The Arthurian legend springs to life in another powerhouse graphic novel from the creators of OUTLAW: THE LEGEND OF ROBIN HOOD. Arthur Pendragon was raised in obscurity, but fate will not leave him to the shadows. In a moment of desperate need, he draws a legendary sword from its stonebed and commences the life he was born to lead. A series of adventures sparked by the elusive wizard Merlin launches Arthur through love and betrayal, domination and defeat, and toward the prophesied end awaiting him. Merging a faithful retelling with dynamic illustrations, EXCALIBUR invites long-time fans to relive the legend and those new to the story to experience it up close in a vivid graphic adventure.
- ISBN: 9780763646448
- Author: Lee, Tony
- Illustrator: Hart, Sam
- Published: 2011 , Candlewick Press
- Themes: Betrayal, Hope, justice, king
- Descriptors: England (UK), Graphic Novel, Intermediate (ages 9-14)
- No. of pages: 144
If you like magic and adventure, then you are going to love Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur. This graphic novel takes the legends of Arthur Pendragon that we all know and love and creates a wonderful rendition of his story. Whether you have prior knowledge of Arthur and Camelot or not, you’ll be sure to enjoy this story. I chose this graphic novel because I really enjoy the Arthurian stories and I have read—and watched—numerous retellings of the adventures of Arthur and his knights. I enjoy delving into a particular topic and exploring all the different aspects of that topic, so I figured I’d try a graphic novel version of this story.
One of the things that I enjoyed as I read this graphic novel was the ease of reading. Some graphic novels are difficult to follow because it is hard to tell which frame to read next, but this was not the case for Excalibur. There wasn’t a time when I was reading that I became confused about where to read next; everything flowed so well and so effortlessly. I also appreciated how Sam Hart, the artist, used different color schemes for different characters and settings. This really made it easy to keep track of the setting and with whom each character was associated. This graphic novel is also a great way to introduce King Arthur to students who are interested in medieval times. There are enough details and links to the different legends that are out there that students would be inclined to read other books about King Arthur or about that time period. I also think that by having this story written as a graphic novel with, reluctant readers would be more willing to read it.
Even though this story is set many centuries in the past, it still conveys beliefs and ideals that are present in modern times. The knights’ loyalty and heroism is something to aspire to. The idea of being honorable and standing up for what you believe in is desperately needed in present times.
Overall, this graphic novel was well written, well illustrated, and well loved by this reader. I hope everyone has a similar experience. 🙂