Kull #1

Kull has never been as popular as his literary brother Conan, but that's not because his stories are lacking. (Both characters were created by Robert E. Howard, of course.)

Because Conan is better known, Kull just seems to trail along behind him, picking up the scraps. When Marvel's Conan the Barbarian became a hit in the mid-'70s, Kull's own title wasn't far behind. When Conan hit gold with the black-and-white magazine The Savage Sword of Conan, Kull's magazine wasn't far behind (though the title didn't last long). Now Conan is a hit for Dark Horse Comics, so in his wake we have Solomon Kane, and now Kull.

Where most of Conan's stories center on his days as a barbarian, wandering through the kingdoms of the Hyborian Age, Kull lived long before Conan, and his stories focus on his career as the King of Valusia.

Kull's best stories are those that combine raw battle scenes with political intrigue and drama in the king's court - and this first issue balances the two very well.

It kicks things off with a great battle scene in which Kull gives a terrific quote (which I won't spoil for you here), framed by the struggle to bring the nobles into line supporting him as king.

Writer Arvid Nelson impresses with this story, aided by some strong artwork by Will Conrad. The Joe Kubert cover is awesome, as well.

Kull may not be as popular as Conan, but when it comes to barbarians, he's definitely running a strong second - and it's a comic that's well worth following.

Grade: B+