TRISTAN AND LANCELOT

Courtly love is queered in this Arthurian graphic novel.

All is not well in Camelot. Merlin is missing, and people suspect foul play; and the fae have begun attacking Camelot, despite Uther long since banishing them. At a loss, King Arthur and Queen Guinevere summon Morgan, Arthur’s half sister. They persuade Morgan, a traveling mage who studied under Merlin, to embark on a rescue mission accompanied by young knights Lancelot and Tristan. They make a reluctant trio, but cheerful, generous Lancelot is determined to get to know brusque, impatient Morgan and taciturn Tristan, whom he’s long had a crush on. As the three outsiders reckon with their origins, burdensome pasts, and possible futures, they become a team; Morgan finds friendship with the knights, who begin to fall for each other in a well-crafted budding romance. The book equally centers Morgan’s journey toward self-acceptance and community. Some of the revisions to Arthuriana work well: Guinevere has a place at the Round Table, and Lancelot’s and Tristan’s platonic relationships with their traditional lady loves are thoughtfully portrayed. Other elements, such as the portrayals of Queen Mab and primary antagonist Nimue (clad in a notably anachronistic outfit), are clunky. Queen Mab’s brief arc as a power-hungry, vengeful villain leads to a heavy-handed, underdeveloped message about human greed and environmental destruction that feels forced. The art sometimes feels flat, with a visual narrative style that’s akin to superhero comics. The main cast present white.

An intriguing premise hampered by underwhelming execution.