TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #4, from Mad Cave Studios on 5/31/23, pays a mission of mercy to Friar Tuck when murder and theft point to the Merry Men. Can the Friar recover the missing gold before the Archbishop enacts a heavy toll on the people?
The Details
- Written by: Dylan Essex
- Art by: Miguel Puerta
- Colors by: Diana Sousa
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Miguel Puerta
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: May 31, 2023
Is It Good?
If there’s one thing that’s for certain – there are not truly happy endings in Nottingham. TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #4 explores the history of Friar Tuck’s first dealings with the Merry Men after a monk is killed and the church’s tithe is stolen. The Tales series has done a fantastic job of exploring the eclectic characters in the Nottingham universe, giving each player depth and development far beyond what could be done in the main series. Now, it’s Friar Tuck’s turn.
Dylan Essex’s script centers on a murdered monk within Friar Tuck’s church. The tithe gold is gone, and Sherriff Blackthorne quickly concludes the Merry Men are to blame. Caught between the Sheriff’s zeal and the Archbishop’s demands, Friar Tuck is forced to take drastic action to prevent more suffering, sacrificing his virtuous ways in the process.
Essex’s script works because it places Friar Tuck in an impossible moral dilemma. Tuck can’t resolve the situation without someone getting hurt, so he chooses the path of least suffering. In effect, Tuck saves the day, but he’s damaged by the experience, turning him into a tragic hero and adding weight to the actions Tuck takes in the main series.
In other words, this one-shot is an example of why this series works so well. Take a character from the main series and give them a full issue to explore their backstory and motivations behind their place in the main title. This approach gives the creators time and space to make the main title feel bigger and more detailed, without distracting away from the central plot.
How’s the art? Miguel Puerta’s style ranges from good to very good in this issue. Character close-ups look great, and Puerta has a strong eye for interesting panel angles, but the details are lacking in the wide shots.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a murder scene. One of the church’s priests is shot through the eye with an arrow, and the chest of gold for tithes is gone. Friar Tuck speaks with Sheriff Blackthorne to relay eyewitness accounts that masked men are at fault. Blackthorne immediately concludes the Merry Men are the killers, but Friar Tuck isn’t so sure.
Later, the Archbishop summons Friar Tuck, demanding delivery of the tithe gold. When Friar Tuck explains the murder and theft, the Archbishop rules the people will be double-tithed to make up the difference. Friar Tuck, realizing the untold suffering such a burden would cause, begs for a day to solve the murder and recover the gold. The Archbishop agrees.
With few options, Friar Tuck seeks out the only people with the resources to help him catch the killers – Robin and his Merry Men. We conclude the issue with corrections, confrontations, and contrition.
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Final Thoughts
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TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #4 is another excellent one-shot in a series that explores the history and motivations of Nottingham’s eclectic cast of characters. Essex’s plot puts Friar Tuck in an impossible situation, which leads to a moral dilemma ripe for excellent drama, and Puerta’s art is very good.
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