Kull #5

I have always been a big fan of the Robert E. Howard adaptations written by Roy Thomas in the '70s for Marvel Comics. He managed to capture the lyrical side of the stories, along with the violence that was so much a part of the life of a barbarian.

I had first discovered Conan in the Lancer paperbacks issued in the late 1960s, and was thrilled to hear that Marvel was adapting the character for comics.

If I recall correctly, the success of Conan was followed by a comic dedicated to Kull, and I enjoyed it, too - especially for the art by Marie and John Severin.

Of course, all those adaptations toned down the violence - so there were lots of blades swinging, but little blood in evidence. It was the style at the time.

Now, some 30 years later, Dark Horse is offering up its own take on some of Howard's creations, and once again, I'm a big fan.

Will Conrad's art is outstanding - brutal and vital and always powerful. If I had to make a complaint, it's the occasional lack of a "gutter" between some pages - for example, pages 8 and 9 run together as though they're intended to be a double-page spread - but they aren't. But that's a minor quibble.

The writing by Arvid Nelson is also outstanding, as he balances court intrigue with the evil threat of the ancient race of serpent men.

If you're any kind of fan of Howard's work, you should be reading this comic.

Grade: A-