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Prince Valiant (Hardcover) #1
Prince Valiant, Vol. 1: 1937-1938
Universally acclaimed as the most stunningly gorgeous adventure comic strip of all time, Prince Valiant ran for 35 years under the virtuoso pen of its creator, Hal Foster. (Such was its popularity that today, decades after Foster’s death, it continues to run under different hands.)
The giant Sunday-funnies pages (Valiant ran only on Sundays) gave Foster a huge canvas upon which he was able to limn epic swordfights, stunning scenes of pomp and pageantry, and some of the most beautiful human beings—male and female—ever to appear in comics. And he matched his nonpareil visual sense with the narrative instincts of a born storyteller, propelling his daring young hero from one crisis to another with barely a panel to catch one’s breath.
Prince Valiant has previously been widely available only in re-colored, somewhat degraded editions (now out of print and fetching collectors’ prices). Thanks to advances in production technology and newly available original proof sheets, this new series from the industry leader in quality strip classics is the first to feature superb restored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster’s original masterpiece. Comic strip aficionados will be ecstatic, and younger readers who enjoy a classic adventure yarn will be bowled over.
Volume One is rounded out with a rare, in-depth classic Foster interview previously available only in a long out-of-print issue of The Comics Journal, as well as an informative Afterword detailing the production and restoration of this edition.
Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award (Best Archival Collection/Project: Strips).
The giant Sunday-funnies pages (Valiant ran only on Sundays) gave Foster a huge canvas upon which he was able to limn epic swordfights, stunning scenes of pomp and pageantry, and some of the most beautiful human beings—male and female—ever to appear in comics. And he matched his nonpareil visual sense with the narrative instincts of a born storyteller, propelling his daring young hero from one crisis to another with barely a panel to catch one’s breath.
Prince Valiant has previously been widely available only in re-colored, somewhat degraded editions (now out of print and fetching collectors’ prices). Thanks to advances in production technology and newly available original proof sheets, this new series from the industry leader in quality strip classics is the first to feature superb restored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster’s original masterpiece. Comic strip aficionados will be ecstatic, and younger readers who enjoy a classic adventure yarn will be bowled over.
Volume One is rounded out with a rare, in-depth classic Foster interview previously available only in a long out-of-print issue of The Comics Journal, as well as an informative Afterword detailing the production and restoration of this edition.
Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award (Best Archival Collection/Project: Strips).
120 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
About the author
Hal Foster
188 books47 followersHarold Foster, also credited as Hal Foster, was a comic book artist best know for Prince Valiant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
August 11, 2018
Hal Fosters PRINZ EISENHERZ ist ein Klassiker des Abenteuer-Comics, vielleicht sogar der Klassiker. Ab 1931 hatte Foster schon die Tarzan-Comics gestaltet, als er 1937 begann, die Geschichte von PRINZ EISENHERZ zu erzählen, die schon wenig später auch ihren Weg ins Deutsche fand und bis heute fortgesetzt wird.
Der Bocola Verlag hat eine hervorragend aufgemachte Hardcover-Werkausgabe herausgebracht, die in bester Druckqualität und sehr schöner Übersetzung Fosters Riesenwerk neu präsentiert. Der erste Band enthält ein gut zu lesendes, sachkundiges Vorwort und den ersten Jahrgang (1937 / 38) der Serie.
Ob die Serie überhaupt je in schwarz/weiß erschienen ist bzw. erscheinen sollte, ist unklar. Fest steht aber, dass die Kolorierung ein Meisterwerk ist, das Fosters ohnehin detaillierte und großartige Zeichnungen deutlich aufwertet. Die Farben tragen viel zur Stimmung bei und bringen zusätzliche Elemente ein, die nicht dem Zeichenstift entstammen.
Der Leser erlebt in diesem ersten Band die Entwicklung des Comics, der zu Fosters Zeiten noch lange nicht als 9. Kunst anerkannt war. Während die Panels zu Beginn noch recht artig in maximal zwei Größen vorkommen, wird die Seitengestaltung bald zusehends weniger rigide und die Größen der Bilder variieren stark.
Sprechblasen gibt es noch nicht, die auktorialen Texte, die die Bilder ergänzen, sind oberhalb oder unterhalb der Bilder in den Panels eingeschrieben. Dabei ist mir die erzählerische und sprachliche Qualität aufgefallen, die weit über der Durchschnittskost liegt, die man im Comic, selbst bis heute, findet.
Zur Mitte des Buches hin taucht dann als weiteres Stilmittel erstmals die wörtliche Rede auf, die die Lebhaftigkeit befördert und die oft sehr emblematischen Bilder noch lebendiger wirken lässt.
Interessant ist Fosters PRINZ EISENHERZ aber nicht nur für den Leser, der sich für die Geschichte und Entwicklung der Comics interessiert, sondern für jeden Liebhaber gut erzählter Abenteuer-Geschichten. Dabei macht Foster seinen Job so gut, dass man nicht einmal Liebhaber von Rittergeschichten sein muss, um von den Abenteuern mitgerissen zu werden.
PRINZ EISENHERZ ist im umfassenden Sinne ein Klassiker, nicht nur Urgestein der Sequential Art, sondern auch eine klassische Ritter-Geschichte, die im Mittelalter zur Zeit von König Artus spielt.
Eisenherz Vater war König in Thule, wird aber von einem Usurpator vertrieben und findet Zuflucht in den englischen Sümpfen. Eisenherz wächst heran, ein mutiger und gutherziger Junge, der alle Eigenschaften eines Ritters in sich vereint und charakterliche Ähnlichkeiten zu Parzival aufweist, ein "reiner Tor". Es gelingt ihm, als Knappe am Hof von König Artus aufgenommen zu werden und hier seine ersten Abenteuer zu bestehen. Ritterliche Freundschaft und die große Liebe gesellen sich hinzu, aber auch leidvolle Erfahrungen.
Dabei beschreibt die Handlung dieses ersten Bandes einen schönen, in sich geschlossenen Handlungsbogen, was angesichts der Veröffentlichung als Zeitungscomic überraschend ist. Immerhin musste sich Foster recht sicher sein, dass er die Geschichte über eine längeren Zeitraum würde fortsetzen und die Handlung in Ruhe entwickeln können.
Mich hat dieser erste Band begeistert, den ich vermutlich noch immer nicht gelesen hätte, wenn er nicht schon von meinem Freund David eine sehr gute Bewertung erhalten hätte. Ich kann ihn nun ebenso allen denen weiter empfehlen, die Freude an einer richtig gut gemachten altmodischen Erzählung haben, die den Geist längst vergangener Zeiten atmet: den der Jahre um ca. 500 n.Chr. und auch den der 1930er Jahre. Ein Festmahl für Nostalgiker!
Der Bocola Verlag hat eine hervorragend aufgemachte Hardcover-Werkausgabe herausgebracht, die in bester Druckqualität und sehr schöner Übersetzung Fosters Riesenwerk neu präsentiert. Der erste Band enthält ein gut zu lesendes, sachkundiges Vorwort und den ersten Jahrgang (1937 / 38) der Serie.
Ob die Serie überhaupt je in schwarz/weiß erschienen ist bzw. erscheinen sollte, ist unklar. Fest steht aber, dass die Kolorierung ein Meisterwerk ist, das Fosters ohnehin detaillierte und großartige Zeichnungen deutlich aufwertet. Die Farben tragen viel zur Stimmung bei und bringen zusätzliche Elemente ein, die nicht dem Zeichenstift entstammen.
Der Leser erlebt in diesem ersten Band die Entwicklung des Comics, der zu Fosters Zeiten noch lange nicht als 9. Kunst anerkannt war. Während die Panels zu Beginn noch recht artig in maximal zwei Größen vorkommen, wird die Seitengestaltung bald zusehends weniger rigide und die Größen der Bilder variieren stark.
Sprechblasen gibt es noch nicht, die auktorialen Texte, die die Bilder ergänzen, sind oberhalb oder unterhalb der Bilder in den Panels eingeschrieben. Dabei ist mir die erzählerische und sprachliche Qualität aufgefallen, die weit über der Durchschnittskost liegt, die man im Comic, selbst bis heute, findet.
Zur Mitte des Buches hin taucht dann als weiteres Stilmittel erstmals die wörtliche Rede auf, die die Lebhaftigkeit befördert und die oft sehr emblematischen Bilder noch lebendiger wirken lässt.
Interessant ist Fosters PRINZ EISENHERZ aber nicht nur für den Leser, der sich für die Geschichte und Entwicklung der Comics interessiert, sondern für jeden Liebhaber gut erzählter Abenteuer-Geschichten. Dabei macht Foster seinen Job so gut, dass man nicht einmal Liebhaber von Rittergeschichten sein muss, um von den Abenteuern mitgerissen zu werden.
PRINZ EISENHERZ ist im umfassenden Sinne ein Klassiker, nicht nur Urgestein der Sequential Art, sondern auch eine klassische Ritter-Geschichte, die im Mittelalter zur Zeit von König Artus spielt.
Eisenherz Vater war König in Thule, wird aber von einem Usurpator vertrieben und findet Zuflucht in den englischen Sümpfen. Eisenherz wächst heran, ein mutiger und gutherziger Junge, der alle Eigenschaften eines Ritters in sich vereint und charakterliche Ähnlichkeiten zu Parzival aufweist, ein "reiner Tor". Es gelingt ihm, als Knappe am Hof von König Artus aufgenommen zu werden und hier seine ersten Abenteuer zu bestehen. Ritterliche Freundschaft und die große Liebe gesellen sich hinzu, aber auch leidvolle Erfahrungen.
Dabei beschreibt die Handlung dieses ersten Bandes einen schönen, in sich geschlossenen Handlungsbogen, was angesichts der Veröffentlichung als Zeitungscomic überraschend ist. Immerhin musste sich Foster recht sicher sein, dass er die Geschichte über eine längeren Zeitraum würde fortsetzen und die Handlung in Ruhe entwickeln können.
Mich hat dieser erste Band begeistert, den ich vermutlich noch immer nicht gelesen hätte, wenn er nicht schon von meinem Freund David eine sehr gute Bewertung erhalten hätte. Ich kann ihn nun ebenso allen denen weiter empfehlen, die Freude an einer richtig gut gemachten altmodischen Erzählung haben, die den Geist längst vergangener Zeiten atmet: den der Jahre um ca. 500 n.Chr. und auch den der 1930er Jahre. Ein Festmahl für Nostalgiker!
February 18, 2011
When I was kid, Prince Valiant was the living fossil of the comics page. Intricately drawn, with the captions weirdly bundled beneath the illustrations instead of being bound in bubbles, it dealt with swords and mail and bloodshed. Sure, the Phantom was still kicking, Dick Tracy was chasing crooks, but Prince Valiant was so beautiful, archaic and weird that it may as well have been scrimshawed on an ostrich egg.
After reading the first volume of Fantagraphics excellent reprinting of Hal Foster’s creation, I’m surprised at the life within this antique. It’s no surprise that the art is beautiful. Foster’s figures have a fine, illustrated detail—rarely seen on the comics page—but they’re full of energy as they joust, dive and play at swords.
The fine drawings are matched by the colors. Bold, primary outfits stand out against soft, pastel backgrounds, giving the strip an eye-catching blend of feudalism and fantasy.
This brilliant world is enhanced by Foster’s engaging plots. While the volume relies on some sword and sorcery tropes—kings and hags, knights and damsels, King Arthur and Morgan Le Fay—Prince Valiant charges through it all like a can-do, all-American maniac. He chases adventure with little regard for his own life, stabbing and swinging his way through one romp after another. It doesn’t take much provocation to get his knife out of the sheath, but he’s clever, resourceful and fun, even as the bodies pile up behind him.
The stories feel more sophisticated than many of the action shoot-ups you’ll find on the tube or in the theater. The characterization is consistent. Obstacles are overcome without cheats. Foster is even savvy enough to throw in some setbacks as well as real tragedy. The volume’s longest storyline ends bleakly, and it’s surprising to find no takebacks in its wake.
On the whole, this is an excellent package, showing Foster gaining steam as he settles into his style and setting. I look forward to future installments.
After reading the first volume of Fantagraphics excellent reprinting of Hal Foster’s creation, I’m surprised at the life within this antique. It’s no surprise that the art is beautiful. Foster’s figures have a fine, illustrated detail—rarely seen on the comics page—but they’re full of energy as they joust, dive and play at swords.
The fine drawings are matched by the colors. Bold, primary outfits stand out against soft, pastel backgrounds, giving the strip an eye-catching blend of feudalism and fantasy.
This brilliant world is enhanced by Foster’s engaging plots. While the volume relies on some sword and sorcery tropes—kings and hags, knights and damsels, King Arthur and Morgan Le Fay—Prince Valiant charges through it all like a can-do, all-American maniac. He chases adventure with little regard for his own life, stabbing and swinging his way through one romp after another. It doesn’t take much provocation to get his knife out of the sheath, but he’s clever, resourceful and fun, even as the bodies pile up behind him.
The stories feel more sophisticated than many of the action shoot-ups you’ll find on the tube or in the theater. The characterization is consistent. Obstacles are overcome without cheats. Foster is even savvy enough to throw in some setbacks as well as real tragedy. The volume’s longest storyline ends bleakly, and it’s surprising to find no takebacks in its wake.
On the whole, this is an excellent package, showing Foster gaining steam as he settles into his style and setting. I look forward to future installments.
July 22, 2023
Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, often simply called Prince Valiant, is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretch of that story now totals more than 4000 Sunday strips. The strip appears weekly in more than 300 American newspapers, according to its distributor, King Features Syndicate.
This volume covers Prince Valiant's origin tale, meeting Ser Gawaine, going on adventures and trying to become a knight of the Table Round. A hag predicts Val will always be discontent in his life which he tries to prove wrong.
Thanks to advances in production technology and newly available original proof sheets, this new series from the industry leader in quality strip classics is the first to feature superb restored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster’s original masterpiece.
MY GRADE: A minus
This volume covers Prince Valiant's origin tale, meeting Ser Gawaine, going on adventures and trying to become a knight of the Table Round. A hag predicts Val will always be discontent in his life which he tries to prove wrong.
Thanks to advances in production technology and newly available original proof sheets, this new series from the industry leader in quality strip classics is the first to feature superb restored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster’s original masterpiece.
MY GRADE: A minus
December 11, 2016
Prince Valiant Vol. I: 1937-1938
Reading the Sunday newspaper comics as a kid I would never read Prince Valiant strip. Just glancing over thinking to myself, “ Whats the backstory ? Funny haircut, weird outfits, rose cheeks and lips, this looks boring”. I decided to pick this first Volume up overhearing people discussing how “ Great “ this strip is. Boy , have I been missing out. I’m so excited to enter the world of Prince Valiant from the beginning. I’m a blown away by the character development and story telling by Harold Foster in just a few panels every week. His artwork is just fantastic, as you look at the landscapes, armor, horses exc. Also the way the strip moves from panel to panel telling the story at a perfect pace. Foster would state it takes 40-50 hours per weekly strip to create, you as a reader are rewarded with this effort.
I’m so excited and looking forward to pick up the next 13 volumes of this series. The Fantagraphics Books are fantastic hardcover oversized editions. Well made and will look great as a complete set. Also added, some history on the strip, author interviews. If your looking to start this adventure from the beginning or a fan of this strip, go get this. I’m just blown away and excited I’m just starting this journey with Prince Valiant.
The quote from Harold Foster says it all.
“ The illustrations are just meant to give another dimension to the story. witch has to be cut down into little captions; the illustrations are necessary to carry the story from the captions. But of course, it doesn’t make any difference how well you illustrate the story, you can get away with a good story poorly illustrated, but not vice versa. “
Reading the Sunday newspaper comics as a kid I would never read Prince Valiant strip. Just glancing over thinking to myself, “ Whats the backstory ? Funny haircut, weird outfits, rose cheeks and lips, this looks boring”. I decided to pick this first Volume up overhearing people discussing how “ Great “ this strip is. Boy , have I been missing out. I’m so excited to enter the world of Prince Valiant from the beginning. I’m a blown away by the character development and story telling by Harold Foster in just a few panels every week. His artwork is just fantastic, as you look at the landscapes, armor, horses exc. Also the way the strip moves from panel to panel telling the story at a perfect pace. Foster would state it takes 40-50 hours per weekly strip to create, you as a reader are rewarded with this effort.
I’m so excited and looking forward to pick up the next 13 volumes of this series. The Fantagraphics Books are fantastic hardcover oversized editions. Well made and will look great as a complete set. Also added, some history on the strip, author interviews. If your looking to start this adventure from the beginning or a fan of this strip, go get this. I’m just blown away and excited I’m just starting this journey with Prince Valiant.
The quote from Harold Foster says it all.
“ The illustrations are just meant to give another dimension to the story. witch has to be cut down into little captions; the illustrations are necessary to carry the story from the captions. But of course, it doesn’t make any difference how well you illustrate the story, you can get away with a good story poorly illustrated, but not vice versa. “
April 16, 2014
This is a very nice book collecting the original strips by Hal Foster. The art and the color are stunning and the huge size of the book allows to read the strips as they were originally published. I find however that the story itself is only average but this is a very nice book to own for any collector or anyone interested in comics history.
December 7, 2014
After 70 years or so, the first Prince Valiant volume remains surprisingly young at heart. When I was a teenage girl, the Sunday Prince Valiant strips by John Cullen Murphy were the antithesis of cool, yet to my embarrassment, I had found myself caring about the characters and becoming immersed in its rich, Byzantine world, waiting impatiently for the next week's installment. Yet despite my enthusiasm, by this time, Prince Valiant already had a wife and grandkids, an impenetrably long backstory, and only six panels to work with.
Forget Grandpa Spock. In 1938, Prince Valiant was a headstrong teenage boy, eager to prove himself and up to his eyes in trouble. It’s a timeless story, and Hal Foster inhabits his lordly Camelot and wild, Viking-beset England with seemingly fresh marvels and wonders. Despite its venerable reputation, the comic is surprisingly witty and fun. I was maybe expecting ponderous, pseudo-medieval prose and earnestly dull combat, and instead found a likable, rambunctious hero who relies on wits and resourcefulness more than epic sword fighting skills. (Though there’s plenty of that too, and it’s plenty satisfying to see). I was also surprised by how funny the comics are, despite their reputation for being a “serious” comics. There’s as much banter as you can get for a comic that has no speech bubbles- I didn’t laugh out loud, but it made me smile.
To say this new 2009 edition by Fantagraphics is fucking gorgeous would be an understatement. The meticulous color correction is itself a work of art, and a welcome relief from the dingy old thing in my school library, whose colors were nauseating, frequently featuring flesh tones of Pepto-Bismol spam-pink. Instead of wondering when my eyeballs would start to bleed, I found my eyes lingering over delicate sunsets, jaw-dropping castle vistas, and morning mists over the English fens.
I had wondered if Hal Foster’s original Prince Valiant, in all its full-page, full-color Golden Age glory, would be just as bold, exciting, and full of pageantry as all medieval adventures should be.
It is.
Forget Grandpa Spock. In 1938, Prince Valiant was a headstrong teenage boy, eager to prove himself and up to his eyes in trouble. It’s a timeless story, and Hal Foster inhabits his lordly Camelot and wild, Viking-beset England with seemingly fresh marvels and wonders. Despite its venerable reputation, the comic is surprisingly witty and fun. I was maybe expecting ponderous, pseudo-medieval prose and earnestly dull combat, and instead found a likable, rambunctious hero who relies on wits and resourcefulness more than epic sword fighting skills. (Though there’s plenty of that too, and it’s plenty satisfying to see). I was also surprised by how funny the comics are, despite their reputation for being a “serious” comics. There’s as much banter as you can get for a comic that has no speech bubbles- I didn’t laugh out loud, but it made me smile.
To say this new 2009 edition by Fantagraphics is fucking gorgeous would be an understatement. The meticulous color correction is itself a work of art, and a welcome relief from the dingy old thing in my school library, whose colors were nauseating, frequently featuring flesh tones of Pepto-Bismol spam-pink. Instead of wondering when my eyeballs would start to bleed, I found my eyes lingering over delicate sunsets, jaw-dropping castle vistas, and morning mists over the English fens.
I had wondered if Hal Foster’s original Prince Valiant, in all its full-page, full-color Golden Age glory, would be just as bold, exciting, and full of pageantry as all medieval adventures should be.
It is.
February 2, 2022
Wow. I can’t believe I set this aside for five months or so. This is the first volume of the Prince Valiant Sunday comic. And it’s pretty amazing.
Beautiful art, heroic fantasy, and great continuity for a comic that only appeared once a week.
Some great stuff appears right from the jump. Val meets Gawain, the Maid Ilene, Prince Arn, his rival and friend, and King Arthur. He fights Ogres, Witches, a giant Gator, and numerous Vikings and evil Knight.
Great art and classic storytelling. I’ve got two more volumes in the bookcase.
Beautiful art, heroic fantasy, and great continuity for a comic that only appeared once a week.
Some great stuff appears right from the jump. Val meets Gawain, the Maid Ilene, Prince Arn, his rival and friend, and King Arthur. He fights Ogres, Witches, a giant Gator, and numerous Vikings and evil Knight.
Great art and classic storytelling. I’ve got two more volumes in the bookcase.
September 20, 2022
Edição absolutamente perfeita. Ótima impressão, papel de boa gramatura e em grande formato, como se você estivesse lendo o original no jornal. Uma pena não terem lançado o volume 1939-1940.
October 25, 2017
Years ago, when Calvin and Hobbes was still running in the newspaper, I handed my sister the paperback book collection of the strip. "But I don't like Calvin and Hobbes," she said. I was taken aback because I thought everybody liked Calvin and Hobbes. Extemporizing, I suggested, "I think you might like it better if you read it from the beginning."
It was a lucky guess which turned out to be true. And now it has worked on me for Prince Valiant, a Sunday color feature whose narrative charms had always somewhat eluded me. Any single week's episode, Prince Val in his peculiar haircut confronting characters I didn't know in situations I didn't know how they'd gotten into, had never been enough to hook me into the continuing saga. But in this volume, finally getting Val's back story and the introduction to the character as originally staged by the amazing artist and story spinner Hal Foster, and given the opportunity to read 4-6 weeks at a sitting, I do finally get it. The glorious artwork is the undeniable star here, but the storyline has its own particular pulse and logic.
This particular Fantagraphics edition is highly recommended in that it restores the original coloring of the published pages and prints them at a size, maybe 14 inches tall, that does them justice. (Evidently the original publication size.) Unfortunately, going by the availability advertised at Amazon, it seems to be out of print and fetching triple its original price on the secondhand market. If Fantagraphics wants to sell more of the later volumes in the series -- I see 13 of them, taking us up through 1962 -- it would be really smart to get another edition of the beginning of the series into print and into the hands of more readers. [P.S. October 2017: The secondhand market has changed and you can now find this book on Amazon for under $30, less expensive than the original price. And there seem now to be 17 published volumes, up through 1970. I don't see myself shelling out $350 for the complete set, but I'm mighty tempted to get my hands on Vol. 2, at least!]
There's a little bit of biographical material and an interview with Hal Foster included, from which I learned that the castles and accoutrements depicted for Prince Valiant, set in the days of King Arthur, are actually those of Norman times, when the King Arthur story was first popularized, rather than the post-Roman times when it would actually have taken place. Foster's draftsmanship is unassailable and his castles look terrific. His human characters are carefully and realistically drawn as well. I do wonder where in history he got Prince Valiant's pageboy haircut and why he chose to give this action hero such effeminate features. Perhaps those questions will be addressed in other interviews.
It was a lucky guess which turned out to be true. And now it has worked on me for Prince Valiant, a Sunday color feature whose narrative charms had always somewhat eluded me. Any single week's episode, Prince Val in his peculiar haircut confronting characters I didn't know in situations I didn't know how they'd gotten into, had never been enough to hook me into the continuing saga. But in this volume, finally getting Val's back story and the introduction to the character as originally staged by the amazing artist and story spinner Hal Foster, and given the opportunity to read 4-6 weeks at a sitting, I do finally get it. The glorious artwork is the undeniable star here, but the storyline has its own particular pulse and logic.
This particular Fantagraphics edition is highly recommended in that it restores the original coloring of the published pages and prints them at a size, maybe 14 inches tall, that does them justice. (Evidently the original publication size.) Unfortunately, going by the availability advertised at Amazon, it seems to be out of print and fetching triple its original price on the secondhand market. If Fantagraphics wants to sell more of the later volumes in the series -- I see 13 of them, taking us up through 1962 -- it would be really smart to get another edition of the beginning of the series into print and into the hands of more readers. [P.S. October 2017: The secondhand market has changed and you can now find this book on Amazon for under $30, less expensive than the original price. And there seem now to be 17 published volumes, up through 1970. I don't see myself shelling out $350 for the complete set, but I'm mighty tempted to get my hands on Vol. 2, at least!]
There's a little bit of biographical material and an interview with Hal Foster included, from which I learned that the castles and accoutrements depicted for Prince Valiant, set in the days of King Arthur, are actually those of Norman times, when the King Arthur story was first popularized, rather than the post-Roman times when it would actually have taken place. Foster's draftsmanship is unassailable and his castles look terrific. His human characters are carefully and realistically drawn as well. I do wonder where in history he got Prince Valiant's pageboy haircut and why he chose to give this action hero such effeminate features. Perhaps those questions will be addressed in other interviews.
October 8, 2018
Boring and dumb. Technicolor drabbed 30’s era art portrays a reimagined King Arthur’s Court replete with all of Forster’s original content. Which might sound good, but the volume of content (which becomes increasingly excessive) ends up getting horribly jumbled between well-known cultural known-known’s and the new shit. Inevitably, claustrophobia manifests itself alongside a seemingly unending panoply of armor-suited figures and (a lip-swishing banal) series of faux-mythical beasts who only exist for our heroic hero to slay.
When it’s not merely content to be boring, the action retains its historic nature that can feel oppressively dated here in ol’ 2018. What might’ve seemed cool in a Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn era film production back when, is unnecessarily detail oriented with an ever-predictable conclusion: Prince Valiant wins. Add this to a complex host of people and places that spill forth with across their own micro-tales, if you’re not just bored at this point, you will certainly be bored and confused.
Finally, reading a once a week serial in a trade paperback format sequentially definitely detracts from the mystery it held over it’s previous readers every 7 days. Maybe there’s value in reading a strip a week. But for me, there will be no more Prince Valiant read.
When it’s not merely content to be boring, the action retains its historic nature that can feel oppressively dated here in ol’ 2018. What might’ve seemed cool in a Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn era film production back when, is unnecessarily detail oriented with an ever-predictable conclusion: Prince Valiant wins. Add this to a complex host of people and places that spill forth with across their own micro-tales, if you’re not just bored at this point, you will certainly be bored and confused.
Finally, reading a once a week serial in a trade paperback format sequentially definitely detracts from the mystery it held over it’s previous readers every 7 days. Maybe there’s value in reading a strip a week. But for me, there will be no more Prince Valiant read.
January 16, 2016
Absolutely gorgeous reprint of the Prince valiant colour Sunday strips from the start. The size of this series makes them manageable to hold (not too heavy) and the colour reproduction is amazing. Every detail is visible and you'll have a blast with the story. It hasn't aged except in that, we no longer read this sort of material! I will be buying the rest of the series until money or space dries up
February 15, 2021
Kad bih mogao dao bih po 5 zvezdica za svaki put kada sam je pročitao (a bilo je to bar 3-4 puta).
Ultimativni strip mog detinjstva, nezaboravne scene Kamelota, močvarne Tule, princ Valijanta koji se pretvara da je demon (pod maskom koju je napravio od perja ulovljene guske) dok sedi na gredama ispod krova nekog zamka, Merlin, Artur, proročanstva, borbe na mostovima, dvoboji, prelepe deve za koje se vredi boriti...
Šta više može jedan dečak poželeti :)
Ultimativni strip mog detinjstva, nezaboravne scene Kamelota, močvarne Tule, princ Valijanta koji se pretvara da je demon (pod maskom koju je napravio od perja ulovljene guske) dok sedi na gredama ispod krova nekog zamka, Merlin, Artur, proročanstva, borbe na mostovima, dvoboji, prelepe deve za koje se vredi boriti...
Šta više može jedan dečak poželeti :)
February 10, 2014
One of the best Christmas gifts ever! My daughter has gifted me with Vol. 1 - 3. I have loved Prince Valiant for as long as I have been old enough to read the Sunday comics. This book is the first in a series that reprints the magnificent work of Hal Foster. My first chance to see and read adventures written long before I was born.
June 23, 2015
UGH. "Prince Val" (a.k.a. Gary Stu, Billy Budd, Nice Guy of the 1930's/Camelot) made me roll my eyes SO HARD they fell out of my head and rolled away and were gobbled up by a giant sea crocodile. Thanks a lot, Val.
December 23, 2019
We read this one with the kids and they enjoyed it a lot. So much so that for days after we rad the part where Prince Val and Prince Arn are battling rampaging Vikings the kids would run around shouting out their battle cry,
"For Ilene!"
The artwork is impressive in this weekly comic strip. It's amazing how long it's gone and Foster's detail work is impressive. It's a fun adventure story, and Val meets members of King Arthur's court and of course most notably adventures with Gawain quite a bit.
It's a fun book and the kids are already asking if we can check out the next from the library. They enjoy the stories and the artwork. It's a true test of the strength of this weekly strip that eighty years after it originally saw print, it can still entertain and stir the hearts of my little ones with the call of adventure.
It's a fun book and the kids are already asking if we can check out the next from the library. They enjoy the stories and the artwork. It's a true test of the strength of this weekly strip that eighty years after it originally saw print, it can still entertain and stir the hearts of my little ones with the call of adventure.
March 4, 2024
Fantastic art and story! Its reputation is well deserved!
May 13, 2020
Hal Foster's artwork is unsurpassed. The storyline may be a mish mosh of legends and myths, but the drawings make it worthwhile.
June 9, 2019
Un nostálgico reencuentro con una de las tiras cómicas que leía en el periódico de los domingos.
February 18, 2014
other than having had his haircut once our twice in my life I came to this book knowing almost nothing about Prince Valiant, and i must say, i was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
Hal Fosters art is pretty amazing considering a one man once a week page. The colors in this edition pop very nicely. The text falling outside of the action took don't getting used to, but the advantage of leaving more space for the pictures makes the visuals stand out even more.
what i find must surprising though was the amount of casual murder that takes place. pretty much anyone in Val's way can be run through without a second thought. When it is knights versus knights i can somewhat understand, but at one point an old prison attendant and his helper are both run through during an escape when they could easily have been locked in the cell.
overall i thoroughly enjoyed this, enough so that i felt compelled to order volume two and am eagerly awaiting it in the mail
Hal Fosters art is pretty amazing considering a one man once a week page. The colors in this edition pop very nicely. The text falling outside of the action took don't getting used to, but the advantage of leaving more space for the pictures makes the visuals stand out even more.
what i find must surprising though was the amount of casual murder that takes place. pretty much anyone in Val's way can be run through without a second thought. When it is knights versus knights i can somewhat understand, but at one point an old prison attendant and his helper are both run through during an escape when they could easily have been locked in the cell.
overall i thoroughly enjoyed this, enough so that i felt compelled to order volume two and am eagerly awaiting it in the mail
May 17, 2016
Wow, Hal Foster's art was better than I ever expected! In addition to that, he made the stories really move along in so few frames and gave you a sense of how the characters were feeling. I'm tempted to continue working my way through Prince Valiant even though there are ~40 years worth of comics because they were that good!
It's also exciting to know that Foster was from Halifax! I can't believe we don't celebrate him more.
It's also exciting to know that Foster was from Halifax! I can't believe we don't celebrate him more.
January 10, 2012
Incredible in every sense. Foster's artwork is some of the best ever drawn, and his stories are constantly compelling. Fantagraphics once again proves themselves in this beautiful volume, truly the only way this strip should be viewed. Foster deserves a place in the pantheon of the great comic artists.
August 30, 2018
Sem palavras para descrever este maravilhoso álbum do Príncipe Valente. Hal Foster foi um dos maiores desenhadores de sempre.
December 22, 2019
The art was quite nice but man was the story boring. If only it had the two, I might've enjoyed it a lot.
March 26, 2019
When one thinks of the history of comics vis a vis comic books and newspaper based comic strips, it sometimes feels like the two formats of what one could argue are the same thing are incongruous. Think of something like Spider-Man, which had an existence in both formats (as of this writing the newspaper version has paused "new" content three days ago, owing to the death of Stan Lee). In my opinion, Spider-Man is built for the comic book format, especially how superhero comic books are produced today with multi-page splashes with action galore--when consumers ultimately compare what they see on the printed page with what they see on the big screen, the comics need to do things like this to keep up. When you trap Spider-Man in the same four panels that something like Peanuts uses, needing to recap the previous day's strip in panel one and leaving three tiny panels to move the story along, both the glacial pace and the inability to convey action in a panel that 3"x 3" at best...well, it just doesn't work.
The reason, I think, that people keep trying things like this is because of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant. When Foster came up with Prince Valiant, he had just completed a successful run on the daily Tarzan strip and like most artists of the time, viewed the comics as a more juvenile application of his artistic talent like contemporaries of his like Lou Fine viewed it (which accounts for one of the reasons Fine phoned it in at the end of his run on The Spirit). Foster believed that his artistic talents were more applicable in an advertising context (a view shared thirty years later by John Buscema when he took over drawing The Avengers) but he was so in demand from Tarzan that the newspaper syndicates wanted Foster to do comics for them. And when he pitched Prince Valiant he changed comics forever.
Foster, knowing how desired his talents were to the syndicates, demanded that they allow him to produce a strip that only appeared on Sundays. The syndicates balked, because such a demand was unheard of, but at the end of the day, they wanted Foster and acceded to his demands, which is to the benefit of comic fans to this day. I can guarantee that once you take Prince Valiant with the context was producing this work in 1937 you can't help but be blown away by it. Foster's work is so incredibly clean that one has to assume he approached each strip like he was producing a new piece to hung in the Louvre, and the love he puts into the artwork shows. This is made possible by his demand that Prince Valiant only appear on Sundays. In the rare interview with Foster at the beginning of the volume, he revealed that he would usually spend over 50 hours a week working on one Prince Valiant strip. This means in any one month, Foster could produce about four pages of content, compared to his contemporaries working in comic book publishing--Jerome Shuster, Bob Kane, H. G. Peter, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and even Will Eisner could not produce work this clean on a monthly basis, and many of them had help (in Eisner's case it was also weekly, but would he even have been given a chance to produce The Spirit had Foster not blazed the trail?) Foster, on the other hand, controlled all elements of production--writing, drawing, inking, coloring, lettering--which would prevent him producing more. He knew his limits when it came to producing quality work. This sort of quality is now taken for granted when reading comic books (I'm thinking of something like Steve Epting's work on Ed Brubaker's Captain America) but again, those artists get help from others and modern technology.
If there is one weakness to these early Prince Valiant strips, it's that while Foster is an absolute prodigy when drawing the strip, his storytelling needs some work. I am thinking of one arc in particular where the "ending" is deeply unsatisfying, and for someone who is supposed to be a quick-witted and clever as Val is, the discovery that ends the arc feels to me like it should lead down a different path. When he was on Tarzan Foster did not handle the scripting. He seems inexperienced when it come to composing plots and narratives. I'm hoping as I dig into to future volumes we see Foster improve in this regard.
On the whole, I've found digging into old strips like Prince Valiant and Pogo quite gratifying, as they form the bedrock of today's modern comics, in both book and strip form. Foster's work is must read for anyone who appreciates the history of comics.
The reason, I think, that people keep trying things like this is because of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant. When Foster came up with Prince Valiant, he had just completed a successful run on the daily Tarzan strip and like most artists of the time, viewed the comics as a more juvenile application of his artistic talent like contemporaries of his like Lou Fine viewed it (which accounts for one of the reasons Fine phoned it in at the end of his run on The Spirit). Foster believed that his artistic talents were more applicable in an advertising context (a view shared thirty years later by John Buscema when he took over drawing The Avengers) but he was so in demand from Tarzan that the newspaper syndicates wanted Foster to do comics for them. And when he pitched Prince Valiant he changed comics forever.
Foster, knowing how desired his talents were to the syndicates, demanded that they allow him to produce a strip that only appeared on Sundays. The syndicates balked, because such a demand was unheard of, but at the end of the day, they wanted Foster and acceded to his demands, which is to the benefit of comic fans to this day. I can guarantee that once you take Prince Valiant with the context was producing this work in 1937 you can't help but be blown away by it. Foster's work is so incredibly clean that one has to assume he approached each strip like he was producing a new piece to hung in the Louvre, and the love he puts into the artwork shows. This is made possible by his demand that Prince Valiant only appear on Sundays. In the rare interview with Foster at the beginning of the volume, he revealed that he would usually spend over 50 hours a week working on one Prince Valiant strip. This means in any one month, Foster could produce about four pages of content, compared to his contemporaries working in comic book publishing--Jerome Shuster, Bob Kane, H. G. Peter, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and even Will Eisner could not produce work this clean on a monthly basis, and many of them had help (in Eisner's case it was also weekly, but would he even have been given a chance to produce The Spirit had Foster not blazed the trail?) Foster, on the other hand, controlled all elements of production--writing, drawing, inking, coloring, lettering--which would prevent him producing more. He knew his limits when it came to producing quality work. This sort of quality is now taken for granted when reading comic books (I'm thinking of something like Steve Epting's work on Ed Brubaker's Captain America) but again, those artists get help from others and modern technology.
If there is one weakness to these early Prince Valiant strips, it's that while Foster is an absolute prodigy when drawing the strip, his storytelling needs some work. I am thinking of one arc in particular where the "ending" is deeply unsatisfying, and for someone who is supposed to be a quick-witted and clever as Val is, the discovery that ends the arc feels to me like it should lead down a different path. When he was on Tarzan Foster did not handle the scripting. He seems inexperienced when it come to composing plots and narratives. I'm hoping as I dig into to future volumes we see Foster improve in this regard.
On the whole, I've found digging into old strips like Prince Valiant and Pogo quite gratifying, as they form the bedrock of today's modern comics, in both book and strip form. Foster's work is must read for anyone who appreciates the history of comics.
June 8, 2022
Library book. Oversized “graphic novel” format, this thing was a real pleasure to read. Volume 1 reproduces the original Prince Valiant strips from February 13th of 1937 through December of 1938, allowing us to vicariously be “present at the birth” of this seminal comic strip.
The large size is great, one can really take in all the detail and marvel at Hal Foster’s mastery of his chosen field. As well, getting to finally read the “origins” of Prince Valiant was a wonderful experience (yes, dear reader, the inception of this strip predates yours truly by a decade or so!), and the opportunity to compare these first efforts to his more developed artwork in later years was quite enjoyable. Foster produced these strips entirely on his own from 1937 until the 1960’s - writing, drawing, coloring, and the like - a practice that is almost extinct these days, and likely is why the entire ouevre is so tight and coherent; this was his baby, and he was singularly committed to “getting it right.”
There is a terrific biographical introduction as well as an interview with the notably reticent Foster by Fred Schreiber in 1969, which are so explicative and add greatly to the enjoyment. I will definitely look for Volume 2 (1939-40) as well as the rest, some half dozen or more in all.
The large size is great, one can really take in all the detail and marvel at Hal Foster’s mastery of his chosen field. As well, getting to finally read the “origins” of Prince Valiant was a wonderful experience (yes, dear reader, the inception of this strip predates yours truly by a decade or so!), and the opportunity to compare these first efforts to his more developed artwork in later years was quite enjoyable. Foster produced these strips entirely on his own from 1937 until the 1960’s - writing, drawing, coloring, and the like - a practice that is almost extinct these days, and likely is why the entire ouevre is so tight and coherent; this was his baby, and he was singularly committed to “getting it right.”
There is a terrific biographical introduction as well as an interview with the notably reticent Foster by Fred Schreiber in 1969, which are so explicative and add greatly to the enjoyment. I will definitely look for Volume 2 (1939-40) as well as the rest, some half dozen or more in all.
April 1, 2020
I never read this in the papers when growing up (and certainly am not old enough to have read it from the beginning!) so appreciate these beautiful reprints. The books are large (not heavy, not thick), containing two year's worth of full colour Sunday one pagers. What a treat to have the dimensions large enough to easily apprehend everything.
Other than Val's unfortunate haircut (which he keeps throughout the series), there's a lot of good going on. The panels are beautiful illustrations, rather than what some might think of as cartoons. The setting (which I'd never realised) is England under King Arthur, so there is magic and chivalry and much derring-do. Really a fun read, with gorgeous art.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
Other than Val's unfortunate haircut (which he keeps throughout the series), there's a lot of good going on. The panels are beautiful illustrations, rather than what some might think of as cartoons. The setting (which I'd never realised) is England under King Arthur, so there is magic and chivalry and much derring-do. Really a fun read, with gorgeous art.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
February 17, 2021
Absolutely gorgeous art and an engaging narrative. Except for one record scratch moment (I don't think Ilene would agree that what happened was 'for the best' for the sake of Val and Arn's friendship!) I found this a pretty fun read.
I was disappointed to find out when I went to look up where the strip went from here that it lost some of its more fantastical elements (the giant animals, the magic) but some of my favourite parts such as Prince Valiant's daring plan to rescue the perpetually in peril Sir Gawain with the use of a single goose didn't need any of those elements to work, so you know, mileage may vary.
I got to read this book thanks to my local library who ordered it after I emailed them to tell them how grateful I was of their comics section that featured older newspaper comics. Support your local libraries!
I was disappointed to find out when I went to look up where the strip went from here that it lost some of its more fantastical elements (the giant animals, the magic) but some of my favourite parts such as Prince Valiant's daring plan to rescue the perpetually in peril Sir Gawain with the use of a single goose didn't need any of those elements to work, so you know, mileage may vary.
I got to read this book thanks to my local library who ordered it after I emailed them to tell them how grateful I was of their comics section that featured older newspaper comics. Support your local libraries!
May 10, 2017
This is the first volume of the Hal Foster Prince Valiant Sunday comics, first appearing in 1937. Foster was a master illustrator, and his attention to detail is astounding. These are beautiful comics to see, and the stories are pretty good, too. Swashbuckling introduction to the Prince and how he came to King Arthur's court.
There's also some great archival material in the introduction, and of note is Foster's decision to set the Arthurian-era stories in more Norman guises. I had never thought before about how much of Hollywood Arthur movies, etc., were not really of the time of Arthur (late 400s), but I'm currently reading Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, where she definitely puts Arthur in late Roman antiquity (Merlin even visits Byzantium). Nice contrast.
Highly recommended.
There's also some great archival material in the introduction, and of note is Foster's decision to set the Arthurian-era stories in more Norman guises. I had never thought before about how much of Hollywood Arthur movies, etc., were not really of the time of Arthur (late 400s), but I'm currently reading Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, where she definitely puts Arthur in late Roman antiquity (Merlin even visits Byzantium). Nice contrast.
Highly recommended.
July 12, 2019
The brilliance of Hal Foster shines through this volume. Of course the art is exceptional. The story is also expertly told. Foster's grasp of the time and his depiction is a study in the results of knowledge and research.
Any volume collecting comic strips will show the early stumbling of a creator discovery their subjects. This collection shows Foster knew what he wanted to illustrate and the story he would tell. It's an amazing collection.
The printing is also terrific. The individual pages are a duplication of what one would've found almost 80 years ago in the newspaper.
The low point are the introductory columns which are not well written.z
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 9 out of 10 points.
Any volume collecting comic strips will show the early stumbling of a creator discovery their subjects. This collection shows Foster knew what he wanted to illustrate and the story he would tell. It's an amazing collection.
The printing is also terrific. The individual pages are a duplication of what one would've found almost 80 years ago in the newspaper.
The low point are the introductory columns which are not well written.z
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 9 out of 10 points.
January 15, 2023
This is the gold standard. It is top tier work, painstakingly researched, written, and displayed with quality on every level. One can easily read an entire page and, taken up by the story, forget to even glance at the detailed, gorgeous works of art that accompany them.
This comic is legendary in every sense of the word, with a scope that goes beyond that of a simple cartoon or comic, past the level of most western comics, past manga, and introduces its own definition. It covers entire lifespans, those of its characters and its readers. It covers countries and nations, cultures and peoples, and does it with respect to the sources it draws from. I hope to one day create something of similar effect, and there's only one word to describe it.
Monolithic.
Recommend to everyone.
This comic is legendary in every sense of the word, with a scope that goes beyond that of a simple cartoon or comic, past the level of most western comics, past manga, and introduces its own definition. It covers entire lifespans, those of its characters and its readers. It covers countries and nations, cultures and peoples, and does it with respect to the sources it draws from. I hope to one day create something of similar effect, and there's only one word to describe it.
Monolithic.
Recommend to everyone.
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