Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur by Tony Lee

Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur Reviews

• 
  Sesana

  I wasn't enthused by this. I'm by no means a huge fan of Arthurian legend, so it's not like it bothers me when a new work deviates from the standard. It only bothers me when the changes lead to moments that don't ring true. For some reason, Lee felt like he had to make the whole Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot love triangle even more complicated. See, Arthur was really in love with Vivianne, the Lady of the Lake, all along. He just had Merlin erase his memories of loving her because as king, he would have to get married. And marrying for love was totally something that royalty was worried about back then. So when he does remember, he's really not all that upset about Guinevere cheating on him with Lancelot, because fair's fair, right? Yeah, no. The art didn't wow me either, and on several pages looked more like a rough draft than a finished product.
• 
  Nicky

  Obviously, when I saw this in the library, I couldn't pass it up. It's Arthurian, it's a graphic novel, and it's not just a straight retelling of the original stories. To me, that's actually a good thing as long as it hangs together, and this more or less did. I think the main problem is that there's far too much of the Arthurian legend to reduce into a single volume. Either you have to pick something particular to focus on, or you have to take your time. This felt a bit rushed. (On that score, there's a rushed quality to the art, but mostly I quite liked it.)
  
  I'm not really sure what to think of how they put this together, which sources they used or ignored. The whole Vivianne thing was a little confusing to me, as Nimue and Vivianne are meant to be the same person.
  
  It's hard to believe in deep enduring love when it takes about two pages to set up, if you're lucky, so emotionally this story didn't really work for me. I don't know if Arthur will ever transfer well into comic book form (though this now makes me tempted to make my comic for my class be based on Arthuriana), but this is a good effort. Apparently the same people did a Robin Hood comic as well, and I'm willing to bet that worked out better -- Robin Hood ballads were the comics of their day!
• 
  Martin Earl

  Really? This is what you give me for an Arthurian legend? You keep Cei from the sword in the stone, but you make him the funny, sunny foster brother? Then there's all that stuff about Avalon and you've got good fairies (I'm not going to call them Fae or Faeries, I'm going to spell like we spell now!)...I just don't buy it.
  
  Look, we've all had a lot of fun with Arthurian legend, but until you're ready to produce a full scale, really well put together cohesive legend,* (and by well put together, I include not having drawings in the middle of pages that look like they were the conceptual drawings for what would become the final drawings) don't go making up a brand new set of things that have whole back stories that we cannot possibly know about.
  
  *Let's also not forget that this is a LEGEND. Arthurian legend is based on a 6th century leader, and while the whole thing has probably been blown WAY out of proportion, it is still based in some ancient stories. I'm not saying that we can only write Arthurian legends that are 100% historically accurate, but I do think that adding this much stuff is going a little far. This might as well have been the story of Fernando and the Axe in the Tree but for a few details that linked it to Arthur.
• 
  Deborah

  Illustrated novel brings to life King Arthur and the Knights of the round table, Lady of the Lake and Avilon, Morgana and the Unseelie, Merlin, Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere, and King Ulric and the land of Albion.
• 
  Ashley Kempkes

  Warning: I don’t know the legends of Arthur very well… and by very well, I mean that everything I know has been told to me by either one of my best friends, or from the BBC television show Merlin (which, don’t freak out, I know is VERY inaccurate according to the legends, but is fun to watch nevertheless).
  
  In a graphic novel, the most important thing to me... is the art. A good story can be ruined if the art doesn't match the tone of the book or if the art is just plain bad. Fortunately, the art matches the feel of the book well and stands on its own as well.
  I love the way the Vivianne/Arthur/Gwen/Lancelot love plot resolves itself. Mostly because, Arthur and Vivianne are an amazing couple and I feel bad that he WAS STUPID ENOUGH TO HAVE MERLIN ERASE HIS MEMORIES. Ugh. What.
  
  I was really surprised about how Merlin was portrayed in the beginning of “Excalibur.” I suppose that’s because of Merlin BBC and how he is such an adorable fellow but Merlin being so mysterious and seemingly unfeeling toward Arthur and Camalot’s plights… that was just weird to me. However, he is an old wizard; I really shouldn’t have expected anything else. I was very happy the way Arthur and Merlin became such good friends while in Avalon though.
  
  I was so glad Morgana was redeemed! I wanted her to be redeemed in Merlin, before she got annoying by never dying. I’m glad Merlin helped her in “Excalibur.”
  
• 
  Namratha

  The Arthurian Legend is an enduring classic of epic proportions. It has been tweaked, twisted, twirled and rewritten from varying viewpoints over the ages. And when you translate it into a hefty graphic novel and add the supernatural element of the Faery realm to it, you have yet another superb retelling of the ultimate medieval hero-king.
  
  While it is difficult to encapsulate all the trysts and adventures of King Arthur, what we have here is a coming-of-age tale. The transformation of a scrawny lad who pulled a sword from a rock and claimed his lineage to one of the greatest kings that ever lived is captured in a tight and almost-never meandering plotline. Throw in the unwavering allegiance of the Knights of the Round Table, the despairing blend of deceit and loyalty by Lancelot and Guinevere, the abiding love of The Lady of the Lake, the magical support of Merlin and the evil (rooted in painful origins) mechanizations of Morgana and the story has the power to transport the reader to Camelot and a forgotten time.
  
  The artwork is simple yet powerful, awash in shades of brown and yellow. And for me, the story is clearer thanks to the graphic representation. The fanciful twist with the involvement of the Seelie and Unseelie courts just ups the ante and makes this book an assured winner .
• 
  Jonathan Maas

  Another great tale from Tony Lee and Sam Hart
  
  I love these guys, and I love their tales. Rick Geary's style is to tell True Crime tales moment by moment. Geary is the best at that.
  
  Hart and Lee? They tell legends, in the original version of the legends.
  
  Each tale is not quite what you are accustomed to - but it shows it in its full form.
  
  Expect Faeries, both Seelie and Unseelie here, Morgana Le Fey, a conflicted Lancelot, a conflicted Arthur and more.
  
  Tony Lee and Sam Hart tend to tell legends in the best way possible. So do I have a favorite of their collection? Perhaps not - because they are all equally incredible.
• 
  Bradley

  The art and story get a bit muddled here and there. However, this serves as a decent introduction to the sometimes complicated world of Arthurian legend. A good addition to my middle school class library!
• 
  Cannon

  While a good book, I don't like this take on the Arthur series and found it was involved too heavily in boring magic like stuff.
• 
  John Paul Broer

  Excalibur The Legend of King Arthur by Tony Lee is the first graphic novel that I have ever read. I enjoyed this book but it also didn’t exactly blow me out of the water. The story of King Arthur is a well known one. This novel didn’t copy it down word for word which was a positive in my opinion because nobody likes hearing the exact same story over and over again. The thing I enjoyed most about this graphic novel was the art style. The imagery was very descriptive of the dialogue and helped keep the the plot somewhat understandable.
  The plot of this story is extremely confusing with many different characters, settings, and twists. The main character is Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon who was the king of Albion. His father was stabbed in the back by his former friend and advisor Ulric. His mother also dies so Arthur is adopted by Sir Ector who raises him like his own. When the time is right, Arthur pulls Caliburn the sword from the stone it is sheathed in which marks him as the true king of Albion. From that moment, het begins his journey. Throughout the rest of the book Arthur faces many foes and difficult challenges that make for a great and classic story.
  I gave this book 3 stars. It was fun to read and I really enjoyed the imagery. My biggest complaint is the plot was extremely confusing at times. There were so many characters and different places that the story jumped around from. Grahpic novels are not my first choice of genre but I would indeed recommend this book to anyone that does read a lot of graphic novels.
• 
  Amber

  I liked the illustrated pages that weren't in grids, they were more like a collage. Very well done.
  This is an interesting mix of versions of King Arthur. I've read and watched a lot on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, about Merlin, Camelot, everything...
  I was half expecting some sex scenes, cause it's a graphic novel, but there weren't any. Lancelot's fall from grace in this instance is just a kiss.
  There was a lot of magic and the Seelie & Unseelie fae were involved.
  
  
  *Spoilers*
  
  
  I like that Arthur's true love in this book is The Lady of the Lake, that was very different.
• 
  Julia Wharton

  This was a great graphic novel representation of King Arthur's story. It did still have some of the traditional parts such as Uther disguising himself as Gorlois to get to Igraine, Arthur being raised by a foster father, Morganna Le Fey, Merlin, and the Guinevere-Lancelot-Arthur love triangle. However, the author added in a romance between Arthur and Vivianne, the Lady of the Lake.
  
  If you like King Arthur and don't mind a lot of legend in a small book, then you'll enjoy this. If not, this isn't the Arthur retelling for you.
• 
  Dreximgirl

  I found this take on Arthurian legend to be an interesting one but it didn't really add too much (in fact in the instance of the love triangle it made it a bit more convoluted/confusing) The artwork was not my favourite, sometimes it felt kind of unfinished but it wasn't too off putting.
  
  Interesting but not something I would re-read I think.
• 
  Elysa

  King Arthur stories aren't my favorite, but I love the work Tony Lee and Sam Hart have done together. They put so many of the Arthur legends in this book, but they made it blend and flow well. If you like the stories of the Knights of the Round Table or historical graphic novels, this one is worth reading.
• 
  Courtney Marshall

  I'm a big fan of both Arthurian legend and graphic novels so this was an obvious choice to pick up. and it was fine. Some stuff from le Morte d' Arthur, but nothing particularly spectacular. Definitely needs a series to really flesh out the legend and do the side characters justice.
• 
  Ad Astra

  Wonderful in terms of clearly explaining a story and drawing in elements. The foundation was there and this was really fun to read. This story and telling was different than the other iterations I have seen in popular culture. Enjoyed this and would read again.
• 
  Beyond the Pages with Eva K

  Quick Summary: Dynamic illustrations
  
  My Review: This was a YA read for class. Rich discussions with comparative analysis occurred. The students loved the alternative approach to King Arthur's tale.
  
  Rating: 3/5
  Recommend: Yes
  Audience: YA/T/A
  #libraryread #MiddleAges #D6TR
• 
  Conner

  This is an amazing story about King Arthur. It's visuals are vivid and and compliment the story well. I would recomend to anyone interested in this topic.
• 
  Joy Davenport

  Good!
  Not too gory...
• 
  Katie Zechar

  I loved it!!! I looooooove King Arthur and that whole story, so reading it in a graphic novel form was so great. It made the story easy to follow, it was concise, and incredible. Good good good.
• 
  Jim

  More Fairie magic than other versions. Interesting spins to some characters story lines too.
• 
  Linda "The Book Lady" Warner

  Every character I know from my studies on the Arthur legend.i don't read many graphic novel I really liked this one
• 
  Lisa Schensted

  in a sentence or so: Albion is at war and Arthur knows he is destined to unite the land. the problem is, there are many who stand in his way - purposefully or unintentionally.
  
  Uther Pendragon makes a deal with the fae of the Unseelie Court that results in the kidnapping of Arthur (for his own safety) and the abduction of Morgana (not for her own safety). Albion is in turmoil as they wait for the once and future king to return and rescue them from craptastic King Ulrich. just when Arthur starts to believe that Merlin was in fact lying about his destiny, that wily wizard pops up and facilitates a showdown between Arthur and Ulrich. winner takes Albion, loser takes death.
  
  i am a huge Arthurian legend geek. i'm pretty sure it started with watching The Sword and the Stone when i was a wee one (i wanted my very own Archimedes SO bad), but whatever the roots - i'm a die-hard. i love reading about the legend of King Arthur and his knights and Camelot and Albion and all that jazz, so i was pretty stoked to get this graphic novel retelling of the story.
  
  i did not expect for there to be so much mention of Avalon, the Seelie and Unseelie courts (light fairies and dark fairies), and the back story of why Morgana is such a nut. however, i was pleasantly surprised to read and see the background of the boy who becomes King. the bulk of the book focused on leading up to Arthur's death, with very little spent on his time in Camelot. and honestly, i liked that a lot. i felt like i knew enough about the Camelot days (and obviously wouldn't mind reading about them again), so reading and experiencing some of the coming-of-age lore was super fun.
  
  the imagery was a perfect compliment to the story. i loved the tonal shifts - purple at dusk, orange at daybreak, vivid contrast in Avalon. you get your basics - Lancelot/Guinevere, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Lady of the Lake, Merlin, Mordred, etc...but to have it delivered to you with intentionally bare-bones dialog and heavy imagery is quite a treat. the images helped me slow down while reading and absorb the emotions that were developing within the plot. if you're looking for a new way to experience the Arthurian legend, give this a shot.
• 
  Brittany

  The art has its ups and downs, which really shouldn't be brushed aside because this is a visual medium, not just a book. I'm not a big fan of characters not having eyeballs 99% of the time (think if every character were Brock from "Pokemon" and walked around 24/7 with their eyes seemingly shut). I generally liked it on my first read-through, but it doesn't survive a second very well at all.
  
  I'm very confused about why Arthur has such acclaim. Most of his great works appear to happen 'off-screen' or in-between time skips. He makes the selfish decision to stay in Avalon extra-long because he'd rather be with his girlfriend than do his duty. He knocks Vivienne aside when she's trying to help him even though he has no reason to suspect that she would do so even though he knows what magic is and doesn't bother to ask questions. And he makes Merlin erase his memories for no apparent reason. There's some vague implication that it's important he marry Guinevere for united the people, but I don't remember her having much standing at all. She's not a nobody, but honestly: is it so bad that Arthur stay single until he can find someone of higher standing (or at least use that as an excuse because he misses Vivienne). In fact, Merlin actually calls Arthur out for it as STUPID decision in a conversation that ultimately doesn't matter because the spell makes Arthur forget about it. Was this the writers attacking some editor who forced them to add in melodrama?
  
  In short, I don't know why Arthur is such a great king in the tale, or the only blonde.
  
  I largely enjoy this version for the women: Guinevere's ending and Vivienne. I love that Vivienne helps teach Arthur and that Arthur directs Guinevere to rule after him. Nimue saves Merlin's life out of love rather than the creepier versions of their relationship, and Morgaine's story is more interesting.
  
  Overall, the story has too many timeskips, poor character development, and the plot doesn't flow well. The art is nothing amazing. If you're a fan of Arthurian stuff, you might like it. It's rather short, anyway.