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Prince Valiant (Hardcover) book cover 1
Prince Valiant (Hardcover) book cover 2
Prince Valiant (Hardcover) book cover 3
Prince Valiant (Hardcover)
Series · 23
books · 1951-2021

Books in series

Prince Valiant Vol.1 book cover
#1

Prince Valiant Vol.1

1937-1938 (Prince Valiant (Fantagraphics)) by Harold Foster

1951

Brand New. Will be shipped from US.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 2 book cover
#2

Prince Valiant, Vol. 2

1939-1940

2006

For 35 years, Hal Foster created epic adventure and romantic fantasy in his legendary Sunday strip, Prince Valiant . Realistic in its visual execution and noble in its subject, depicting a time in which the fabled warriors of history and legends fought together for the greater good, it remains one of the great masterpieces of the medium. In this second volume, Prince Valiant helps his father reclaim his throne in kingdom of Thule; fights alongside King Arthur; is made a knight of the Round Table; battles the Huns; sets off with Sir Gawain and Tristam of Arthurian legend fame; and is thrown off-course from Sicily; adventure follows him everywhere. Fantagraphics is proud to present these strips, which, thanks to the use of original proof sheets and advances in printing technology, are even brighter and crisper than when they were originally published 70 years ago. Foster's work, painterly and sweeping, is finally treated to the grand depiction it deserves. These illustrative, time-honored comic strips will enthrall old readers and just as easily awe new ones. Readers will be able to read it in tandem with their Definitive Prince Valiant Companion s (coming from Fantagraphics in Dec. 2009). Illustrations note 1 Illustrations, unspecified
Prince Valiant, Vol. 3 book cover
#3

Prince Valiant, Vol. 3

1941-1942

2006

Valiant meets his bride-to-be face-to-face! With this volume, Foster reaches (by common critical consensus) the peak of his drawing and storytelling prowess―a peak at which he will remains for most of the run of this glorious strip. Almost the entirety of 1941’s strips feature a single ten-month epic entitled “Fights for the Singing Sword,” a globetrotting adventure fueled by Valiant’s obsessive search for his bride-to-be Aleta throughout Northern Africa, with stops in Jerusalem, the Arabic deserts, and, inevitably, a harem which Val must infiltrate. Then finally, in “The Misty Isles” Valiant meets Aleta face to face but upon learning that she has had his crew killed (deservedly so, actually, but still ), he flees in anger, vowing never to see her again. “Homeward Bound,” Valiant continues his travels, with stops in Athens (where he meets the boisterous Viking Boltar, who will become his friend for life), North Africa, and Gaul (where Valiant liberates Gawain), before finally returning to Camelot. But his joyous return is short-lived as an alliance of Picts and Vikings threatens Britain’s security, and thus Valiant must journey forth with, as his ultimate destination, “The Roman Wall.” 112 pages of color comics
Prince Valiant, Vol. 4 book cover
#4

Prince Valiant, Vol. 4

1943-1944

2005

As this fourth volume begins, Prince Valiant, haunted by Aleta, seeks Merlin’s wise counsel. This brief episode segues into one of Hal Foster’s patented epics, “The Long Voyage to Thule,” which ran for seven straight months and featured Valiant’s return to his birthplace and reunion with his father. Of course, Foster’s astonishingly detailed and evocative depictions of Val’s homeland contribute greatly to this sprawling epic. After a series of shorter adventures including “The Seductress,” “The Call of the Sea,” and “The Jealous Cripple,” Val finally decides he can stand it no more and sets out to find his long-lost love. Long-time fans know that his quest will eventually be successful, but Foster throws so many obstacles in the way of true love that the saga “The Winning of Aleta” would end up stretching a full year and a half, well into the next volume. With its stunning art reproduced directly from pristine printer’s proofs, Fantagraphics has introduced a new generation to Foster’s masterpiece, while providing long-time fans with the ultimate, definitive version of the strip.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 5 book cover
#5

Prince Valiant, Vol. 5

1945-1946

2005

Fully half of this latest volume of Hal Foster’s epic masterpiece—again scanned from superb syndicate proofs—is devoted to the remaining chapters of “The Winning of Aleta,” a 20-month (!) epic in which Valiant obsessively pursues his bride to be. Not surprisingly this is followed by a sequence called “Matrimony,” which ends with a newly wed queen adjusting to the luxurious, exciting court life at Camelot. But Val’s marriage does not signal an end to his adventures, quite the contrary. In “War in the Forest” Val is sent out to spy on encroaching Saxons—unknowingly aided by Aleta, who, disguised as a small knight (and dubbed “Sir Puny”) helps prevent disaster. But the 1946 strips end with Val and Aleta unable to return to Camelot and the displaced couple journeying to Thule… Half the strips in this volume also include the delightful “The Medieval Castle,” Foster’s chronicle of two young boys growing up during the time of the First Crusade—but by the end of the 1945 strips this series has ended and the Valiant portion resume its full-page glory.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 6 book cover
#6

Prince Valiant, Vol. 6

1947-1948

2007

Hal Foster 's masterpiece of adventure enters its second decade as Valiant and Aleta journey to The New World, a 16-month epic that allows Foster to draw some of his spectacular native Canadian backgrounds, and during which Aleta gives birth to Arn and acquires her Indian nurse, Tillicum. Most of the rest of the book is taken up with the action-packed five-month sequence The Mad King, during which Val, back at Camelot, confronts the evil, fat little King Tourien of Cornwall. This volume will be rounded off with an essay by Foster scholar Brian M. Kane (The Prince Valiant Companion) discussing Foster 's depiction of Indians as it relates to other interpretations of the times, accompanied by various graphic goodies such as a previously unpublished camping cartoon by Foster from circa 1915, some of Foster 's Mountie paintings, Foster 's own map of Val 's voyage to/from the New World, and more rare photos and art.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 7 book cover
#7

Prince Valiant, Vol. 7

1949-1950

2012

You might think that birth of Prince Valiant's son Arn at the end of the previous volume would have slowed down Val's adventuring, but you would be wrong. After the baby has been christened, Valiant and Gawain are dispatched to investigate reports of black magic in Wales, ending up in pitched battle at the aptly-named Castle Illwynde. Then it's off to Scotland to battle the Picts, and then home yet again for Val to visit his growing boy. Valiant now enters the 1950s: The Thule winter is hard and bleak, and a prince who has designs on Aleta must be dealt with. Then it's another epic-length story, "The Missionaries," in which Val and several of his fellow knights and crew travel to Rome on a quest for teachers who might bring Christianity to Thule. The story also features an escape through the Alps, far too many red-headed girls, and a tragic, life-changing event for the young squire Geoffrey (a.k.a. "Arf "). And Foster charmingly ends the book with "The Prince Arn Story," a three-week sequence narrated by the toddler. Prince Valiant Volume 7, once again shot from stunningly crisp and colorful original printer's proofs from Foster's original collection, will also feature the usual wealth of supplements, including another brace of rarely-seen Foster art, and an introduction by the recently-anointed artist of the ongoing Prince Valiant strip, Thomas Yeates.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 8 book cover
#8

Prince Valiant, Vol. 8

1951-1952

2013

Our continuing reprinting of Hal Foster s sumptuous epic still scanned directly from Foster s personal collection of syndicate proofs, providing the most spectacular iteration of this material since its original publication in Sunday newspaper supplements 60 years ago enters the 1950s with this new volume. The entire first third consists of the second half of the 15-month-long (!) Roman epic The Missionaries, which includes a dramatic, life-changing experience for Prince Geoffrey (aka Arf ) at its climax. After a brief stay back in Camelot (where the irrepressible Val and his friend Gawain indulge in some not-very-knightly pranks that end up costing them dearly), the two, accompanied by Arf, are summoned back to Thule, where Aleta presents Val with new twin daughters! Foster also reintroduces such favorite characters as the piratical Boltar and the Indian princess Tillicum (now an unlikely romantic couple), and the year concludes with the beginning of Valhalla (another installment in the ongoing story of the problematic Christianization of the Vikings) which includes one of Foster s most dramatic and gorgeous splash panels (used here on the cover). And as a back-up, Prince Valiant Volume 8 includes an article by Foster scholar Brian M. Kane on Foster s near-forgot-ten Mounties ad campaign paintings from the 1930s, along with a number of gorgeous reproductions.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 9 book cover
#9

Prince Valiant, Vol. 9

1953-1954

2011

In our ninth volume of the collected illustrative Sunday comic pages, Arn tries his hand at being a warrior, Merlin is bewitched by Nimue, and Tillicum and Boltar have a son named Hatha the first interracial baby born in comics. Most of the second half of this volume follows Gawain and Val s pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem, and Queen Aleta s return to the Misty Isles where treacherous nobles seek her throne and her death. Also featuring a look at Prince Valiant s 1954 escapades on both the large and small screens by Foster scholar Brian M. Kane. As with all the previous volumes in this highly acclaimed series, these pages are reproduced for the first time from Foster s personal set of color engraver s proofs, the most impeccably produced Prince Valiant series ever produced."
Prince Valiant, Vol. 10 book cover
#10

Prince Valiant, Vol. 10

1955-1956

2014

Our tenth volume finds our band of heroes making their way back to the Kingdom of Thule by way of Constantinople and Eastern Russia. Soon they are attacked by a tribe of barbarians who kidnap Aleta for the great Dragada Khan who wants to make her one of his wives. After nearly being killed in battle, Valiant returns to his homeland only to find the threat of hunger hovers over Thule. As Val explores new ways of feeding the kingdom s growing populace, raiders threaten the lives of his family and friends. The volume ends with Val s return to Camelot, a tournament of champions, and the threat of new treachery in Cornwall. This volume also includes an introduction by legendary comics artist Timothy Truman, and a special gallery containing more of Hal Foster s incredible Mountie paintings annotated by comics historian Brian M. Kane."
Prince Valiant, Vol. 11 book cover
#11

Prince Valiant, Vol. 11

1957-1958

2015

The eleventh volume of Fantagraphics award-winning Prince Valiant series concludes our heroes’ adventures in Cornwall, and marks the first appearance of Arvak the Red Stallion. At the Council of Kings, Prince Valiant stands alone in the decision to avoid a ruinous war. Val returns to Aleta, and the two are summoned to Camelot, where Queen Guinevere becomes jealous of Aleta’s popularity. Meanwhile, Val leads a bloody campaign to secure the Eastern marches and learns the tragedies of war. As the book ends, Prince Valiant begins searching for Gawain. There may just be another adventure afoot. Bonus features include a gallery of Foster’s rare and never-before-reprinted advertising art from the 1920s. Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant is the most illustrious heroic saga ever written and drawn for the Sunday newspapers. In full, glorious, restored color, this is the finest reproduction of this enthralling, romantic adventure serial ever published.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 12 book cover
#12

Prince Valiant, Vol. 12

1959-1960

2015

Volume 12 of Fantagraphics’ award-winning series begins with Prince Valiant attempting to rescue Sir Gawain from prison. Most of the first half of this volume finds our two heroes fighting bullies, brigands and a despicable earl, but events soon turn very serious. Charged by King Arthur, Prince Valiant sets out on a quest to find the legendary Holy Grail. Should his mission fail the very foundation of the Fellowship of the Table Round is at stake. This volume concludes with the Misty Isles under attack, and leaves Queen Aleta perilously close to death.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 13 book cover
#13

Prince Valiant, Vol. 13

1961-1962

2016

In the thirteenth volume of Hal Foster’s award-winning, New York Times best-selling, legendary masterpiece, Val's son Arn is kidnapped and daringly rescued. When Val returns home, he greeted by the newest member of his family—a baby boy named Galan.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 14 book cover
#14

Prince Valiant, Vol. 14

1963-1964

2011

In the first story, King Arthur sends Val to North Wales to thwart an attack by King Cidwick, while back in Camelot, Mordred plans a scandal that will break the Fellowship of the Round Table. Fortunately, a battle-weary Val finds some minor respite in the melee known as the Spring tournament, and, for the first time since coming to Camelot, our hero is crowned Grand Champion! The festivities are interrupted as an invading army of savage Saxons attack in the Battle of Baddon Hill, and the only one who can save King Arthur and the Knights of Camelot is Val’s son, Prince Arn. This volume closes with Val returning to his homeland of Thule to rest only to find a guerilla war waging against his father, King Aguar.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 15 book cover
#15

Prince Valiant, Vol. 15

1965-1966

1987

After traveling the North Atlantic Ocean, shipwrecks and pirate attacks lead Prince Arn and his newly formed crew to the New World, where trade deals soon turn into hostage negotiations. When enemy tribes attack, Arn’s band of Vikings teams up with the Algonquins to repel the invaders, leading to a long-overdue peace treaty and the discovery of the St. Lawrence seaway. Meanwhile, Mordrid plots his revenge and schemes another attack on Camelot when Val and his family are at their most vulnerable. Aleta stirs up gossip when she suffers a case of mistaken identity with a mermaid, the prized Singing Sword is recovered, and Prince Valiant goes on a sensitive mission to find a missing heir.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 16 book cover
#16

Prince Valiant, Vol. 16

1967-1968

2011

Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant continues as one of the all-time magnificent adventure comics ever conceived and Fantagraphics’ reprinting is the loveliest treatment of the strip in the history of publishing.
Prince Valiant, Vol. 17 book cover
#17

Prince Valiant, Vol. 17

1969-1970

2018

After his long sojourn in the Mediterranean, Prince Valiant is back in Britain, where he takes on a new, intricate mission on behalf of King Arthur. Here, Valiant finds himself in the middle of a conflict between Saxon settlers and violent Viking raiders. Gawain’s return journey to Camelot is fraught with misadventure as he is beset by jealous romantic rivals, a marriage-minded widow and a thieving sorcerer. Young Galan goes on a hunt to capture the fabled unicorn, and Arn, after losing his horse in a Welsh bog, is enslaved and held for ransom.
Prince Valiant Vol. 18 book cover
#18

Prince Valiant Vol. 18

1971-1972

2018

In Camelot, the troubled Zanedon reveals himself to be a runaway groom as the mischievous twins, Karen and Valeta, hide him in their stable. Prince Arn quenches a coup, Val ends a tyrant’s reign with tough love, and domestic chaos runs amok when a poet with a wandering eye makes the Misty Isles his playground; this volume also boasts bonus material!
Prince Valiant Vol. 19 1973-1974 book cover
#19

Prince Valiant Vol. 19 1973-1974

2019

Also in the latest volume of this award-winning comics series, Arn and Sir Gawain become trapped in a lost, lush land presided over by the mad Duke Cyril and the entombed object of his desire. In Thule, Prince Valiant defends the King of the Inner Lands from a war party led by a giant. Beetle Bailey gag-writer Jerry Dumas introduces this volume with a remembrance of his friendship with Prince Valiant artist John Cullen Murphy. Also: Hal Foster’s complete 1943 comic strip adaptation of Franz Werfel’s popular novel The Song of Bernadette.
Prince Valiant Vol. 20 book cover
#20

Prince Valiant Vol. 20

1975-1976

2019

Creator Hal Foster’s art returns for the Sunday newspaper comic strip series' 2000th strip, recalling the high points of the Prince Valiant legend. Then, Aleta’s younger sister Helene is gambled away by her husband to a Corsair mercenary, drawing Prince Valiant and his Singing Sword into a deadly duel. Includes a gallery of Hal Foster’s gorgeous art for the 1930 U.S. Naval Academy yearbook. Plus, an interview with Mad artist Angelo Torres, who assisted Prince Valiant artist John Cullen Murphy on the Big Ben Bolt strip.
Prince Valiant Vol. 21 book cover
#21

Prince Valiant Vol. 21

1977-1978

2020

In this volume of the beloved newspaper strip based on Arthurian legend, it's election time for the King of Minstrels. A scoundrel has ruled over the continent's troubadours for the past three years, introducing scum and villainy into their ranks. Arn and Court Jester Sir Dinadan travel to France to set things right, while Prince Valiant accompanies the headstrong Gunther of Germany on his quest to recover stolen holy relics and claim a wife in Jerusalem. The mercenary army of a Persian warlord sweeps across the Middle East, forcing Queen Aleta to seek refuge in a hidden utopian city ruled by women. Val competes in tournaments in Marseille and Camelot and reunites with Sir Lancelot, but a tragic death impacts a member of Val's family. more dazzling commercial illustration work by Hal Foster. Fantagraphics' latest volume of the most lustrous fantasy strip ever conceived is the most spectacular presentation of the strip ever published. It continues to be one of our bestselling strip collections, hailed by fans and critics alike. Full-color illustrations throughout.
Prince Valiant Vol. 23 book cover
#23

Prince Valiant Vol. 23

1981-1982

2021

Renowned painter and graphic novelist George Pratt (Batman, Sandman) introduces the volume. In these full-page, gorgeously illustrated newspaper strips, Prince Valiant journeys from the upper regions of the Alps to the bowels of the Earth on an allegorical quest for humility involving the mysterious Wanderer, a curse on the kingdom, monstrous imps, and a mystical casket. York, Lincoln, Colchester, and Londinium are sacked as Mordred leads an invasion across Britain, culminating in the siege of Camelot. Aleta’s pregnancy promises to bring a new child into the family, but the newly crowned Emperor Justinian plots to have the infant stolen at birth. Arn begins a dangerous courtship of the huntress maiden Maeve and embarks on quests to obtain the Sacred Ring of India and to find his lost newborn brother.
Prince Valiant Vol. 24 book cover
#24

Prince Valiant Vol. 24

1983-1984

2021

In Volume 24 (1983-1984), a comedy of mistaken identities culminates in Val playing a game of life-or-death using live people as chess pieces. Arn's job as Arthur's Keeper of Parks involves defending against invading Saxons. Merlin gives Val a magic ring and a dire message for Arn. With all the other knights of the round table away from Camelot on a rescue mission, Val joins a hunt for a cattle-killing man-beast. Finding his opening, arch-enemy Mordred launches an attack on the defenseless kingdom, sending Arthur the severed leg of the mayor of each conquered town. Arn's love for Maeve takes a turn toward heartbreak and betrayal when the identity of her father is revealed. Hal Foster's Prince Valiant is the most illustrious heroic saga ever written and drawn for the Sunday newspapers. In full, glorious, restored color, this is the finest reproduction of this enthralling, romantic adventure serial ever published.

Authors

Cullen Murphy
Cullen Murphy
Author · 9 books

John Cullen Murphy, Jr. (born September 1, 1952) is an American writer and editor probably best known for his work at The Atlantic, where he served as managing editor (1985–2002) and editor (2002-2006). He was born in New Rochelle, New York, and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was educated at Amherst College, from which he graduated with honors in medieval history in 1974. Murphy's first magazine job was in the paste-up department of Change, a magazine devoted to higher education. He became an editor of The Wilson Quarterly in 1977. Murphy, along with his father, John Cullen Murphy, wrote the comic strip Prince Valiant from the mid 70s to 2004. He is also the author of The Word According to Eve: Women and the Bible in Ancient Times and Our Own (1999) and Are We Rome? (2007), which compares the politics and culture of Ancient Rome with that of the contemporary United States. He currently serves as editor at large for Vanity Fair and lives in Massachusetts.

John Cullen Murphy
John Cullen Murphy
Author · 5 books
John Cullen Murphy was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the Prince Valiant comic strip.
Hal Foster
Hal Foster
Author · 28 books
Harold Foster, also credited as Hal Foster, was a comic book artist best know for Prince Valiant.
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