Warning! Spoilers ahead for Nottingham #1 written by David Hazan with art by Shane Connery Volk!
Mad Cave Studios' new series Nottingham has taken the "heroic" out from Robin Hood's legendary status as "heroic outlaw" by reimagining the highly skilled archer and swordsman as a twisted serial killer. He might still rob from the rich to give to the poor as English folklore first ubiquitously portrayed him, but that's where the similarities end.
Now just ominously known as Hood, the loss of Robin's God-given name is just one example of how the series has stripped the humanity from this beloved character. When off galavanting as a vigilante, Hood and his Merry Men don terrifying masks to not only hide their identities, but to most likely spread fear. And when one of his Merry Men gets captured, there's nothing merry about how Hood responds. He skillfully slips into the dungeons where the poor soul has been tortured and silences him forever.
Interestingly, beyond Hood murdering his own, Nottingham has yet to show him partaking in any activities that would suggest he's a serial killer, even though it's implied. It's the man whom Hood murders who goes on a murderous rampage while wearing the iconic mask. As was explained when the Sheriff of Nottingham examines the crime scene, the killings weren't the result of a mere ambush. The masked outlaw's bloodletting was more personal, making him more akin to a serial killer.
But these depictions of Hood and his band of Merry Men are only one of the many divergences from the many reiterations of Robin Hood presented in the debut issue written by David Hazan with art by Shane Connery Volk. Similar to his relationship with the law, Hood's interactions with Maid Marian are more twisted. They are obviously lovers. But it appears as though him marrying her is predicated on whether or not matrimony would help further his cause, even though marriage would help alleviate Marian's current financial woes that are making her life rather unpleasant.
Due to Hood not yet slaughtering nobles and other affluent figures as was expected, his dismal treatment of Maid Marian is the main focus of the first issue. His failings as a decent human being only empower her, allowing Marian to become even more of an independent figure than she is oftentimes portrayed. This, in turn, just further cements her most crucial characteristic: Her independence. Because of Hood's selfishness, Marian has adopted a more deviously conniving persona, whereby she flirts with Hood's enemy in more than one way to not only further her own means, but just because it would interest her. So although Marian has always been celebrated for her loyalty, it appears as though she still maintains that trait, except she's more loyal to herself than anyone else. Hopefully the next issue of Nottingham will further illustrate this reimagining of Robin Hood's mythology when it comes to killing members of elite society.