NOTTINGHAM #8, from Mad Cave Studios on June 22nd, 2022, Blackthorne and Hood change plans to surprise the King’s kidnappers. Unfortunately, a traitor spoils their plans and puts them on the defensive.
The Details
- Written By: David Hazan
- Art By: Shane Connery Volk
- Colors By: Luca Romano
- Letters By: Justin Birch
- Cover Art By: Shane Connery Volk
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: June 22, 2022
Was It Good?
NOTTINGHAM #8 is another outstanding entry in this gritty take on the Robin Hood legend. Sheriff Blackthorne and Hood have formed a tenuous alliance in service of rescuing King Richard from kidnappers. Now, their attempts at stealth against French forces are countered by a traitor, and the results are clever and gripping.
Hazan is proving to be a master at dramatic tension. Once the group realizes they have a traitor in their midst, every resting moment is overwhelmed with the urgency to keep going. Every twig snap puts the group’s sense on high alert for fear of being found again. And every night’s sleep is punctuated with death. The pacing and scene progression builds anxiety (the good kind) until the very end.
The most intriguing element in this issue is the growing sense of trust between Hood and Blackthorne that puts a growing question mark on the future of this series. In the original legend, the two men are at odds with each other to the bitter end, but here, you get the sense Hazan is building a semblance of respect that promises to change the future direction of the story you thought you knew. The phrase “subverting expectations” is considered divisive (for good reason), but this may be one of the few cases where subverting expectations pays off.
Regarding Volk’s art, it gets better with each passing issue. This time, Volk uses anime speed lines with white backgrounds in a few panels to create the effect of coiled energy, and it’s surprisingly effective. Even when characters are standing still, the art feels like pent-up energy is about to pop, and that feeling adds to the dramatic tension of Hazan’s writing.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Refresh your memory on how this unlikely partnership began by reading our NOTTINGHAM #7 review.
We begin with a hooded figure entering a tavern some days ago to offer information to a mercenary about Hood and Blackthorne’s plan to land off the French coast and surprise King Richard’s kidnappers. Later, Hood and Blackthorne land in a secluded spot, but French soldiers are waiting for them. Losing men by the second, the survivors have no chance but to flee into the woods, leaving the ransom silver behind.
As the days pass and the survivors head towards King Richard’s location, French soldiers keep finding their encampment, resulting in death and exhaustion. Blackthorne realizes they have a traitor among them leaving a trail, so he devises a plan to set the survivors against each other.
We conclude the issue with an accusation, a misdirect, and death.
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Final Thoughts
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NOTTINGHAM #8 is an excellent entry in the series with tension that builds and builds as French forces whittle away at Hood and Blackthorne’s men. The cat & mouse attempts to uncover the traitor are clever, and Volk’s art compounds the tension to keep you on the edge of your seat.
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