Nottingham #1 Review

Writer: David Hazan

Artist: Shane Connery Volk

Rating: 7 of 8

Nottingham #1

When the cause is right, is there really any line you won't cross? No matter the goal, it's something you must question - even if the cause if ''just''. To achieve a goal, some cross lines they never thought they could. But when it's something you believe in, it's hard to think the line even matters. 

In myth, Robin Hood crosses lines most people would never even consider. Usually, this is cast in a rather positive light. After all, he's stealing from the rich to give to the poor, so he can't be all that bad... can he? Here we see an altogether darker side to the hero, one whose belief in both his king and his cause is so resolute, he'll cross lines most heroes simply won't.

It adds an interesting new layer to the hero, whose usually been portrayed so heroically on both the small and silver screen. It also creates an interesting dilemma for the reader: when even your hero commits such terrible cruelty, who can you root for? It's an interesting quandary and not something you usually see explored, so I applaud Hazan for it.

Something he also does remarkably well is adding extra layers to Robin's supporting cast. Sometimes, Maid Marian's portrayed as a pretty simple, uninteresting character, whose just another part of Robin's story. Here, though, she's remarkably surefooted and, even when being interrogated by the Sheriff, she displays a remarkable sense of power. 

Meanwhile, Will Scarlet displays an incredible sense of determination and zeal, even in particularly trying situations. He's also got tremendous loyalty, even if it isn't always to his benefit. Throughout the issue, Volk casts some truly powerful imagery. Whether it's in the Sheriff's ever imposing figure, the Merry Men's grotesque masks, or some especially violent torture, his art constantly packs a punch. One of the only criticisms I have of it's that, at times, he could do better in expressing a character's emotion, like with Will's mother and, later, with Maid Marian. Other than that, the quality's pretty high.

Overall, a surprisingly strong debut, which shows some promise for the rest of the series. Even though I'm not usually a fan of Robin Hood, this definitely surprised me - in the very best ways.