Merry Men

by Robert Rodi, Jackie Lewis (Illustrator), Marissa Louise (Illustrator)

Overview

It's Robin Hood like you've never seen him before, based on scholarly and historical speculation about what's really behind the outlaw's legend.

13th century England. Robert Godwinson, former lover of King Richard, lives with his band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest, away from the watchful eye of Prince John, who has outlawed homosexuality. Though isolated, the men live in peace—that is, until a stranger enters their camp seeking aid for a nearby town besieged by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robert—nicknamed Robin—is reluctant to help, but equally eager to get rid of this perplexing stranger... and to put his formidable bow-and-arrow to use. It's Robin Hood like you've never seen him before, based on scholarly speculation about what's really behind the outlaw's legend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620105474
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	12/04/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	152
Sales rank:	1,136,035
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Robert Rodi is an author whose cult-hit novels include Fag Hag, Closet Case and Bitch Goddess; he has also published nonfiction, most recently the travel memoir Seven Seasons In Siena. In comics he’s best known for his creator-owned series Codename: Knockout, but has also written many series for Marvel, including Loki, Elektra and Rogue. In addition he’s a journalist, musician and spoken-word performer. He lives in Chicago with his husband, Jeffrey Smith, and a constantly shifting number of dogs.

Jackie Lewis is a comic book creator from Atlanta. Growing up, she spent most of her time drawing monsters and building forts in the woods. Now, she's thrilled that she gets to draw both of those things professionally. Jackie's published works include Merry Men, The Lion of Rora, and Play Ball.

Editorial Reviews

11/19/2018
This unremarkable collection of 12 issues puts a queer spin on Robin Hood. With Robin’s former lover, King Richard the Lionheart, off on crusade, usurper Prince John and the Bishop of Hereford conspire to outlaw homosexual acts, targeting Richard’s supporters and leading Robin and his gay Merry Men to take refuge in the Sherwood Forest. A young woman named Scarlet seeks them out to beg aid in finding her missing friend Daniel. Her presence sparks jealousy between Arthur and Alan, two lovers among the Merry Men, and frustration from others. A gruesome discovery of Daniel’s amputated hand lets Robin know they’re up against Guy of Gisbourne, an extremely sadistic agent of Prince John’s who’s allied with the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hunting and confronting him only leads to more crises for the much beleaguered troop. Flashbacks explore the forming and training of the Merry Men amid homophobic violence. Sharply lined characters reminiscent of superhero comics often stand still against solid-color backgrounds, giving the work a somewhat unfinished and text-heavy feel. The art is just short of explicit in its bloody violence and raw eroticism. The work stumbles over somewhat stilted language and arguments over gay identity (“Is Kenneth not a Merry Man? ...How, then, came he by a wife?”). This middling take on the Robin Hood legend will find its most enthusiastic audience among LGBTQ readers. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"I CAN’T WAIT for a historical fiction gay Robin Hood story."

BookRiot

"Whether or not the original tales of Robin Hood actually have such roots, this is a perfect 21st century take that works as both a slash fiction romp and an appropriate allegory for the legislative and religious battles the LGBTQ community faces today."

Mental Floss

"Merry Men deftly weaves queer themes into Robin Hood's counterculture mythos, creating a very sexy and relevant take on the hero we all grew up with."

Ed Luce (Wuvable Oaf)

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