Nottingham #3: Look Into My Eyes

Every time I read Nottingham I’m remembered about characters from Robin Hood lore that I’ve forgotten about, and I take pride in being more than a casual fan of the character. This issue is no exception as writer David Hazan brings a background character into the spotlight all the while moving this story arc forward at a pace that’s really starting to quicken. We also get a nice backstory on one of the characters, which reveals how his story connects to another character’s, and some motivations are brought to light. The book starts off at a nice pace, right where the last issue left off, the middle does seem to lag just a bit but is never boring, and then the last few pages turn it up to eleven. The story is headed in a direction that we’re all familiar with, but I would bet the farm that they’re not going to end where they’re “supposed to,” which makes everything you think you know mean nothing. It’s that sense of shock and awe that really makes this book so exciting. Beyond that, we get some more evidence to make the case for Robin Hood and the Merry Men being evil. And I mean EVIL!!! Wow! Hazan lays to rest any sense of this being a regular story told from the other person’s point of view. 

Again Shane Connery Volk sucks us into this world of evil. What finally hit me on this issue is that he’s been playing us all along. He draws the Sherriff of Nottingham and his crew like villains, while they actually kind of are (there’s no good vs. evil here, it’s bad vs. worse) and the “heroes” as “heroes.” It totally works and really screws with your head. Another reason why this book is so much fun!!! Also BIG shoutout to Luca Romano who SHINES in this series. Without Romano, this book would not be anywhere near as good as it is.