One of the most intriguing movies set for release in the first quarter of 2010 is Chris Columbus’ Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which is due to be released on February 12th.  The movie is an adaptation of the first volume in the hugely popular series of YA fantasy adventure novels by Rick Riordan.  Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians novels have stayed on the New York Times “Children’s Books Bestseller List” for 127 weeks in a row. Using characters and storylines borrowed from Apollodorus, Riordan has created a fantasy saga set in the contemporary U.S. that features the gods and demi-gods of the Greek Pantheon who interact with Riordan’s protagonist, Percy (Perseus) Jackson, a 12-year old boy diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, who discovers that he is the son of Poseidon.

 

A Percy Jackson graphic novel is slated for publication on October 19th, 2010, but First Second has two mythologically-based “Olympians” graphic novels by George O’Connor, that should benefit from the interest in mythology created by the Percy Jackson & The Olympians movie.  Zeus: King of the Gods is an 80-page, full color graphic novel saga of the ruler of the Olympian Pantheon that is due out in January.  A second 80-page mythological graphic novel biography from O’Connor’s “Olympians” series, Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess is due out in April.  Both of O’Connor’s Olympians books are written for students in grades 4-9 (the identical audience for the Percy Jackson novels and movie), and will be available in both trade paperback ($9.99 cover price) and hardcover ($16.99) editions.