Chivalry is a quaint, story of a retired woman who makes an extraordinary find in an used goods store! It is the recently released graphic novel, part of the Neil Gaiman Library, from Dark Horse Books. The graphic novel adapts the Neil Gaiman short story from his anthology, Smoke and Mirrors (1998). It is adapted, illustrated, and lettered in the illustrated manuscript style by Colleen Doran. She is the creator of her sci fi comic book series, A Distant Soil, provided art in several issues of The Sandman, and also adapted Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples in a 2019 graphic novel. The cover offers the illuminated manuscripts similar to what I saw at the Getty Center’s “Fantasy of the Middle Ages” exhibit. There is a knight charging into battle with a moon in the corner and the sun above a crown and crescent moon shaped Green Man.
Within the title is an apple tree, a black, sparkly egg, and a phoenix above it. Then, we get a knight, the Holy Grail, and an elderly lady. Very stylish in the medieval style. The frontpiece has angels above a mountain with a trail zigzagging from it. The title page has Mrs. Whitaker found The Holy Grail with an angel with a horn, I keep thinking Monty Python and the Holy Grail, sorry!, flowers, and the grail resting on a fur coat. This is warpted as we open to Mrs. Whitaker walking on her usual Thursday afternoon routine. She gets her pension at the post office and then goes to the Oxfam shop. It is explained that it is a store with used goods, we see a UK flag, a guitar, a photo of the queen and various clothes, all profits going to charity. She also notes the girl at the register, Marie, a little overweight. She sees a stuffed cobra and pats its head in a closeup. I like the details that you may not pick up in short story form.
Mrs. Whitaker’s favorite is to pick up romance novels from Mills and Boon still published in the UK. She sees a walking stick, the book Romance and Legend of Chivalry (1888) with an old fur coat. She sets the items aside to see the silver cup with the 30 P price tag. Mrs. Whitaker says, “This is nice.” She pays the disinterested Marie and then goes to the butcher shop to buy some liver. In her kitchen, Mrs. Whitaker carefully washes and polishes the Holy Grail for her decoration on a shelf. This is a form of magical realism where things that are magical are routine and not unusual in the Ordinary World. Gaiman adds the touch of a sweet, old lady. She has her dinner and then we get a nice visit with Mrs. Greenberg for macaroons and tea. Mrs. Greenberg admires the new mantelpiece. Mrs. Whitaker casually explains that it is the Holy Grail. She goes back for lunch and afterwards she gets a visitor.
This is a splash page of a tall, blond knight in Mrs. Whitaker’s doorway, they greet each other, and then he says he is on a Quest for the Holy Grail. She asks for identification and he goes back to his gray charger to get a scroll. It shows the illuminated letter signed by Arthur, King of all Britons. “King of the who?” The medival script is beautiful, identifies him as Galaad, and it has a corner picture of the knight. He is also known as Sir Galahad the Pure (“Stop that!”). Again, something wonderful apart from the book. He points to his picture and then is invited into her house. He stares at the Holy Grail and then bows in front of the sangrail. This goes into full watercolor. Mrs. Whitaker likes her mantelpiece and hurries him out of the door. Galaad sees the neighborhood children and helps them feed his horse sugar lumps. Then, rides off. His quest includes finding objects to impress Mrs. Whitaker, help her with chores, and share stories. His own in three pages is stunning. There are notes about the adaptation and sketchbook pages. Chivalry is simply beautiful in story, the Arthurian touches, and also perfectly illustrated graphic novel.
Five Mills & Boon Novels out of Five!
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