USA Writer and artist team up to create a new Robin Hood graphic novel
There have been several varied graphic novels that have focussed on the tales of the English folk hero, Robin Hood and in this latest version, writer Peter Dabbene and artist Lee Milewski have teamed up to deliver a fast-moving take on the globally famous traditional stories.
They describe their adaptation as one that "blends the various stories and anecdotes into a single narrative" and it doesn't disappoint, with some sharp writing and dramatic illustrations effectively weaving the story-line together to produce a credible and interesting presentation of the popular legend.
Lee Milewski's somewhat geometric artistic style and simplistic facial representations may take a little getting used to but his images create striking depth and a strong use of light and shade that, together with the browns, greens, greys and oranges of his muddy colour palette, ideally reflect the dark environments of the forest glades and dimly lit stone castles.
It is always difficult to present a familiar, well-known tale in a fresh light that maintains the reader's interest but Dabbene and Milewski have produced a plausible and visually dramatic version that does the job well.
They dedicate their 96 page novel to "Howard Pyle and all the writers and artists who've kept the legend of Robin Hood alive" and they can take some satisfaction that, in my view, this new graphic re-telling will help continue that tradition.
The new interpretation is available in print from Amazon.com and digitally from Comixology.com