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pizzamyheart's review against another edition
3.0
This book/comic series was recommended to me by a friend for a reading challenge. It is utterly ridiculous, full of 80's "this is what the future will be like" references, and yet somehow still amusing.
At the time it was considered groundbreaking. One of Arthur's nights is reborn as a woman, yet still loves the woman of his past life (who was also reincarnated). While reading it, I was curious to know what the modern audience would think about that plotline.
I'd actually be interested in seeing this made into a cheesy tv show. It has plenty of action, ridiculous plotlines, but is still endearing.
The only downsides:
sometimes it was hard to keep track of whom was whom. It didn't age very well. The writer even admitted he was very unfamiliar with the Arthur legend before beginning this comic.
At the time it was considered groundbreaking. One of Arthur's nights is reborn as a woman, yet still loves the woman of his past life (who was also reincarnated). While reading it, I was curious to know what the modern audience would think about that plotline.
I'd actually be interested in seeing this made into a cheesy tv show. It has plenty of action, ridiculous plotlines, but is still endearing.
The only downsides:
sometimes it was hard to keep track of whom was whom. It didn't age very well. The writer even admitted he was very unfamiliar with the Arthur legend before beginning this comic.
ogreart's review against another edition
5.0
I reviewed this on my blog. Please come by for a visit.
http://mrbsbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/12/camelot-3000-by-mike-w-barr.html
http://mrbsbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/12/camelot-3000-by-mike-w-barr.html
abeckstrom's review against another edition
3.0
Even the ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Brian Bolland art cannot overcome the ⭐️ ⭐️ story by Mike W. Barr
ppetropoulakis's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this story up since it was a big deal back in the mid eighties and was could never find more than half the graphic novels to read at that time. So, it hasn’t aged well at all. Incoherent story with a disproportionate obsession with the gender swapping issues of a Knight of the round table. Weird and quite campy in a dumb way. The art, pencilling and coloring is what is really saving it from being a complete disaster.
duriangray's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rebeccacider's review against another edition
3.0
I received this for Christmas as something of a gag gift, but on reading the introduction, I discovered to my immense glee that this little graphic novel was actually the precursor to the Vertigo line of comics and one of the very first mainstream comics to feature mature content, since as a miniseries it wasn't under the jurisdiction of the Comics Code.
The writing was fairly cheesy, but the art was wonderful and it had some pretty snazzy plot-arcs, notably featuring what I assume is the first ever transgender character in D.C. history. Definitely an interesting read.
The writing was fairly cheesy, but the art was wonderful and it had some pretty snazzy plot-arcs, notably featuring what I assume is the first ever transgender character in D.C. history. Definitely an interesting read.
barschuft's review against another edition
3.0
Absolutely bonkers. Fun stuff but very 80's comics and uses mainly broad characterizations that left me a little unengaged
mschlat's review against another edition
2.0
Why you might want to read this book:
Arthuriana interest: It's King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and the knights of the Round Table in the year 3000, fighting aliens to save the planet Earth. Author Mike Barr is so insistent on following traditional Arthurian legend that he includes the text "Continuing Legends Chronicled By Sir Thomas Malory" in almost every issue.
Comics history: For DC Comics, Camelot 3000 is a precursor to the creator-focused comics movement that will spark with Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns and emerge with Sandman and the Vertigo imprint. It's a limited series (the text at the back of the first issue touts it as a "maxi-series") with no connection to DC continuity and no Comics Code approval. (There's no profanity or excessive violence, but there are hints of nudity (not surprisingly, female only).)
Gender fluidity: Yep, gender fluidity in a mainstream comic book from 1982-84. The story involves individuals in the year 3000 realizing they are reincarnations of Arthur's knights. Sir Tristan is reincarnated as a woman and a good amount of plot is dedicated to their struggle to reject or accept their body's biology. You get the man who wants Tristan to accept their new identity (because he's taken by their female form), and you get the reincarnation of Isolde (still in female form) who doesn't care that Tristan presents as female and happily kisses them. (Yes, a loving kiss between females in a mainstream comic book from the eighties.) Granted, I'm a cis straight male, but the Tristan story felt sensitive and progressive, if somewhat ham-handed, because....
Why you might not want to read this book:
...it's bad. The writing and plotting, specifically, is not much of a change from normal early eighties comic books. Arthur and the knights all act like superheroes (with powers sometimes appearing out of the blue). The evil folk are EEEEVIIIIL with little sense of nuance. The idea of the knights being reincarnated would be interesting if there was some coherent sense of how much the characters' identities are formed from their current and past lives (there isn't). Guinevere and Lancelot almost immediately start macking on each other, because of course they do. And a few characters just fade away with little characterization. Even the setting doesn't provide much that is new, with the sci-fi environment not meshing well with the Arthuriana vibe. There is, however, one redeeming feature...
Why you might want to read this book (redux):
... and that is the Brian Bolland artwork. There's not a lot of Brian Bolland long form work in the United States (I think it's just this and The Killing Joke), and you might be forgiven for thinking of him as primarily a cover artist for DC. But he brings it here. He doesn't ink his own pencils, but about every issue there's some gorgeous splash page or image that made my jaw drop. And he clearly delivers with every image of Tristan with some wonderfully detailed facial expressions. As a bonus, he's great with crowd scenes --- usually, everyone depicted has some sense of character and emotion.
Personally, I'm about to get rid of the issues. There's just not enough good story here to warrant keeping. But there are little notes that may make this worth your while.
Arthuriana interest: It's King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and the knights of the Round Table in the year 3000, fighting aliens to save the planet Earth. Author Mike Barr is so insistent on following traditional Arthurian legend that he includes the text "Continuing Legends Chronicled By Sir Thomas Malory" in almost every issue.
Comics history: For DC Comics, Camelot 3000 is a precursor to the creator-focused comics movement that will spark with Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns and emerge with Sandman and the Vertigo imprint. It's a limited series (the text at the back of the first issue touts it as a "maxi-series") with no connection to DC continuity and no Comics Code approval. (There's no profanity or excessive violence, but there are hints of nudity (not surprisingly, female only).)
Gender fluidity: Yep, gender fluidity in a mainstream comic book from 1982-84. The story involves individuals in the year 3000 realizing they are reincarnations of Arthur's knights. Sir Tristan is reincarnated as a woman and a good amount of plot is dedicated to their struggle to reject or accept their body's biology. You get the man who wants Tristan to accept their new identity (because he's taken by their female form), and you get the reincarnation of Isolde (still in female form) who doesn't care that Tristan presents as female and happily kisses them. (Yes, a loving kiss between females in a mainstream comic book from the eighties.) Granted, I'm a cis straight male, but the Tristan story felt sensitive and progressive, if somewhat ham-handed, because....
Why you might not want to read this book:
...it's bad. The writing and plotting, specifically, is not much of a change from normal early eighties comic books. Arthur and the knights all act like superheroes (with powers sometimes appearing out of the blue). The evil folk are EEEEVIIIIL with little sense of nuance. The idea of the knights being reincarnated would be interesting if there was some coherent sense of how much the characters' identities are formed from their current and past lives (there isn't). Guinevere and Lancelot almost immediately start macking on each other, because of course they do. And a few characters just fade away with little characterization. Even the setting doesn't provide much that is new, with the sci-fi environment not meshing well with the Arthuriana vibe. There is, however, one redeeming feature...
Why you might want to read this book (redux):
... and that is the Brian Bolland artwork. There's not a lot of Brian Bolland long form work in the United States (I think it's just this and The Killing Joke), and you might be forgiven for thinking of him as primarily a cover artist for DC. But he brings it here. He doesn't ink his own pencils, but about every issue there's some gorgeous splash page or image that made my jaw drop. And he clearly delivers with every image of Tristan with some wonderfully detailed facial expressions. As a bonus, he's great with crowd scenes --- usually, everyone depicted has some sense of character and emotion.
Personally, I'm about to get rid of the issues. There's just not enough good story here to warrant keeping. But there are little notes that may make this worth your while.
redheadreading's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.25
ramonnogueras's review against another edition
5.0
Obra maestra. Clásico imprescindible.
En el año 3000 una ocasión alienigena amenaza la Tierra. Tal y como se predijo, Arturo vuelve para ayudar a Inglaterra en su mayor necesidad, y muchos más de los personajes de su leyenda vienen con él, para bien y para mal.
Es un clásico irrepetible. Se debe leer.
En el año 3000 una ocasión alienigena amenaza la Tierra. Tal y como se predijo, Arturo vuelve para ayudar a Inglaterra en su mayor necesidad, y muchos más de los personajes de su leyenda vienen con él, para bien y para mal.
Es un clásico irrepetible. Se debe leer.