Synopses & Reviews
Universally acclaimed as the most stunningly gorgeous adventure comic strip of all time, ran for 35 years under the virtuoso pen of its creator, Hal Foster. (Such was its popularity that today, decades after Foster's death, it continues to run under different hands.) The giant Sunday-funnies pages ( ran only on Sundays) gave Foster a huge canvas upon which he was able to limn epic swordfights, stunning scenes of pomp and pageantry, and some of the most beautiful human beings--male and female--ever to appear in comics. And he matched his nonpareil visual sense with the narrative instincts of a born storyteller, propelling his daring young hero from one crisis to another with barely a panel to catch one's breath. has previously been widely available only in re-colored, somewhat degraded editions (now out of print and fetching collectors' prices). Thanks to advances in production technology and newly available original proof sheets, this new series from the industry leader in quality strip classics is the first to feature superb restored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster's original masterpiece. Comic strip aficionados will be ecstatic, and younger readers who enjoy a classic adventure yarn will be bowled over. Volume One is rounded out with a rare, in-depth classic Foster interview previously available only in a long out-of-print issue of , as well as an informative Afterword detailing the production and restoration of this edition. Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award (Best Archival Collection/Project: Strips).
Review
"Who knew that Prince Valiant, a comic strip I always assumed appeared next to the word 'boredom' in the dictionary, was so vibrant, colorful, action-packed and gosh-darned fun?... This new edition ups the ante not just through the fancy hardcover, but via state of the art technology that allows for a pristine detail and rich color that’s about as close to Foster’s initial intentions as we may ever be likely to get... The strip is full of brio and vigor and hits the ground running right from the start... Foster’s fight scenes are sumptuous in detail but economical in execution, with Foster rarely showing a glinting sword unless it’s either about to or already has carved someone in half... In a world where too often most art turns out to be exactly as shallow as first glance suggests, it’s nice to discover that something like Prince Valiant is capable of surprising, and even enthralling, the modern reader." Michael Giltz The Huffington Post
Review
"The temptation is to shut up and let Hal Foster's panels speak for themselves... Designed by Adam Grano, Prince Valiant 1937-1938 is a beautiful book." Alan Scherstuhl SF Weekly
Review
My choice for the greatest comic strip in history would be Hal Foster's epic adventure strip Prince Valiant. And now Fantagraphics is reprinting the series in a series of spiffy, oversized hardcover collections, with the first volume out this week. And even though I own the whole [50-]volume set of the Foster-drawn pages that Fantagraphics published in the 1990s, I"m perfectly happy to buy this new series, with larger pages, better-quality paper, and muchbetter-quality coloring... It"s excellent stuff, and I look forward to enjoying it all over again. -- Michael Rawdon
Review
"This is one of the greatest works of American art of the past century...one of the greatest comics of all time...the greatest adventure comic...[Foster's] drawings are heartbreakingly beautiful. He understands powerful forms and delicate lines... has been reprinted before, but this book uses his color engraver's proofs and it's a world of difference...It's so beautiful." Tirdad Derakhshani Philadelphia Inquirer
Review
"There was no comic strip in the 1930s or today that is as visually striking as with its attention to detail and brilliant narrative. Foster presented a panoramic view of Arthurian times and he laid out his strip in film director fashion, beautifully staging his panels...This is graphic storytelling at its finest and a true treasure!" Comic Book Resources
Review
It’s much more fluid and enjoyable than I would’ve guessed—beautiful work. --Timothy Hodler
Review
" was a comics-page colossus...one of the most celebrated of all comics...the presentation does justice to Foster's classic creation." Gordon Flagg
Review
"A real thing of beauty...the reproduction is as crystal clear as it can be...[Foster's] exquisite delicate renderings have influenced so many artists who have come after him and it's not hard to see why so many people are such huge fans of this master of visual story." Timothy Hodler Robot 6
Review
"The strips in are merely the first installment of a massive, groundbreaking, and thoroughly exciting adventure saga that was better than nearly anything during its time, and remains better than nearly anything on the shelves today." Joel Meadows Tripwire
Review
"There have been a lot of great comic book releases this year, but none has the beauty and melancholy resonance of Fantagraphics' Prince Valiant: Volume 1-1937-1938." Michael C. Lorah Newsarama
Review
"Sure I'd read Foster before, but I'd never found a way in. Fortunately, Fantagraphics recently released Prince Valiant Vol. 1: 1937-38, and I was able to absorb the material in a wholly new way.... I found this first book completely engrossing. Prince Valiant opens up a world that I wanted to stay in—a wide-eyed early 20th century approach to fantasy with a now-vanished sincerity and wholesomeness. It's an all too rare pleasure in comics. " Michael C. Lorah Newsarama
Review
"It's difficult to laud Foster too excessively; he was one of the undisputed masters of the craft. ...a handsome oversize volume... [T]he comic strip's otherworldly setting and taut characterization keep this an evergreen favorite for readers of all ages, an American epic born of a tale of European romance." Michael C. Lorah Newsarama
Review
The art is painstakingly detailed. I was struck by Foster’s expert use of speed lines in the fight scenes—there was one panel where I could see how Val’s foot was sliding sideways and digging into the dirt for balance as he was fending off an enemy.... Fantagraphics’ production quality is stellar as usual.The temptation is to shut up and let Hal Foster's panels speak for themselves... Designed by Adam Grano, Prince Valiant 1937-1938 is a beautiful book. --Steve Duin
Review
"[Prince Valiant Vol. 1: 1937-1938] is gorgeous. ... Foster is frequently cited as an influence on other great cartoonists, and part of it is his precise line and the way he builds a convincing world from authentic architecture, clothing and armaments. That's part of the appeal, but Foster also excels at staging. ... Unlike daily strip collections, the full, weekly Prince Valiant page ends up a brisk, headlong read... Prince Valiant is something I picked up expecting to admire. I had no idea I would love it." Aaron Ragan-Fore Eugene Weekly
Review
"Starred Review. Medieval swordplay and adventure have never been as glorious as in Foster's Sunday-only comic strip. Although much reprinted (including an earlier version from the same publisher), this edition has been reproduced from pristine printer's proofs to give the gorgeous artwork its crispest version ever.…Prince Valliant is one of the best-drawn comics ever, and this new edition does ample justice to its achievement. Bonus material includes an interview with Foster and an afterword by editor Kim Thompson for context." Booklist
Review
Foster is justly hailed for his stupendous full-pagers, full of panorama and carefully-researched settings.... We moderns are fortunate that superb reprint editions of these classics are readily available. --Brenda Clough
Review
"This first collection of Hal Foster's strips has to be seen to be believed--it's a lovingly crafted, tabloid-sized book with the highest production values. The artwork has been recreated from Foster's own engraver's proofs, providing better quality than even the original newspaper run would have got.... a real treat for fans of the original or new readers looking for some classic medieval adventure." Brian Lumley Mania
Review
"It’s much more fluid and enjoyable than I would’ve guessed—beautiful work." Chris Mautner Robot 6
Review
"The star of what is arguably the twentieth century's best-drawn newspaper comic strip, Hal Foster's Prince Valiant is all hero, through and through, for his age and ours. The first four volumes of Fantagraphics' collected Prince Valiant reveal young Foster's creation as both the sum total of the heroic ideals that preceded his debut in 1937 as well as a source of serious inspiration for all the heroes that have followed him, in all media formats, in the decades since." Nick Gazin Vice
Review
" was a comics-page colossus...one of the most celebrated of all comics...the presentation does justice to Foster's classic creation." Gordon Flagg
Review
"The release... of , the first in a new series of gorgeously printed, hardcover Valiant collections from Fantagraphics Books, served as a bittersweet reminder of the century-long rise and eventual decline of a great American art form, the comic strip." Booklist
Review
"One of the greatest comic strips of all time and a peak in visual splendor and breath-taking adventure, the story of Prince Valiant's 30+ year odyssey is getting a marvelous presentation in Fantagraphics' series of books... The strip is violent, sexy, serious, droll and above all eye-catching.... It's a worthy presentation for one of the most important and entertaining works in comic strip history." Steve Duin The Oregonian
Review
"Sure I'd read Foster before, but I'd never found a way in. Fortunately, Fantagraphics recently released , and I was able to absorb the material in a wholly new way.... I found this first book completely engrossing. opens up a world that I wanted to stay in--a wide-eyed early 20th century approach to fantasy with a now-vanished sincerity and wholesomeness. It's an all too rare pleasure in comics. " Michael C. Lorah Newsarama
Review
"It's much more fluid and enjoyable than I would've guessed--beautiful work." Nick Gazin Vice
Review
"Who knew that , a comic strip I always assumed appeared nest to the word 'boredom' in the dictionary, was so vibrant, colorful, action-packed and gosh-darned fun?...This new edition ups the ante not just through the fancy hardcover, but via state of the art technology that allows for a pristine detail and rich color...In a world where too often most art turns out to be exactly as shallow as first glance suggests, it's nice to discover that something like is capable of surprising, and even enthralling, the modern reader." Aaron Ragan-Fore Eugene Weekly
Review
"The new crackles from the page with an energy and enthusiasm that positively dares anyone to deny this strip's rightful place in the history of the form. Yes, this is another great day for comics history and most definitely a venture worth supporting into the future." Grovel
Synopsis
The giant Sunday-funnies pages Valiant ran only on Sundays) gave Foster a huge canvas upon which he was able to limn epic swordfights, stunning scenes of pomp and pageantry, and some of the most beautiful human beings male and female ever to appear in comics. And he matched his nonpareil visual sense with the narrative instincts of a born storyteller, propelling his daring young hero from one crisis to another with barely a panel to catch one s breath. Prince Valiant has previously been widely available only in re-colored, somewhat degraded editions (now out of print and fetching collectors prices). Thanks to advances in production technology and newly available original proof sheets, this new series from the industry leader in quality strip classics is the first to feature superb restored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster s original masterpiece. Comic strip aficionados will be ecstatic, and younger readers who enjoy a classic adventure yarn will be bowled over. Volume One is rounded out with a rare, in-depth classic Foster interview previously available only in a long out-of-print issue ofThe Comics Journal, as well as an informative Afterword detailing the production and restoration of this edition. Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award (Best Archival Collection/Project: Strips). "
Synopsis
The most gorgeous adventure comic strip of all time, the on-going
Prince Valiant Sunday-only comic strip ran for 35 years under its creator, Hal Foster. Foster limned epic swordfights and some of the most beautiful human beings ever to appear in comics. And he matched his nonpareil visual sense with the narrative instincts of a born storyteller.
Prince Valiant has previously been widely available only in re-colored, now-out-of print editions (which fetch collectors' prices). Thanks to advances in production technology and newly available original proof sheets, this new series is the first to feature restored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster's masterpiece. Comic strip aficionados will be ecstatic, and younger readers who enjoy classic adventure will be bowled over. Book One also has a rare, in-depth Foster interview.
Synopsis
Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: The most stunningly gorgeous adventure comic strip of all time finally returns in its definitive edition, the first to boast superb testored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster's original masterpiece.
Synopsis
Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: The most stunningly gorgeous adventure comic strip of all time finally returns in its definitive edition, the first to boast superb testored artwork that captures every delicate line and chromatic nuance of Foster’s original masterpiece.
Synopsis
I'm really looking forward to the hardcover of Prince Valiant as the online [preview] shows this to be the best reproduction I have ever seen of the book.The Hal Foster years (especially for the first decade or more) are a great story and stunning artwork.
About the Author
Hal Foster (1892-1982) created Prince Valiant in 1937. Though remaining involved with the strip until his death in 1982, Foster handed the bulk of the scripting and art chores over to his longtime assistant, John Cullen Murphy, in 1971.Brian M. Kane is the author of Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators and James Bama: American Realist. He teaches in the Illustration Department at the Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, Ohio. He has a Masters Degree in History of Art from The Ohio State University where he is currently working on his Ph.D. in Art Education with an emphasis in Visual Culture.