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Nottingham #1
Nottingham, Vol. 1: Death and Taxes
In this twisted medieval noir, the Sheriff of Nottingham hunts a serial killer with a penchant for tax collectors. The Sheriff’s investigation leads him to target England's most nefarious power-brokers. That’s to say nothing of the Merry Men, terrorists lurking amongst the trees of Sherwood, led by, an enigma known only as “Hood.”
Mad Cave Studios presents: Nottingham, but not as you remember it...
Mad Cave Studios presents: Nottingham, but not as you remember it...
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2021
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171 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
June 26, 2021
A grimdark reimagining of the Robin Hood story. No one is really good but shades of grey. The Merry Men wear these creepy masks and are murdering all the tax collectors, keeping most of the money they gather instead of giving it to the poor. The Sheriff of Nottingham doesn't have any evil plots afoot. He's just doing his job while trying to discover who the Merry Men and Robin Hood are. This is kind of a medieval version of a police procedural but a very bloody one. The latter half falls into a straight up action type book. The art is very solid although everyone is a little too tall and gaunt.
Received a review copy from Mad Cave Studio and Edelweiss
Received a review copy from Mad Cave Studio and Edelweiss
June 8, 2021
Nottingham is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood, known as Hood in this book, with a noir twist. Instead of "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor," he is murdering the tax collectors instead and causing other assorted havoc with his Merry Men.
I liked the story and feel the plot was well done. I also liked most of the artwork in this volume. None of the characters in the story are especially likable, but it is supposed to be that way. There's a good amount of action that keeps the reader wanting to turn the pages. I would recommend this to anyone who likes retellings or to older readers due to some language and a lot of violence.
Thank you to Mad Cave Studios, Diamond Book Distributors, author David Hazan, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Releases Oct. 5, 2021
I liked the story and feel the plot was well done. I also liked most of the artwork in this volume. None of the characters in the story are especially likable, but it is supposed to be that way. There's a good amount of action that keeps the reader wanting to turn the pages. I would recommend this to anyone who likes retellings or to older readers due to some language and a lot of violence.
Thank you to Mad Cave Studios, Diamond Book Distributors, author David Hazan, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Releases Oct. 5, 2021
May 24, 2022
A good book. I am a huge Robin Hood fan. He was the first hero I read about growing up. Now over the years I have read many incarnations of him (in some cases her). This us definitely one of good ones. People familiar with Robin Hood lore will recognise many of the character names. However there are big differences in this book. Mainly as in this book Robin us not the main character.
Ev Blackthorne is the Sheriff of Nottingham. Unlike other incarnations of the character he seems a honourable man upholding the law. However he still has to answer to the Lords above him. His current case involved a number of killings that might be connected to the Merry Men, and their leader the infamous Hood.
This an extremely dark and brutal book. Thus probably pretty close to what yhe medieval times were like. Backstabbing and brutal. Everyone has their own hidden agenda. The characters do not follow their romanticised tales of honour snd bravery, but don't think this makes them any less deadly. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. The book finishes with character designs and varient cover gallery of issues 1 - 4.
Ev Blackthorne is the Sheriff of Nottingham. Unlike other incarnations of the character he seems a honourable man upholding the law. However he still has to answer to the Lords above him. His current case involved a number of killings that might be connected to the Merry Men, and their leader the infamous Hood.
This an extremely dark and brutal book. Thus probably pretty close to what yhe medieval times were like. Backstabbing and brutal. Everyone has their own hidden agenda. The characters do not follow their romanticised tales of honour snd bravery, but don't think this makes them any less deadly. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. The book finishes with character designs and varient cover gallery of issues 1 - 4.
August 23, 2022
3.5 stars. So here’s the latest variation of the old Robinhood tale. Except here, Robinhood, who the call simply the Hood, seems like the bad guy of the story. The book follows the Sheriff of Nottingham as he has been investigating the latest ambush by the Hood’s Merry men. The Sheriff works with his men trying to find these Merry Men and the Hood and put a stop to them for good. However they prove to be no one’s slouch as they definitely give the Sheriff’s men a run for their money. With all the scheming and double crossing, the story and art ended up being solid. I’d read another volume of this.
July 26, 2021
Series Review.
(Issues 1-5. Final issue released just last week.).
4.5 stars.
For some reason, it's really hard to do Robin Hood revivals/reimaginings/updates. (Almost as much as King Arthur.)
Which is why this comic book is such a wonderful surprise! A clever (but dark and gritty) reimagining of the classic mythos, only in this instance, there are no "Heroes and Villians", and no "Bad or Good"; everything is shades of grey, which works really well for this version of the saga,
The closest thing I can compare it to, thematically is "Wicked" or "Twisted" (the musicals), where they take an established character and twist your perception of the character and mythos surrounding them.
A definite reccomend from me.
This is a
(Issues 1-5. Final issue released just last week.).
4.5 stars.
For some reason, it's really hard to do Robin Hood revivals/reimaginings/updates. (Almost as much as King Arthur.)
Which is why this comic book is such a wonderful surprise! A clever (but dark and gritty) reimagining of the classic mythos, only in this instance, there are no "Heroes and Villians", and no "Bad or Good"; everything is shades of grey, which works really well for this version of the saga,
The closest thing I can compare it to, thematically is "Wicked" or "Twisted" (the musicals), where they take an established character and twist your perception of the character and mythos surrounding them.
A definite reccomend from me.
This is a
August 3, 2021
A gory, bloody, violent and ugly retelling of the Robin Hood story that basically asks, "what if every single person involved in the story was just absolutely awful with no redeeming qualities whatsoever and completely up to no good."
June 30, 2021
This graphic novel was definitely one for the books! I absolutely loved the artwork in it. I wasn't sure what to expect out of it as, I went into the graphic novel blindly. However, I am so glad that I did go into it blindly because I tend to enjoy graphic novels and books in general more if I don't know what to expect out of them. I loved the plotline of this graphic novel. Honestly, at the point where a character in the graphic novel mentions a bible verse, I was curious if they referenced it correctly. I ended up going to the bible and looking up the verse and it was 100% accurate. I definitely recommend this book to anyone just getting into graphic novels or anyone who wants to continue their journey of reading this genre!
June 12, 2025
For most of it it’s just Robin Hood. If you dig Robin Hood you’ll probably like this. In the first couple issues it feels like a weird perspective to take and an odd stance on the Robin Hood story but then really picks up in issue 5 as the first arc concludes. Excited to see where the other volumes take this story.
March 5, 2022
Not much I liked about this book. The story was the same as it always has been but with Fbombs, the story proceeded the way it always does with more gore. And to top it all of the artwork was just bad. People necks looked like they were giraffe-men. And the lighting was all off. Just not good.
June 30, 2021
3.5 Stars.
Review submitted to Diamond Bookshelf for potential publication.
Review submitted to Diamond Bookshelf for potential publication.
September 7, 2021
The Robin Hood mythos is so set in stone with our modern consciousness that we all know the entire story no matter how scant the reference might be. Many grew up with the antics of Errol Flynn in their childhood as he donned the feathered hat. WE all know it well – Robin, clad in a green tunic, flanked by a rag-tag group of do-gooders are trying their best to right the wrongs of the Evil Prince John whilst King Richard is off fighting the crusades. The sheriff of Nottingham grinds the populace under his thumb, and the land is filled with misery. There is only one hope, and that’s Robin of Locksley. But, what if this idea was flipped on it’s head? That’s exactly what happens here, as author David Hazan takes the known mythology and puts a dark edge to it. What if The Merry Men were actually somewhat of a terrorist organization?
As far as I can recall, the only real alterations to the story that I’ve seen up to now are the stereotypical iterations of any folklore story that proport to be “the real story of XXX”, which 99% of the time literally just means everything is brown and dreary and everyone frowns a lot in the mud. Look no further than the abysmal King Arthur movie from the early 2000s for an example. What we have here, is an honest alteration to the story, with everything practically flipped upside down. Rather than the noble cause of “stealing from the rich to give to the poor”, we can see that this version of The Merry Men are more attempting a militaristic coup on England itself, with the first phase being to push the citizenry against the Kingdom itself, seeing it as evil. What better way to do this than to literally kill all of the tax collectors? Once that’s done it’s time to try to take down the nobles themselves. Only one man can stop this, and it’s not who you expect.
For the longest time The Sheriff (named Everard Blackthorne here) has been a reviled man in almost every telling of the Robin Hood tales. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. In this version, he is a career man, perhaps the only man holding England together as corruption eats at the court from the inside and a terrorist organization threatens to push the Kingdom to it’s knees. In many ways, if one were to compare this story to the popular HBO TV series/book Game of Thrones (which this is clearly inspired by), he would be a tragic lead much in the same manner as Ed Stark in that show/book. Assuming this hasn’t ended after five issues represented in this graphic novel, Ev hasn’t died yet – but his life has been grim and who knows what will happen?
“In this twisted medieval noir, the Sheriff of Nottingham hunts a serial killer with a penchant for tax collectors. The Sheriff’s investigation leads him to target England’s most nefarious power-brokers. That’s to say nothing of the Merry Men, terrorists lurking amongst the trees of Sherwood, led by, an enigma known only as “Hood.” Mad Cave Studios presents: Nottingham, but not as you remember it…”
I enjoyed all of the alterations to the story that happened here. We all know of the archery tournament, a ruse created by Prince John in order to trick Robin Hood out of hiding, it’s flipped on it’s head here. The Merry Men crash said tournament and massacre many of the court Red Wedding-style. Many of the normal people of Nottinghamshire, who see Robin as a folk hero, are aghast when The Merry Men start wholesale massacring most of them. For some, the idea of winning such a prize meant a chance out of squalor or perpetual servitude. Next thing you know a band of insurgents are storming the castle wearing masks chanting mantras related to England being sick, and saving the poor. We soon realize that the gold in the tournament could not be further from the reason for the attack. Little ethical asides relating to what constitutes an outlaw/terrorist vs a freedom fighter are well done here and were far bigger than what I expected this book to go into.
I particularly liked the art style in this book, all characters are angular and shaded with almost grotesque pen strokes. It’s a style I’ve seen in barbarian books and such, and it works well here. I particularly liked the character designs of The Merry Men as some sort of medieval version of V from V for Vendetta with every bit of the same sort of gray morality in place.
This book has been in my backlog for a little bit, and I honestly was not expecting to like it as much as I did. However, this is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year for me, and I really hope the story continues on past where the book ends. I’m sure that some sort of story does similar stuff to this, but I have not seen a big media property try to tackle Robin Hood in this sort of way ever. I find this stuff VERY interesting, living in Western Missouri, as you have all sorts of mythology surrounding various members of Wild West outlaw gangs getting the same sort of treatment as Robin Hood, here – becoming folk heroes despite the atrocities they commit, being handed the Robin Hood moniker. But, what if Robin Hood was just as bad as they are? in that way everything would be coming full circle. I was not expecting the discussion of the philosophical conundrum of Robin Hood here, but my hats off to the author for doing it. Highly recommended book.
As far as I can recall, the only real alterations to the story that I’ve seen up to now are the stereotypical iterations of any folklore story that proport to be “the real story of XXX”, which 99% of the time literally just means everything is brown and dreary and everyone frowns a lot in the mud. Look no further than the abysmal King Arthur movie from the early 2000s for an example. What we have here, is an honest alteration to the story, with everything practically flipped upside down. Rather than the noble cause of “stealing from the rich to give to the poor”, we can see that this version of The Merry Men are more attempting a militaristic coup on England itself, with the first phase being to push the citizenry against the Kingdom itself, seeing it as evil. What better way to do this than to literally kill all of the tax collectors? Once that’s done it’s time to try to take down the nobles themselves. Only one man can stop this, and it’s not who you expect.
For the longest time The Sheriff (named Everard Blackthorne here) has been a reviled man in almost every telling of the Robin Hood tales. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. In this version, he is a career man, perhaps the only man holding England together as corruption eats at the court from the inside and a terrorist organization threatens to push the Kingdom to it’s knees. In many ways, if one were to compare this story to the popular HBO TV series/book Game of Thrones (which this is clearly inspired by), he would be a tragic lead much in the same manner as Ed Stark in that show/book. Assuming this hasn’t ended after five issues represented in this graphic novel, Ev hasn’t died yet – but his life has been grim and who knows what will happen?
“In this twisted medieval noir, the Sheriff of Nottingham hunts a serial killer with a penchant for tax collectors. The Sheriff’s investigation leads him to target England’s most nefarious power-brokers. That’s to say nothing of the Merry Men, terrorists lurking amongst the trees of Sherwood, led by, an enigma known only as “Hood.” Mad Cave Studios presents: Nottingham, but not as you remember it…”
I enjoyed all of the alterations to the story that happened here. We all know of the archery tournament, a ruse created by Prince John in order to trick Robin Hood out of hiding, it’s flipped on it’s head here. The Merry Men crash said tournament and massacre many of the court Red Wedding-style. Many of the normal people of Nottinghamshire, who see Robin as a folk hero, are aghast when The Merry Men start wholesale massacring most of them. For some, the idea of winning such a prize meant a chance out of squalor or perpetual servitude. Next thing you know a band of insurgents are storming the castle wearing masks chanting mantras related to England being sick, and saving the poor. We soon realize that the gold in the tournament could not be further from the reason for the attack. Little ethical asides relating to what constitutes an outlaw/terrorist vs a freedom fighter are well done here and were far bigger than what I expected this book to go into.
I particularly liked the art style in this book, all characters are angular and shaded with almost grotesque pen strokes. It’s a style I’ve seen in barbarian books and such, and it works well here. I particularly liked the character designs of The Merry Men as some sort of medieval version of V from V for Vendetta with every bit of the same sort of gray morality in place.
This book has been in my backlog for a little bit, and I honestly was not expecting to like it as much as I did. However, this is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year for me, and I really hope the story continues on past where the book ends. I’m sure that some sort of story does similar stuff to this, but I have not seen a big media property try to tackle Robin Hood in this sort of way ever. I find this stuff VERY interesting, living in Western Missouri, as you have all sorts of mythology surrounding various members of Wild West outlaw gangs getting the same sort of treatment as Robin Hood, here – becoming folk heroes despite the atrocities they commit, being handed the Robin Hood moniker. But, what if Robin Hood was just as bad as they are? in that way everything would be coming full circle. I was not expecting the discussion of the philosophical conundrum of Robin Hood here, but my hats off to the author for doing it. Highly recommended book.
June 4, 2021
Now here's a depiction of Robin Hood that shows off a grimdark side. There's a real sense of dread throughout as no one is even remotely good in this context except for maybe the innocents caught in the crossfire. The sheriff Everett Blackthorne is just the least despicable because he's honest that he's not really doing the best thing, he knows he doesn't have the power to do anything about it. He's just doing a job because it's the only he can do on the inside. The way he slouches forward like a vulture makes him look like he's a means of taking care of pests. And the way everybody fights with the smoothest of movements is a sight to behold.
Meanwhile the culture heroes of Robin Hood and the Merry Men are recontextualizes as another cult in worship to a king in a political struggle. Despite the myth, the Merry Men are just another angry mob being taken advantage of by people in power. Which considering the real world is an all too common thing.
Meanwhile the culture heroes of Robin Hood and the Merry Men are recontextualizes as another cult in worship to a king in a political struggle. Despite the myth, the Merry Men are just another angry mob being taken advantage of by people in power. Which considering the real world is an all too common thing.
November 13, 2023
This was pretty impressive. Robin Hood and the Merry Men are recast as villains in this story, with the Sheriff of Nottingham playing the hero, or rather the anti-hero. The art is a bit raw, but gritty. Interesting take on Robin Hood.
November 22, 2021
Different look on know legend. This is not noir, nor detective story. Just badly drawn average medieval tale with some bloody action scenes that are killing interesting potential.
October 7, 2024
An ultra violent retelling of the Robin Hood story. A good start.
December 21, 2024
just wasn’t for me
June 4, 2021
A comic that wants to add the guts and gore, the brutal honesty, and the V for Vendetta-styled face masks, to the Robin Hood legends. Not too bad, but the Guy Ritchie feel that the result has doesn't really carry much of an original spirit, as evinced by the "Nemesis the Warlock" similarities in the designs of the masks, the neckless silhouette of the Sheriff, and so on.
August 8, 2021
Do the words “steal from the rich to give to the poor” ring any bells for you? Well, Nottingham is a fast paced, grim dark re-telling of the noble Robin Hood.
Though, in here we see ‘Hood’ and his Merry Men killing tax collectors and power brokers, people who he thinks are rotting England from its core, whilst the sheriff is trying to catch him without caring of the people he will lose in doing so.
Despite the fact that the art is not quite my favorite, it is perfect for the grim dark tone of the story. We have a bunch of morally gray, unlikeable characters so this volume didn’t work for me like I thought it would.
Also I would only recommend this to people who don’t get triggered by explicit violent scenes. It is not meant to be read by a younger audience for sure.
I received an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review via Diamond Comic Distributors.
Though, in here we see ‘Hood’ and his Merry Men killing tax collectors and power brokers, people who he thinks are rotting England from its core, whilst the sheriff is trying to catch him without caring of the people he will lose in doing so.
Despite the fact that the art is not quite my favorite, it is perfect for the grim dark tone of the story. We have a bunch of morally gray, unlikeable characters so this volume didn’t work for me like I thought it would.
Also I would only recommend this to people who don’t get triggered by explicit violent scenes. It is not meant to be read by a younger audience for sure.
I received an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review via Diamond Comic Distributors.
June 8, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Boring with nothing interesting to read, it was just a very so overdone dark bloody psychopathic version of Robin Hood's story. I simply didn't like the artwork or the story. I was expecting something better done and smarter.
Boring with nothing interesting to read, it was just a very so overdone dark bloody psychopathic version of Robin Hood's story. I simply didn't like the artwork or the story. I was expecting something better done and smarter.
June 29, 2021
Nottingham was provided to me by the publisher and Netgalley, free of charge.
Nottingham is a graphic retelling of the legend of Robin Hood. This telling takes advantage of the graphic format, coming in at the goriest and most violent version of this story I've seen in any medium. Nottingham isn't just unique due to its bloody nature, though. While we do have a few scenes from the perspective of Robin and his Merry Men, we primarily follow the Sheriff.
Why is that? Well, in this version, Hood has taken the proxy war that's nearly always at the root of these legends, that is King Richard and Prince John fighting for power, a bit more seriously than he normally does. Rather than funding the poor, Hood is funding the opposition to Prince John in the name of the absent King Richard. The Sheriff is played off as a sympathetic character and also as one who seeks true justice. Hood is spun into a violent and ruthless revolutionary, albeit one fighting for the existing king.
The story itself isn't terribly new. We have Robin Hood from a different perspective with a noir twist. The noir addition is good, and I fully appreciate the different perspective. The writing is better than passable, and while some bits feel a little stiff, most of it flows well from one scene to the next.
I don't believe Hazan and Volk do a great job with the characters, though. He's attempting to paint everyone as morally grey; some are only doing what they're doing to get by, others believe their ruler is the true ruler, and still, others think they're fighting for the little guy. The thing is, they all commit atrocities. So they're morally grey, but Hazan and Volk aren't just giving us fresh characters that are complete putty. They're giving us characters we've seen forever, some going back to foxes, bears, and wolves. There are built-in assumptions many readers will have regarding the heroes and villains in this story, and while the authors were clearly going for grey throughout or possibly the Sheriff being the hero, I don't believe they did enough to really make the reader feel that intention. By the time I got to the end, I was still cheering for Hood and Little John and the rest, even knowing what we do by the end of the story.
The art is very bold. There's lots of blood, lots of gore. The colorist, Luca Romano, did a fantastic job of really emoting through the colors. As for the general art direction, though, which is bloody, action-heavy, and focusing on the grotesque and the ugly, was also a good fit for the story it was telling. The way Volk drew faces, for example, really meshes with the grittiness of the plot. Now, my biggest critique is sometimes, it's overdone. The action is often overdrawn, and between that and the fast pace, it's difficult to follow along in fight scenes, of which there are many.
All in all, if you're into dark and gruesome comics, this is a good route to go, especially if you enjoy a bit of noir. It is an ongoing story, so it does leave off with a lead-in for the next issue. The first four, though, have convinced me to keep an eye out at my local comic store.
Nottingham is a graphic retelling of the legend of Robin Hood. This telling takes advantage of the graphic format, coming in at the goriest and most violent version of this story I've seen in any medium. Nottingham isn't just unique due to its bloody nature, though. While we do have a few scenes from the perspective of Robin and his Merry Men, we primarily follow the Sheriff.
Why is that? Well, in this version, Hood has taken the proxy war that's nearly always at the root of these legends, that is King Richard and Prince John fighting for power, a bit more seriously than he normally does. Rather than funding the poor, Hood is funding the opposition to Prince John in the name of the absent King Richard. The Sheriff is played off as a sympathetic character and also as one who seeks true justice. Hood is spun into a violent and ruthless revolutionary, albeit one fighting for the existing king.
The story itself isn't terribly new. We have Robin Hood from a different perspective with a noir twist. The noir addition is good, and I fully appreciate the different perspective. The writing is better than passable, and while some bits feel a little stiff, most of it flows well from one scene to the next.
I don't believe Hazan and Volk do a great job with the characters, though. He's attempting to paint everyone as morally grey; some are only doing what they're doing to get by, others believe their ruler is the true ruler, and still, others think they're fighting for the little guy. The thing is, they all commit atrocities. So they're morally grey, but Hazan and Volk aren't just giving us fresh characters that are complete putty. They're giving us characters we've seen forever, some going back to foxes, bears, and wolves. There are built-in assumptions many readers will have regarding the heroes and villains in this story, and while the authors were clearly going for grey throughout or possibly the Sheriff being the hero, I don't believe they did enough to really make the reader feel that intention. By the time I got to the end, I was still cheering for Hood and Little John and the rest, even knowing what we do by the end of the story.
The art is very bold. There's lots of blood, lots of gore. The colorist, Luca Romano, did a fantastic job of really emoting through the colors. As for the general art direction, though, which is bloody, action-heavy, and focusing on the grotesque and the ugly, was also a good fit for the story it was telling. The way Volk drew faces, for example, really meshes with the grittiness of the plot. Now, my biggest critique is sometimes, it's overdone. The action is often overdrawn, and between that and the fast pace, it's difficult to follow along in fight scenes, of which there are many.
All in all, if you're into dark and gruesome comics, this is a good route to go, especially if you enjoy a bit of noir. It is an ongoing story, so it does leave off with a lead-in for the next issue. The first four, though, have convinced me to keep an eye out at my local comic store.
July 20, 2021
The opening scenes of this graphic novel were somewhat bloody, and really did set the scene for what was to come. My first reaction was 'this is awful - I won't read any further'. I did, however, and while I reached an accommodation with the content, I can't say I enjoyed it.
This is a graphic novel and this being said, one does have a certain expectation, which is thoroughly realised. The legend of Robin Hood is grittily re-told with blood and violence aplenty, which is much in keeping with the original Japanese tradition of Manga and Anime, from which this genre stems, There are no real good guys- not even Robin or his merry men. Every character is morally ambiguous, with Maid Marian being one of the worst of them, and if there is one character that comes out better than the rest, it is the Sheriff, paradoxically enough. The artwork pulled no punches, and every character was rendered rather grotesque and ugly, again, even Maid Marian. This did well to emphasise the ugliness of the soul of every character.
One expects such a book to be grim and raw and this one certainly is, but what came across as a tad puerile was the occasional use of profane language. In a book like this swearing usually proliferates, so the occasional insertion of the 'f'' word (and, in some cases, worse) seemed totally incongruous and quite unnecessary, In fact, it was refreshing to find such a dark, gritty tale that was not liberally peppered with bad language. It was as though the author felt the need to add a few swear words, much against his will and better judgement, just because he thought it was expected of him. It was unnecessary and the book would be much better without. The story hits hard enough without the addition of gratuitous profanity.
As aforementioned, the book was much as expected, but it was not for me. In my youth I would have enjoyed such a book and I requested it with that in mind. However, reading this, I realise now that I have passed beyond such things so while I realise the book's quality within its genre, It did nothing for me. To be fair, I rate it on its inherent quality, however, not on the fact that I have grown up, and out of such books.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgally, in return for an honest, unbiased review.
This is a graphic novel and this being said, one does have a certain expectation, which is thoroughly realised. The legend of Robin Hood is grittily re-told with blood and violence aplenty, which is much in keeping with the original Japanese tradition of Manga and Anime, from which this genre stems, There are no real good guys- not even Robin or his merry men. Every character is morally ambiguous, with Maid Marian being one of the worst of them, and if there is one character that comes out better than the rest, it is the Sheriff, paradoxically enough. The artwork pulled no punches, and every character was rendered rather grotesque and ugly, again, even Maid Marian. This did well to emphasise the ugliness of the soul of every character.
One expects such a book to be grim and raw and this one certainly is, but what came across as a tad puerile was the occasional use of profane language. In a book like this swearing usually proliferates, so the occasional insertion of the 'f'' word (and, in some cases, worse) seemed totally incongruous and quite unnecessary, In fact, it was refreshing to find such a dark, gritty tale that was not liberally peppered with bad language. It was as though the author felt the need to add a few swear words, much against his will and better judgement, just because he thought it was expected of him. It was unnecessary and the book would be much better without. The story hits hard enough without the addition of gratuitous profanity.
As aforementioned, the book was much as expected, but it was not for me. In my youth I would have enjoyed such a book and I requested it with that in mind. However, reading this, I realise now that I have passed beyond such things so while I realise the book's quality within its genre, It did nothing for me. To be fair, I rate it on its inherent quality, however, not on the fact that I have grown up, and out of such books.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgally, in return for an honest, unbiased review.
August 14, 2021
My thanks to Diamond Book Distributors Mad Cave Studios for a temporary review copy of ‘Nottingham’ written by David Hazan with art by Shane Connery Volk and Luca Romano. This volume contains Issues 1-5 of the individual comics.
The publishers describes this dark and twisted take on the Robin Hood legend as a medieval noir and I feel that is very accurate.
The Sheriff of Nottingham is hunting a serial killer with a penchant for tax collectors. At the head of his suspect list are the Merry Men, terrorists (or freedom fighters?) lurking within Sherwood Forest. Their leader is an enigmatic figure known only as ‘Hood’.
So Nottingham, but definitely not as usually depicted. All the gang is here - from Robin, Little John, Will Scarlet, and Alan Dale; along with Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, and Guy of Gisborne. Interestingly, Blackthorne, the Sheriff of Nottingham, is portrayed as a noble figure rather than the villain. As for Robin and Marian, their relationship status definitely is ‘it’s complicated’.
The artwork by Volk and Romano is dark and dramatic, the reds of blood are very red indeed. The individual characters appear like looming giants in the dark forest and within Nottingham castle. It’s superbly Gothic.
Following the main text is concept art for the characters and a series of covers for the individual issues including variants and different printings. Some of these were just breathtaking.
While at first I was a little wary of the disturbing imagery (that mask!), I was soon won over by the impressive storytelling and art. Yes, there is strong language and some scenes were definitely over the top in terms of bloody violence but there’s no doubt it fits the medieval noir description.
Overall, an unsettling yet compelling vision of the legends of Sherwood and Nottingham.
Happily, Part 5 is listed as the ‘conclusion to the first arc of the smash hit series’. I certainly will be looking out for the beginning of the second arc of ‘Nottingham’.
The publishers describes this dark and twisted take on the Robin Hood legend as a medieval noir and I feel that is very accurate.
The Sheriff of Nottingham is hunting a serial killer with a penchant for tax collectors. At the head of his suspect list are the Merry Men, terrorists (or freedom fighters?) lurking within Sherwood Forest. Their leader is an enigmatic figure known only as ‘Hood’.
So Nottingham, but definitely not as usually depicted. All the gang is here - from Robin, Little John, Will Scarlet, and Alan Dale; along with Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, and Guy of Gisborne. Interestingly, Blackthorne, the Sheriff of Nottingham, is portrayed as a noble figure rather than the villain. As for Robin and Marian, their relationship status definitely is ‘it’s complicated’.
The artwork by Volk and Romano is dark and dramatic, the reds of blood are very red indeed. The individual characters appear like looming giants in the dark forest and within Nottingham castle. It’s superbly Gothic.
Following the main text is concept art for the characters and a series of covers for the individual issues including variants and different printings. Some of these were just breathtaking.
While at first I was a little wary of the disturbing imagery (that mask!), I was soon won over by the impressive storytelling and art. Yes, there is strong language and some scenes were definitely over the top in terms of bloody violence but there’s no doubt it fits the medieval noir description.
Overall, an unsettling yet compelling vision of the legends of Sherwood and Nottingham.
Happily, Part 5 is listed as the ‘conclusion to the first arc of the smash hit series’. I certainly will be looking out for the beginning of the second arc of ‘Nottingham’.
January 2, 2022
Love the angular style of the illustrations. Really really liked how it's unclear who's the good guy in the famous story retelling.
I feel like there's a parallel to be drawn at famous masked vigilantes, as there's usually a point where the question is asked about how they fight their fights: is it doing more harm than good? Spinning this kind of questioning on the Robin Hood tale is new to me and highly intriguing.
There's also a bit of a rehabilitation for the Sheriff I would say and I don't dislike it, even though I grew up being totally into Robin Hood while despising Guysbourne and the Sheriff. The angle chosen here is really interesting, and I'm looking forward to see where it goes. I would say it's a bit unclear what are the real motivations of the Sheriff still, on top of the simple one of doing his job. There might be a small paradox there as he says he genuinely cares for the innocents or the common folk, but it is not clearly shown through his actions.
It's a good introduction to what is to be a series, however I wonder how much juice there's still left to continue it for more than another volume or 2. Hopefully enough to go on for a little more because I'm truly engaged.
There's a metaphor drawn between 2 tales of sheeps, shepherd and wolf, and the story unfolding. I'm still unsure if it's genius or messy. For me, it didn't further my comprehension of what was to be the meaning behind the comparison, but left everything covered with more confusion. Not sure if that was the purpose or not. However, I feel that it would have been wiser to maybe just use one and leave the reader unsure has to who played what part instead of using the wolf and sheep drinking from the river tale in the mix, who isn't as strong a metaphor as the other one.
All in all, I really enjoyed myself reading it and with the illustrations being super nice and dramatic, I feel like it's the kind of comic book one would like to own.
I feel like there's a parallel to be drawn at famous masked vigilantes, as there's usually a point where the question is asked about how they fight their fights: is it doing more harm than good? Spinning this kind of questioning on the Robin Hood tale is new to me and highly intriguing.
There's also a bit of a rehabilitation for the Sheriff I would say and I don't dislike it, even though I grew up being totally into Robin Hood while despising Guysbourne and the Sheriff. The angle chosen here is really interesting, and I'm looking forward to see where it goes. I would say it's a bit unclear what are the real motivations of the Sheriff still, on top of the simple one of doing his job. There might be a small paradox there as he says he genuinely cares for the innocents or the common folk, but it is not clearly shown through his actions.
It's a good introduction to what is to be a series, however I wonder how much juice there's still left to continue it for more than another volume or 2. Hopefully enough to go on for a little more because I'm truly engaged.
There's a metaphor drawn between 2 tales of sheeps, shepherd and wolf, and the story unfolding. I'm still unsure if it's genius or messy. For me, it didn't further my comprehension of what was to be the meaning behind the comparison, but left everything covered with more confusion. Not sure if that was the purpose or not. However, I feel that it would have been wiser to maybe just use one and leave the reader unsure has to who played what part instead of using the wolf and sheep drinking from the river tale in the mix, who isn't as strong a metaphor as the other one.
All in all, I really enjoyed myself reading it and with the illustrations being super nice and dramatic, I feel like it's the kind of comic book one would like to own.
June 17, 2021
This was brilliant. It's yet another Robin Hood retelling but like nothing, I have come across before and I enjoyed every second of it. A solid 4.5 stars for me.
It's told primarily from the perspective of the Sheriff of Nottingham but it doesn't make him the 'good guy' it just juxtaposes him against darker, more vengeful Merry Men and it works fantastically.
The artwork is wonderful and it matches the story remarkably well. I usually don't like this sort of art style in comics as it makes everything seem a little ugly and harsh but it suits this darker noir style. It was striking and eye-catching. The imagery doesn't skimp on the violence and it ties in with the narrative perfectly.
The plot follows a lot of the key 'Robin Hood stories' but not as they've been told before. We also get a backstory for the Sherrif (and a first name which amused me more than it probably should have) and whilst the Sherrif is still not an empathetic character it's very interesting to see this particular story told more from his perspective than Robin's.
The entire narrative is dark, twisty, and violent. All of the characters are more than they seem and out for themselves, even when they're claiming to be working towards the greater good. Marion is all over the place and I loved it. Every single character in this was at the very least morally grey and it was delightful.
I'm a massive Robin Hood fan and will inhale any form of media retelling the story so I expected that I would enjoy this but I was still blown away.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-Arc of this book.
It's told primarily from the perspective of the Sheriff of Nottingham but it doesn't make him the 'good guy' it just juxtaposes him against darker, more vengeful Merry Men and it works fantastically.
The artwork is wonderful and it matches the story remarkably well. I usually don't like this sort of art style in comics as it makes everything seem a little ugly and harsh but it suits this darker noir style. It was striking and eye-catching. The imagery doesn't skimp on the violence and it ties in with the narrative perfectly.
The plot follows a lot of the key 'Robin Hood stories' but not as they've been told before. We also get a backstory for the Sherrif (and a first name which amused me more than it probably should have) and whilst the Sherrif is still not an empathetic character it's very interesting to see this particular story told more from his perspective than Robin's.
The entire narrative is dark, twisty, and violent. All of the characters are more than they seem and out for themselves, even when they're claiming to be working towards the greater good. Marion is all over the place and I loved it. Every single character in this was at the very least morally grey and it was delightful.
I'm a massive Robin Hood fan and will inhale any form of media retelling the story so I expected that I would enjoy this but I was still blown away.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-Arc of this book.
March 29, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for this copy of Nottingham, a dark retelling of Robin Hood.
This comic really took me by surprise---not just the artwork, but the dark macabre style of plot itself. While many maybe familiar with the classic tale of Robin Hood, a vigilante who stole from the rich and gave to the poor; this story is anything but hopeful and full or romance. In this world, the Merrymen are not only thieves but a cult-like group who believe that the world is full of corruption and greed. As they carry out their duties of ridding Nottingham of corrupt lords and tax holders, they repeat a haunting mantra, a vow to cleanse those full of greed from the land in the name of Richard the Lionhart (the one they believe should be king).
The story starts off with Sheriff Blackthorne as he investigates gruesome murders he believes are committed by The Merrymen. He knows all too well what it feels like to be used by those in power, and has a drive to reveal who Robin Hood truly is. While being haunted with his past, Blackthorne continues on the dark road, even at the risk of death. Forget everything you know about the traditional Robin Hood story, because this will show readers a hidden more cruel aspect of human nature; as proven by the demonic mask the Merrymen wear.
As wild and gory this graphic novel was, I absolutely loved it and can't wait to see Blackthorne and Robin Hood face off.
5/5 stars!
This comic really took me by surprise---not just the artwork, but the dark macabre style of plot itself. While many maybe familiar with the classic tale of Robin Hood, a vigilante who stole from the rich and gave to the poor; this story is anything but hopeful and full or romance. In this world, the Merrymen are not only thieves but a cult-like group who believe that the world is full of corruption and greed. As they carry out their duties of ridding Nottingham of corrupt lords and tax holders, they repeat a haunting mantra, a vow to cleanse those full of greed from the land in the name of Richard the Lionhart (the one they believe should be king).
The story starts off with Sheriff Blackthorne as he investigates gruesome murders he believes are committed by The Merrymen. He knows all too well what it feels like to be used by those in power, and has a drive to reveal who Robin Hood truly is. While being haunted with his past, Blackthorne continues on the dark road, even at the risk of death. Forget everything you know about the traditional Robin Hood story, because this will show readers a hidden more cruel aspect of human nature; as proven by the demonic mask the Merrymen wear.
As wild and gory this graphic novel was, I absolutely loved it and can't wait to see Blackthorne and Robin Hood face off.
5/5 stars!
March 23, 2022
Nottingham, Vol. 1: Death and Taxes is a grimdark take on Robin Hood. This trade specifically covers what is usually what we see in the beginning of most Robin Hood retellings, Robin and his Merry Men running about; stealing from the rich to give to the poor all in the name of King Richard.
This take is definitely one of the grimmest I've seen, with the band not only stealing from the rich but also murdering at every turn. There's also more curse words in this than I've ever seen in any other retelling/adaptation and some of it seemed out of place and gratuitous. As with many a graphic novel, the sole woman character is shown in very thin garments outlining her chest. I'm not at all a prude, but while in our society we still consider the feminine form to be overtly sexual, it does bother me to see that outlined whilst the men were only ill clothed when being tortured.
For the good bits, I somewhat enjoyed the art style and didn't think it was too dialog heavy. The color palette was lovely and I wouldn't mind checking out the next volume to see where it goes from here. Grimdark is a lovely thing but seeing it married with the classic tale is a bit unsettling.
One more complaint: "f***ing ginger", really?
*I was given a copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This take is definitely one of the grimmest I've seen, with the band not only stealing from the rich but also murdering at every turn. There's also more curse words in this than I've ever seen in any other retelling/adaptation and some of it seemed out of place and gratuitous. As with many a graphic novel, the sole woman character is shown in very thin garments outlining her chest. I'm not at all a prude, but while in our society we still consider the feminine form to be overtly sexual, it does bother me to see that outlined whilst the men were only ill clothed when being tortured.
For the good bits, I somewhat enjoyed the art style and didn't think it was too dialog heavy. The color palette was lovely and I wouldn't mind checking out the next volume to see where it goes from here. Grimdark is a lovely thing but seeing it married with the classic tale is a bit unsettling.
One more complaint: "f***ing ginger", really?
*I was given a copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2021
Enjoyable comic but it is pretty dark. Obviously, the selling point of the comic is that it is a (very) different retelling of the classic Robin Hood story. In the comic Robin is the bad guy and looks like a deranged killer in his 'Merry Man' mask ( creepy ). Supposedly the Sheriff Of Nottingham is the protagonist according to some other reviews, but in my opinion the story plays out like a fallout game - nobody is a Hero and no decision is the perfect one. I suppose that focus on the characters make the story better ( even Marian is subject to this writing) and no character is above one another.
'The people are upset, even after what happened after the tournament.'
'Of course they are. They'd rather believe in the myth of a man of noble blood fighting for them than the reality that they never really mattered to him in the first place. The fact that neither side of this royal power struggle really cares for them is too much to bear, I think.
P.S What would have been cool was if the Sheriff at the end after claiming hes 'done with this' , just left the pointless fighting and power struggle to the idiots.
'The people are upset, even after what happened after the tournament.'
'Of course they are. They'd rather believe in the myth of a man of noble blood fighting for them than the reality that they never really mattered to him in the first place. The fact that neither side of this royal power struggle really cares for them is too much to bear, I think.
P.S What would have been cool was if the Sheriff at the end after claiming hes 'done with this' , just left the pointless fighting and power struggle to the idiots.
June 5, 2024
There are things I liked about this comic--the art is good, the writing is good--but I just don't like the treatment of the characters in this retelling of the Robin Hood story. I am a huge Robin Hood fan. I grew up on Howard Pyle and Robin McKincley's retellings of the old stories and loved the romance of fighting against tyranny by drastic means.
I get (I think) what Hazan was doing with this retelling. The Sherrif of Nottingham (a notorious bad guy in most Robin Hood stories--more ambiguous here) is a veteran of the Crusades whose backstory does a lot to humanize him. That I like. I do like it when my antagonists have reasons for being the way they are and ways of choosing to be better or worse that make sense. Hood is a zealot Hell bent on purging England of the sickness embodied by the ruling class in King Richard the Lionheart's absence at the Crusades. That zealotry puts everyone at risk. This makes Hood an interesting character, but he's just not my Robin Hood.
I might read the next one, but think not. It's just not for me. I might go re-read the Outlaws of Sherwood, though. It's been a long, long time.
I get (I think) what Hazan was doing with this retelling. The Sherrif of Nottingham (a notorious bad guy in most Robin Hood stories--more ambiguous here) is a veteran of the Crusades whose backstory does a lot to humanize him. That I like. I do like it when my antagonists have reasons for being the way they are and ways of choosing to be better or worse that make sense. Hood is a zealot Hell bent on purging England of the sickness embodied by the ruling class in King Richard the Lionheart's absence at the Crusades. That zealotry puts everyone at risk. This makes Hood an interesting character, but he's just not my Robin Hood.
I might read the next one, but think not. It's just not for me. I might go re-read the Outlaws of Sherwood, though. It's been a long, long time.
June 5, 2024
There are things I liked about this comic--the art is good, the writing is good--but I just don't like the treatment of the characters in this retelling of the Robin Hood story. I am a huge Robin Hood fan. I grew up on Howard Pyle and Robin McKincley's retellings of the old stories and loved the romance of fighting against tyranny by drastic means.
I get (I think) what Hazan was doing with this retelling. The Sherrif of Nottingham (a notorious bad guy in most Robin Hood stories--more ambiguous here) is a veteran of the Crusades whose backstory does a lot to humanize him. That I like. I do like it when my antagonists have reasons for being the way they are and ways of choosing to be better or worse that make sense. Hood is a zealot Hell bent on purging England of the sickness embodied by the ruling class in King Richard the Lionheart's absence at the Crusades. That zealotry puts everyone at risk. This makes Hood an interesting character, but he's just not my Robin Hood.
I might read the next one, but think not. It's just not for me. I might go re-read the Outlaws of Sherwood, though. It's been a long, long time.
I get (I think) what Hazan was doing with this retelling. The Sherrif of Nottingham (a notorious bad guy in most Robin Hood stories--more ambiguous here) is a veteran of the Crusades whose backstory does a lot to humanize him. That I like. I do like it when my antagonists have reasons for being the way they are and ways of choosing to be better or worse that make sense. Hood is a zealot Hell bent on purging England of the sickness embodied by the ruling class in King Richard the Lionheart's absence at the Crusades. That zealotry puts everyone at risk. This makes Hood an interesting character, but he's just not my Robin Hood.
I might read the next one, but think not. It's just not for me. I might go re-read the Outlaws of Sherwood, though. It's been a long, long time.
July 6, 2024
An attempt at a more historically grounded pitch black retelling of Robin Hood with the Sheriff of Nottingham as the hero. Everyone is battle scarred from the crusades and there is constant mention of the mass beheading of 2700 Ayyubid prisoners at Ayyadieh by Richard the Lionheart (and by default Robin Hood) in 1191.
Rather than aiding the poor Robin steals so he can funnel the money to Richard to continue his Crusades while increasing the tax burden on the English people who the French speaking and war mongering Richard is more or less an absentee landlord to.
Similar themes were touched upon in the Last Duel with regards to Jean de Carrouges in the 1330s.
The artwork veers between Prince Valiant style ocean scenes and generally depicts every character as creepily elongated and the Merry Men as wearing hoods in the vein of V for Vendetta and We Happy Few.
A quick action packed read. If you like gore and history you'll probably like this one. I enjoyed Monomyth more, but appreciate what this was trying to do.
Rather than aiding the poor Robin steals so he can funnel the money to Richard to continue his Crusades while increasing the tax burden on the English people who the French speaking and war mongering Richard is more or less an absentee landlord to.
Similar themes were touched upon in the Last Duel with regards to Jean de Carrouges in the 1330s.
The artwork veers between Prince Valiant style ocean scenes and generally depicts every character as creepily elongated and the Merry Men as wearing hoods in the vein of V for Vendetta and We Happy Few.
A quick action packed read. If you like gore and history you'll probably like this one. I enjoyed Monomyth more, but appreciate what this was trying to do.
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