Graphic Novel Review: Squire & Knight: Wayward Travelers by Scott Chantler

Posted on February 4, 2025 at 6:15 am by Gene Ambaum

Squire & Knight: Wayward Travelers by Scott Chantler. First Second, 2024. 9781250846907. 156pp. (more) Fun Extra Stuff at the end, including a bit about the origin of the story, sketches, and a few notes about Chantler’s process.

At the end of the book, Chantler talks about how easy it would have been to just repeat the first book in the series with a new problem — I assume he meant the boastful Sir Kelton would again have needed his clear-thinking Squire to save the day (though he would not have admitted it). I would have enjoyed that book, but I like this one much better. Seeing Squire realize he doesn’t know everything and then have to deal with that is very satisfying.

The graphic novel opens with Sir Kelton and Squire traveling through the woods. Sir Kelton is entertaining the young goblin child they’re taking to the School of Wizardry with a story. Sir Kelton admonishes Squire for reading on the trail, saying he lacks a sense of adventure. But Squire wishes the knight would pay more attention to their surroundings; they’re lost, and Sir Kelton’s disdain for reading extends to maps as well. Things look up (to Sir Kelton at least) when he has to fight another knight who also isn’t good at listening. Then Squire heads up a tree to try to figure out where they all are, and ends up being captured by hungry gnolls. (Throughout Squire recalls meeting the beautiful Queen Marley, and eventually what she told him about his duty to Sir Kelton.)

Worth noting: Chantler works with a limited color palette again, though it’s different from that of the first book; it’s stunning, and it works particularly well in clarifying which are the flashback scenes. The monsters are just terrifying enough and the battles are entertaining.