Voyage Comics invites readers to “Immerse yourself in a collection of legendary stories where saints fought dragons, talked to centaurs, and healed troubled beasts” with The Book of Saints and Heroes.
This book, Voyage explains, is part of a new line of theirs called Voyage Classics that reprints lost classic stories that fell into the public domain.
“We will be re-printing many entertaining and inspiring books that are currently in the public domain,” they say in their campaign. “Our editions of these books will include original illustrations and new typesetting to help bring these classics to a new audience.”
Voyage is funding TBOSAH through a special crowdfunding campaign driven by pre-orders. Each one backs the first issue and guarantees the buyer a copy “regardless of whether or not we reach the campaign goal.” The book is “near completion” and will ship in August, they reassure.
“Medieval Christians were expert storytellers, illustrating profound spiritual truths through exciting legends that captured the imagination,” says the campaign. “They greatly admired the saints and heroes who walked among them and preserved their memory in tales that are difficult to forget.”
Among the Saintly and heroic tales contained in the tome are that of St. George and the Dragon where he rescues a princess offered as a sacrifice, the account of Ireland’s St. Columba banishing the Loch Ness Monster to the famous lake in Scotland, St. Francis of Assisi taming the Wolf of Gubbio, and St. Jerome removing the thorn from the lion’s paw.
Voyage also hopes readers will “marvel at the holiness and extraordinary charity of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Vincent de Paul…Gather the whole family to read these remarkable legends and be inspired by saints who were not afraid to lead heroic lives.”
The Book of Saints and Heroes tells of the journeys of St. Paul the Hermit and St. Anthony the Great across the deserts of Egypt in the third and fourth centuries too, plus many more on top of history and lessons of the Catholic Faith.
The content is derived from the collection of works by Victorian Scottish novelist and historian Andrew Lang along with his wife Leonora who, despite not practicing Christianity, published a book on Saints and Heroes of the Medieval Period.
Although the tales are meant to be read aloud to children and are popular in homeschool environments, all ages are encouraged to partake in the wonder. “We all need to awaken in ourselves a sense of wonder and these legends can help even adults achieve that goal,” said Voyage.
Lang and his wife were known as well for the color-coded Fairy Book series, a favorite of J.R.R. Tolkien. If you’re a fan of his and The Lord of the Rings, tell us if you are going to pick up your copy of The Books of Saints and Heroes.