Review by Frank Plowright

Outside Central Europe what most people know about William Tell is encapsulated on the cover of this biography. He once shot an arrow through an apple perched on his son’s head. Even those able to dredge up that fact learned long ago will struggle to remember the circumstances. Well, that’s what Paul D. Storrie and Thomas Yeates are here for.

The first thing revealed is this being perhaps only a fictional biography as there’s no definitive record of William Tell’s existence. Is he just a piece of tyrant-slaying wish fulfilment passed down as oral tradition, or did he actually exist? No-one knows. Still, his is a cracking story, so let’s just shovel that aspect down the back of the sofa.

Legend has it that when parts of Switzerland were individual free states their loyalty was only to the Roman church, not neighbouring states, yet their ruler was chosen from among European royalty. When announced king, the Austrian Albrecht was determined to switch their allegiance to his homeland, and appointed governors loyal to him, greedy and tyrannical men who soon earned the enmity of his subjects. Storrie spends some time touring around various people with justifiable axes to grind against their ruler, uniting them in a revolutionary plot. At this point William isn’t one against an empire, but just one of several participants.

The quality of Thomas Yeates’ art is evident from the first page of a man striding across an Alpine scene in traditional costume. There’s attention to detail, and thought to the composition and where it draws the eye, while the people are individual and have character. This is stunning work from the artist who would soon be drawing the Prince Valiant newspaper strip.

Proof of the governor’s pettiness is what leads to the cover scene so many people know of Tell shooting an arrow through an apple placed on his son’s head. Far from confidently carrying out the deed, William is horrified at the cruelty of placing him in the situation. Storrie accentuates the emotion via son Walter’s confidence in his father’s skill with a crossbow at a hundred paces. The story doesn’t end there, though, and much excitement follows.

Well researched, thrillingly told and beautifully drawn, this is a graphic novel worth searching out.