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I found this to be a pretty entertaining take on a Greek myth. The story is very horrific in so many ways, it ranges from the alien like Minotaur, to the level of violence and death that most of the character experiences. The maze is a living object with a decide to inflict pain and delusions. Even King Minos is one character you have to root for his death.

The ending to this one is very unique and, for the time being, is just a mini-series. Hopefully the interest is enough to continue to get the sequel to this as their should definitely by a sequel.

[Francesca Giardiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kill the Minotaur è stato importato dall’America e tradotto in italiano dalla SaldaPress, che ha anche deciso di accorpare in un unico volume cartonato i sei numeri che lo componevano originariamente, includendo persino un’interessante cover gallery nelle ultime pagine (proprio per questo la sua mole non è indifferente). La graphic novel inoltre vanta tra i suoi creatori: Chris Pasetto, sceneggiatore ed attore cinematografico; Christian Cantamessa, sceneggiatore, regista cinematografico, scrittore e game designer; Lukas Ketner illustratore e disegnatore; Jean-Francois Beaulieu, noto colorista francese.



La storia si svolge con un ritmo accattivante che lascia incollati alla lettura fino alla comparsa della parola “fine”. Non mi stupisce che vogliano trarne un film, anche considerando che ci hanno lavorato esperti dell’ambiente cinematografico. Tutta la trama è organizzata in modo organico e non lascia insoddisfatti: i personaggi vengono ben presentati e approfonditi, ci sono colpi di scena, spiegazioni non pesanti inserite nei punti giusti, una plausibile evoluzione dei protagonisti e degli avvenimenti che sfocia in un finale avvolto nel mistero, quanto basta per lasciare al lettore libertà di interpretazione.

Pasetto e Cantamessa ci accompagnano lungo un tortuoso cammino in cui non si potrà fare a meno di paragonare continuamente la lettura al mito originale, rimanendo costantemente soddisfatti dai nuovi risvolti (io sono rimasta letteralmente a bocca aperta per almeno tre volte ed è un avvenimento decisamente raro). È un racconto che si lascia leggere con grande piacere, senza eccessive macchinazioni che potrebbero distogliere l’interesse. La sensazione che restituisce è proprio quella di guardare un bel film senza interruzioni di sorta.


Il disegno in Kill the Minotaur è di stampo realistico e si nota chiaramente che c’è stato un grande lavoro sulle colorazioni e i dettagli, ma sono due le cose che lasciano decisamente il segno: l’espressività dei personaggi e lo studio dietro al labirinto, il quale è stato reinterpretato in modo decisamente diverso dall’immagine canonica che ne ha ognuno di noi.

I personaggi principali sono sempre quelli conosciuti attraverso il mito, poiché appunto il volume non ne stravolge le basi, ma si limita a darne un’altra interpretazione. Ritroviamo quindi Teseo, Arianna, Dedalo e Minosse, ma anche in questo caso la loro personalità non è esattamente come la ricordiamo. Tra tutti rimane particolarmente impresso Teseo, protagonista per eccellenza della graphic novel: è il principe di un’isola sempre più in rovina, un giovane che vuole essere ricordato come eroe, che vuole canti in onore delle sue gesta, senza aver compreso che ottenere tutto ciò può comportare grandi sacrifici. Ogni personaggio agisce ed evolve all’interno della storia in maniera estremamente realistica.

L’unica cosa che secondo me stona un po’ è l’inserimento di alcune imprecazioni fuori luogo nei dialoghi: non che siano un problema di per sé e nessuno nega che ce ne fossero anche nell’Antica Grecia, solo che sembra siano state utilizzate in maniera troppo gratuita. Tolto questo, i dialoghi in generale sono indubbiamente ben scritti e perfettamente plausibili in base ai personaggi che li proferiscono ed al contesto.

In Kill the Minotaur quasi nulla è come ci è stato insegnato a scuola, l’elemento divino viene lasciato in secondo piano per dare spazio all’uomo e all’ambiente che lo circonda, tanto da avere un punto di vista diverso, quasi più realistico e “credibile” in quelle circostanze. Così religione, mito, eroismo, valori, scienza ed ignoto si intrecciano tutti insieme creando una nuova storia forse anche più accattivante dell’originale.

Il vero pregio di questo fumetto è proprio la sua ricerca di un certo realismo nelle azioni e negli avvenimenti: la realtà non è pulita, bella o felice, se si vuole vincere bisogna combattere e forse ferirsi, a volte anche collezionare dei fallimenti. Pagina dopo pagina si assiste alla costante evoluzione della storia e i personaggi, tra colpi di scena fuori dal comune. Consigliato, consigliatissimo. Lasciatevi attrarre dal labirinto anche voi.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It's all so... so clouded." Actually, the word is 'muddled' in modern parlance - the story here, a revisionist look at the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, in the Labyrinth, is very muddled. There's no easy way in to know who is Greek and who Cretan, the action scenes really aren't drawn very well at all, and it all acts as a source of bluff and thunder, and not the more serious combination we had been expecting.

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mythology is something I have long been fascinated by, an interest that formed when I was a child and stuck. While I sit on the fence most of the time with retellings of popular fairy tales or legends, I decided to give this one a try. Kill the Minotaur is written by Chris Pasetto and Christain Cantamessa with art by Lukas Ketner and Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and is a unique retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

Kill the Minotaur retells the classic story of Theseus’ fight against the Minotaur. After losing a war to Crete, Athens must pay tribute to King Minos. The tribute in question? The sacrifice of Athen’s best citizens to a great labyrinth rumored to house a great monster – the Minotaur. Even those serving under Minos believe him mad, though, and Theseus might be exactly who they need to set their plans into action.

There was little character development for our main character, Theseus. He begins the tale as a spoiled, selfish prince despite Athens having lost a recent war to Crete. His attitude changes very little if at all through the novel. While his narrow viewpoint can be irritating, Theseus does have redeemable qualities. He might not be any great strategist, but he is one of the few characters who are actually focused on the current threat of the great Minotaur trying to kill them. Also, and rather unexpectedly, he doesn’t hold half as much of a grudge against Crete, its princess, or its people as the others in his company.

These character’s immense grudges against Crete and Theseus’ family for their complicity in Crete’s demand for sacrifices to the Minotaur are warranted. They suffered great injustice, having their family members ripped away from them never to be seen again. Yet the sort of backstabbing duplicity that occurs throughout the story feels out of place. I can’t imagine the sort of head space someone must be in to completely ignore a literally monster in order to exact their own revenge on individuals who had nothing to do personally with their plight.

In all, a majority of the minor characters in the story had rather unbelievable actions, at least for the time and place. When trapped in a labyrinth that can kill you and being relentlessly pursued by a terrible monster current politics and personal vendetta’s are usually forcibly placed to the side. Yet what we find here is plotting and backstabbing, even when the Minotaur is in the same room. This felt extraordinarily out of place and pulled me out of the story.

What I did like was the art. Colors are bright, popping off the page. This was not something I expected to find, especially considering that a good portion of the story takes place in a labyrinth. The labyrinth itself is quite unlike anything I had ever imaged the Minotaur would be trapped within. It’s a terrifying place, a great network of tunnels and structures none could ever hope to escape.

Kill the Minotaur did what no other version of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur did – it made it scary. The labyrinth is an unsettling concept, but it was brought to life here, turned into something rather horrifying. The Minotaur is also terrifying, rendered here as a true monster.

Unfortunately the story falls short in several aspects. Characters are overly concerned with personal vendettas complete inconsideration to time, place, and personal danger. The gore and violence was, at times, a bit excessive. The ending also feels a bit open ended, as if making room for a possible sequel despite not being listed as a series. Certain aspects of the story, while interesting, were never fleshed out fully and didn’t come to any satisfying conclusions.

In all, I didn’t love Kill the Minotaur as much as I initially expected. If you like mythology or retellings this might be something you want to read. If you don’t like excessive gore or extreme violence this might be something to skip.

I received this graphic novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review originally found on Looking Glass Reads.

[Carrie Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of Greek Mythology since I was a kid. One of my favorites of the myths is the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and I have read countless takes on it. I was very excited going into this graphic novel. This take on the myth is different but was an interesting way of twisting it. Athens lost a long war against Crete and now are forced to a pay a large tribute to King Minos. Every year, King Minos has the Athenians choose their best citizens to sacrifice to the labyrinth. It is rumored that the labyrinth holds a beast that the gods have sent to earth, the minotaur. The young prince of Athens, Theseus is thought to be the only person who can save Athens from these sacrifices.

The overall story was definitely different than I was expecting. I was originally figuring on this being a close retelling of the original myth but was surprised to see that a lot of it was different. For instance, Minos worships the Minotaur in this instead of thinking of him as an abomination. This is just one of the many changes to the plot. Some were quite interesting to see and made it a different read but then there were others that just didn't make sense to the story. The major focus of this is on Theseus who desperately wants to be considered a hero. Even if people die for him to get this fame. This plot point becomes heavy-handed throughout because it keeps getting repeated over and over. There was also somewhat a science-fiction vibe to this that stood out.

The illustrations and coloring in this were the best part. It was at times stunning to look at and other times gruesome and gory. My favorites were of the labyrinth at the beginning and throughout the entire volume. It really did a great job of showing the scale of it and was beautiful. I felt that the illustrations fit perfectly with this story and were great to look at the entire time. There were some that I did not fully enjoy but that was sort of the point.

Overall, this was a volume that I did enjoy reading to see what would happen next. I was not a fan of Theseus's attitude towards the want of fame. That is probably because of the repetition of it throughout the volume. I loved the illustrations and felt that they were the best part of the entire story. The changes were interesting to experience and did keep me intrigued by the story.

* I received this for free for an honest review *

[Stephanie Jobe · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’ve done all kinds of books in Acme Comics Book Club but I think this is actually the case in which I most truly had no clue what I was getting into. I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I hardly even know where to begin talking about it. In my head I keep using the word “cool” entirely too often. This is not your grandfather’s mythology. I don’t want to give spoilers but I was surprised again and again. I didn’t refresh myself on the myths before hand but found myself remembering as I went. Even though it is very different the core is still there. You can totally imagine how this story would become the myth.

The art is absolutely gorgeous. The characters are easily discernible and everyone has their own definitive personality. No one feels like background. The details are intense. There is an affection that is pretty much only communicated in the art and it is so clear. The Minotaur is a terror and almost as complex as the labyrinth itself. The colors feel absolutely alive. There is so much depth and dimension but also movement. The action is on point.

The story itself is unpredictable in just the right ways. There are moments when I thought I knew what would happen, but I was wrong and what actually happened was more real. There is a darkness to the story, but not overly so. It is a fantastic story and yet the darkness in it is very based in human cruelty. There are so many different character motivations coming together and evolving. I think that is one of the best parts about this book is that even in just this short time you see the characters evolve. I won’t talk about the ending but they surprised me and then they surprised me again.

A few interesting insights from the meeting… Some people felt it strayed too far from the myth but I was glad that it was so different. There is something that metaphorically represents the thread but I didn’t think of it until someone said it. There is a hero in this book, but it is not the hero of the myth. We were discussing if we felt “horrific tale of heroism” was an accurate description and we belatedly realized it is just not with the hero you initially expect.

We often talk about is this a book you would recommend to other people and I want to hand this book out on the street corner to strangers, I enjoyed it that much. It wasn’t everyone’s thing but I want to find the people that do enjoy it.

Original Review on my Website

[John Haslach · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, while I was waiting for my phone to be repaired, I went to Big Planet Comics and got a comic I've been interested to take a look at. Kill the Minotaur. It's interesting... but I find it flawed. I feel the price of 20 bucks was too high, but I don't think this is bad through and through. It's a new take on the Theseus and the Minotaur Myth where the minotaur is a creature not unlike John Carpenter's the Thing. The story also has a slight science fiction bent to it with the Labyrinth being slightly alive and following the Doomsday protocol of killing the minotaur repeatedly and letting it regenerate. The story also has a slasher movie motif to it with a group of characters and having them killed off one by one, also changing the myth instead of having Theseus go into the labyrinth alone to face the beast. Thus, we have characters that are... bland and are caricatures. There is no reason to have these characters be aboard and it feels like padding out the kill count. You could have had the story with Theseus, Ariadne, and Theseus' guard friend and things would have been better in my opinion. The ending also feels... incomplete. Like it was set up as sequel bait after having a massacre that would put the Red Wedding to shame. However, the action is good, Theseus does go through an arc of growing up and becoming a slightly less hateful prick. Like he's Rimmer levels of prickdom. Still a prick, but a good heart in him. The art is also really good. Properly bloody and creative with its designs and backgrounds. Also, the front cover is really damn cool.

I recommend waiting for a price drop with this one. You may like it more than I did, but I don't think its bad. Just... well, the comic is being adapted into a movie so that may explain the slasher movie feel it had. So, I say: Flawed, but still good and creative. Even if the ending does drop the ball. 3.5 to 4 stars.

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it is closer to a 2.5 but I went with 3 as a nod to the artwork and art direction. As stated by other reviewers, this is a retelling of the Theseus myth, mostly ascribing the Labyrinth and Minotaur to the existence of an alien pod and reversing the monster's birth myth (i.e. Pasipahe being raped by the Bull of Crete inside a cow construct and giving birth to it). I like the concept, I love the art.

BUT...

There are many character changes from the original, as well as character depictions that are completely senseless, events that unfold in an almost haphazard way, as well as at least one big mystery that is never explained. It is almost as though the writer was too tired after creating the elaborate broader story.

However, perhaps the one glaring problem lies at the end with Timon, whose physical abilities are suddenly and greatly exaggerated, just to make him into "the despicable human" of it all before killing him.

In short, it is a very intriguing concept, beautifully drawn with extensive details, but rather averagely written with some parts falling right into poor storytelling.

[Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful mix of mythology, Conan style sword and sandals adventure and lovecraftian squick, kill the minotaur sees the classic myth of Theseus and the labyrinth transmuted into the origin story for a whole archipelago of classic heroics and cosmic horror.

The art is beautiful, sickening, and indulgent. The Worldbuilding vibrant, the character motivations are overwrought as greek drama demands. The labyrinth is a force unto itself in this edition, cancerous vistas of warping space and temples of helenistic blasphemy.

Full warning, there's some disturbing content in here, not only in the gore and suffering of the minotaur's victims but the bodyhorror of the living labyrinth and the despotic madness of Minos.

All in all I can fully recommend Kill the Minotaur: Every new page is a new achievement in horror or heroic wonder, with the otherworldy additions to the narrative ensuring that you'll have no idea where this retelling is going next.

[Mars Dorian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting new spin on the trapped Minotaur myth with lots of gore and horror.

I'm not going to summarize the story--read other reviews for that. I like the characters, especially Theseus, the spoiled Prince of Athens. He's a bit of a stereotype, but his attitude fits the scenario.
The story features a couple of twists once our heroes land in the ever-mutating labyrinth where the Minotaur is trapped.

The art is a joy to look at, carrying that classical European, Franco-Belgian style that's a mix between cartoon and semi-realism. The dimmed down colors and their earthy tones make for a creepy atmosphere.

Up until the last issue, I would have given KTM 5 stars, but the showdown was really meh and featured a tired trope, which is strange, considering how much else feels fresh. Endings to me are important because they're the culmination of all story strings.

It's still a recommended read for horror, creature and Greek Myths fans!

[Jacopo Giuca · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Kill the Minotaur” non è una semplice rivisitazione del mito di Teseo e del Minotauro. La storia di Pasetto e Cantamessa ha delle caratteristiche uniche, che la incasellano immediatamente nell’olimpo delle grandi graphic novel della storia del fumetto moderno e che presenta qualità straordinarie ed estremamente cinematografiche. L’idea di colorare il mito di evidenti tinte horror terrorizza e spaventa in modo davvero efficace e le pieghe sci-fi che assume la narrazione della genesi del labirinto non potrà che riportarvi alla mente grandi classici del cinema di genere, cui gli autori strizzano l’occhio in maniera sapiente e divertente. I dialoghi serrati e i disegni coloratissimi ed efficaci sono la ciliegina sulla torta di un’opera destinata a rimanere impressa nell’immaginario collettivo, del quale non vediamo l’ora di vedere la trasposizione cinematografica.

[Sarah Sherrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This does not affect my opinion below.

I'm on the line with this book. I did love the artwork. It was crisp and understandable and very well drawn. The artwork was my favorite part of the whole thing with the exception of the minotaur. While the artwork for it was good, it didn't really look like a minotaur.
As far as the story goes, I adored Princess Ariande, but I agree with the reviews about Theseus' character. He seemed liked a spoiled brat who whined most of the time. I did not really enjoy the rewrite of the classic story, but to each his own I guess.
Ultimately, I'd be more interested in finding out more about the artists and what they have done versus what the writer has done.

[Luke Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of a Harryhausenesque monster-moviefication of a classic Greek myth, but by way of a slasher. Plus a lot of cusses and talkin about sex stuff, so you know it's cool and not for babies. Plus another layer I won't spoil.

The art has a lot of character and a strong sense of line. You know I love a dynamic stroke width, baby. It's kind of gross and gory (which I love) without ever really being scary, unfortunately. I'm in a horror thing and I wasn't horrified. But I liked it for what it was. The dialogue was at times, as the kids so eloquently put it these days, cringe. It's practically screaming that it's not your daddy's Minotaur at all times. So that's not great. But overall it's a totally fine, kinda fun reinvention of an old story that's nice to look at.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of the classic tale of Theseus, prince of Athens and King Minos' monstrous son. This book expands and takes liberties with the original myth and gives the characters a considerable amount of depth and humanity. The minotaur in this take is truly a thing of horror. My only complaint is that there are sections of the story which feel rushed, like a movie that has been obviously cut due to time constraints. Overall, a great read, particularly if you are a fan of horror, fantasy, or Greek mythology (or all three like myself).

[Micki · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a traditional retelling of Theseus vs the minotaur, one that dives into the horrific psychology of "why" and "how" key plot choices might have been made by the actors surrounding the legend-- don't look here for long. What's claimed as such a retelling by the writers turns into another pointless Lovecraftian slasher comic midway through. If that's what your looking for-- great! But if you're simply holding out until the end to see if there's more to it than shock tactics like Pasiphaë's-beastiality-costume-meets-brazen-bull-- you're out of luck.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy reworking of the Greek myth – nicely-illustrated

Taking the myth of the Minotaur in ancient Crete, the creators have elaborated and developed the story, including all the various characters and spinning the tale in an original fashion with much bloodshed and death.

Nicely-illustrated, the comic collection is worth a look, especially if you are not familiar with the original Greek myth. It might inspire the reader to get into Greek mythology as well.

[Jojo Mojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the application of the concept of "other worldly" beings into worldly myths and legends. Reminded me of Ancient Aliens. Though the story-telling style was immersive to a certain point, the sketches of some characters seemed so similar that it was difficult to discern who was who when it came to dialogues etc.

However, a really good read.