Lore Olympus, the webcomic that has been publishing on WEBTOON, is being collected in a trade paperback. Move over, Percy Jackson, there's a new Greek mythology retelling that has taken the internet by storm. Hades and Persephone have been in the online spotlight for the past few years and now they're on to the next big step of their journey.
Written and illustrated by Rachel Smythe, Lore Olympus has taken a classic myth and revamped it for modern audiences, retelling the love story between Hades - god of the Underworld - and Persephone - goddess of Spring. The series first began in early 2018 and has surpassed several benchmarks that distinguish it from other webcomics. It has been nominated for many awards and there are plans to adapt it into an animated series through a partnership with the Jim Henson Company. Now, it is coming offline in the best way.
Smythe recently announced on Twitter that Lore Olympus is going to be collected and published as a trade paperback. It will contain the first 25 episodes of the currently 146-episode long series. Lore Olympus currently has almost 5 million subscribers, so many fans are sure to be excited that they will now be able to physically own one of their favorite webcomics to read again and again - no internet required.
Lore Olympus is setting a high bar for webcomics, though it is not the first to be positively received and adapted into other media. Axe Cop, the animated show from FOX, was based on a webcomic. What Lore Olympus does is continue to drive the momentum that webcomics have started to gain. Physical comics are no longer the only comics on the market and big name publishers like DC and Marvel are not the only comic companies with creators who find success. The series was nominated for Best Webcomic for both the Ringo Awards and the Eisner Awards. It was also nominated for Best Colorist for the Ringo Awards, testifying to the beautiful artwork that Smythe has created for the series. Being online may not be traditional, but it's quickly proving to be a viable route for creators to share their stories with a broad range of readers nonetheless.
The popularity of this series and fans' love of it also shows that there is still a big market for retelling older stories, particularly those involving Greek mythology. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan spawned off numerous book series and two film adaptations after being published in 2005. The book series is currently slated for adaptation into a Disney + original series. In 2020, Netflix released Blood of Zeus, an adult animated series. These both involve the adventures of demigods. Additionally, the RPG video game Hades has recently gained a lot of attention within the gaming community.
Lore Olympus is still unique from them all though as it focuses on two gods and their romantic relationship. It's a classic romance with modern conflicts and traditional themes. Though very different from the myths it was based on, Lore Olympus adds to the notion that older stories resonate with modern audiences when told from a compelling angle. Fans can revisit the start of the series and new readers can experience it for the first time when the trade paperback releases October 5, 2021.