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King Arthur & the Ladies of the Lake
- GenresComics
112 pages, Hardcover
Published January 7, 2025
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Vincent Pompetti
19 booksVincent Pompetti vit à Rennes. Diplômé de l'école de Saint-Luc, il réalise seul son premier album, Planète Divine. Il dessine ensuite la trilogie Raspoutine, et le one-shot Œil brun - Œil bleu. Dans cet album, son style devient plus réaliste et ses cadrages cinématographiques impressionnent. Sa complicité évidente avec Tarek en faisait le dessinateur idéal pour reprendre le cycle II de Sir Arthur Benton.
Source: http://www.epeditions.fr/node/202
Source: http://www.epeditions.fr/node/202
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 20, 2024
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S KING ARTHUR & THE LADIES OF THE LAKE ABOUT?
This is a telling of the Arthur legend with a focus on the women in his life—his mother, sisters, Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake, and so on.
It's also a telling of the clash between (a) Celtic religion and Christianity, with Arthur trying to maintain an atmosphere that allows both to coexist. I think the version of Celtic theology reeks of anachronistic thinking, and the "new" religion also feels a little off. But it works for this telling. It's not just about religion—but about the way it works out in the lives and attitudes of Arthur's people.
It's really hard to say more than that—it's Arthur from infancy through the end of his life, the growth of his reputation and kingdom, the controversies and losses.
A WORD ABOUT THE ART
So I really dig the watercolor art—it works well with the subject and the feel that Pompetti's going for with the storytelling. There's a dreamy quality to it that matches the storytelling, the magic and the visions that drive Arthur. I don't know if that's just how Pompetti works, or if he chose that deliberately for this story. Either way, it's a win.
Yeah, there's part of me that would appreciate a good inker and some more standard art and coloring. I think that's primarily because that's what I was raised with and am used to. But it just wouldn't work as well for this work.
Here are a couple of sample pages to give you a taste (obviously, click the thumbnails to see more):
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT KING ARTHUR & THE LADIES OF THE LAKE
I tipped my hand earlier when I talked about the clash of cultures driven by religion. Whoops (in my defense, I was trying to stretch that section beyond a couple of lines). While I didn't appreciate the historical depictions, I did think it worked for a Fantasy tale.
In Pompetti's telling there's a feeling of groundedness to some of the standard elements of Arthurian legend—Excalibur, Guinevere's affair, and so on. Yet, he didn't remove magic and supernatural elements (I did wonder if that was the direction he was going for a moment)—it's just not entirely the way we're used to it with this story.
Like most people, I'm game for a good Arthurian retelling—and this is a pretty good one. I think the medium hurt it a little. 113 pages works for graphic novels, but it's hard to squeeze in a lot of depth into those pages—particularly when the art looks like his does—the pictures are larger than they'd be with other artists, so the story details have to be lighter. It's a tradeoff that's worth it, I wouldn't want Pompetti's art to be smaller.
I enjoyed this on an initial read, and the bits I reread while preparing this post held up pretty well. I think it's one of those books that I'll appreciate more on successive re-reads, too. I'd absolutely read more by Pompetti and would encourage you to do the same.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from ARC from the Author via Edelweiss, and I appreciate that, but the thoughts expressed are my own.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S KING ARTHUR & THE LADIES OF THE LAKE ABOUT?
This is a telling of the Arthur legend with a focus on the women in his life—his mother, sisters, Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake, and so on.
It's also a telling of the clash between (a) Celtic religion and Christianity, with Arthur trying to maintain an atmosphere that allows both to coexist. I think the version of Celtic theology reeks of anachronistic thinking, and the "new" religion also feels a little off. But it works for this telling. It's not just about religion—but about the way it works out in the lives and attitudes of Arthur's people.
It's really hard to say more than that—it's Arthur from infancy through the end of his life, the growth of his reputation and kingdom, the controversies and losses.
A WORD ABOUT THE ART
So I really dig the watercolor art—it works well with the subject and the feel that Pompetti's going for with the storytelling. There's a dreamy quality to it that matches the storytelling, the magic and the visions that drive Arthur. I don't know if that's just how Pompetti works, or if he chose that deliberately for this story. Either way, it's a win.
Yeah, there's part of me that would appreciate a good inker and some more standard art and coloring. I think that's primarily because that's what I was raised with and am used to. But it just wouldn't work as well for this work.
Here are a couple of sample pages to give you a taste (obviously, click the thumbnails to see more):
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT KING ARTHUR & THE LADIES OF THE LAKE
I tipped my hand earlier when I talked about the clash of cultures driven by religion. Whoops (in my defense, I was trying to stretch that section beyond a couple of lines). While I didn't appreciate the historical depictions, I did think it worked for a Fantasy tale.
In Pompetti's telling there's a feeling of groundedness to some of the standard elements of Arthurian legend—Excalibur, Guinevere's affair, and so on. Yet, he didn't remove magic and supernatural elements (I did wonder if that was the direction he was going for a moment)—it's just not entirely the way we're used to it with this story.
Like most people, I'm game for a good Arthurian retelling—and this is a pretty good one. I think the medium hurt it a little. 113 pages works for graphic novels, but it's hard to squeeze in a lot of depth into those pages—particularly when the art looks like his does—the pictures are larger than they'd be with other artists, so the story details have to be lighter. It's a tradeoff that's worth it, I wouldn't want Pompetti's art to be smaller.
I enjoyed this on an initial read, and the bits I reread while preparing this post held up pretty well. I think it's one of those books that I'll appreciate more on successive re-reads, too. I'd absolutely read more by Pompetti and would encourage you to do the same.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from ARC from the Author via Edelweiss, and I appreciate that, but the thoughts expressed are my own.
December 2, 2024
This new version of the Arthurian mythos shines a light on the women in Arthur's life. Primarily, they are Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake, and his mother and sisters. The story of King Arthur can be very convoluted, sometimes ponderous, now and then confusing. It takes some concentration to keep all the characters and story straight, but this focused look at his life through the lens of the women is by far the easiest to follow version I've yet read.
It's not just about the women though. Of course we learn about Arthur and his life, but Merlin also plays a huge role in the story.
Since this is a graphic novel, the quality of the artwork is important. Through well-crafted watercolor panels, the ancient legends and its people take on a gentle, almost fragile appearance. Landscapes are otherworldly, yet still familiar. A dozen horses carrying the knights of the round table thunders across our view, and even though it's just one panel among six on that page, it's cinematic and feels somehow bigger than it is. Much of the artwork is muted, with lots of greys and frequent use of reds as an accent color. The artist plays with color saturation, crisp lines and dreamlike billowy scenes, as well as utilizing close ups and faraway views. In other words, the careful crafting of the illustrations plays a vital role in the telling of the story.
The book ends with bonus artwork of the ladies and Arthur, as well as brief paragraphs about some of the key locations and artifacts. I appreciated the inclusion of a theory that perfectly explains why the sword was in the stone. I've never heard this one before, and it's already become my preferred explanation.
The book releases on December 31, 2024. Your pre-order will benefit its launch immensely.
My thanks to author Vincent Pompetti and Black Panel Press for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
It's not just about the women though. Of course we learn about Arthur and his life, but Merlin also plays a huge role in the story.
Since this is a graphic novel, the quality of the artwork is important. Through well-crafted watercolor panels, the ancient legends and its people take on a gentle, almost fragile appearance. Landscapes are otherworldly, yet still familiar. A dozen horses carrying the knights of the round table thunders across our view, and even though it's just one panel among six on that page, it's cinematic and feels somehow bigger than it is. Much of the artwork is muted, with lots of greys and frequent use of reds as an accent color. The artist plays with color saturation, crisp lines and dreamlike billowy scenes, as well as utilizing close ups and faraway views. In other words, the careful crafting of the illustrations plays a vital role in the telling of the story.
The book ends with bonus artwork of the ladies and Arthur, as well as brief paragraphs about some of the key locations and artifacts. I appreciated the inclusion of a theory that perfectly explains why the sword was in the stone. I've never heard this one before, and it's already become my preferred explanation.
The book releases on December 31, 2024. Your pre-order will benefit its launch immensely.
My thanks to author Vincent Pompetti and Black Panel Press for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
November 4, 2024
A fantastical reimagining of King Arthur's life, King Arthur & the Ladies of the Lake by Vincent Pompetti depicts Arthur's story form his young childhood until his death. Mentored throughout his life by Merlin, a powerful wizard, Arthur traverses a world changing because of a new faith that is suspicious of his. This particular King Arthur narrative has an impressive focus on the women who surrounded Arthur and Merlin. Mixing history and fantasy, Pompetti weaves a complex tale.
While at times the drama is a more nuanced than compelling, throughout Pompetti's masterful artwork is on display. The water colors are moving, poignant, and striking. They are the true strength of this graphic novel.
While at times the drama is a more nuanced than compelling, throughout Pompetti's masterful artwork is on display. The water colors are moving, poignant, and striking. They are the true strength of this graphic novel.
November 1, 2024
This graphic novel is perfect not only for fans of the Arthurian legends but anyone that would just like to read something fast, full of plot twists and not focused on romance.
My favourite part of this book was how obvious it was the amount of research that the illustrator and author had put into every detail and how beautiful the art was.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Black Panel Press for this DRC.
My favourite part of this book was how obvious it was the amount of research that the illustrator and author had put into every detail and how beautiful the art was.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Black Panel Press for this DRC.
November 14, 2024
*ARC Review provided by LibraryCon Live*
So here’s the thing… I definitely got swept away by the gorgeous art, & I definitely had to re-read the arc to actually read the story. If you enjoy collecting graphic novels for art alone, I think this is a must on your shelf! That being said, the plot line was also enjoyable, as someone who has been known to be a fan of Arthurian tales.
So here’s the thing… I definitely got swept away by the gorgeous art, & I definitely had to re-read the arc to actually read the story. If you enjoy collecting graphic novels for art alone, I think this is a must on your shelf! That being said, the plot line was also enjoyable, as someone who has been known to be a fan of Arthurian tales.
March 11, 2025
An excellent graphic novel about King Arthur and the ladies in his life. I am not familiar with most Arthurian tales but this book seemed a good start. Plenty of 'old' magic and a betrayal or two. The art is very consistent thru the entire book. A great book to start with, if you are unfamiliar with the legends.
September 26, 2024
3.5 Stars.
Review submitted to Diamond Bookshelf for potential professional publication.
Review submitted to Diamond Bookshelf for potential professional publication.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews