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Merry Men
It's Robin Hood like you've never seen him before, based on scholarly and historical speculation about what's really behind the outlaw's legend.
13th century England. Robert Godwinson, former lover of King Richard, lives with his band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest, away from the watchful eye of Prince John, who has outlawed homosexuality. Though isolated, the men live in peace—that is, until a stranger enters their camp seeking aid for a nearby town besieged by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robert—nicknamed Robin—is reluctant to help, but equally eager to get rid of this perplexing stranger... and to put his formidable bow-and-arrow to use. It's Robin Hood like you've never seen him before, based on scholarly speculation about what's really behind the outlaw's legend.
13th century England. Robert Godwinson, former lover of King Richard, lives with his band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest, away from the watchful eye of Prince John, who has outlawed homosexuality. Though isolated, the men live in peace—that is, until a stranger enters their camp seeking aid for a nearby town besieged by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robert—nicknamed Robin—is reluctant to help, but equally eager to get rid of this perplexing stranger... and to put his formidable bow-and-arrow to use. It's Robin Hood like you've never seen him before, based on scholarly speculation about what's really behind the outlaw's legend.
152 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2018
2 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Robert Rodi
210 books123 followersRobert was born in Chicago in the conformist 1950s, grew up in the insurrectionist 1960s, came of age in the hedonist 1970s, and went to work in the elitist 1980s. This roller-coaster ride has left him with a distinct aversion to isms of any kind; it also gave him an ear for hypocrisy, cant, and platitudes that allowed him, in the 1990s, to become a much-lauded social satirist.
After seven acclaimed novels set in the gay milieu, Robert grew restless for new challenges — which he found in activities as wide-ranging as publishing nonfiction, writing comic books, launching a literary-criticism blog, and taking to the stage (as a spoken-word performer, jazz singer, and rock-and-roll front man).
In 2011, excited by the rise of digital e-books, he returned to his first love, publishing new fiction inspired by the work of Alfred Hitchcock. He also organized the republishing of his seminal gay novels under the banner Robert Rodi Essentials.
Robert still resides in Chicago, in a century-old Queen Anne house with his partner Jeffrey Smith and a constantly shifting number of dogs.
.
German version: Robert Rodi wurde 1956 in einem Vorort von Chicago geboren. Im Alter von 22 schloss er sein Philosophie-Studium ab. Schon vorher beschäftigte er sich mit Comedy. Sein erster eigener Roman, "Fag Hag" aus dem Jahr 1991 war ein großer Erfolg. Es folgten mehrere andere komische Romane, zahlreiche Kurzgeschichten und Sketche. Robert lebt mit Partner und Hund in Chicago.
After seven acclaimed novels set in the gay milieu, Robert grew restless for new challenges — which he found in activities as wide-ranging as publishing nonfiction, writing comic books, launching a literary-criticism blog, and taking to the stage (as a spoken-word performer, jazz singer, and rock-and-roll front man).
In 2011, excited by the rise of digital e-books, he returned to his first love, publishing new fiction inspired by the work of Alfred Hitchcock. He also organized the republishing of his seminal gay novels under the banner Robert Rodi Essentials.
Robert still resides in Chicago, in a century-old Queen Anne house with his partner Jeffrey Smith and a constantly shifting number of dogs.
.
German version: Robert Rodi wurde 1956 in einem Vorort von Chicago geboren. Im Alter von 22 schloss er sein Philosophie-Studium ab. Schon vorher beschäftigte er sich mit Comedy. Sein erster eigener Roman, "Fag Hag" aus dem Jahr 1991 war ein großer Erfolg. Es folgten mehrere andere komische Romane, zahlreiche Kurzgeschichten und Sketche. Robert lebt mit Partner und Hund in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 29, 2020
A thought-provoking LGBTQ spin on the familiar legend, with Robin and his band of truly merry men battling a ruthless Prince John intent on using homosexuality as grounds for seizing lands and titles in the absence of King Richard (Robin’s former lover). The art serves the story well, and there’s a lot of dense political intrigue, which I enjoyed (it might be too much for some). The catty commentary and endlessly soapy nature of the relationships between the characters feel a bit too 90210 for a band of men fighting for their lives, but it does add moments of pathos and levity.
We’ll call it 3.5 stars and round up.
We’ll call it 3.5 stars and round up.
December 2, 2018
I thought this was a pretty cool idea. What if Robin Hood's Merry Men were actually truly merry (or gay) men? Unfortunately, this swings back and forth between poor political intrigue and terrible slash fiction with a bunch of adult gay men acting all catty and jealous as if this was a high school drama. The dialogue is stilted and wooden. The writing dull and boring. The book is full of multiple page flashbacks of characters that are barely even in the story. I'll give this perks for being LGBTQ+, but that's it. This book was just plain awful from an established author with a pretty good body of work.
Received an advance copy from Oni Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned
Received an advance copy from Oni Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned
October 23, 2018
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley
I was sooo excited for this but unfortunately the execution fell kind of flat. I love the idea of a queer Robin Hood and liked how they blended actual historical elements to the story, but this was an incredibly dense read and I struggled to get through it at times. It seemed to alternate wild between deep political intrigue and petty relationship jealously and honestly neither one of those is my favorite thing ever. I was obviously expecting it to be somewhat focused on politics, but every time one of the Merry Men got jealous because so and so was being nice to someone new and 'omg are you gonna leave me for them???!' like ...how old are you, 15? I liked the general premise and I loved what they did with Scarlet [well, in general, minus the drama] but I feel like the needed to either really cut down on the exposition or else just make it a prose novel. Still a good read but I was expecting a lot more.
I was sooo excited for this but unfortunately the execution fell kind of flat. I love the idea of a queer Robin Hood and liked how they blended actual historical elements to the story, but this was an incredibly dense read and I struggled to get through it at times. It seemed to alternate wild between deep political intrigue and petty relationship jealously and honestly neither one of those is my favorite thing ever. I was obviously expecting it to be somewhat focused on politics, but every time one of the Merry Men got jealous because so and so was being nice to someone new and 'omg are you gonna leave me for them???!' like ...how old are you, 15? I liked the general premise and I loved what they did with Scarlet [well, in general, minus the drama] but I feel like the needed to either really cut down on the exposition or else just make it a prose novel. Still a good read but I was expecting a lot more.
October 28, 2018
This is not the version of Robin Hood you are used to. And the author makes it very clear in the opening page, what to expect as you read along.
This is the world of Robin Hood and that point in England, during and after the crusades, but with a gay twist. All the Merry Men are sleeping with each other.
And that is central to the plot, as Robin was once lovers with Richard the Lion Hearted.
And the author shows, at the end of the book, how homosexuality was known in those times, and men, at least, engaged in it.
However, be warned, the book is not a gay romp, but has twists and turns, and a lot of palace politics. It is a dense read, and not something to be read quickly, if you want to pick up on everything that is going on.
For me, a little too much hanky-panky, and a bit too much politics.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
This is the world of Robin Hood and that point in England, during and after the crusades, but with a gay twist. All the Merry Men are sleeping with each other.
And that is central to the plot, as Robin was once lovers with Richard the Lion Hearted.
And the author shows, at the end of the book, how homosexuality was known in those times, and men, at least, engaged in it.
However, be warned, the book is not a gay romp, but has twists and turns, and a lot of palace politics. It is a dense read, and not something to be read quickly, if you want to pick up on everything that is going on.
For me, a little too much hanky-panky, and a bit too much politics.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
June 18, 2020
I want to really like this. I did. I should note that I ead it as separate comic issues (1-4).
The story is LGBT retelling of Robin Hood, though it does borrow from the television. There is, for instance, a Saracen (and Robin of Sherwood did it first). I love the fact that it includes bios of famous LGTB people from the Middle Ages.
But as I am reading the whole thing, I keep thinking Heathen Volume 1 does it ever so much better.
In part, this is because when women are introduced they are not used in a positive way. Scarlet makes the men jealous, and when the reader finally meets a wife of one of the men and she has a legitimate grievence, it gets lost in her desire for evil revenge. (It is also not surprising that Marian and Tuck are not used at all).
Honesty, its like Robin Hood and his Merry Men in a high school jealous fit. Which would be fine, but the important message of tolerance and acceptance is bit heavy handed, and when Scarlet gives her "be true to yourself speech," it comes across as forced and a bit, well silly considering the setting and plot of the book.
Additionally, who shots a longbow from a galloping horse?
The story is LGBT retelling of Robin Hood, though it does borrow from the television. There is, for instance, a Saracen (and Robin of Sherwood did it first). I love the fact that it includes bios of famous LGTB people from the Middle Ages.
But as I am reading the whole thing, I keep thinking Heathen Volume 1 does it ever so much better.
In part, this is because when women are introduced they are not used in a positive way. Scarlet makes the men jealous, and when the reader finally meets a wife of one of the men and she has a legitimate grievence, it gets lost in her desire for evil revenge. (It is also not surprising that Marian and Tuck are not used at all).
Honesty, its like Robin Hood and his Merry Men in a high school jealous fit. Which would be fine, but the important message of tolerance and acceptance is bit heavy handed, and when Scarlet gives her "be true to yourself speech," it comes across as forced and a bit, well silly considering the setting and plot of the book.
Additionally, who shots a longbow from a galloping horse?
December 30, 2019
I loved everything about Robin Hood in my young years, and I was curious to WATCH a lgbt re-telling of the story. OF COURSE I WAS!
I am not obsessed with graphic novels. But from time to time I am in the mood for something like this. It was Okay, but it didn't WOW me.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
I am not obsessed with graphic novels. But from time to time I am in the mood for something like this. It was Okay, but it didn't WOW me.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
November 29, 2021
I'm all for a sexy gay Robin Hood, but really wanted more from this premise. I especially bristled at the really didactic story and not-well-researched period-dialogue.
Read
November 6, 2018Much like Garth Marenghi, Robert Rodi knows writers who use subtext – and they're all cowards. Taking the gay reading of the Robin Hood myth and running with it is not a bad idea: 'merry' as a synonym for 'gay' works, and it does fit with the whole idea of Robin as a companion of Richard the Lionheart. But while bringing Richard's queerness to the fore is a nice fit with history, I'm less comfortable with the way this strives to preserve his baseless reputation for chivalry towards Saracen prisoners, offloading the atrocities on to a Guy of Gisbourne who's pretty much a giggling cliché of a serial killer. Sure, there's always going to be awkward fits when the legend runs into historical realities, but presenting Prince John as using homophobic purges for political advantage...I mean, one of the reasons he was less popular than his equally ghastly brothers was his perceived effeminacy (you know, poncy habits like bathing every month). And if the explanation for the name of Much the Miller's Son is amusing - there's so much of him, and they don't mean he's tall - I was less taken with Will Scarlet being turned into a dead name; wouldn't Marian have been a more obvious candidate for the trans beauty disrupting a hitherto mas4masc band? Ultimately, these are but individual symptoms of a certain underlying clunkiness, and one not helped by art which is at best workaday, and not always anatomically consistent. The climax does have some feats of archery, which are impressive going on ludicrous, but that's overshadowed by a reprise of the Stonewall debate (revolutionary trans woman v assimilationist gay men), which often tends to come across as hamfisted even in art based on the actual incident, where it wasn't hopelessly anachronistic.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
October 18, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for this great read. I had read some single issues from this series but now I could read the first trade from the 'free to read' section.
Merry Men is a queer retelling of Robin Hood. It seems that everyone is Robin's ex! In his merry men band are: Alan and Arthur, Much, Sabib, Kenneth and Little John who have ran away from the Sheriff, Guy of Gisborne and Prince John's reach by taking refuge in the forest, which is considered King Richard's personal territory. It's an interesting story made more so by the arrival of Scarlet.
I liked Scarlet, though she was a bit annoying. I think she hasn't yet understood that while living life as yourself is ideal, not everyone has the same path to it.
There is gay, bi and trans representation. There were some plot twists. Art is nice. I liked the Queer History of England segments very much! I'm curious, the ending introduced another famous character. I also want to know more about Sabib. Yes we know about his backstory but what about a bit about his recent life or his personality? (apart from helpful). Looking forward to more. I thought this was a stand-alone graphic novel but from the ending, it appears not.
Merry Men is a queer retelling of Robin Hood. It seems that everyone is Robin's ex! In his merry men band are: Alan and Arthur, Much, Sabib, Kenneth and Little John who have ran away from the Sheriff, Guy of Gisborne and Prince John's reach by taking refuge in the forest, which is considered King Richard's personal territory. It's an interesting story made more so by the arrival of Scarlet.
I liked Scarlet, though she was a bit annoying. I think she hasn't yet understood that while living life as yourself is ideal, not everyone has the same path to it.
There is gay, bi and trans representation. There were some plot twists. Art is nice. I liked the Queer History of England segments very much! I'm curious, the ending introduced another famous character. I also want to know more about Sabib. Yes we know about his backstory but what about a bit about his recent life or his personality? (apart from helpful). Looking forward to more. I thought this was a stand-alone graphic novel but from the ending, it appears not.
October 14, 2018
I’ve always loved Robin Hood. There’s a reason I was pretty desperate to read Sherwood when I first learned that it was going to be published. There’s simply something so amazing about his story that leaves me with an unshakable feeling of adoration. So, naturally, the very moment I stumbled across Merry Men by Robert Rodi and illustrated by Jackie Lewis, Marissa Louise, and Shari Chankhamma I simply knew I needed to read it.
This is a graphic novel reimagining the wonderful character of Robin as the former lover of King Richard and my god, it was brilliant. I adored the story from the very first moment I began reading, fell in love with many of the fantastic characters, and the artwork simply blew me away. My initial reaction to a gay Robin Hood was curiosity and admittedly a bit of worry that the story might not turn out well. But Rodi weaves a magically captivating tale that immediately impresses.
As far as the characters go, I truly have a hard time determining my favorite. Each was wonderfully unique, the names easily recognizable as the beloved men of Robin’s merry band. There’s a lovely amount of gay representation, naturally, as the men are persecuted for their sexuality by Prince John and there is also trans representation as well. I think, for me, it was truly Little John who stole the show. A quiet, somewhat brooding sort, John is gentile in nature and fiercely protective of his friends. I specifically recall marking out one of his scenes as one of the best parts of the entire novel.
Now, I’ll say this for the book, it is pretty dark and does include some rather disturbing events and images. I myself was shocked at the degree of violence I saw from Guy of Gisborne, specifically. This is something to keep in mind when picking up this book, though I will say that blood was kept to a minimum in the actual illustrations. It is perhaps that which made me feel less squeamish about the whole oredeal.
I don’t personally feel that this Robin is truly an amazing representation of the characater we all know and deeply love, but he is definitely a wonderful character regardless. I did not feel upset at all about his portrayal, but rather see that he doesn’t quite match the rambunctious and over-confident character oftentimes portrayed. He’s much more cautious than I would have imagined a true Robin. That said, I was quite fond of this graphic novel and would certainly love to have it on my shelf.
With a fantastic plot that leaves you eager for more, I can’t wait for the next installment of this wonderfully impressive tale. And this particular graphic novel hasn’t even hit shelves yet! Merry Men will be available on December 4th of this year and definitely one you all should consider getting for your shelf. I know I will.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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This is a graphic novel reimagining the wonderful character of Robin as the former lover of King Richard and my god, it was brilliant. I adored the story from the very first moment I began reading, fell in love with many of the fantastic characters, and the artwork simply blew me away. My initial reaction to a gay Robin Hood was curiosity and admittedly a bit of worry that the story might not turn out well. But Rodi weaves a magically captivating tale that immediately impresses.
As far as the characters go, I truly have a hard time determining my favorite. Each was wonderfully unique, the names easily recognizable as the beloved men of Robin’s merry band. There’s a lovely amount of gay representation, naturally, as the men are persecuted for their sexuality by Prince John and there is also trans representation as well. I think, for me, it was truly Little John who stole the show. A quiet, somewhat brooding sort, John is gentile in nature and fiercely protective of his friends. I specifically recall marking out one of his scenes as one of the best parts of the entire novel.
Now, I’ll say this for the book, it is pretty dark and does include some rather disturbing events and images. I myself was shocked at the degree of violence I saw from Guy of Gisborne, specifically. This is something to keep in mind when picking up this book, though I will say that blood was kept to a minimum in the actual illustrations. It is perhaps that which made me feel less squeamish about the whole oredeal.
I don’t personally feel that this Robin is truly an amazing representation of the characater we all know and deeply love, but he is definitely a wonderful character regardless. I did not feel upset at all about his portrayal, but rather see that he doesn’t quite match the rambunctious and over-confident character oftentimes portrayed. He’s much more cautious than I would have imagined a true Robin. That said, I was quite fond of this graphic novel and would certainly love to have it on my shelf.
With a fantastic plot that leaves you eager for more, I can’t wait for the next installment of this wonderfully impressive tale. And this particular graphic novel hasn’t even hit shelves yet! Merry Men will be available on December 4th of this year and definitely one you all should consider getting for your shelf. I know I will.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
| Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Instagram |
October 28, 2018
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Merry Men, by Robert Rodi
★★★★☆
152 Pages
Would I read it again?: Yes
Genre: Comic, Graphic Novel, Historical, LGBT
I have to admit, when I first saw the concept for this comic/graphic novel, I was intrigued. I've always thought that Robin Hood and His Merry Men had an MM/LGBT context that no one had uncovered before. And as a conspiracy/history buff, I could smell the hidden story, but didn't have the qualifications to go digging for the proof or historical facts.
Merry Men is beautifully illustrated, and amazingly accurate for the time period. The presentation and the realism of the plot is incredible. I love that there are a full spectrum of characters present – trans, queer, gay, lesbian. There was a bit of a “free love” aspect that was disappointing. I would have liked to have seen at least one solid relationship, where eyes didn't wander and they didn't turn to someone else without thought of the other person. Monogamy this was not.
And while I loved the adventure, the storyline, how it was shown, and all the individual characters, I did feel disappointed to get to the last page and find that it just...stopped. That was it. It introduced “Friar Tuck” as a villain, and the entire story came to an end. There was no mention of this being Volume 1, Issue 1-4 or anything. I find that disappointing. If it had been clearly marked, it could have been a 5 star, because I would have expected the abrupt ending, with the cliffhanger of living to fight another day, but I didn't. So I marked it down to a 4 star. I did appreciate the historical LGBT characters section at the back, though.
I would read more, but even searching for the book online didn't provide any information as to whether there would be further volumes, issues, or if this would be it. So, right now, I'm marking it on the information available which is that this is the end of the story. And I find that confusing and disappointing.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Merry Men, by Robert Rodi
★★★★☆
152 Pages
Would I read it again?: Yes
Genre: Comic, Graphic Novel, Historical, LGBT
I have to admit, when I first saw the concept for this comic/graphic novel, I was intrigued. I've always thought that Robin Hood and His Merry Men had an MM/LGBT context that no one had uncovered before. And as a conspiracy/history buff, I could smell the hidden story, but didn't have the qualifications to go digging for the proof or historical facts.
Merry Men is beautifully illustrated, and amazingly accurate for the time period. The presentation and the realism of the plot is incredible. I love that there are a full spectrum of characters present – trans, queer, gay, lesbian. There was a bit of a “free love” aspect that was disappointing. I would have liked to have seen at least one solid relationship, where eyes didn't wander and they didn't turn to someone else without thought of the other person. Monogamy this was not.
And while I loved the adventure, the storyline, how it was shown, and all the individual characters, I did feel disappointed to get to the last page and find that it just...stopped. That was it. It introduced “Friar Tuck” as a villain, and the entire story came to an end. There was no mention of this being Volume 1, Issue 1-4 or anything. I find that disappointing. If it had been clearly marked, it could have been a 5 star, because I would have expected the abrupt ending, with the cliffhanger of living to fight another day, but I didn't. So I marked it down to a 4 star. I did appreciate the historical LGBT characters section at the back, though.
I would read more, but even searching for the book online didn't provide any information as to whether there would be further volumes, issues, or if this would be it. So, right now, I'm marking it on the information available which is that this is the end of the story. And I find that confusing and disappointing.
January 27, 2020
Eeehhhh. Meh. Okay. So-so.
I love the idea, I love the "everyone's queer!!" execution—hurray for bisexual and trans representation!—I love the interpretation of queerness from historic England, and I guess I even enjoyed the general plot. But there was frankly too much political stuff, and while I love Robert Rodi's writing and I think he did a great job with 12th-century language, it really was too dense in some places—too dense and a bit boring. Also, too many characters for 150 pages. For example, I don't think Kenneth's wife or her too-involved storyline added anything of significant value. And there were so many hairy dudes running around that it was tough to keep them all straight (so to speak).
Also...I didn't love Robin. I feel like he only did the right thing half the time because he was pressured into it, not because that was what he actually wanted to do. Meh. Also, I felt bad about him and John, but he didn't seem to care and that annoyed me.
The art is fine. The lettering is a bit too tiny in some places (weirdly). The "A Queer History of England" profiles in the back are cool. Sabib's humor at the start was funny, but I wish it had continued throughout the book.
I won't say I wasn't entertained, but I think this could have been executed a bit better. It's kind of odd that I chose to read this right after reading Terrorist: Gavrilo Princip, the Assassin Who Ignited World War I, because I think they (surprisingly) shared a lot of characteristics.
I love the idea, I love the "everyone's queer!!" execution—hurray for bisexual and trans representation!—I love the interpretation of queerness from historic England, and I guess I even enjoyed the general plot. But there was frankly too much political stuff, and while I love Robert Rodi's writing and I think he did a great job with 12th-century language, it really was too dense in some places—too dense and a bit boring. Also, too many characters for 150 pages. For example, I don't think Kenneth's wife or her too-involved storyline added anything of significant value. And there were so many hairy dudes running around that it was tough to keep them all straight (so to speak).
Also...I didn't love Robin. I feel like he only did the right thing half the time because he was pressured into it, not because that was what he actually wanted to do. Meh. Also, I felt bad about him and John, but he didn't seem to care and that annoyed me.
The art is fine. The lettering is a bit too tiny in some places (weirdly). The "A Queer History of England" profiles in the back are cool. Sabib's humor at the start was funny, but I wish it had continued throughout the book.
I won't say I wasn't entertained, but I think this could have been executed a bit better. It's kind of odd that I chose to read this right after reading Terrorist: Gavrilo Princip, the Assassin Who Ignited World War I, because I think they (surprisingly) shared a lot of characteristics.
May 30, 2019
I enjoyed this re-imagining of the tale of Robin Hood. His story has been told a million times in as many ways, and it is always nice to get a fresh take.
The members of Robin's band of Merry Men are re-imagined as people of the LGBTQ+ community who are being persecuted throughout Nottinghamshire for their "un-christian" actions. "Merry Men" becomes a term synonymous with queer. With the King away waging war, his younger brother has been persecuting those who identify as LGBTQ+ like his brother in hopes that it will topple his brother's throne. Robin and his band of Merry Men are going to do everything in their power to stop him, and make all of England safe for people like them again.
This was a good read, a great plot and good characters who were well developed through the story. There is a good amount of action and suspense, and there is a great amount of diversity as well. The illustration was alright, I felt it was a little too inconsistent, and it made characters look significantly different from one panel to the next. Not so much so that they weren't recognizable, but different nonetheless. I did enjoy the colors used, they were vibrant and helped to emphasize the action taking place.
WARNING: there are mentions of rape throughout the book, as well as quite a bit of violence, and mentions of religious persecution as well as LGBTQ persecution.
The members of Robin's band of Merry Men are re-imagined as people of the LGBTQ+ community who are being persecuted throughout Nottinghamshire for their "un-christian" actions. "Merry Men" becomes a term synonymous with queer. With the King away waging war, his younger brother has been persecuting those who identify as LGBTQ+ like his brother in hopes that it will topple his brother's throne. Robin and his band of Merry Men are going to do everything in their power to stop him, and make all of England safe for people like them again.
This was a good read, a great plot and good characters who were well developed through the story. There is a good amount of action and suspense, and there is a great amount of diversity as well. The illustration was alright, I felt it was a little too inconsistent, and it made characters look significantly different from one panel to the next. Not so much so that they weren't recognizable, but different nonetheless. I did enjoy the colors used, they were vibrant and helped to emphasize the action taking place.
WARNING: there are mentions of rape throughout the book, as well as quite a bit of violence, and mentions of religious persecution as well as LGBTQ persecution.
November 4, 2018
This is a really good re-imagining of the story of Robin hood and his band of merry men. The story tells the legend of Robin hood and how he became an outlaw living in Sherwood Forest with the Sheriff of Nottingham seeking to hunt him down and kill him.
In this story the main characters are lgbtq and the story tells how they became outcast and how their sexuality was used to marginalise them and set them up as scapegoats. Robin and his men excape the sheriff's clutches in order to form their own community but danger and conspiracy also lurk in the forest waiting to hunt them down.
I really enjoyed the artwork. The drawings are bright and colourful and the re-telling is imaginative. It would be very enjoyable to have this as a paperback. The only aspect of the book that I am not too keen on is its wordiness. It is very wordy for a graphic novel but given the fact that it is re-telling a story all the prose might be necessary.
In any case this is a lovely graphic novel with good characters, great artwork and some imaginative adventures.
Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
In this story the main characters are lgbtq and the story tells how they became outcast and how their sexuality was used to marginalise them and set them up as scapegoats. Robin and his men excape the sheriff's clutches in order to form their own community but danger and conspiracy also lurk in the forest waiting to hunt them down.
I really enjoyed the artwork. The drawings are bright and colourful and the re-telling is imaginative. It would be very enjoyable to have this as a paperback. The only aspect of the book that I am not too keen on is its wordiness. It is very wordy for a graphic novel but given the fact that it is re-telling a story all the prose might be necessary.
In any case this is a lovely graphic novel with good characters, great artwork and some imaginative adventures.
Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 16, 2018
I'm always a sucker for Robin Hood retellings, and this was no exception. I love how Robin's place as being between the margins of society is expanded to include a fascinating look at the UK's queer history (added to with the brilliant postscript of historical queer figures in English history). It works so well and adds an extra edge to the story, with Robin and his friends being persecuted over who they love just to serve a political end, rather than because the religious authorities actually think passages like the one in Leviticus is important. The Merry Men themselves did feel a bit indistinct at times, but that's what happens sometimes with a large ensemble cast in a graphic novel like this one and it didn't take away much from the story. I especially loved Scarlet's story and Alan and Arthur's romance. Guy of Gisbourne also makes a fantastic villain in this incarnation. Can't wait for the next installment!
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2024
This took entirely too long for me to read being a graphic novel, which meant it didn't hold my attention very well. I'm not sure if it was the art style or the fact that Robin seemed like an idiot a lot of the time and our hero(ine) was Scarlet, a transwoman who falls in with Robin's band for a bit.
"Merry Men" is what this story refers to as gay men; Robin was King Richard's lover until an arrow wound sent him home from the Crusades, Guy of Gisbourne is a psychopath (well, he wasn't much better in the Pyle stories). I could go along with all of this but it just didn't capture my attention in any way.
The art is all very masculine, even the very few female characters look like men and I was kind of surprised Robin didn't know his sister had a child (Scarlet) but there you have it. Some of the characters are drawn cartoony, others are drawn (forgive me) straight or more realistically and this continues throughout the story, so that's kind of off-putting to me.
I won't be looking for more of this one; just not my cuppa.
"Merry Men" is what this story refers to as gay men; Robin was King Richard's lover until an arrow wound sent him home from the Crusades, Guy of Gisbourne is a psychopath (well, he wasn't much better in the Pyle stories). I could go along with all of this but it just didn't capture my attention in any way.
The art is all very masculine, even the very few female characters look like men and I was kind of surprised Robin didn't know his sister had a child (Scarlet) but there you have it. Some of the characters are drawn cartoony, others are drawn (forgive me) straight or more realistically and this continues throughout the story, so that's kind of off-putting to me.
I won't be looking for more of this one; just not my cuppa.
November 22, 2018
I received an e-arc over NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I think the idea of the graphic novel is very good and I enjoyed the art style, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was cause with the version I had quite some text was way too small to read and it was hard for me to follow the story. Other than that it was also just not really anything. It had historical elements and then the romantic relationships between the Merry Men in between, but I didn't really care about the story or the characters.
I'd still recommend it to people who enjoy the legend of Robin Hood and are more into that period of history. It's definitely an interesting twist and I would love to see more historic interpretations like this one.
Overall I think the idea of the graphic novel is very good and I enjoyed the art style, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was cause with the version I had quite some text was way too small to read and it was hard for me to follow the story. Other than that it was also just not really anything. It had historical elements and then the romantic relationships between the Merry Men in between, but I didn't really care about the story or the characters.
I'd still recommend it to people who enjoy the legend of Robin Hood and are more into that period of history. It's definitely an interesting twist and I would love to see more historic interpretations like this one.
June 16, 2021
I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. The plot is... Meh. It's really just a vehicle to tell gay and trans medieval stories. Which isn't a terrible idea! And I liked the end of the book where it talked about gay English historical figures, and it sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole learning that Richard the Lionheart was a great if aggro bi. But other than the gay rep this comic didn't do anything spectacular.
December 6, 2018
An enjoyable read taken from a intriguing concept. I did have difficulty at times telling some of the Merry Men apart, but I suppose that's going to happen when you have a lot of buff dudes with beards in a comic. I would definitely be interested in reading more adventures of this Robin Hood and his Merry Men!
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
February 20, 2020
Robin Hood as you've never seen him before....
Very slow going for my taste; a lot of action, a lot of butt kicking, a lot of (different kind) romance, a LOT of dialogue; some graphic violence (not my taste); I don't particularly care for this style of illustration (it feels very "watching a horror flick" to me), but it was a new take I hadn't read about the myth and legend
Very slow going for my taste; a lot of action, a lot of butt kicking, a lot of (different kind) romance, a LOT of dialogue; some graphic violence (not my taste); I don't particularly care for this style of illustration (it feels very "watching a horror flick" to me), but it was a new take I hadn't read about the myth and legend
January 10, 2023
I read the first issue when this came out then it just kind of faded from my memory. This collected edition was Merry indeed. Everyone is gay or trans, even those who marry for a time... Most common people seem fine with it, those trying to hold power over others use it to divide people... Robin and his Merry men start a commune and find themselves an inspiration! Wish there had been more.
February 24, 2019
Fun concept, but lacking in execution. Too much talk, not enough action - especially the parts that dip into character's backstories. The art is just okay and some of the plot points are a little too hard to believe.
June 6, 2023
The representation was great. I had trouble reading some of the text because it was so small. I did not particularly like the art style. The story ended on a cliffhanger, and it was slow for most of the book.
December 4, 2018
It's an interesting conceit, though perhaps taken a bit too far for belief. Unfortunately, the art was not appealing to me and it was too short for the amount of story the author wanted to tell.
January 28, 2020
Um, a gay Robin Hood?? HELL. FUCKING. YES.
April 24, 2020
Loved it! Really enjoyed the historical excerpts about queer history. There could have been a lot more sex and romance, for sure, but as a retelling if history and legend, it was good.
Want to read
April 26, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
October 16, 2021
I loved this twist on Robin Hood! 99% if the cast are LBBTQ+ and it's amazing to see that level of inclusion - and honestly it makes sense. The art is fantastic and the story telling is spot on.
Read
May 12, 2019DNF at 40% I'm maybe feeling hyper-sensitive to even comic violence today but I tried several times and couldn't get through this. On page violence and visible injuries and dead bodies was too much for me. I suspect this won't bother most people, so don't let it deter you if this looks interesting.
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