Merry Men #1

Written by: Robert Rodi
Art by: Jackie Lewis
Colors by: Marissa Louise
Published by: Oni Press


Robin Hood is gay. The Merry Men are gay. That’s the gimmick. If you don’t think you’ll like it based off that description, you probably won’t. The book isn’t aimed at you and there’s no need to read further. If the premise doesn’t bother you, read on.

The Merry Men are a group of young men exiled from the realm of Nottingham for their engagement in homosexual activity. They hole up in Sherwood forest away from the tyrannical rule of the Sheriff of Nottingham. The concept adds a deeper and more sympathetic level of persecution that wasn’t part of Robin Hood’s lore, which may yet make for an interesting series. These men are hounded, not because they hurt people or stole rich ladies’ fine jewelry, but because they are attracted to other men--a benign crime.

Unfortunately, this concept eliminates Robin’s roguish nature. Here, he is against lying, cheating and stealing from a society he resents. He’d prefer just to be left alone. There is very little swashbuckling, which I have come to expect from any iteration of Robin Hood. This story plays more like a gothic romance than jaunty adventure, complete with one character overpowering another until base desires turn the scuffle into a makeout session. It is melodramatic silliness that is more at home in 1940s Hollywood than a 21st century reimagining of a mythological thief. You know...except that everyone is gay.

The comic book takes itself a little too seriously. It desperately grabs at legitimacy, going so far as to insert historical tidbits in between chapters, like those “did you know” bubbles that pop up in Animal Planet documentaries. However, the equivocation is overpowering. In one scene, a transgender character ruminates about her situation in an anachronistically modern monologue, despite the fact that transgender people such as she didn’t really appear in the pages of history until the 19th century. Perhaps if writer Robert Rodi and artist Jackie Lewis hadn’t put historical accuracy front and center, it wouldn’t have seemed so out of place.

The plot moves forward in abrupt jumps. The Merry Men’s transition from persecuted exiles to murdering brigands is so abrupt,  I would hesitate to call it a transition at all. Robin Hood is against the idea of taking action against the Sheriff, but changes his mind after a few sentences from his company’s minstrel. Robin starts slicing throats in no time.

Robert Rodi can write musical, comedic, emotional dialogue that occasionally pops off the page, but more often than not, it seems like characters take turns monologuing. That style served him well in Loki, and even has its moments in Merry Men, but more often than not, it creates a disconnect between the conversing characters.
 

Merry Men isn’t as important as it thinks it is and it’s not as fun as it should be. Perhaps later issues will pick up, but this one fell flat.