REVIEW: TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #1

4.55/5.0 Stars
Rating if the Book Were a Movie: R

Creative Team:

Writer: David Hazan
Artist: Shane Connery Volk 
Colors: Luca Romano
Letters: Justin Birch
Cover: Shane Connery Volk 
Editor: Brian Hawkins
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios 

Ratings:

Story: 4.8 Stars
Artwork: 4.4 Stars
Cover Artwork: 4.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4.3 Stars
Mechanics: 4.7 Stars
Editing: 4.6 Stars 

About the Book:

In the second story arc of Nottingham we met the assassin, Aya. During those issues aot to bear witness to her guile and skill with a blade. Tales From Nottingham #1 takes us to the Nusayriyah Mountains in Syria. It’s 1191. Here we see Aya train, go on a mission, and be forced to learn about choosing between love and believing in a cause. 

Reader’s Notes:

Every time I think David Hazan and the rest of the creative team involved with the Nottingham universe has reached their peak they say, “Hold my beer”. First they saw how Sherriff Blackthorne’s allegiances were to England, not the sitting monarch. We learned how he was put between a rock and a hard place by being ordered to regulate mandates he didn’t agree with.

Tales From Nottingham gives us just as much, if not more, of a connection to Aya. We see how the choices she and Hamza made transformed her into the person we know. She’s a highly trained assassin who lost everything in the name of a god she felt abandoned her. Someone will pay for what she’s lost, even if her anger is misdirected.

Over the past two years I have become a fan of Volk’s artwork. His covers are outstanding at capturing the imagination. Where he really hits home is his ability to bring characters to life with their facial expressions.

As a geek on a budget I believe Tales From Nottingham #1 is a tremendous story. The reader can easily fall into this book and be transported to the 12th century. During this time warp you get plenty of action, drama, and a love story.