C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #4: Training Day

C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #4 picks up with the children arriving in Camelot, where they begin training to fight back against the forces of Mordred. As is expected, the kids have a rough start, showing little to no skill when using practice equipment, sparking questions of their legitimacy and why they were chosen as the ones to wield the weapons imbued with the original Knights of the Round Table. As the training commences, the children learn more about why these events are transpiring, which also acts as a history lesson for how the relationship between the original Knights came to an end. All of this allows for some strong life lessons to be imparted on the kids, making this adventure about much more than just the upcoming conflict.

Before getting into the positives, this issue does showcase one of the weaker elements of the series, the distribution of character development between the main cast. The main characters here are clearly Fel and Connor, with the other children getting little to do other than be present and accompany the others on the quest they are all on. While all of these characters have names and are present, they don’t get to do a lot, making their brief appearances act as reminders that they are here rather than doing anything to develop their own stories. This is not abnormal for a team book, especially one featuring entirely new characters, but the existence of the other children constantly serves as a reminder that only a few of them are central to the focus.

Thankfully, there are many more positives than negatives in this issue, especially when it comes to the pacing. Writer Tom Taylor and artist Daniele Di Nicuolo do an excellent job developing this story at a pace that benefits the character focused direction, giving the issue moments to breathe when necessary while also moving at a fast pace when necessary. The heart of the narrative is definitely in the discussion of family, with this issue expertly using the classic Knights of the Round Table story as a way to teach Connor and Fel important lessons about what family truly is and what it means to be loyal to one another. In this case, the issue focuses on the petty reasons why found families fall apart and why it is important to let bygones be bygones when it comes to the most important relationships in our lives.

This issue also does a fantastic job moving this narrative forward, revealing important plot elements in a way that feels natural for the kind of story being told, without ever making anything feel forced. There are still many mysteries that have yet to be explored, but the way the story unfolds is an excellent example of how reveals can happen within a narrative without taking over the story and detracting from the direction it is going. Not every story needs to subvert expectations, and this issue is an excellent example of utilizing powerful reveals at key moments to help highlight the ongoing narrative, but not going off in directions that exist only for shock value.