During times of plague, when people cling to their faith, a knight has abandoned his. But is that all he will lose? Your Major Spoilers review of The Pale Knight #1 from Mad Cave Studios awaits!
THE PALE KNIGHT #1
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Val Rodrigues
Colorist: Cristiane Peter
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 28th, 2025
Previously in The Pale Knight: The year is 1349, and The Plague has spread throughout Europe. A ship carrying Sir Hugh de Grey is on its way to England where Hugh hopes to return to his family. The actions of his past weigh heavily on him.
THE SAD KNIGHT RETURNS
The Pale Knight #1 opens with Europe decimated by disease. On a ship, Sir Hugh is struggling with seasickness before falling asleep. In his dreams, he relives his time at war when he was ordered to strike down people attempting to find sanctuary at a church. There he comes to blows with another knight named Beauchamp. In the morning, he speaks with his squire and admits he has lost his faith. In England, the pair sees the effects of the plague firsthand. The two set out for De Grey’s manor, along the way witnessing more scenes of unrest and despair. During the ride, De Grey and his squire discuss topics like the treatment of women and God. Arriving at his manor, De Grey is met by his wife, who has dire news about their son. De Grey pleads with God to take him instead, but it’s not the almighty who visits him with a mission, but someone much grimmer.
STARK AND MEDITATIVE
After reading The Pale Knight #1, I was immediately reminded of the movie The Seventh Seal. Not only because they both happen to feature a medieval knight making deals with Death, but because of how stark and unflinching this comic is. Until the final few pages, this whole issue plays out like a long, casual meditation on the existence of God and the nature of humans in the face of an existential threat. The most interesting bit is the conversations between De Grey and his squires, as it seems that De Grey has a somewhat more enlightened view of things, while his squire seems steeped in the prejudices and superstitions of the time. This tone, though, isn’t consistent, particularly towards the end. Once Death arrives, things lose a bit of the gravitas that had been building along the way, like Death even makes a wisecrack about his own stench. This departure isn’t a major sticking point, but it does bring into question the direction this series is heading in.
THINGS ARE BAD IN ENGLAND
It goes without saying that the times that The Plague was rampant were not great and the art of The Pale Knight #1 does a wonderful job capturing this. While some of the depictions of the plague are shocking and grotesque, what really seems to be the major thing depicting the downtrodden nature of the world is the coloring. Appropriately, everything is very pale, there are no blue skies, but rather it looks like the color had been drained from them leaving behind only hints at what the color was. This, mixed with the stark shadows and the sort of faux-wood carving look of the drawing, gives this a distinct and powerful look. This look is also very effective when utilized on the faces of the characters. There’s a striking contrast between De Grey and his squire Crispin. Crispin who shows signs of containing great cruelty looks at the world with very bright and vividly depicted eyes, while De Grey’s eyes are often depicted as either closed or blended in so entirely with the harrowing of his face that they might as well be closed, and he’s the one who seems more empathetic to what’s happening around them.
BOTTOM LINE: A RESTRAINED YET IMPACTFUL FIRST ISSUE
The Pale Knight #1 doesn’t kick things off with a bang. It barely kicks things off at all. Instead, it sort of lethargically meanders its way into a setting and plot, questioning existence and if there really is a guiding hand at work, along the way. But this surprisingly works. If you’re looking for some intense medieval action, this isn’t the book for you, but if you’re looking for a philosophical read that utilizes its setting as a way to bring up these questions, then this will do the trick. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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The Pale Knight #1
The Pale Knight #1 is a strong opener that employs a strong depiction of place and engaging conversation as the crux of its story. A few deviations in tone hurt it, but only because they are so easily noticed compared to the rest of the issue.
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At a young age, Jonathan was dragged to a small town in Wisconsin. A small town in Wisconsin that just so happened to have a comic book shop. Faced with a decision to either spend the humid summers and bitter winters traipsing through the pine trees or in climate controlled comfort with tales of adventure, horror, and romance, he chose the latter. Jonathan can often be found playing video games, board games, reading comics and wincing as his “to watch” list grows wildly out of control.