Camelot 3000

I remember Camelot 3000 as having made a big, favorable impression among comics readers in the 1980s, but I don't think it has aged very well. As futurism, it's risible. And its mythic elements seem confined to transplanting and simplifying the Arthurian tale, without enough further engagement to help us understand why the story has had such durability in the affections of storytellers and readers.

Features of the characters that might have been considered complex or even "daring" in comics writing thirty years ago (e.g. transsexual reincarnation and its upshot) aren't very impressive now, after comics have (rightfully) taken their place as a medium capable of as much cultural transgression and advance as any. The settings are, as show more mentioned earlier, simply silly -- an unreflective and sometimes inconsistent notion of our civilization's future.

Bolland's art is solid, and still looks okay, but I don't think this was his best work. (That might be "The Actress and the Bishop"!)

Much of the buzz about the original Camelot 3000 may have had to do with its pioneering position in the direct-sales comics market as a 12-issue "limited series" from DC. The reprint volume I read, a hardcover 2008 "deluxe edition," was certainly a lovely piece of material work, on heavy gloss paper, with a ribbon bookmark. show less

As awkward as this has become for the 21st century, man this was a fun read.

I will say, that I read this as a part of an Arthurian Literature class, and I think that it becomes more fun and more interesting if you've read most of the other main Arthur texts (Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chretien de Troyes, Mallory, T.H. White, etc.) as you'll then understand all the real subtle humor. Outside of what is really a short graphic work, Camelot 3000 leaves a lot of the character development up in the air for people to interpret or develop for themselves. While the character Thomas acts as a guide for the audience's attention to this detail, it is much more fun when you're juxtaposing these characters with their origins in literature.

Camelot 3000 show more has.......aged. Not well, not particularly bad; it simply has, well, aged. I think it is hard to not read this as 1980s work, the style of how we do comics, view the future, and make narratives has simply changed so much that it is hard for an educated reader to view this as "old." The main ire for this outside of style comes from Tristan, who embodies the largest sexual discourse in 3000. Writing from 2017, where sexuality and gender has become a large part of public discourse, we would absolutely treat Tristan (and frankly most of the characters since they are rather polarized in their masculinity or femininity) very differently. However, with 3000 as a define relic, reading it as so doesn't detract from the enjoyment, as it is very easily viewed as a part of a larger historical tradition in literature, whether that literature is Arthurian or Graphic.

However, Camelot 3000 is in the end is a piece of pulp fiction which is shiny, escapist fun. show less

A comic that actually blends high fantasy and space opera well. This is the book that got it right. So there's sword and laser guns and it all makes sense. If you don't think King Arthur in space can work this comic proves you wrong. It's a book that was actually ahead of its time when it was released. The themes in it are very adult for a comic book about King Arthur. I think this comic fits in today which is something that very few comics can do.

A comic that actually blends high fantasy and space opera well. This is the book that got it right. So there's sword and laser guns and it all makes sense. If you don't think King Arthur in space can work this comic proves you wrong. It's a book that was actually ahead of its time when it was released. The themes in it are very adult for a comic book about King Arthur. I think this comic fits in today which is something that very few comics can do.

I received this for Christmas as something of a gag gift, but on reading the introduction, I discovered to my immense glee that this little graphic novel was actually the precursor to the Vertigo line of comics and one of the very first mainstream comics to feature mature content, since as a miniseries it wasn't under the jurisdiction of the Comics Code.

The writing was fairly cheesy, but the art was wonderful and it had some pretty snazzy plot-arcs, notably featuring what I assume is the first ever transgender character in D.C. history. Definitely an interesting read.

What a great looking book but boy does it feel dated. The Tristan bits are downright bad. I did not remember it but youth will do that sometimes. The Bolland art is just beautiful. Happy I re read it but I'm not sure I want to read it again.