Robyn Hood #4 Review


Going into this fourth issue, I thought it was the final one. Turns out the next one will be it. (Which is good, this series has been too good to end this soon.) Robyn Hood from the start has been established as a unique spin on the classic story. Robyn has been a fantastic protagonist, main character of the year award material if you ask me. Last time we saw her head off with the Merry Men to start a revolution against King John. She tries in this issue, with some unexpected results. Robyn Hood is one of the best series you aren’t reading, so I’d go correct that right now. This issue is packed with plenty of action and great writing.

Here’s the official description from Zenescope:

One of the best action and fantasy series of 2012 continues!
Robyn’s chance to escape Myst has finally arrived! And with the odds stacked against her, will Robyn be able to rise and become a legendary hero? Or will she be snuffed out before she has a chance to lead a rebellion? The countdown to the big finale starts here as the creators of Grimm Fairy Tales, Wonderland and Neverland bring you the next great hero in the Grimm Universe!

This one starts out in modern day, with Cal giving a speech on his graduation. He brings up Robyn whom had disappeared a year ago. Meanwhile in Bree, the title character heads to the tournament and battles Guy of Gisbourne, King John’s champion. Patrick Shand really nails the writing in this one. While it is a serious story, it is also injected with a humorous undertone. Robyn continues to demonstrate how cool of a character she is. As she’s getting choked by Gisbourne, her line “Or I’m going to die in freaken’ fairy tale land” is just priceless. In the jail scene when she’s trying to think of a way to escape, she thinks of luring the guards close so she can steal one of their swords. “Works in movies” she says, probably my favorite single line in the comic. This being an old-time setting, I’m not quite sure King John’s use of language against Robyn matches the time period. Guy of Gisbourne is established well, being a very lethal fighter. By far the best ‘villain’ of this series. The Merry Men get a few lines here and there. This being just a five issue mini-series, there hasn’t been much time to give them character development. Still, they’re pretty likable despite the lack of development between issues.

Larry Watts’s art is pretty strong throughout. The characters look good, and the action is vibrant. (That punch Robyn receives from a knight was amazingly done, as was the final page shot of her.) There are two main covers. The first one has Robyn taking on someone in a knight getup, a very vibrant one. Cover B has Robyn tied to a tree with a bunch of arrows pointed at her. It’s a solid cover, except that her face looks rather too ‘cute’ as opposed to her always serious expression.

Overall, another great issue of Robyn Hood. We see her and the Merry Men head off for the tournament. Robyn takes on Guy of Gisbourne, a great fight accompanied by very good dialogue. By the end, you’re all set for the conclusion. This has been by far one of the best ‘modern takes’ on a classic.

4/5

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