NOTTINGHAM #5 – Review

In NOTTINGHAM #5, available from Mad Cave Studios on July 14th, 2021, the final confrontation begins as Sheriff Blackthorne and the nobles barricade themselves inside the castle walls while the Merry Men prepare a secret attack.

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The Details

• Written By: David Hazan
• Art By: Shane Connery Volk
• Colors By: Luca Romano
• Letters By: Joametter Gil
• Cover Art By: Shane Connery Volk
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: July 14, 2021

Was It Good?

Yes, it was very good, but as a final issue in the first arc, the story ended on a safe note.

The entire premise of this series is to present a darker, more complex, and nuanced take on the Robin Hood legend with the Sheriff as the main protagonist. From start to finish, that unique perspective is a bonafide success. It works because it takes an old story and makes it fresh with a different point of view that paints all the players as neither true villains nor perfect heroes but something in between.

In other words, this series grounds the legend in a way that injects “reality” without stripping away the adventure or drama. Again, it’s a bonafide success.

However, this last issue ends the arc almost putting all the pieces of the legend back into their traditional places. The ending is effectively a sword dual between Hood and the Sheriff (and a third party we’ll bring up in the spoiler section) that puts Robin on the run, declared an enemy of the Crown. This may be a case of unfair expectation, but the buildup in the previous issue was so good that you couldn’t help wanting to see a wow moment for the finish. The issue ended well, but it lacked the wow moment.

Volk’s art works well for this material. Bloody, when needed, and dripping with drama and brooding.

Overall, it’s a solid finish to the arc, leading into the recently-announced volume 2, but the story pulled its punches for the ending.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

First, check out our review of NOTTINGHAM #4 to get caught up.

Sheriff Blackthorne and the nobles barely make it back to the castle and barricade themselves inside the gates as The Hood’s Merry Men bare down on them. When things get too quiet for too long, the Sheriff figures out the Merry Men are sneaking in by some other means, which means they’re after something else – to free Marian.

The Sherriff is correct and Merry Men lurk around every corner as they fight their way down to the dungeon cell where Marian is kept. Eventually, Blackthorne is the last man standing against the Hood.

The two begin a vicious fight wherein Hood’s mask comes off to reveal Robin of Loxley is the Hood. During the fight, the cell keys are flung loose, and Marian escapes. However, rather than help Robin, she picks up a sword and begins a three-way battle as she knows her cover is blown, and she’s as likely to be killed by Robin to protect the secret of his camp’s location.

As noted in the previous section, all players survive to fight another day.

Final Thoughts

NOTTINGHAM #5 concludes the arc with a vicious battle where no one walks away unscathed. The conclusion is satisfying enough, but it needed a little more wow factor to live up to the previous issue.

Score: 7.5/10