Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Danny Landau, a baseball fanatic and a plumber, gets hit at a game at the Bronx and somehow wakes up in medieval times. In 6th century England, during the legendary King Arthur’s reign to be exact. What next?!
Now I am neither a baseball fan, nor have I read much of King Arthur and the stories inspired by him. But Neil Cormack’s cover art for the debut issue of ‘Medieval’ by Neil Kleid looks killer: a dude who looks more zombie, less man, with face full of blood, swinging a baseball bat dripping with more blood, while riding a gorgeous brown horse with a maniacal expression. So, well, I didn’t even read the blurb and downloaded the comic book from Comixology immediately.
‘Medieval’ opens with a packed baseball stadium, with Danny and girlfriend Gina having the time of their life, that is until he gets into fight. Next thing he knows, he is covered in blood, waking up in a field in ancient England. Armed with little except a dead mobile phone, this comic-book series follows the foul-mouthed Danny, as he tries to survive old English, obnoxious knights, and the harsh feudal living conditions.
Neil Kleid actually skips some of what could’ve been the most comical phase of Danny’s journey into a dark historic time, with no electricity, and definitely no baseball. However, in just 30 pages, the issue establishes the primary premise quite amusingly, but I won’t go into the details to keep this spoiler-free.
The artwork is colorful, bright, engaging, and Danny entertainingly stands out throughout the issue, clearly looking out of place in Medieval England. Of-course, his American lingo adds a hilarious touch, which sound ridiculous in stark contrast to the old English everybody speaks around him.
Overall, this is a fun first issue, which ends with an unexpected twist and takes readers directly to King Arthur’s court. How Danny’s world will collide with that of the legendary historical figure is something readers will have to look out for.
Creator Neil Kleid, in his notes to the reader at the end of the issue, talks about how he was inspired by Mark Twain’s novel ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court‘ for this comic book. Now, if that sounds interesting, definitely check Medieval out. (Although, I haven’t read the Mark Twain work).
Rating: 4 on 5. ‘Medieval’ is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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