Classics Illustrated examined the many Arthurian legends in this issue. While some of the collected works of Howard Pyle were used in an uncredited basis, the original authors of these 13th century, or earlier, tales have been lost over time. Many historians believe that there was a king, named Arthur. If that's true, he obviously was very successful on the battlefield and in jousting tournaments, hence the lasting appeal of Arthur's name over the past 800 or so years. The more victorious King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table were, the more fantastic their legends grew..jpeg)
Cover to 1953 First Edition.
The story of the sword in the stone (and apparently also in an anvil) and how Arthur removed the sword unawares that such action made him the true monarch of England begins this issue. Arthur's reception of a better sword, Excalibur, from the Lady in the Lake, along with a magical scabbard that made him invincible when worn. His marriage to Guinevere and the reception of a massive round table that could seat 250 men. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, ...and the Red Knight, ...and the Yellow Knight, ...and finally the Black Knight. Those stories are all detailed in the first half of the issue. It's the establishment of Camelot, but I don't recall anybody calling it that in this book.
The second half sees the eventual downfall of Arthur's Kingdom. But it's pretty PG. Nowhere does Guinevere and Sir Lancelot hook up behind Arthur's back. Arthur's own incestuous liaison with Morgan La Fey producing an heir destined to destroy Camelot is absent too. Mordred does play his part in the death of King Arthur. But he's viewed more of an opportunist seeking the throne during a lengthy absence by Arthur. Nowhere is he revealed to be the bastard son of King Arthur.
Sir Lancelot does play his part in the downfall of Arthur's Kingdom. One of the lesser known legends tells of Lancelot coming to the defense of some men being attacked by robbers. Two of the men Lancelot kills are Knights of the Round Table! Their brother wants revenge. Lancelot refuses to apologize. Arthur is unable to take a side. Yet nobody points out that the supposedly noble knights were participating in activities that were less than chivalrous!
This issue was originally published in 1953; right in the middle of the Comic Book Scare. No way was Gilberton going to put all the adultery surrounding the legend of King Arthur. I'm surprised that they included Merlin the Magician. Though by the halfway point, he's a distant memory.
My copy has a publication date of 1969; right as new owner Twin Circle was seeing the writing on the wall that the popular educational comic series' could no longer compete against DC and Marvel. Usually, older copies have an article in the back about the author. Perhaps because the story of King Arthur was more the product of centuries of folklore and epic poets there wasn't even a prose column about who wrote what and when. If ever an issue of Classics Illustrated needed such a piece, this was the one! Instead, you get a one-pager about the Lost Colony, another on the history of the Liberty Bell and an feature on how baseball bounced back from the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.
You might think that those 3 articles were rather random. However, I learned that the original Roanoke colony was established on July 4th, 1585! The Liberty Bell has been an symbol of American independence from England, which we Americans celebrate every 4th of July. Lastly, baseball is America's past time. So, that all seems like a plausible game of 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. Add to the fact that England was behind the settling of the Roanoke Colony and King Arthur is a figure of British myth and legend, you actually have an issue of Classics Illustrated that seems to at least make some connections throughout the book for once. You just have to really squint hard to see them!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
Completing this review completes Task #27 (An issue of Classics Illustrated) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.
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