Orlando Furioso, Canto XIII

Despite the awesome illustration this canto was another yawn. 

There’s a damsel (Isabella). She has relationship problems. Yadda yadda. There’s a super awesome knight (Ruggiero). He solves the damsel’s relationship problems by killing people (Pirates). Then it’s off to another knight (Bradamante). This one does something that necessitates the name dropping of a whole heap of names. They’re all Bradamante’s wicked awesome female descendants. None of whom have any bearing on the story. The knight then gets some advice from a mage (Melissa). Of course the knight ignores this advice and the bad thing happens (Bradamante gets caught in the Knight Motel.) Then it’s off to someone or someplace else, before Ariosto calls it quits and promises he’ll get back to the good stuff in the next Canto. Just let him rest a bit. 

Going with my Marvel comics Stan Lee comparison I’d say this is pretty much a filler issue where the characters you love are there punching the villains you hate, but it’s neither the first awesome take on the story or the startling re-imagining; it’s just Spiderman punching the Vulture. Again. 

*yawn* 

But, it’s not dull enough to make me stop reading. 

Canto Score Card

Knights: A bunch

Damsels: A few

Mages: A Melissa

Old Ladies: One

Horses: I suppose

Swords: Probably

Monsters: Pirates and the Knight Motel