Description

The Three Musketeers                                                                                  Comics Lot
Featuring the comic adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ swashbuckling novel, presented Glorious Black & White.  Awesome!
Writer: Paul O’Connor
Artist: Seppo Makinen
Inker: David Mowry
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Editors: Chris Ulm & Mickie Villa
Cover #1 by: Seppo Makinen & Brooks Hagan
Cover #2 by: Barry Blair
Cover #3 by: Seppo Makinen & Scott Bieser

Paris, 1625. France is at war with the Spanish Empire and torn between the conflicting rule of King Louis XIV and the infamous Cardinal Richelieu. Their private little war is fought with sword, pen, and intrigue from the grimy back alleys of Paris to the royal bedroom of the Queen of France. Chief among the Cardinal’s antagonists is the King’s Musketeers, an elite fighting force of the swordsmen in all France.

Story/Spoilers (featuring the full Three Musketeers 1844 Novel Synopsis for nostalgic remembrance)
In 1625 France, D’Artagnan leaves his family in Gascony and travels to Paris to join the Musketeers of the Guard. At a house in Meung-sur-Loire, an older man derides D’Artagnan’s horse. Insulted, D’Artagnan demands a duel. But the older man’s companions instead beat D’Artagnan unconscious with a cooking pot and a metal tong that breaks his sword. His letter of introduction to Monsieur de Tréville, the commander of the musketeers, is also stolen. D’Artagnan resolves to avenge himself upon the older man, who is later revealed to be the Comte de Rochefort, an agent of Cardinal Richelieu, who is passing orders from the cardinal to his spy, Lady de Winter, usually called Milady de Winter or simply “Milady”. In Paris, D’Artagnan visits Monsieur de Tréville at the headquarters of the musketeers, but without the letter, Tréville politely refuses his application. He does, however, write a letter of introduction to an academy for young gentlemen which may prepare his visitor for recruitment at a later time. From Tréville’s window, D’Artagnan sees Rochefort passing in the street below and rushes out of the building to confront him, but in doing so he offends three musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, who each demand satisfaction; D’Artagnan must fight a duel with all of them that afternoon.

As D’Artagnan prepares himself for the first duel, he realizes that Athos’s seconds are Porthos and Aramis, who are astonished that the young Gascon intends to duel them all. As D’Artagnan and Athos begin, Cardinal Richelieu’s guards appear and attempt to arrest D’Artagnan and the three musketeers for illegal dueling. Although they are outnumbered four to five, the four men win the battle. D’Artagnan seriously wounds Jussac, one of the cardinal’s officers and a renowned fighter. After learning of this, King Louis XIII appoints D’Artagnan to Des Essart’s company of the King’s Guards and gives him forty pistoles. D’Artagnan hires a servant named Planchet, finds lodgings and reports to Monsieur des Essart, whose company is a less prestigious regiment in which he will have to serve for two years before being considered for the musketeers. Shortly after, his landlord speaks to him about the kidnapping of his wife, Constance Bonacieux. When she is presently released, D’Artagnan falls in love at first sight with her. She works for Queen Anne of France, who is secretly having an affair with the English duke of Buckingham. The king, Louis XIII, gave the queen a gift of diamond studs, but she gives them to her lover as a keepsake.

Cardinal Richelieu, who wants war between France and England, plans to expose the tryst and persuades the king to demand that the queen wear the diamonds to a soirée that the cardinal is sponsoring. Constance tries to send her husband to London to fetch the diamonds from Buckingham, but the man is instead manipulated by Richelieu and thus does not go, so D’Artagnan and his friends intercede. En route to England, the Cardinal’s henchmen repeatedly attack them and only D’Artagnan and Planchet reach London. Before arriving, D’Artagnan is compelled to assault and nearly to kill, the Comte de Wardes, a friend of the Cardinal, cousin of Rochefort and Milady’s lover. Although Milady stole two of the diamond studs, Buckingham provides replacements while delaying the thief’s return to Paris. D’Artagnan is thus able to return a complete set of jewels to Queen Anne just in time to save her honour. In gratitude, she gives him a beautiful ring. Shortly afterward, D’Artagnan begins an affair with Madame Bonacieux. Arriving for an assignation, he sees signs of a struggle and discovers that Rochefort and M. Bonacieux, acting under the orders of the Cardinal, have assaulted and imprisoned Constance. D’Artagnan and his friends, now recovered from their injuries, return to Paris. D’Artagnan meets Milady de Winter officially and recognizes her as one of the Cardinal’s agents, but becomes infatuated with her until her maid reveals that Milady is indifferent toward him.

Entering her quarters in the dark, he pretends to be the Comte de Wardes and trysts with her. He finds a fleur-de-lis branded on Milady’s shoulder, marking her as a felon. Discovering his identity, Milady attempts to kill him but D’Artagnan eludes her. He is later ordered to the Siege of La Rochelle. He is informed that the queen has rescued Constance from prison. At an inn, the musketeers overhear the Cardinal asking Milady to murder Buckingham, a supporter of the Protestant rebels at La Rochelle who has sent troops to assist them. Richelieu gives her a letter that excuses her actions as under orders from the Cardinal himself, but Athos takes it. The next morning, Athos bets that he, D’Artagnan, Porthos and Aramis and their servants can hold the recaptured St. Gervais bastion against the rebels for an hour, for the purpose of discussing their next course of action. They resist for an hour and a half before retreating, killing 22 Rochellese in total; D’Artagnan is made a musketeer as a result of this feat. They warn Lord de Winter and the duke of Buckingham. Milady is imprisoned on arrival in England, but she seduces her guard, Felton (a fictionalization of the real John Felton) and persuades him to allow her to escape and to kill Buckingham himself. Upon her return to France, Milady hides in a convent where Constance is also staying.

The naïve Constance clings to Milady, who sees a chance for revenge on D’Artagnan and fatally poisons Constance before D’Artagnan can rescue her. The musketeers arrest Milady before she reaches Cardinal Richelieu. They bring an official executioner, put her on trial, sentence her to death, and execute her. After her execution, the four friends return to the Siege of La Rochelle. The Cardinal’s Guards arrest D’Artagnan and take him to the cardinal. When questioned about Milady’s execution, D’Artagnan presents her letter of pardon as his own. Impressed with D’Artagnan’s wilfulness and secretly glad to be rid of Milady, the Cardinal destroys the letter and writes a new order, giving the bearer a promotion to lieutenant in the Tréville company of musketeers, leaving the name blank. D’Artagnan offers the letter to Athos, Porthos and Aramis in turn but each refuses it; Athos because it is beneath him, Porthos because he is retiring to marry his wealthy mistress and Aramis because he is joining the priesthood. D’Artagnan, though heartbroken and full of regrets, finally receives the promotion he had coveted.

Comics lot contains: The Three Musketeers (1988 – 1989) Issues #1-3.  Eternity Comics

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: Eternity Comics
Publication Date: 1988 – 1989
Format per comic: BW, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.75″
UPC: None Stated

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1,2,3 are in Fine to Fine + condition.  Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Three Musketeers collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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