Halloween may be over, but the darkness never ends at the Iara household. Dark stories, horror movies, and creepy art are a staple of our entertainment aesthetic. Don’t get me wrong, we love to laugh and have fun. However, we always make a little time in our week to explore the macabre.
I have always loved dark fantasy stories, especially those involving Knights and Paladins. There is something special about the immense power of a warrior being manipulated by dark forces. It is the classic “brains vs brawn” dynamic. Can the world be controlled by sheer physical force? Or does it need a powerful mind to keep everything in check. Plus there are sometimes necromancers. I love necromancers.
Le Chevalier Noir Review
Le Chevalier Noir is created by Joe Michael Dragunas. There is currently one issue which premiered on October 31st, 2018. The book is published under Dragunas. Le Chevalier Noir is a dark fantasy story with romance elements.
The Black Knight is in search of his life’s meaning. While traveling through the Halls of Death, the Black Knight is confronted by his past endeavors. There are a lot of evil forces in world, and the Black Knight has dabbled in the darkness for the betterment of humanity. After an evil witch destroys the legendary sword Excalibur, it is up to the Black Night to pick up the pieces.
I found the artwork in Le Chevalier Noir to be breathtaking. The drawings are super tight and details. It has some of the best stippling work I have ever seen. A lot of the backgrounds contain Gothic architecture and stone. The little details in shading and texture add an immense amount of depth to the scenery.
These great artistic details do not end with the panels. The backgrounds of the pages themselves have their own textures. Some of them contain shading textures while others allow the patterns of the panels to spill onto the page. My favorite pages have a royal/paisley print background.
Most of the panels are in black and white with a heavy inking style. The backgrounds and pages are in a pale grey. The panels and speech bubbles are uniquely arranged to fit the story found on each page.
I usually don’t spend this much time discussing artwork in my reviews. However, I found Le Chevalier Noir to be so creative and well-done that it warranted further discussion. There are so many great artistic elements in this book. Each element could have carried the story on its own. The blending of these layers of details is quite the extraordinary feat.
Le Chevalier Noir delves into the mythology of King Arthur. The kingdom of Camelot and its surrounding folklore serves as the quintessential medieval fantasy story. There are very few works of fantasy that are not inspired by these stories. Many of us are already familiar with the stories of King Arthur and Excalibur. These legends can serve as an excellent backdrop to build new stories.
The dialogue in Le Chevalier Noir is eloquent and detailed. Thought he characters are enigmatic, they are very upfront in their conversations. The speech fits the setting of the story. When paired with the artwork, J.M. Dragunas teaches us a lesson about immersion and world building.
There is more Le Chevalier Noir to come, and I am excited for the upcoming issues. I can’t wait to see the backstory of the Black Knight and how far he is willing to go to find his true purpose. The world of Le Chevalier Noir is where I want to I want to spend my time.
Where To Find Le Chevalier Noir
Le Chevalier Noir can be found on Comixology
Joe Dragunas on Twitter
What Did You Think?
Have you read Le Chevalier Noir? What did you think? Let me know on social media!
The post Le Chevalier Noir Review – Indie Comic Review appeared first on Effective Nerd.
