Prince Valiant, Vol. 7: 1949-1950

Prince Valiant (Hardcover) #7

by Hal Foster

You might think that birth of Prince Valiant's son Arn at the end of the previous volume would have slowed down Val's adventuring, but you would be wrong. After the baby has been christened, Valiant and Gawain are dispatched to investigate reports of black magic in Wales, ending up in pitched battle at the aptly-named Castle Illwynde. Then it's off to Scotland to battle the Picts, and then home yet again for Val to visit his growing boy. Valiant now enters the 1950s: The Thule winter is hard and bleak, and a prince who has designs on Aleta must be dealt with. Then it's another epic-length story, "The Missionaries," in which Val and several of his fellow knights and crew travel to Rome on a quest for teachers who might bring Christianity to Thule. The story also features an escape through the Alps, far too many red-headed girls, and a tragic, life-changing event for the young squire Geoffrey (a.k.a. "Arf "). And Foster charmingly ends the book with "The Prince Arn Story," a three-week sequence narrated by the toddler. Prince Valiant Volume 7, once again shot from stunningly crisp and colorful original printer's proofs from Foster's original collection, will also feature the usual wealth of supplements, including another brace of rarely-seen Foster art, and an introduction by the recently-anointed artist of the ongoing Prince Valiant strip, Thomas Yeates.

Genres: Comics, Comic Strips, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published May 25, 2012

About the author

Harold Foster, also credited as Hal Foster, was a comic book artist best know for Prince Valiant.

Reviews

[Norman Styers]

I loved the comics paģes as a kid, but skipped over two gems: Pogo and Prince Valiant. Thanks to the publisher who is preserving these works.

[Tim Deforest]

Magnificent and evocative art work, in-depth characterizations,great story arcs full of adventure, suspense and humor. Prince Valiant gives Milt Caniff's Terry and the Pirates a run for the money as the perfect comic strip.

[Drew]

Great stuff as usual. I worry that I sometimes read these so quickly that I'm not pausing to take in the stunning artwork. Sometimes I'm struck by a particular panel, and think "that should be in a museum!" . . . and then I consider that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of such panels.

The large cast of characters expands to include Val's squire, Geoffrey, whose excited ambitions to become a Knight of the Round Table leads him to frequently do the wrong thing but for the right reasons. Comedy ensues. Geoffrey's personal journey takes up a large portion of this volume. Plus we have war with the Picts, a return to Thule, and the beginning of a long journey to Rome with the goal of bringing Christianity to the Vikings.

Comedy, drama, high adventure . . . and did I mention the stunning artwork?

[Rob Hermanowski]

This volume of the most beautifully drawn comic strip that I've ever seen continues the improbable but highly entertaining adventures of Valiant, with his lovely wife Aleta playing a somewhat more prominent role. As relaxing and enjoyable read as ever.

[Trish Boese]

4* I found the time to try this beautifully illustrated comic series by Hal Foster. I liked Prince Valiant, wife Aleta and the baby, and I enjoyed the simple, clean, graphic adventure. Not as good as Tintin, but any boy could give these a try.

[I.D.]

More classic stuff with the usual incredible art and swashbuckling stories. One thing though anyone named Arf just cannot be taken seriously at all. (Even though the character is supposed to be comic relief).

[Ruz El]

Another dead solid volume of Prince Valiant. The book, art and story telling continue to be top notch. What surprised me with this one was actually the use of woman in the story. One would suspect that the book would take a turn to the cutesy with the inclusion of Queen Aleta and baby prince Arn, and it does, but in a surprisingly progressive way. Far from being a subservient house wife, Aleta and other female characters rise above the macho adventuring so amazingly depicted in previous volumes to become mature and subtle leaders. More and more conflicts are resolved by Aleta and the other woman of the kingdoms. I don't know, I tend to think that 50's were more misogynistic with woman's roles.

Anyway, another great book by Fantagraphics.

[Erik]

Art and storytelling are still great. Val returns to Camelot and gains a new squire in Arf. Aleta continues to take on a bigger role and grow as a character too. Great balance of action, horror, comedy, and family in this one. Extras include Foster's fantastic watercolors done for a National Park ad campaign.

[Christian]

Der Start der für mich "klassischen" Abenteuer des erwachsenen Eisenherz. Man sieht ihn in seinem ikonsich gewordenen Gewand, stets heiter und gewitzt, an seiner Seite Aleta, die Königin, Gattin und Mutter ist. Was für ein feines Opus sind diese Bände und wie durchaus speziell für ihre Zeit, denke ich.

[Brian Rogers]

Again, it's Prince Valiant. It's all good. This ones fully of lovely stuff, including the introduction of Val's new squire and the return of his Viking raider friend Buthor. Go on, read it.