Review by Frank Plowright

Merry Men retells the stories of Robin Hood in Medieval England with the major difference being almost all sympathetic characters are gay. The tone is set by an opening scene of two hunky bearded warriors wrestling before kissing. The Sheriff of Nottingham may still be venal and corrupt, but his feud with Robin here is prompted by his view of immorality.

It’s the element of persecution that raises Merry Men from a slightly more polished version of fantasy fan fiction, as it’s an allegorical reference to some communities today. However, there’s little else that strikes a chord. The characters have one-note personalities, the narrative swerves between relationship troubles and political plotting, and the dialogue so often serves the story rather than ringing true as the way anyone would speak. At times the cast don’t come across as adults either, so petty are their comments and jealousies. While Rodi largely attempts to maintain a viable historical background, he takes the lazy route of just not bothering with Friar Tuck and Maid Marion as they don’t fit the agenda. Better writing would have found some way to incorporate them.

Jackie Lewis is a talented artist who puts effort in to provide detail and costumes, while switching the viewpoints for conversations, but there’s no consistency as cartooning mixes with a more realistic form of art. Even allowing for comics, the people can be poorly constructed to the point where a panel attracts attention for a strangely twisted arm rather than what’s actually going on. The skill is apparent, though, and her career ought to progress well.

There’s a feeling Rodi is plotting for the longer term than just a single graphic novel, as so many characters have flashback stories, although only Robin’s fascinates as much as the true stories Rodi supplies in ‘A Queer History of England’. These brief essays at the back prove more interesting than Merry Men, and that surely wasn’t the intention.