Prince Valiant, Vol. 2: The Singing Sword

Prince Valiant (Paperback) #2

by Hal Foster

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Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comic Strips

48 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 1988

About the author

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

Reviews

[AndrewP · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reprint of the comic pages originally printed in the 1930s. There are a number of interconnected short stories and from the format I can tell that this was obviously based on Le Morte D'Arthur. Knights riding off on quests etc..
I think there are 30 or more volumes in the complete set but I will see if I can find a few more.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures of Prince Val continue as he takes on a troll, Morgan le Fay, and Viking raiders on his way towards earning martial glory in King Arthur's court. These stories, serialized through the 1938 calendar year, pick up with Val seeking to free an injured Sir Gawain, first from a group of bandits and later from Morgan le Fay, the latter of whom seeks to coerce Gawain into marriage. Val continues to build his stature as a warrior, and is further tested when he's caught in a love triangle with Ilene and a rival suitor, Prince Arn. Ilene is abducted by a group of raiding northmen led by Thagnar, and though Val's heroics are able to impress the Viking warlord, things end tragically for the young hero's budding romance.

But the climax to this volume comes from Val's push to obtain knighthood. Though Arthur bars Val from entering a joust due to his age and inexperience, Val enters as a mystery knight absent any heraldry or regalia. A literal white knight. Val challenges Sir Tristram, the second mightiest knight in Arthur's court. The pair have a prolonged duel spanning a few pages (the readers who read this weekly must have been on edge for a month straight), but Tristram ultimately prevails due to his access to stronger lances and unseats Val, revealing the mystery knight's identity in the process. Though Tristram and the other knights are impressed with Val's skill, Val feels humiliated and chooses to return back to his exile father's court in the Fens.

Stunning as always, Prince Valiant is a thrilling medieval fantasy that is just supremely fun and easy to read.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The incredible artwork of Hal Foster makes these a true treasure to read. Being able to go through a year's worth of the Sunday strips is fantastic. Awesome story and incredible art make these books get my highest recommendation.