Review - Robyn Hood #4

Bree is known for its scenic rivers, lush forests and brutal oppression by the king. Thankfully, there's a great tour guide in Robyn to guide you through the perils of the kingdom in Robyn Hood #4 from Zenescope Comics.

The issue is written by Pat Shand, with art by Larry Watts, colors by Adam Metcalfe and letters by Jim Campbell.

With the King's challenge in full force, Robyn is equally as gung-ho about entering the contest with the intent of destroying the king. It's your typical medieval skills competition: flag chasing, archery and hand to hand combat. The main challenger? A dandy named Gisbourne, who bears a resemblance to Cal King, Robyn's "nemesis" from her past life on Earth.

This is the fourth issue of five, meaning things are about to come to a head. Kudos to Shand for ending the issue somewhat surprisingly, as things aren't turning out so well for Robyn. It definitely delays the expected outcome for Robyn until the fifth issue, but it's still expected that things will work out in the end for her. Whether or not it comes at the expense of the King's life remains to be seen.

Having said that, there are some issues with the dialogue. It seems a little too revealing, in the dialogue more or less over-narrates the story to the reader. For instance, there's one exchange between Cal and his dad where his dad explains to the reader why Cal is so privileged. It's a little much and doesn't really let the reader figure anything out.

Watts art is decent. He tends to focus on one particular character in a panel, spending less time on the details of the background action. Some of the character models are recycled in later panels and there are inconsistencies in facial expressions and detail. The art works for the book though, effectively conveying the action being described in the dialogue.

The fact that Robyn Hood is loosely based on canon, it's easy to see how it wouldn't really be that interesting to read, in that you really already know the outcome. Shand has added enough of his own take though to make it a little less predictable and, again, the fifth issue promises some surprises.

Robyn Hood #4 is in stores December 19.