Right after that awesome interview with Finding the Universe, I finally decided to do something I’ve been meaning to for a while — dive into the comic ARGONAUTS: Escape From the Prison Planet of Crete, a Special Edition from Altered Reality Comics. Since this is an Argonauts adventure set in another strange universe, after the interview, I felt compelled to pull the comic from my collection and read it for the first time, as it’s been on my to-do list for a while.
Honestly, I think this ARGONAUTS comic might be pretty rare. I discovered this Argonauts special edition on eBay for a decent price, though the shipping was a bit steep. Still, I couldn’t pass up the chance to grab it because of that killer cover art. You know what they say — cover appeal doesn’t always mean the story will be just as good. Take the first issue of the ETERNUS comic series, for example. It looks amazing, but the story, nonetheless, didn’t quite live up to the cover.
So, how does this Argonauts (Special) comic hold up? Keep reading, and I’ll give you a quick rundown of the story, followed by my thoughts in the conclusion.
Review of ARGONAUTS: Escape From The Prison Planet Of Crete
Argonauts: Escape From The Prison Planet Of Crete kicks off in a way you’d never see coming. It actually takes us back in time, when the Library of Alexandria was about to be destroyed.
The story begins in 488 BC during the Roman siege of Alexandria in Egypt. Roman soldiers, acting on orders from Caesar and Rome, were about to wipe out all the knowledge in the world! But here’s the twist — the Librarians and Scribes, who also held the secrets and knowledge, managed to save some of that ancient wisdom. So even though the famous library was destroyed, some of the most amazing stories from ancient times survived the catastrophe.
This special edition of the “Argonauts” comic by Altered Reality Comics transports you to a totally new universe. In the early stages of the story, there’s a memorable encounter featuring the goddess Hera — evoking the timeless myth of Jason and the Argonauts. However, here’s the twist: Jason initially believes the encounter must be a dream.
But when he wakes, he is immediately convinced it was a genuine divine encounter. Hera has entrusted Jason with a vital mission, with the help of the Argonauts crew, setting the stage for an epic interstellar journey to the prison planet of Crete!
ARGONAUTS: Escape from the Prison Planet of Crete
The Argonauts members are packed with legendary heroes like Castor, Pollux, Heracles, Argus — and even Medea, has a role to play in this galactic twist on the classic myths. Their main goal? Breaking Orpheus out of the prison planet, Crete!
The story hints that Orpheus has been locked up because he tried to rescue his wife from Hades. King Minos also makes an appearance in this wild intergalactic Argonauts comic adventure. And get this… Crete, in this universe, looks like a giant labyrinth cube, so all the pieces kind of click together.
The Argonauts end up finding Orpheus trapped inside a cage on the prison planet of Crete.
What you won’t see coming is that his Argonauts comic (Special Edition from Altered Reality Comics) ultimately leads to a quest for the Golden Fleece. However, this is only initiated on the last page. To understand what it all means, you’ll need to check out the comic yourself.
ARGONAUTS Comic Review: Conclusion
I’d give the Argonauts comic, the Altered Reality Comics (Special Edition) a cool 7 out of 10. The concept was pretty interesting, especially with the nod to the Library of Alexandria to kick things off.
The scenery looked great overall, but the characters’ facial features kinda let it down, which took a bit from the immersion. Clearer facial recognition would’ve made a big difference. Still, it’s a pretty cool comic to flick through. Honestly, it feels like it’s begging for a follow-up, and I’d totally be down for a sequel if they made one. No matter what, this Argonauts comic by Altered Reality Comics is a fun space adventure in another bizarre universe that’s worth checking out.
I have to give special comic credit to Case, Nichols, Woodall, Lovett, McClelland, and Kennedy, the talented creators of Argonauts: Escape From The Prison Planet of Crete.
There are plenty of other comic adventures involving the legendary Argonauts, including Jason and the Argonauts: Kingdom of Hades, as well as unique takes like The Last Argonauts: Silence of the Gods. For more kid-friendly graphic novels about the Argonauts, check out Jason and the Argonauts (Mytholgy Graphics) and Jason and the Golden Fleece by Nel Yomtov.
But keep in mind: this space adventure featuring Jason and the Argonauts in another universe is extremely memorable — similar to the classic anime-style Sci-Fi cartoon Ulysses 31. You can read more about it in 33 Anime, Cartoons and Graphic Novels inspired by Greek mythology.
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