John Hendrix returns to the compelling style he employed in The Faithful Spy for The Mythmakers, a masterful graphic biography of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien told through narration, spot art, and comic panels. Hendrix guides readers on a mythic journey through the lives of the two literary luminaries, alternating between the authors' experiences and the adventures of a wise wizard and a witty lion.
Both Lewis and Tolkien lost their mothers early in life, but still benefited from childhoods that nurtured their love of stories. A stark difference in their upbringings was religious belief: Tolkien practiced Catholicism devoutly while Lewis "abandoned his Christianity and... made literature his true place of worship." The First World War called both young men into battle, and Hendrix deftly captures the horror of their experiences in emotional, sepia-saturated illustrations and gut-punching prose. Lewis and Tolkien met at Oxford in May of 1926 and Hendrix returns to the muted purples, teals, and yellows of the boys' early lives. Lewis and Tolkien bonded over a shared love of Norse mythology, and Hendrix's wise wizard explains, "Each man deeply needed the other though they did not realize it yet." During the next two decades they supported, challenged, and inspired each other--and made a huge impact on the world of fantasy literature.
Hendrix uses his lion and wizard narrators to fantastic effect, moving them through a fantasy landscape that brings them to pivotal moments in the lives of Tolkien and Lewis. He packs this delightful adventure with fascinating tidbits, background on myth and world-building, and plenty of humor. While the book's target audience is middle-grade readers, fantasy lovers of all ages will surely treasure this exquisitely fitting homage. --Jen Forbus, freelancer