TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #3, from Mad Cave Studios on 4/26/23, recounts the early years of Maid Marian when her father’s plot to kill Prince John landed the family in hot water.
The Details
- Written by: Sabs Cooper
- Art by: Federico Bertoni
- Colors by: Rebecca Nalty
- Letters by: Chas! Pangburn
- Cover art by: Federico Bertoni
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: April 26, 2023
Is It Good?
TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #3 continues to set a high bar as a shining example of how to do a spin-off series the right way. This time, Maid Marian takes center stage with a tension-filled tale about her involvement in the plots to kill or overthrow Prince John. If you thought Marian was tough in her adult years, she was no pushover as a teenager.
This is our first exposure to writer Sabs Cooper’s work, and Cooper gets a big thumbs up. The plot fits snuggly in David Hazan’s version of Nottingham, the pacing, dialog, and transitions are on-point, and Cooper’s choice of characters to highlight enhances the main Nottingham title by showing how Maid Marian found herself in a dire financial situation.
The minor down point is Cooper’s departure from the “voices” of the characters from the main series. Cooper’s Blackthorne is much less stoic. Prince John lacks an edge of foppishness that makes him easy to hate. And Alan Dale is a little too competent in his work. The characters aren’t written poorly, but they feel off from the way Hazan presents them in his world.
Bertoni’s art style is excellent for this type of story. The character designs, particularly the period-specific costumes, look great. The emotional moments are well-acted, and the scenes transition fluidly.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with an interrogation scene where Maid Marian is questioned by Sheriff Blackthorne and Alan Dale about her role in a recent assassination attempt against Prince John. Through flashbacks, we see how Marina not only knew of her father’s part in the plot but helped in pulling it off.
When the killing plan fails, we learn how Marian worked within the Merry Men to effect her father’s prison break, cementing her place as a member of the Merry Men.
We conclude the issue with a disguise, a choice, and a concession.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #3 is another winning one-shot in the spin-off series highlighting characters from David Hazan’s hit title, Nottingham. Smartly focusing on Maid Marian’s earlier years enhances the main title by telling interesting tales to inform how Marian arrived at her later predicament, and the art is outstanding.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.