Tales From Nottingham #4 is yet another anthology piece from Mad Cave Studios. This time, the contest winners focus on Friar Tuck and his crisis of faith amid the corruption.
Tales From Nottingham #4 On Devotion
Friar Tuck for the most part has been more of a plot element in the main Nottingham series. Here contest winner Dylan Essex gives him an arc that makes Tuck a notable presence. Tuck is a man driven by his faith in morality and the God who is supposed to represent those morals. But his beliefs are challenged at every turn, like how his church is just as corrupt as Nottingham’s nobility. This way Tuck makes himself a very compelling foil with Sheriff Nottingham, a man willing to put himself at risk to help the common folk. But he’s finding it very hard to trust and negotiate peacefully, especially with fledgling Merry Men. Who much like Tuck are driven by a moral faith whose representatives are at odds with reality.
Feel The Weight Of A Wicked Presence
The other winner, Miguel Puerta presents the narrative pressures with the weight of a world. There is a sense of unease throughout the pages with how Tuck tries to stand tall and resolute. Meanwhile other characters make themselves look bigger with their body language and being on higher perches. It gives a sense of dominance that tries to knock Tuck off of his feet. Part of that comes from the shading effects as well as the coloring by Diana Sousa. A large tree stands more resolute than Tuck and the red masks of the Merry Men give a menace that practically beckons Tuck into doing something drastic. Which results in a highly impactful SFX word mark from Taylor Esposito emphasizing a drastic action that almost breaks Tuck.
Tales From Nottingham #4: Make Peace With Doom
Tales From Nottingham #4 gives the world of Nottingham a character to root for in the coming third trade. Having someone in this grimdark setting try to make a difference without most of the grief is a welcome change. Friar Tuck has his own moral legs to stand on and despite the challenge, he stays true to himself. It’s a very remarkable goal that gives people a reason to see the entire series through.
Final score 9/10.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.