C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table‘s first issue was a neat introduction into this new all ages series from DC, but was lacking in some of the big moments to really hook the story. That changes with C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #2, which features Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicoluo’s California kids learning more about their mystical weapons and just what they can do.
Now that the stage is set and our roving band of California kids have their Arthurian weapons, it’s time for them to learn the ropes. Flo returns to her house with Excalibur in tow, desperate to keep the chatty sword quiet so her mom doesn’t find out. Connor’s training has already begun, as the sword of Lancelot wastes little time throwing him into swordplay (and bragging to the other knights in the process). But when a night home from Bingo with grandma is interrupted by the forces of Mordred, the kids learn that the secrets of their weapons may not be so secret after all, but that they have allies in the most unexpected of places.
Tom Taylor puts a majority of the focus of this issue on Connor, the brashest and brattiest member of the group. Though we get a bookend of Flo with Excalibur and the kids meeting up on the soccer field, the biggest page count is devoted to Connor and his home life, which is the complete opposite of what we saw with Flo’s last issue. Living with his grandmother, Conor has a different and sadder life than the other members of C.O.R.T., and it adds the character complexity Taylor is known for, but at an age-appropriate level. Connor can be a bit of jerk to his friends at times, but seeing his home life in this issue is a good way for kids to see how people can act out of character because of their situation, and I’m glad that Taylor decided to show us this so early in the book, so we have more insight and empathy into Connor’s life as the series goes on.
The focus on Connor does come at a cost, and that is the other kids in C.O.R.T. So far, we only really know about Flo and Connor. The other kids are just names and blank style archetypes. With these first two issues i’m guessing the pattern will be that Taylor will give each kid a starring role as each issue comes out, so it’s not a huge concern right now, but I do feel like the final page would hit harder if we knew more about Kevin.
DC
Like the first issue, the biggest strength of Danielle Di Niculou’s art is their ability to depict hilarious and cartoony faces. Connor’s Bingo night with his grandmother and her friends is a great showcase for body language in the comic, and Connor’s sudden “IN YOUR FACE, ETHEL!” had me rolling. Di Niclulou also continues their skills with fluid action in this issue, which signals great promise for when the kids finally get to let loose with their weapons in issues to come. The only time the art struggles is with the bland and sterile environments of English government facility The Hill and Mordred’s Agents, who look just like your generic Government Agent types. I’m hoping that changes when Mordred is finally revealed.
While the first issue took some time to set the stage, C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #2 wastes little time getting to the kids learning their weapons. DC’s big new all-ages title is starting to be a pretty fun ride for kids and adults alike, and I’m genuinely looking forward to checking out the next issue just because of how much the book reminds me of comics from when I was kid. C.O.R.T. is definitely filling a spot in the market that the “big two” need right now, and hopefully it finds the right audience.
You must be logged in to post a comment.