Unlike the 1954 film, Newman’s first issue includes more of Valiant’s familiar backstory from Foster’s strip, chronicling how the Pagan Sligon deposed Val’s father, King Aguar. Taking shelter in Britain, Valiant squires for Sir Gawain, eventually rising to knighthood in his own right. The film ends with Aguar’s restoration, so for subsequent Dell issues, Sir Gawain essentially serves as an unofficial ambassador to Thule. Such is the closeness of their alliance that Valliant and Gawain jointly engage in quests at the behest of both King Aguar and King Arthur, including even an attempt to reclaim a certain chalice, on behalf of the latter.
Frankly, it is impressive how well Peril of the Round Table holds up when compared to vintage runs of the strip. Foster was the absolute gold standard of newspaper cartoonists. At the peak of his powers, the Valiant panels were truly museum worthy. While Fujitani’s art is not quite as richly detailed, he has a similar sense of dramatic composition. Indeed, his full-length splash pages just jump out at readers. Plus, the restored colors look vibrant, while retaining a nostalgic vibe, in keeping with comic books of the era.
Newman’s storylines also shrewdly incorporate very real medieval history and traditional lore. At various times, Val and his protective companion Baltar take on the Frisians, the Jutes, and Beber pirates. Generally speaking, the Thuleans join Arthur’s campaign to protect Christendom from lingering Paganism. Yet, their Norse roots still sometime re-surface.
