I've reached Volume 6 (1947-1948) of Fantagraphics' best yet reproduction of Prince Valiant. This one starts in Thule (Val's home), where a rogue Viking snatches Aleta and spirits her off to the west. Val chases him past Iceland and Greenland all the way to Niagra Falls, where they spend the winter with some noble early Americans. Hal Foster did a ton of research into how those folks lived, and poured it into these pages.
Val's hosts in the New World are the fun-loving Tillicum Indians. They think Aleta is a Sun Goddess, and act like a bunch of godfathers when she gives birth to Prince Arn.
Foster gives us a look at what Niagra Falls might have looked like 1500 years ago. Erosion, he says, shortens the falls by three feet per year.
Val teaches the wife-snatcher a lesson by treating him to the Big Swim. In the Spring, he finds his way across the ocean to Camelot, where there's more trouble afoot. And there are many more adventures ahead, because the series is now up to Volume 11.
Beautiful artwork, as always.
ReplyDeleteI used to read some of Prince Valiant, but they seemed too complicated although the artwork was always great.
ReplyDeleteJust picked up the first two volumes. My brother's brother-in-law used to write the strip.
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