Thursday, January 2, 2014

The Most Annoying Character In War Comics History

Weird War Tales #91 (1980) tells us of the guy you most want killed first in the Norman invasion of England:

Wait a minute...we need a closer look:

Taillefer is an actual historical figure, although the term "jester" probably isn't quite right the right translation of his title.

But he did juggle his sword, which no doubt didn't make the people standing near him any too comfortable.

As to the singing?

Bob Haney is vamping a bit here...instead of this doggerel, Taillefer recited (sang?) the epic French heroic poem The Song Of Roland.

Whatever he sang, the guy seems sufficiently annoying that I'm sure even some on his own side were hoping he'd be the first to go...and he was!


Dude, that doesn't even rhyme!! Booo!! Terrible death song!!

[By the way, this was a "weird" war tale only in that a) Haley's Comet was an omen, and b) Harold supposedly broke an oath sworn over the bones of a saint, which caused him to be cursed. Those are just barely asides, though, as the tale is just and excuse for Haney and Tom Sutton to go all 1066 on us...]

2 comments:

Martin Gray said...

I'd say Haney's narration is more annoying than his character, I hate second person narration.

-3- said...

Oh, man. That last line instilled a book i want to see now. A comic adaptation of 1066 And All That. It's been best described as a British tea room version of history.
Hmm...
Maybe this already exists as a Brit comic?

the hunt begins