The Knights of Pendragon - Once and Future

by Dan Abnett, Gary Erskine (Penciller)

Steeped in British folklore and Arthurian myth, the Knights of Pendragon are a new team of heroes charged with saving the planet from the destructive forces of the corrupt Bane! Collects The Knights of Pendragon #1-9.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy

218 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knights of Pendragon was a Marvel UK comic that hit the stands in 1990. It was a pretty risky comic that was trying to do something different in a comic book industry that thrived on giving the reader what it was sure it would buy. So a book that was thick with ecological and political issues, with only the barest dusting of superhero action and an undercurrent of mythological and literary themes was always going to be a bit of a sticky wicket. Dan Abnett and John Tomlinson took it in turns to pen the issues and along with editor Steve White they provide three fascinating forewords about the early development of the series. Other notable topics include the controversial 5th issue where Captain Britain beats Dai Thomas to death, which viewed on its own is indefensible but if you read the whole series and absorb the Arthurian Sir Gawain and the Green Knight concept, then it becomes justifiable though no less shocking... context rules. I'm not in the camp that wants to hide Knights of Pendragon in a phone directory of alternate realities. The other noteworthy aspect of the book is how unreservedly the writers pursue the green themes, even down to the books being printed on environmentally friendly paper. You've also got to admire the sheer balls of kicking off the first issue with two pages of people coughing up their bloody guts in a burger bar.
This book collects the first nine issues. Superhero content is very light with just a few short appearances of Captain Britain and Union Jack. The main focus is watching Dai Thomas, followed by reporter Kate McClellan, investigate environmental disasters for W.H.O. (Weird Happenings Organisation) and track down a serial killer called The Jigsaw Man.

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 4.25/5
Read as part of the Knights of Pendragon omnibus. This opening arc is not only the absolute highlight of the omnibus itself, it is the only reason I will be keeping the omnibus. As after this arc ends (a fact that caused me no end of consternation, not to mention frustration), it's all downhill from there. Adbett and Erskine have crafted something pretty darn special here. This was without a shadow of a doubt, the closest thing to a Vertigo series I've ever read from Marvel. It really does feel like this could have been up there amongst the upper echelon of the amazing and sadly defunct DC imprint. Giving off more than a whiff of Morrison's Doom Patrol, despite being slightly more 'normal' than Morrison's unique little mind fuck, this was one of those rare superhero stories that never, ever descends into the 'burnt to a crisp levels of overdone' superhero tropes. This is original, wonderfully unique and rather special to me. Gary Erskine's art was a thing of beauty. I missed it as soon as it was over, even if he did draw some of the most unattractive women's head's I've ever seen to grace the medium. His style was so bold and beautiful I couldn't help but fall in love with it. This undoubtedly won't be for everyone, so you should approach tentatively if breaking the typical superhero mold isn't your thing. But for those who do 'get it', it will be something very special indeed. 4.25/5


OmniBen.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watchmen's tone and pacing changed comic books forever. This is evident in pretty much every comic published in the decade after it, and extremely evident in this series. Future superstar Writer Dan Abnett (with John Tomlinson) do a quasi-superhero title with that laid back, decompressed Vertigo Comics vibe. I liken it to the “West Coast” sound of '70s Rock...there's no sense of urgency in anything that happens, and even the action seems seem to whimper rather than bang. This is well written but is honestly not my cup of tea. I like my comic books, especially superhero comic books, to have maximum impact and concise storytelling.

Future superstar Artist Gary Erskine also got an early break in the Marvel UK titles as well as 2000 A.D. His artwork is solid and his action sequences flow well enough but lack Alan Davis' bone crunching violence. Disney (the parent company of Marvel, as of late) has issued a mandate that all new material must originate from the US arm of Marvel. Pity that. We may never get the next Alan Davis or Alan Moore now. I can understand them keeping a clenched fist for, say, Spider-Man or Captain America, but I don't see any reason why they couldn't allow them some play with UK heroes, like Captain Britain (a supporting character in this title).

All in all, this is a decent read with environmental overtones that hold up well. This is only available in the UK (or by Internet, as I got it), and I sincerely doubt that this book will be issued Stateside. The production values are similar to the other Panini/ Marvel UK books: super thick cardstock cover and paper, high resolution scans with little to no restoration and nice introductions by the creators.

[Tim B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book. I liked the literary introduction with each issue and the tie to old stories. The only problem is what the authors did with Captain Britain. They kind of made him too weak and just a pawn of W.H.O. However, that aside, the story was captivating with good flow.

[Jorge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've wanted to read this since 1990. Just read it recently and I was disappointed. It isn't horrible has some international political intrigue. But it commits the biggest sin...it's boring.

[Daniel Etherington · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing - lots of interesting stuff going on, but poorly structured and fails to fulfil its potential. Dated too.