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The Black Dragon
It is the Year of Our Lord, 1193. King Henry has just died and Richard Coer du Leon still battles abroad for the flag of England. This is the world of James Dunreith, who returns home to Britain from far-flung battlefields following the death of his liege-lord, Henry. It is a world of the kind of eldritch horrors that skulk in the dark corners of the medieval psyche. It is a world of moldered beings that crawl from their graves to claim the living, a world filled with the stuff of which nightmares are made.
184 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 1996
6 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,272 books891 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 16, 2014
Perhaps best known for his work turning Marvel's X-Men into a super-franchise through the 70s and 80s and into the 90s, writer Chris Claremont collaborates with artist John Bolton on this medieval fantasy about a plot to expel the Norman invaders from England using magic. Claremont weaves an intriguing, twisting tale of Jamie Dunrieth, an exiled knight returned to England. The Queen sends Jamie on a mission to investigate an old friend, who may be plotting to overthrow the crown, and worse, may be using magic to do it. Along the way, we meet faeries, dragons, and other magical creatures, and get a guest appearance by Robin Hood.
In recent years, Claremont has garnered a reputation as a wordy writer, but this overlooks the role his writing actually plays. While he gives us a great deal of dialogue and insight into the characters, the writing never duplicates what the art is showing us. A Chris Claremont script, at its best, works in partnership with the art, not telling us what the art can show us, but not putting the artist in the position of carrying most of the story. The writing communicates information the art can't. Compared to many modern writers and comics, this makes for a denser read, but also a very rewarding one.
John Bolton's art is as beautiful and detailed as his storytelling is clear. To me, his work here is a bit reminiscent of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, in terms of detail and a classic look. He and Claremont have always been excellent collaborators, and this is another great example. While his decades of work on the X-Men are chock full of Claremont's creations, it's a shame that he only produced a handful of comics and books that are wholly his own creation, instead of part of a larger comic book superhero universe. This is a great self-contained story, with unexpected twists that keep the reader guessing as to the outcome, and doesn't have a safe resolution that preserves some greater franchise. As a self-contained graphic novel, this is fantastic, and it's great that it's back in print.
In recent years, Claremont has garnered a reputation as a wordy writer, but this overlooks the role his writing actually plays. While he gives us a great deal of dialogue and insight into the characters, the writing never duplicates what the art is showing us. A Chris Claremont script, at its best, works in partnership with the art, not telling us what the art can show us, but not putting the artist in the position of carrying most of the story. The writing communicates information the art can't. Compared to many modern writers and comics, this makes for a denser read, but also a very rewarding one.
John Bolton's art is as beautiful and detailed as his storytelling is clear. To me, his work here is a bit reminiscent of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, in terms of detail and a classic look. He and Claremont have always been excellent collaborators, and this is another great example. While his decades of work on the X-Men are chock full of Claremont's creations, it's a shame that he only produced a handful of comics and books that are wholly his own creation, instead of part of a larger comic book superhero universe. This is a great self-contained story, with unexpected twists that keep the reader guessing as to the outcome, and doesn't have a safe resolution that preserves some greater franchise. As a self-contained graphic novel, this is fantastic, and it's great that it's back in print.
February 26, 2010
i bought the first few issues of this in 1985, and bought the last few recently, so am finally reading it after 25 years of it being on my list. :)
January 20, 2024
Entertaining
October 6, 2021
Pois é, né?
A arte do John Bolton é muito boa, limpa, clara, realista e deve ficar muito mais legal no papel em seu tamanho natural do que na tela do Kindle.
Porém a narrativa é meio chata, exagerada, melodramática e levemente confusa, como geralmente é o caso com o Claremont; muita coisa acontecendo e nada muito claro; o que diabos o Robin Hood tá fazendo aqui?
Enfim, em determinado momento, eu não sabia mais porque eu estava lendo, não é ruim, mas não é bom também.
A arte do John Bolton é muito boa, limpa, clara, realista e deve ficar muito mais legal no papel em seu tamanho natural do que na tela do Kindle.
Porém a narrativa é meio chata, exagerada, melodramática e levemente confusa, como geralmente é o caso com o Claremont; muita coisa acontecendo e nada muito claro; o que diabos o Robin Hood tá fazendo aqui?
Enfim, em determinado momento, eu não sabia mais porque eu estava lendo, não é ruim, mas não é bom também.
March 30, 2015
While I thought the art was well done, I wasn't a huge fan of the story. It seemed pretty cliché and it didn't really tie together very well.
August 29, 2018
Some amazing artwork by Bolton but the story was a bit long and I got a bit bored of it.
July 31, 2019
Great art but the story is a bit mediocre.
August 5, 2015
The artwork is pretty good, so the overall rating should perhaps be higher, but the story is just so bad that I can't bring myself to give it a higher rating than this. I don't mind dialogue when the characters say "yonder is thy road, my liege" if everything else is working so you can just go with the flow, but nothing worked for me at all so the dialogue grated while the story repeatedly stalled.
June 30, 2019
This is second graphic novel released in cooperation between Chris Claremont and John Bolton (first one being Marada, The She-Wolf).
Story wise this is rather mature story - don't get me wrong, there are mythical beings here, magic, evil sorcerers, good sorcerers but the very way story develops, decisions made by our heroes and the very end [all evil deeds need to be punished in this or that way] are something that you would not find commonly today in epic fantasy stories. Either there would be a happy ending through and through or everyone would be killed off.
I wont go into story details much to avoid spoilers but in short we follow the exiled knight as he travels home [after years and years spent all over the world, from Europe to Japan] only to enter the strange and weird world of magic and find out he is to play pivotal role in preserving the very soul of his country - in both our physical plane and in the world of magical beings. In terms of the story this novel precedes the Hellboy - and readers will find lots of common elements between these two universes (after all they are both based on folk stories).
Art is beautiful. As one reviewer already said it is reminiscent of Hal Foster's works (Prince Valiant, The Medieval Castle). Just look at the sword-fighting panels or details of the panorama shots of castles and great halls. Pure joy for the eyes.
Together with the Marada this is one of the most beautiful graphical novels I came across in a while (I think last book that left impression on me like these two was Blacksad couple of years back).
Highly recommended to all fans of fantasy, mythology, hero tragedies and extremely beautiful art.
Story wise this is rather mature story - don't get me wrong, there are mythical beings here, magic, evil sorcerers, good sorcerers but the very way story develops, decisions made by our heroes and the very end [all evil deeds need to be punished in this or that way] are something that you would not find commonly today in epic fantasy stories. Either there would be a happy ending through and through or everyone would be killed off.
I wont go into story details much to avoid spoilers but in short we follow the exiled knight as he travels home [after years and years spent all over the world, from Europe to Japan] only to enter the strange and weird world of magic and find out he is to play pivotal role in preserving the very soul of his country - in both our physical plane and in the world of magical beings. In terms of the story this novel precedes the Hellboy - and readers will find lots of common elements between these two universes (after all they are both based on folk stories).
Art is beautiful. As one reviewer already said it is reminiscent of Hal Foster's works (Prince Valiant, The Medieval Castle). Just look at the sword-fighting panels or details of the panorama shots of castles and great halls. Pure joy for the eyes.
Together with the Marada this is one of the most beautiful graphical novels I came across in a while (I think last book that left impression on me like these two was Blacksad couple of years back).
Highly recommended to all fans of fantasy, mythology, hero tragedies and extremely beautiful art.
July 26, 2019
Mid-80s black & white Epic Comics goodness from Chris Claremont and John Bolton. Claremont's love of English lore that he'd later bring to Excalibur shows up in full bloom here, and Bolton's artwork is breathtaking all on its own. It's amazing that he's able to squeeze his artwork in around Claremont's paragraph-long word balloons, but that's 80s comics for you!
February 13, 2016
Better than average story and art. Good robin Hood/King Arthur type story. Recommended
June 17, 2020
It wasn't my favorite book. The writing left a lot of details out for me. I wouldn't recommend.
September 29, 2024
A fantasy story set in England in 1193.
James Dunreith returns from exile and is tasked by Queen Eleanor with discovering whether James' old friend Edmund de Valere is plotting treason. What James discovers is that Edmund has been dabbling in dark magicks and they are soon to be confronted by James' own unknown connection to the world of faery.
This begins more or less the way a hundred other 'medieval England' stories have, with a knight errant, a damsel in distress and a murderous plot against the Crown. So far, so meh.
However, about halfway through the book takes a turn for the darker and more interesting. The introduction of the world of faery, its denizens desperately clinging onto life despite the impact of both the Normans and Christianity, adds a new dimension to the story which resonates very much with the myth and folklore of Britain which I was raised on.
What I liked most about this book is that it is morally complex.
The faery folk demand blood vengeance, even when that's not what will 'save the day' for them, Morgana le Fay has to admit to the goodness of Friar Tuck, despite hating Christianity and even the villain of the piece begins his descent into madness with the honest ideal of freeing his people from the tyranny of the Normans.
Two things held this book back from being more engaging for me, however.
The first is simply the appearance of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, whose inclusion seems contrived since he's far from Nottingham and whose presence only serves to make the rest of the story feel less convincing. Whilst his role in English folklore can't be denied, overexposure in media has robbed (pun intended) the character of any credibility in this context.
The second downside to this book for me was the black and white artwork. The art itself is fine, albeit lacking in a sense of style, but not having the illustrations be in colour means some of the wonder and vibrancy of the story itself is lost.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
James Dunreith returns from exile and is tasked by Queen Eleanor with discovering whether James' old friend Edmund de Valere is plotting treason. What James discovers is that Edmund has been dabbling in dark magicks and they are soon to be confronted by James' own unknown connection to the world of faery.
This begins more or less the way a hundred other 'medieval England' stories have, with a knight errant, a damsel in distress and a murderous plot against the Crown. So far, so meh.
However, about halfway through the book takes a turn for the darker and more interesting. The introduction of the world of faery, its denizens desperately clinging onto life despite the impact of both the Normans and Christianity, adds a new dimension to the story which resonates very much with the myth and folklore of Britain which I was raised on.
What I liked most about this book is that it is morally complex.
The faery folk demand blood vengeance, even when that's not what will 'save the day' for them, Morgana le Fay has to admit to the goodness of Friar Tuck, despite hating Christianity and even the villain of the piece begins his descent into madness with the honest ideal of freeing his people from the tyranny of the Normans.
Two things held this book back from being more engaging for me, however.
The first is simply the appearance of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, whose inclusion seems contrived since he's far from Nottingham and whose presence only serves to make the rest of the story feel less convincing. Whilst his role in English folklore can't be denied, overexposure in media has robbed (pun intended) the character of any credibility in this context.
The second downside to this book for me was the black and white artwork. The art itself is fine, albeit lacking in a sense of style, but not having the illustrations be in colour means some of the wonder and vibrancy of the story itself is lost.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
May 24, 2020
A six issue limited series.
This is a very interesting mix of English myths, fairy tales, and history.
King Henry II has died recently. His country is divided and his heir Richard the Lionheart is away at war. James Dunreith, Duke of Ca’rynth, has been in exile for 25 years but because of Henry’s death, he thinks it’s safe to return. He’s wrong. He has barely stepped to England’s shore when knights capture him and bring him to a monastery as a prisoner. There, he’s tortured because the Church thinks that he’s a heretic and a sorcerer. However, a group of mysterious knights rescue him, but none too gently.
It turns out, that Queen Eleanor knows that James is back and needs his services. James’ childhood friend, a powerful Earl, is suspected not just of treason but of black magic. Eleanor sends James to find out what’s going on. James is reluctant but feels duty-bound to obey. On the way, James is reunited with his old friend Brian Griffin and they rescue a young lady from outlaws.
James has traveled a lot, all the way to Cathay. He’s a man of reason and doesn’t even believe in magic, even though the Church claims he uses it. However, he’s not aged while away from England and right in the first issue, he sees a dream (or is it a dream) of a huge black dragon who heals James’ tortured body. So, it’s clear that something supernatural is going on.
The story uses a lot of English myths. Robin Hood is a major secondary character, which was a pleasant surprise to me. Various fairies also appear.
Bolton’s art fits the story well. The English countryside looks gorgeous. The art reminds me of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant.
However, this is a very dark tale, full of betrayal, blood, and dark magic. It’s very different in tone from his X-Men work.
This is a very interesting mix of English myths, fairy tales, and history.
King Henry II has died recently. His country is divided and his heir Richard the Lionheart is away at war. James Dunreith, Duke of Ca’rynth, has been in exile for 25 years but because of Henry’s death, he thinks it’s safe to return. He’s wrong. He has barely stepped to England’s shore when knights capture him and bring him to a monastery as a prisoner. There, he’s tortured because the Church thinks that he’s a heretic and a sorcerer. However, a group of mysterious knights rescue him, but none too gently.
It turns out, that Queen Eleanor knows that James is back and needs his services. James’ childhood friend, a powerful Earl, is suspected not just of treason but of black magic. Eleanor sends James to find out what’s going on. James is reluctant but feels duty-bound to obey. On the way, James is reunited with his old friend Brian Griffin and they rescue a young lady from outlaws.
James has traveled a lot, all the way to Cathay. He’s a man of reason and doesn’t even believe in magic, even though the Church claims he uses it. However, he’s not aged while away from England and right in the first issue, he sees a dream (or is it a dream) of a huge black dragon who heals James’ tortured body. So, it’s clear that something supernatural is going on.
The story uses a lot of English myths. Robin Hood is a major secondary character, which was a pleasant surprise to me. Various fairies also appear.
Bolton’s art fits the story well. The English countryside looks gorgeous. The art reminds me of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant.
However, this is a very dark tale, full of betrayal, blood, and dark magic. It’s very different in tone from his X-Men work.
March 14, 2020
So back in 1985 Chris Claremont wrote a story about dragons, faeries and Ye Olde England. With gorgeous black and white inkwork by John Bolton it's a visual treat, especially contrasted with modern computer-drawn comics. James Dunreith, a banished noble, returns to England after years of travelling in Asia and immediately finds himself on a quest from Her Majesty Eleanor of Aquitane, the wife of late Henry Plantagenet. The quest is a difficult one - his best friend, Edmund De Valere, is suspected of planning a rebellion, and not just a normal peasant one but one rumored to be aided by dark magicks. James is honor-bound to find the truth. He is also having mystical visions of the eponymous Black Dragon who states that they're one and the same. Claremont spent a great deal of time stylizing the prose and it adds a lot to the story with the tragic ending emphasizing that feeling of a fairy tale.
June 2, 2024
Dunreith, a British nobleman exiled under Henry, returns home in the reign of Richard I. Richard's mother Eleanor recruits Dunreith to investigate a plot by his BFF to overthrow the crown. The plot is much darker than either of them suspects ...
Claremont's long run of X-Men eventually sunk under the weight of his obsessive tropes, all of which are on display here: mind-control/possession plus physical transformation, a woman torn between Good and Evil.
A much bigger problem is that the characters aren't even remotely medieval. For example, despite a couple of monks dropping God's name, the Good/Evil dichotomy is framed in modern terms that would have fit into X-Men rather than God/Satan (I'd have no problems with it not being Satanic, just how the characters interpret it).
Claremont's long run of X-Men eventually sunk under the weight of his obsessive tropes, all of which are on display here: mind-control/possession plus physical transformation, a woman torn between Good and Evil.
A much bigger problem is that the characters aren't even remotely medieval. For example, despite a couple of monks dropping God's name, the Good/Evil dichotomy is framed in modern terms that would have fit into X-Men rather than God/Satan (I'd have no problems with it not being Satanic, just how the characters interpret it).
December 22, 2023
1.5*, maybe
This one started out OK, especially since I studied English history in college. I felt interest in the main characters and their issues. I liked the artwork.
However, as the tale progressed, the story began to become more and more confusing and uninteresting. It devolved into more of a revenge novel and the pursuit of supernatural power. I even felt that the artwork began to be less precise. Eventually, I struggled to finish the work.
Friends know that I have trouble with many sequential novels, although I grew up loving the comics of the 1950-60s. This one definitely does NOT convince me to read more of the genre. Your mileage may vary.
This one started out OK, especially since I studied English history in college. I felt interest in the main characters and their issues. I liked the artwork.
However, as the tale progressed, the story began to become more and more confusing and uninteresting. It devolved into more of a revenge novel and the pursuit of supernatural power. I even felt that the artwork began to be less precise. Eventually, I struggled to finish the work.
Friends know that I have trouble with many sequential novels, although I grew up loving the comics of the 1950-60s. This one definitely does NOT convince me to read more of the genre. Your mileage may vary.
April 4, 2020
I do love mature rated fantasy & sf comics. Mature rated means for me, I do believe every word, every line and space between them and every pictures as it is true life. And this tale was real, it was living and I was breathing together with it. And The Black Dragon ... I did believe on it during every second I was reading it. Totally awesome classic epic fantasy tale and terrible fine art.
March 17, 2023
Essa HQ "gigante" só vale a pena pela arte de John Bolton que é incrível e lembra muito o clássico "O Príncipe Valente". Já o texto de Chris Claremont é confuso e arrastado. Toda hora aparece personagem novo, até no final! Mistura personagens reais históricos com personagens de Robin Hood e Rei Arthur. Uma salada chata que me forcei a terminar para vim reclamar muito aqui! :-P
October 11, 2021
A retelling of the King Arthur myth set in Norman times during Richard the Lioncourts absence in the holy land. Full of anachronisms and historical other faux pas. Ambitious project but falls flat mainly due to lack of engaging narrative and the characters failure to connect with the reader.
December 11, 2018
DPL hoopla
June 1, 2019
Gostei.
May 29, 2020
Uma HQ de fantasia medieval, passada na Inglaterra, com história e arte muito boas.
June 25, 2020
Sometimes hard to follow the story line and the artwork did not always help.
January 13, 2021
Gorgeous art, but overly verbose and boring
May 19, 2021
3.5/5
Eski ingilizceyle yazılmış hikaye pek sürükleyici değil ama John Bolton'un ciźimleri için bile okunur.
Eski ingilizceyle yazılmış hikaye pek sürükleyici değil ama John Bolton'un ciźimleri için bile okunur.
August 26, 2021
Ending was a little odd and rushed, but overall a very cool read. Took a lot of narrative risks and was full of suprises.
December 18, 2022
Excelente roteiro e traços ultra-realísticos. Muito bom revisitar a época fantástica de Robin Hood, da rainha das fadas Morgana e dos dragões.
July 20, 2025
Overwritten in that usual Claremont style but the Bolton art is glorious.
May 14, 2013
I may be commiting blasphemy here, but I have to admit I've never been that big of a fan of Chris Claremont. His comic book stories are mostly just that; comic book stories. They hardly ever make me even look twice unless he's paired with a good artist. Which is why I liked his X-Men cycle when paired up to John Byrne.
An artist I do like alot is John Bolton. He doesn't dissapoint here, with beautiful illustrations to accompany, what I think was a so-so story.
If you're looking for a medium-changing story, this wasn't it... if you can overlook some of the groan worthy parts of the story and manage to focus on the art, than this book might just be up your alley.
An artist I do like alot is John Bolton. He doesn't dissapoint here, with beautiful illustrations to accompany, what I think was a so-so story.
If you're looking for a medium-changing story, this wasn't it... if you can overlook some of the groan worthy parts of the story and manage to focus on the art, than this book might just be up your alley.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews