Frank Bellamy's King Arthur and his Knights. Clifford Makins (Writer), Frank Bellamy (Art). Book Palace Books (2008)

A great version of the Arthur legend that is interesting for what it leaves out as much as for its gorgeous contents. The story starts with Arthur removing the sword from the stone and proving his claim to the throne. This claim is disputed by King Lot who fights with Arthur and looses and swears allegiance. Lancelot, a knight from France travels to Camelot to join Arthur's court and Arthur and Lancelot become firm friends. Mordred, another knight, plots against Lancelot ans Arthur travels to France to fight Lancelot, Mordred in his absence usurps the throne. Arthur discovers the plot, returns to England and is mortally wounded in the battle against Mordred. Arthur, dying, has his sword Excalibur returned to the Lady of the Lake who gave it to him. The story is told with great momentum, the action is swift and exciting, the story never rests, it is always pushing forward.
The format of the comic can appear a little clunky, there are blocks of text beneath each panel as well as dialogue within the panels. After a page or two the reader ceases to notice and I found myself reading the comic as I would any other. This was aided by the vivid and dynamic art. It is simply astonishing, the flowing lines and expressive details, the panels never seem static, they are full of movement. One of the most extraordinary aspects to the art is the level of detail, the way the armour on the horses ridden by the knights is drawn. It does not crowd out or slow down the action, it gives a tremendous solidity and weight to the action. The cast are a joy, Arthur is clean cut and heroic, Merlin looks like a wizard, Mordred has an unmistakable atmosphere of villainy in every motion. The story emerges from the art with force, grace and power.
The story itself is compact and cunningly structured to provide a series of rousing adventures and remain true to the broad outline of the legend. What is very noticeable by its omission is the triangle between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot that powers so many other versions. While romantic complications may have been excluded because of the age of the intended audience, this remains a brilliantly exciting story about honour, friendship and knights going into battle. In short is is everything it should be and quite a bit more as well. Fantastic.

Frank Bellamy's Robin Hood. The Complete Adventures. Clifford Makins (Writer), Frank Bellamy (Art). Book Palace Books (2008)

This is a collection of the Robin Hood strips from the comic Swift and it has an unusual format, in addition to the speech balloons, there is narrative text below each panel. This was designed to make it easier for the intended audience of young readers. The story is a nice variant on the classic Robin Hood story, Robin is a the son of a Saxon lord, driven from his home by the Norman Robert the Wolf to live in Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood organises his men to live in the forest and to fight the Normans and protect the poor. He assembles his band of Merry Men and fights the Sheriff of Nottingham, is the enemy of the evil Prince John and a loyal subject of good King Richard the Lionheart. Maid Marion joins his band and after the death of King Richard they continue to rob the rich, protect the poor and make merry in Sherwood Forest. These are wonderful adventure comics, a strong story with beautiful art.

Frank Bellamy is the marquee name for the collection and it is easy to see why. The art is simply beautiful, strong and vibrant. It is filled with detail that never crowds the panels, they are balanced with precision, the background detail giving depth and strength to the foreground action. The figure work is breathtaking, Robin Hood has the dash of Errol Flynn without being a copy, the action is swift and powerful without ever being brutal or savage. The faces of the cast are a joy, they portray the emotions of the moment with clarity and force, there is real feeling in the cast.

The art stands on an excellent script by Clifford Makins, the writing is concise and swift, The episodes move quickly and effectively, the story is told in a very clear and uncluttered way. It is an unencumbered adventure story, driven by the joy of action and the thrill of danger, the knowledge that your friends can be relied upon to come to your rescue. It never reads as childish, its honest dedication make it a pleasure to read as an adult. Deeply old fashioned and still thrilling.