From acclaimed writer Peter Milligan (Shade the Changing Man, Enigma ) and artist Val Rodrigues comes a grim piece of historical fiction/fantasy in The Pale Knight #1. Featuring colors from Cristiane Peter and lettering by Dave Sharpe, this opening issue pulls readers along on a bloody journey into Crusades-era medieval Europe full of regret and some proper supernatural turns. With a sharp, contemplative script and phenomenal and atmospheric visual work, The Pale Knight is one of the most compelling opening issues of the year so far.
“England, 1349. Sir Hugh de Grey, the Pale Knight, returns from war to find a land ravaged by the Black Death, and his son dying of the plague. When he prays to God to save his son’s life, it is not God who answers–but Death himself. And Death is willing to cut a deal.”
Writing & Plot
Peter Milligan transports readers to a time in history filled with blood and pestilence in The Pale Knight #1. Sir Hugh de Grey, a particularly skilled English knight, is coming home from a vicious campaign across Europe slaughtering the Church’s enemies. As time has passed and he’s watched more of the land fall prey to a brutal plague, doubt and regret have sprouted in place of duty and faith. This begins his journey home to his wife and son – as well as an unexpected visitor. Milligan takes his time introducing the characters and state of the world within the pages of this comic. The script feels more drawn out than most comics, with a considerable amount of time spent on Grey’s dialogue with those around him. This allows readers to very easily get inside the knight’s head, and it lets Milligan sort of isolate the character from the world around him – especially since most other characters in the story are right bastards. Every conversation and inner thought feels important, and the atmosphere of the story begins to feel desperate and pained – all said as a positive. The Enigma writer retains all of the deliberate story craft and wit that he’s always had, and this book does feel like something that would have been released back in Vertigo’s heyday. Without getting into spoilers (if you could consider the appearance of a character on the cover a spoiler), a certain character’s manner of speech ends up being a delightful little subversion of expectation. If you’re familiar with Warren Ellis’s treatment of Death in Netflix’s Castlevania series, expect something similar. Overall, Milligan pens a tonally rich and intensely sharp opening chapter for The Pale Knight.
Art Direction
Val Rodrigues constructs a brilliantly atmospheric view into Medieval Europe within the pages of The Pale Knight #1. His visual style lifts from paintings and tapestries from this same era, but with the life an animation of great comics art. His treatment of the world and the cast is immensely detailed. Grey’s humanity leaks through as his stoicism fails and we see the doubt fill him – while we also see the apathy and concern of the characters around him. Rodrigues’s thin linework and unique use of hatching offer a sort of texture that makes this setting feel all the more lived-in. His style here is unlike anything I’ve read in recent memory, and much like Milligan’s script, is reminiscent of early 90’s Vertigo comics. The panel direction also allows the story to flow steadily, giving the story weight as it travels along to its grim (heh) conclusion. Christiane Peter’s color art seals the book’s tone, with an approach that also lifts from Medieval art to create an atmospheric period piece with room for the fantastical and supernatural. The colors here again reminds me of work in Sandman or Hellblazer, propping up a sense of realism while feeling strange enough that the supernatural pieces fit right in to the experience. Overall, The Pale Knight is one of the coolest and most fascinating comic of this year so far in terms of art direction.
Verdict
The Pale Knight #1 is an intelligent and compelling opening to this historical-fiction comic with a supernatural twist. Peter Milligan’s script is a great blend of grim brutality and humanity, with stellar dialogue and character work. The visuals from Val Rodrigues and Christiane Peters craft a phenomenal reading experience as both a comic and a period piece, and make for one of the most unique comics of the year so far. Be sure to grab this debut issue when it hits shelves on May 28th!
