Review by Karl Verhoven
When the first Prince Valiant comic was published in 1954, the newspaper strip about the wandering prince during Viking times was approaching twenty incredibly successful years of Hal Foster’s opulent illustration and stirring adventure, and its success had spawned a film. It was that more than the Sunday newspaper page that prompted Dell to issue an irregular Prince Valiant comic, the first issue of which loosely adapted the movie. All seven issues are collected in Peril of the Round Table.
A distinction has to be drawn between comic and newspaper strip. The comic was aimed at a younger audience, Paul S. Newman’s plots feature simplified versions of characters, especially all-purpose companion and sounding board Boltar, and as the movie played fast and loose with the strip’s continuity, so does the comic. As in the manner of assorted different versions of Batman over the years, it should be treated as a separate entity and not judged in comparison with the strip that inspired it.
It’s best not to judge Newman and artist Bob Fujitani on their movie adaptation either. Action is prioritised and thought is minimal. Given leave to fashion his own stories Newman follows a pattern of Val accompanied by Boltar and Sir Gawain, but is more inventive and able to create stories better paced to suit the format of comics. It’s notable that whether researched or created, he devises convincing battle tactics for the times. “Our ships have always been made light so they can cross the bay’s shoal”, explains Valiant, “If we can lure the Frisians after us, while our ships clear the shoal theirs will become stuck fast”. He also contrives clever traps and utilises natural phenomena well, whether on land or at sea.
Fujitani fills panels with crowds and boats, and there’s never any doubt as to what’s happening, but the single page illustrations are basic in conveying the power of an avalanche or a castle siege. The introduction from Wolfgang J. Fuchs notes the art as developing over the five years of publication, the greater refinement apparent when comparing the two pages of sample art produced three years apart. The figures aren’t as stiff and panel composition has improved, but try as one might, it’s difficult not to compare Fujitani’s art unfavourably with that of Hal Foster.
The title story has the improbability of King Arthur and almost all his knights captured in fog, and an infrequent publication schedule allows Newman to use the threat of whirlpools three times, secure his original audience wouldn’t have noticed. On the other hand, the Shetland of the title story is well researched, Newman ensures Valiant’s travels can be geographically mapped whenever he leaves home and his threats take inspiration from history, while the adventurous plots work.
Nevertheless, a much better version of Prince Valiant is available from Fantagraphics, Peril of the Round Table is largely a footnote for the curious, but it reads well enough an episode at a time.
