C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table has been a pretty charming all-ages title, but Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo have been pretty sparse on background info since the first issue. While we’ve had some time to get to know our two leads Fel and Connor, outside of them we don’t really know much about their friends. Really the only information we have is that a U.K. government agency is fighting against the forces of Mordred, and Fel and her friends are now in possession of mysterious weapons that belonged to the fabled Knights of the Round Table. With C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #4, we finally get some more context behind the battle with Mordred, the legend of the different weapons, and some forward momentum as we start to close out the first arc.
Fel, Connor, and the rest of the C.O.R.T. (and their families) are safely tucked away in Camelot. Under the supervision of Merlin, they begin their training, but not with their fancy new weapons. Instead, they have to learn the basics of fighting like a team, which are pretty different from the fundamentals of soccer. After a grueling and embarrassing first time out, Fel and Connor demand answers before the next training session, and Merlin grants them the information they desire. Long ago, the Knights of the Round table were betrayed by Arthur’s son Mordred, and enchanted their legendary weapons with their spirits. But Mordred also survived, and is inhabiting the scabbard of Excalibur, which is being held by the man who has Connor’s grandmother captive: the President of the United States!
That last page reveal is a pretty big doozy, and credit to Tom Taylor cause I didn’t see it coming at all. After three issues of fun storytelling, I was starting to get a little antsy for some background information on the different weapons and what was the catalyst for the Knights to disband and possess their weapons, and while I’d have preferred to have this information spaced out better, I’m glad Taylor finally gives it to us here. While it’s taken time to get this information, Taylor presents it in a very fun and entertaining way, and also has a blast making fun of the differences between American and British cultures. But while I appreciate getting more information the various weapons that the kids posses, we still barely know the other members of C.O.R.T.. While I understand that Fel and Connor are our main leads, the other members are still little more than glorified background characters that we barely have an idea of who they are aside from broad character types. The running gag with Kevin’s stick is still pretty funny, but like prior issues, I feel like it would be funnier if we knew a little more about him as a character.
Daniele Di Niculo’s art has always been a high point of C.O.R.T., and the fourth issue is no exception. Di Niculo has a great sense of style and pacing to his pencils, and the kids trying (and failing) to work together as a combat team is pretty hysterical. That hilarity is amplified with some great artistic comic timing as the kids are hilariously out of their depth fighting even the most basic fake opponents, but what stands out even more from Di Niculo’s art is the weapons of the Knights of the Round Table. While it would be easy to just showcase static panels of weapons and put word balloons over them, Di Niculo adds subtle leans and gestures to the weapons to really imbue the spirits that lie within them. That goes double for the scabbard of Excalibur, which is one of the most menacing inanimate objects I’ve seen in a comic. The strange, cobra-like look to the opening of the scabbard is fantastic, and one of the most iconic images from the series.
While C.O.R.T. may not be focusing on the background members of this new Knights of the Round, C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #4 is easily the strongest issue of the series to date. With some much needed exposition and a truly laugh out loud training montage, the series is keeping its reputation as one of the best all-ages titles on the stands that should be a bigger hit than it is.
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