Reflection on The Infinite Horizon

by Krisana Hall

Infinite Horizon is a graphic novel retelling the story of the Odyssey written by Gerry Duggan and illustrated by Phil Noto. It is set in a post apocalyptic America with conflicts of a Middle Eastern war fought abroad.

The main character or Odysseus figure is named the solider with No Name. He is a methodical calm collected commander who is generally fearless. One aspect I wished and would of made the story more interesting if the Solider kept Odysseus’ boastful demeanor. The solder was way too humble and at times avoided conflict.

Infinite Horizon begins as the Soldier volunteers for service in the Middle East. Only to find things are turning for the worst. No Name can bring victory in any battle but cannot guarantee winning the war. Innocent Civilians are fighting a gorilla warfare war. The hero’s unexpected journey starts when they are forced to flee from their fallen fortress after being outnumbered and scarce resources.

Meanwhile No Name’s wife Penelope is left alone with their young son at home. She is fighting to maintain their land and water rights from greedy neighbors and the mayor of New York. The story flips back and fourth between America and Abroad. No Name is taken to all sorts of interesting places as he tries to return home.

One of the elements I liked about this edition is beautiful drawings full color.  There are also unique twists of story elements such as the Cyclops redesigned as a Cyborg Russian Super Soldier.

The plot feels rushed a bit. Certain plot points could have been more impactful if more time was spent on critical sequences. Sometimes mediocre dialog would be like a soulless B action movie. Some characters are not fleshed out to be who they were supposed to be such as the doctor and siren arcs.

Overall it is an enjoyable read if one is familiar with the Odyssey and the reinterpretation is quite interesting in this well-rendered post apocalyptic setting.

The Obstacles in a Hero's Journey

By Eliana Lerman

   

What Makes a Hero
A person or fictional character is not considered a “hero” unless they go on a hero’s journey. One can not simply go from point A to point B with no obstacles and retrieve the “treasure” and still gain the same recognition as someone else who faced multiple obstacles and maybe even death, before they successfully completed their journey and returned with the prize. A hero can be a real world hero such as Martin Luther King, or a fictional hero such as Superman. Though the two are vastly different, both types of heroes go through similar stages in their journeys.

Obstacles, Threshold Guardians, and Archetypes
There are often many different people or events that stand in the way of the hero from reaching the goal or treasure. Based on Vogler’s version of the Hero’s Journey, Archetypes are recurring patterns of human behavior, symbolized by standard types of characters in movies and stories. Although there are allies and mentors, the shadows, threshold guardians, tricksters, and shapeshifters tend to be more involved with the hero. The mentors give advice and then tend to disinvolve themselves from the hero’s actual journey. Allies are normally on the outskirts of the journey, fighting whatever other threats they can to protect the hero. On the other hand, the “bad guys” are constantly trying to stop the hero from completing his or her journey, and creating obstacles to do so. Without the obstacles that prevent the hero from an otherwise pleasant and easy journey, the hero would not be considered entirely heroic or brave.