In NOTTINGHAM #1, available from Mad Cave Studios on March 10th, 2021, the classic Robin Hood story is retold with a grim edge as the Hood and his Merry Men seek to purge Nottingham of all those who would oppose King Richard. When the Sheriff of Nottingham arrives to investigate a string of gruesome murders, the bloody toll of rebellion threatens to taint everyone involved.
The Details
- Written By: David Hazan
- Art By: Shane Connery Volk
- Colors By: Luca Romano
- Letters By: Joamette Gil
- Cover Art By: Shane Connery Volk
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: March 10, 2021
Was It Good?
It’s pleasantly different. There is a myriad of Robin Hood versions available in every medium you can imagine, but it’s rare to find this story told from the Sheriff’s point of view. It’s doubly different to find this tale told wherein the line between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” is not so simple. This version of the Hood legend adds complexity and nuance in showing everyone has motives for what they do but not all motives are noble.
On the art, this is a bloody story. Part of the depth of this comic is showing how messy rebellions can be. The blood flows copiously, and it prepares you for a story where even the winners will pay a painful cost for victory.
To get a bit more on the motivation behind this new take on Robin Hood, read our interview: 7 Questions for David Hazan on Nottingham
And don’t read another word until you take a peek inside the first issue with our NOTTINGHAM #1 preview.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
We begin with a masked figure pontification on the different business and governmental roles damaging England. As he recites the list, he murders another businessman or corrupt lawman or tax collector damaging the integrity of his country.
It’s a bold start to a new title. The character’s mask is structurally reminiscent of the Guy Fawkes mask but with many more pointy spikes. The killer’s diatribe quickly tells you he’s more zealot than rebel, and whatever conflict we’re being introduced to, this killer is not safe to be around on either side.
Enter Sherriff Blackthorne of Nottingham investigating a murder scene on the roadside. A man, his carriage, and his horses are peppered with several quiver’s worths of arrows. When he discusses the scene with the local Captain, the Sheriff shrewdly observes the dead man, a tax collector, wasn’t ambushed and he wasn’t out collecting taxes.
Here we have a refreshing change of pace from the stereotypical depiction of the Sheriff of Nottingham. This sheriff is shrewd, observant, and at least in the beginning, comes across as a hard-boiled lawman rather than a one-dimensional villain in black.
The Sheriff and Captain realize the road where the tax collector was killed leads only to one place – the castle of Lady Marian Fitzwalter.
Sheriff Blackthorne arrives at Fitzwalter Castle to interrogate Lady Marian. He suspects the tax collector was recently there on a personal visit, and Lady Marian’s reactions imply he guessed right, although she refuses to admit anything.
Again, we have another refreshing change from the stereotypical legends. Lady Marian in this iteration is confident in a sly way. This version of Lady Marian reads much closer to a femme fatale in a 1930s detective noir story, and that personality type matches Sheriff Blackthorne’s introduction to a tee.
The Sheriff leaves frustrated — in more ways than one — but with enough information to know the killer is a red-haired man. So begins a house-to-house search looking for a red-haired man that could have been responsible for the killings. The Sheriff’s police force is thorough, brutal, and unconcerned about using excessive force. Here we see the Sheriff is an above-average detective and also unafraid to crack skulls to get his man.
Eventually, Sheriff Blackthrone finds his killer and the two cross swords in a back alley when the culprit tries to escape. The Sheriff’s sword skills win out, and the suspect, Will Scarlet, is arrested.
Without spoiling too much, Will holds up under tremendous pressure to inform on the other Merry Men, Lady Marian knows exactly what she’s doing with all the men she meets, and the Hood makes a tough decision.
Final Thoughts
NOTTINGHAM #1, available from Mad Cave Studios on March 10th, 2021, takes the Robing Hood legend and gives it a grim, bloody, complex facelift. The art pulls no punches in showing you just how rough this world can be, and every character is smart, calculating, and brutal in their own way.
Score: 8.5/10
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