In our review of Corpse Knight #1, we’re introduced to Foy and her father, who are just trying to survive in 15th century France. Easier said than done.
Corpse Knight #1
Writer: Michael Chaves
Art and Main Cover: Matthew Roberts
Variant Covers: Jae Lee, Tonči Zonjić, Nimit Malavia, Andrea Milana, Stephanie Hans, Matthew Roberts
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: April 22, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Corpse Knight #1 begins a brief prologue with a child and their father at the grave of the kid’s mother. It’s established that the story itself takes place in France 1429, during the Hundred Years’ War. That’s where the child—Foy–and her father hope to exist peacefully. But it’s shown that existing for the average citizenry’s anything but safe, and Foy’s father’s trying to help her learn to better defend herself.
The training’s frustrating for the girl, so to lift her spirits, her father tells her of another girl, not much older than herself, from another part of France that’d managed to lead an army and had been able to go into a church and, through prayer and a ton of faith, helped revive a dead child: Joan D’Arc. Just as they’re about to get back to their training, though, they’re attacked. Foy is instructed to take the horse and run, while he makes a last stand against them.
From there, Foy’s left to fend for herself, covering for her father’s absence. At the market, she drops a coin, and a rather shady looking guy hands it back. Later on, this man and his gang follow Foy and her cart. He says they’ll divide the goods on her cart up, but he gets her for himself. They track her to her father’s grave as it rains.
As one of the bandits tries to take her, a hand bursts out of the grave. The gang catches up to him to find that he’s come down with a sudden case of dead, before the revenant starts to murder the rest of them. Their leader and one other guy grab Foy and go into hiding. They figure out that she had something to do with his resurrection, and she realizes that they had everything to do with his murder.
He catches up to them, murders the two bandits, and reunites with Foy. As he dons the leader’s armor, Foy decides that the best way to figure out why he was brought back like this is to find Joan D’Arc herself.
I always enjoy seeing unique takes on raising the dead. So far, I’m liking the fact that Corpse Knight #1 is set in the 1400s. It helps give the story its own voice. And the fact that Joan D’Arc is actively part of this setting is pretty cool to see. Some historical figures see more action in stories than others, and she feels somewhat underutilized. So I look forward to seeing how the quest to find her will work out.
As for what could have brought Foy’s father back from the grave…strong faith is all but stated to be the reason in-universe, but that feels like just half of the equation. I mean, things are shown to be fairly dangerous in France around that time. At one point, Foy’s looking forward to seeing her friend Camile, and it turns out Camile is missing. Later on, the bandits that killed her father intend to go after her. When a guy that gives off such strong predatory, “Definitely-On-Some-Kind-Of-Registry” vibes, there can be absolutely nothing good about him wanting to take a young girl for himself. Her dad’s spirit may not have been able to rest, sensing that going on.
He knew that that kind of thing was a possibility, hence his wanting to train Foy to defend herself. It’s abundantly clear that he loves this child more than anything, being the biggest reminder he has of his late wife.
I’m also liking the artwork for Corpse Knight #1. The opening page, for instance, with them at Foy’s mother’s grave, has this gorgeous blue/pink/purple/yellow mix. After that, we get this beautiful 2-page spread of the French countryside. It looks so peaceful, despite the knowledge that France is at war with the Anglos at that point in time. Of note, also: the scene showing Joan D’Arc in a church. It’s got a light, sort of ethereal look to it that I really like.
I also like the character designs in Corpse Knight #1, and the posing. Even without the dialogue, it’s easy to see the love between father and daughter. And the way Foy’s drawn, in particular, really drives home that she’s an innocent, cheerful child at the start. Her eyes seem to harden a bit after she’s left alone in this world, and it’s hard not to feel horrible about her being left in this situation in the first place.
Final Thoughts
Corpse Knight #1 shows that not even death can break some bonds, and that with enough faith, who knows what could happen. The backgrounds are freaking gorgeous, characters well-drawn, and the premise has me hooked.
