Prince Valiant!

I saw this on the racks at a local shop and I was simply blown away. I have one volume of the old paperback reprint from Fantagraphics and it was interesting enough, but this new hardback volume at twice the length and even larger in dimensions is one of the most outstanding comics publications I've ever seen.

The story is clear and easy to read, the grandeur of young Prince Valiant's setting becomes increasingly magnificent as Hal Foster finds his way through this new/old setting. And for anyone who might've doubted the genius of Foster, this volume should answer any questions. I see clearly why guys like Kirby worshipped at the alter of Foster, these strips are glorious.

The color is the big thing. Apparently they shot the strips this time from some original materials or something like that, because the subtlety of the colors transforms the understanding of the way this strip is supposed to work.

I read Prince Valiant dutifully when I was a kid, but by then the strip had become a medieval domestic saga with Val and his son getting lose from the house long enough to dabble in adventures. It was grand stuff next to more humdrum artwork on other strips, but well below the grandeur of the original material from the 30's.

They are planning to release two of these a year, or so it seems with another scheduled for next spring. At $30 dollars this is a bargain, essentially still priced the same as this material was in the 80's with superior production qualities. They could easily charge $50 for this and we wouldn't think it odd. This is the best buy I've come across in comics in many a moon, and even in these hard times a must have.

Maybe even because of the strips high romance and its historical tie to other hard times, it might even be considered a requirement.

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