300 is a historically-inspired comic book limited series (later collected into a single hardcover volume) written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Lynn Varley. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... 1998 1997 in comics 1999 in comics Notable events of 1998 in comics. ... This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ... Lynn Varley is an artist who has been responsible for the coloring of several comics. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... In comics, a trade paperback (TPB or simply trade) specifically refers to a collection of stories originally published in comic books reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or... This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ... Lynn Varley is an artist who has been responsible for the coloring of several comics. ...

The comic is a retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae and the events leading up to it from the perspective of Leonidas of Sparta. 300 was particularly inspired by the 1962 film The 300 Spartans, a movie that Miller watched as a young boy.^[1] The work was adapted into a film with 2007's 300. For other uses, see Battle of Thermopylae (disambiguation). ... Leonidas can refer to: Leonidas I, king of Sparta, ruled c. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 300 Spartans is a 1962 film depicting the Battle of Thermopylae. ... 300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. ...

Publication and awards

Every page of the comic was illustrated as a double-page spread. When the series was gathered into hardcover form, the individual pages were twice as wide as a normal comic. Miller's art style for this project was similar to his Sin City work, although the addition of consistent color is an obvious difference. Cover of Sin City shows Marv walking through the rain. ...

300 was initially published as a monthly five-issue comic book limited series by Dark Horse Comics, the first issue published in May 1998. The issues were titled Honor, Duty, Glory, Combat and Victory. The series won three Eisner Awards in 1999: "Best Limited Series", "Best Writer/Artist" for Frank Miller and "Best Colorist" for Lynn Varley. The work was collected as a hardcover volume in 1999. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 1998 1997 in comics 1999 in comics Notable events of 1998 in comics. ... The Eisner Awards are given for achievement in comic books. ... In comics, a trade paperback (TPB or simply trade) specifically refers to a collection of stories originally published in comic books reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or... 1999 1998 in comics 2000 in comics Notable events of 1999 in comics. ...

Synopsis

In 480 BC, King Leonidas of Sparta gathers 300 of his best men to fight the upcoming Persian invasion. In what is likely a suicide mission, they and their allies plan to stop King Xerxes's invasion of Greece at the narrow cliffs of the "Hot Gates" (Thermopylae). The terrain prevents the Greeks from being overwhelmed by Xerxes' superior numbers. Leonidas can refer to: Leonidas I, king of Sparta, ruled c. ... For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Xerxes I (خشایارشاه), was a Persian king (reigned 485 - 465 BC) of the Achaemenid dynasty. ... For the clipper ship, see Thermopylae (clipper). ...

Before the battle starts, Ephialtes, a deformed Spartan, begs Leonidas to let him fight but is rejected due to his hunchbacked form, which prevents him from lifting his shield high enough for the phalanx. For other uses, see Ephialtes (disambiguation). ... Macedonian phalanx formation showing the employment of Macedonian spear or sarissas making the formation nearly impregnable from the front but cumbersome, tactically unwieldy and vulnerable from side or rear A phalanx (plural phalanxes or phalanges) is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears...

The Spartans and their allies successfully hold off the Persians for two days and nights. During a break in the fighting, Xerxes meets with Leonidas and offers wealth and power in exchange for his surrender. Leonidas declines, and battle continues. In his depression, Ephialtes betrays the Greeks by telling the Persians about the existence of a small pass that allows Xerxes to attack them from behind.

Learning of the Persian maneuvers, the Greeks realize their position is indefensible, but the Spartans and a few others refuse to retreat. Before engaging the Persians for the last time, Leonidas orders one Spartan (Dilios) to leave, so that he might survive to tell their story.

On the third day Xerxes has the Spartans surrounded, their remaining allies (Thespians) already dead. He gives Leonidas one final chance to surrender and kneel to him. After some hesitation, Leonidas finally complies and throws down his arms. This, however, turns out to be a ruse and Leonidas throws his spear at Xerxes, intending to kill. However, he only wounds his face. The Spartans are killed to the last man by arrows. Thespiae (Greek Θεσπιαι, Thespiai) was an ancient Greek city in Boeotia. ...

The story then shifts about a year later and ends as now-Captain Dilios relates the heroic sacrifice of Leonidas and his Spartan comrades to his troops before the Battle of Plataea. Combatants Greek city-states Persia Commanders Pausanias Mardonius â€  Strength 110,000 (Herodotus) ~40,000 (Modern Consensus) 300,000 (Herodotus) 50,000-70,000 [1][2][3] (Modern Consensus) Casualties 10,000+ (Ephorus and Diodorus) 1,360 (Plutarch) 759 (Herodotus) 43,000 survived (Herodotus) The Battle of Plataea was the final...

Criticism

Renowned comics writer Alan Moore has criticized 300 as historically inaccurate, with particular reference to the characters' attitudes towards homosexuality: For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ...

There was just one particular line in it where one of the Spartan soldiers—I'll remind you, this is Spartans that we're talking about—one of them was talking disparagingly about the Athenians, and said, ‘Those boy-lovers.' You know, I mean, read a book, Frank. The Spartans were famous for something other than holding the bridge at Thermopylae, they were quite famous for actually enforcing man-boy love amongst the ranks as a way of military bonding. That specific example probably says more about Frank's grasp of history than it does about his grasp of homosexuality, so I'm not impugning his moral situation there. I'm not saying it was homophobic; just wasn't very well researched.^[2] This article is about the capital of Greece. ... Zephyrus and Hyacinthus Hyacinthus, beloved of Apollo was a patron hero of pederasty in Sparta. ... A protest by The Westboro Baptist Church, a group identified by the Anti-Defamation League as virulently homophobic. ...

Miller, in the letters page of the original series, admits the inaccuracy, and angrily defends it. He insists that the Spartans were not scholars themselves, and that the offending passage was intended to portray the Spartans as hypocrites. The Spartans, he argued, so maligned the Athenians that any Athenian action was worthy of scorn. Miller states that their hypocrisy is a character flaw, but not unrealistic. Beyond that, the evidence of institutionalized pederasty in both Athenian and Spartan culture is unclear in regards to actual sexual practices. Both extolled chaste relationships in theory, while accusing each other of using pederasty as a means of purely physical gratification. Pederasty or paederasty (literally boy-love, see Etymology below) refers to an intimate or erotic relationship between an adolescent boy and an adult male outside his immediate family. ...

References in other works

There are references to the Battle at Thermopylae in several of Frank Miller's other graphic novels. In Sin City: The Big Fat Kill, Dwight considers Leonidas' choice of "where to fight" and manages to loosely recreate the Spartan defense tactics by cornering the enemy gang in a tight alley; they then annihilate them with heavy gunfire and explosives. In The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Miller's "omega" Batman stories, there are references to a character named "Hot Gates" (the literal translation of Thermopylae), an adult film star who first makes a version of Snow White, and then declares herself Dictator of Ohio^{[citation needed]}. Cover of Sin City shows Marv walking through the rain. ... In Sin Citys Old Town, the prostitutes run the show. ... The Dark Knight Returns (commonly abbreviated to DKR) is a superhero comic book story published by DC Comics between 1985 and 1986, starring Batman and was written and drawn by Frank Miller. ... The Dark Knight Strikes Again (also refered to as DK2) is a Batman graphic novel by Frank Miller with Lynn Varley. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Greater Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ...

In the Emmy Award winning episode Jack and the Spartans of the cartoon Samurai Jack, Jack meets a group of Spartan warriors fighting Aku's minions. This episode was partially inspired by Miller's comics.^[3] An Emmy Award. ... Jack and the Spartans is the twelfth episode of Samurai Jacks second season. ... Samurai Jack is an American animated television series created by animator Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on Cartoon Network from 2001 until 2004. ...

Collections

• ISBN 1-56971-402-9 Hardcover, 88 pages, Dark Horse Comics

References

This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Comic Book Resources logo Comic Book Resources is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Dark Horse Product Page
• Sparta Pages: 300 Review
• Frank Miller`s Sin city & 300 & Spirit - Database articles, images and other files about Frank Miller and his comics.