Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

John Reppion, Mark Penman www.moorereppion.bigcartel.com, 2021 Pb, pp48, £5

The 14th century prose poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has received a lot of attention in the past 12 months. For a moment, I want to turn away from the silver screen to look at another retelling. John Reppion and Mark Penman have collaborated on their own version in the form of a special edition comic. Set around the Christmas period, the story of Gawain and his quest to fulfil his vow to the Green Knight is a strange tale of obligations, disgrace and enchantments. In his stunning artwork, Penman has used a festive colour scheme of red and green to illustrate this hallucinatory retelling of Gawain’s quest, with Reppion’s boisterous and celebratory storytelling delivering its own colour. I fear the initial publication run will sell out quickly, but if you can get a copy, this is a joy to read.