Kull #2

Two issues in and Kull continues to impress.

So is there any difference between Kull and the stories of Conan as king of Aquilonia? The easy answer is "Not really," other than a change in place names and swapping in a few different characters.

That's because Kull and Conan are more or less the same character. Both are barbarians who, at a certain point in their lives, seized the crown of a throne and became king.

The main difference is, as near as I can remember, Robert E. Howard only wrote stories about Kull as king of Valusia, while most of Howard's stories about Conan (though not all) take place before he became king.

And that's exactly where Dark Horse is placing the stories of those two heroes. Conan is still a young man wandering the lands of Hyboria, while some time long before Conan, Kull is dealing with the problems that fall on the king.

Another difference between the two takes center stage in this issue, as Kull has an important meeting with one of his allies, a Pict named Ka-Nu. To Conan, the Picts are deadly enemies.

More so than the first issue in the series, this comic focuses on Kull's struggles to handle problems with diplomacy, rather than brute force. There's actually very little action in this issue, but that should change next issue, as a secret menace moves its forces into place.

Once again, excellent work by writer Arvid Nelson in capturing the voice of Kull and the people of Valusia. The issue also features outstanding art by Will Conrad, whose towering style reminds me of the underrated Val Mayerick.

This comic continues to be a real pleasure and a great companion to the ongoing Conan comic. And that's the best connection between the two characters - they're both appearing in top-notch comics.

Grade: A-