Tripwire Talks To Laurence Alison About Odysseus: In Defiance of the Gods – The Complete Saga

A Landmark Collected Edition

There are stories we inherit… and stories that challenge what we think we know.

The forthcoming trade paperback of Odysseus: In Defiance of the Gods brings together all four volumes of this bold, uncompromising reimagining of Homer’s epic into a single, powerful edition. This is not the tale of a shining hero returning home. This is the story of a man forged, fractured and forever changed by war, loss and his own choices.

A complete vision, finally collected

For the first time, readers will be able to experience the full arc of Odysseus’ journey in one seamless volume—every brutal decision, every haunting consequence, every step toward a final reckoning.

Tripwire’s contributing writer Paul N Neal reached out to our friend writer Laurence Alison to ask him to share some thoughts about this handsome looking book. Below are his responses….

TRIPWIRE: The collected edition of your adaptation of The Odyssey is expected to be released reasonably soon. Surely you must feel proud? To successfully adapt material like this, and be able to put your own interpretation on this classic story, is a huge accomplishment, isn’t it?

LAURENCE ALISON: It is, yes. The Odyssey is an intimidating story to adapt because it’s one of the great foundational works of Western literature. You inevitably wonder whether you can do justice to something with that kind of legacy.

Now that there’s some distance between me and the writing process, I’m actually very pleased with how it’s turned out. Without wishing to sound narcissistic, I genuinely think it’s an incredibly good story.

Vu Danh’s artwork is so extraordinary that it can, quite understandably, overshadow the writing. But revisiting the script, I’m proud of what it achieves. It juggles a large cast of characters while giving each their own distinct voice and personality, and it retains the ambiguity that makes Odysseus such a fascinating protagonist. He’s arguably the most psychologically complex of all the Greek heroes, and I wanted readers to be constantly questioning his motives and morality rather than simply cheering him on.

I’m immensely proud of what we created together.

TW: After the death of your artist on the series, Vu Danh, how do you look at the Odysseus collection? Is it a celebration of a job well done, or is his passing so recent it feels like a bittersweet triumph? A Pyrrhic victory of sorts?

LA: Absolutely not. A Pyrrhic victory suggests an empty success that ultimately costs more than it’s worth, and that’s the exact opposite of how I feel about this book.

What this collection represents is the remarkable achievement of an artist who sadly passed away far too soon. If Vu was going to leave behind one defining body of work, I honestly can’t think of a better one than The Odyssey.

There’s an incredible energy to his artwork—it’s raw, vibrant and alive. Vu himself used to say he didn’t feel he’d reached the level of perfection he wanted until around issue four, but the truth is the entire series is beautifully drawn. It’s an astonishing achievement.

For me, Vu belongs in the company of artists like Bernie Wrightson and Neal Adams—artists who inspired both him and me. His work deserves to be remembered alongside theirs.

TW: Does the collection feature your final word on Odysseus? I recall you mentioning another project with Simon Harrison featuring the character’s eventual demise. Is that still happening?

LA: No, this isn’t my final word on Odysseus.

Simon Harrison and I are working on an approximately 80-page graphic novel called The Final Odyssey, which follows Odysseus after his return to Ithaca.

Ancient tradition tells us there was a sequel to The Odyssey called The Telegony, but only two lines of it survive today. That gave Simon and me a wonderful opportunity to imagine our own ending to the story.

Given that Simon is drawing it, you can probably imagine where it goes. It’s ambitious, mythic, slightly insane and, frankly, wild.

TW: How are things progressing with your other Greek mythology projects—Circe and Medusa?

LA:  They’re progressing well.

Circe Issue Two will be out very soon—certainly before Thought Bubble—and I’m incredibly excited about it. It’s packed with monsters, magic, horror and some breathtaking artwork from Simon Harrison. It’s dark, beautiful and exactly the sort of comic I love making.

Medusa started out a little further behind, particularly following Vu’s passing, but we’ve been fortunate enough to have several artists complete pages he was unable to finish. As a result, we now have almost an entire issue completed.

Even better, Simon Harrison has agreed to draw Issue Two, and his interpretation of Medusa is spectacular—wild, unsettling and unlike anything else I’ve seen.

I’d also mention another Greek project that’s moving forward nicely: The Argonauts, illustrated by Stewart Kenneth Moore. That’s progressing very well too and should hopefully appear towards the end of the year.

TW: As we get closer to the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, are you excited or nervous? Will you review it online, or do you think you’re too close to the material to remain objective?

LA: I’m enormously excited.

I’ll almost certainly write something about the film afterwards, but I don’t think being close to the subject means I can’t be objective. Christopher Nolan is entitled to tell his version of the story, just as I’ve told mine.

Personally, I find all the arguments about the “correct” version of Greek mythology rather strange. These stories survived precisely because they were oral traditions. Every storyteller adapted them for a new audience, emphasising different themes and ideas.

Nolan’s film will probably tell us as much about Christopher Nolan as it does about Homer—and that’s exactly as it should be.

Looking back at my own adaptation, I’m surprised how much of myself found its way into it. That’s simply what happens when you write. Every adaptation becomes a conversation between the ancient story and the person retelling it.

I’m looking forward to seeing where Nolan takes that conversation.

TW: Do you think the timing of Nolan’s film is fortuitous for the success of the collected edition?

LA: I certainly don’t think it hurts.

Whenever a major film introduces audiences to a classic work, there’s naturally renewed curiosity about the original myths and about other interpretations of them. That’s good for everyone creating work in this space.

That said, I don’t see our book as competing with Nolan’s film. It’s another interpretation of the same timeless story. Greek mythology has survived for thousands of years precisely because every generation finds new ways to retell it.

If Nolan’s film encourages people to discover our version as well, then that’s wonderful.

TW: Finally, when does the Kickstarter for the collected edition begin and end? Are there any particularly eye-catching rewards? How can fans help make the book a success?

LA: The Kickstarter is already live and will run for 59 days.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bhuna/odysseus-in-defiance-of-the-gods-the-collection

We’ve put together a fantastic selection of rewards, including hardcover and softcover editions, an exclusive Clint Langley cover, a beautiful colour matte softcover by Vu Danh, original sketch cards and A5 commissions.

More than anything, though, this campaign is about celebrating Vu’s legacy. While there is one issue of Medusa that contains the final artwork he ever produced, Odysseus in Defiance of the Gods is his final complete epic. It’s the work that best represents his extraordinary talent.

If readers enjoy great mythology, beautiful comic art and ambitious storytelling, I genuinely hope they’ll support the campaign. Every pledge helps us bring this edition to the audience it deserves and helps ensure Vu’s final masterpiece reaches as many readers as possible.

***

This collected edition isn’t just convenient—it’s transformative. Read in one sitting, the story becomes something deeper: a descent into myth stripped of glory, revealing the human cost behind the legend.

This release is as much a celebration of artistry as it is storytelling:

• A brand-new colour cover by Vũ Dan (coloured by 2000AD colour droid Matt Soffe), whose stark, emotionally charged interior art defines the series.

• A special variant cover by Clint Langley, bringing his signature intensity and painterly power to the world of Odysseus.

These covers don’t just package the book—they reinterpret the myth visually, offering collectors and fans something truly special.

Whether you’re a casual reader or a dedicated collector, this release offers options:

• Paperback edition – accessible, immersive and perfect for first-time readers.
• Hardback edition – a premium, lasting tribute to a modern myth.

And for those who want to go even deeper into the creative process:

• Original artwork will be available, giving fans a rare chance to own a piece of this haunting visual journey.

In a world filled with heroic retellings, Odysseus: In Defiance of the Gods asks:

“What if the hero wasn’t heroic at all?”

This complete edition captures that question in its fullest form—a story of survival, guilt, resilience and the heavy burden of legacy.

This isn’t just a collected edition. It’s a definitive statement.