Saturday, May 7, 2011

Solomon Kane: Red Shadows #2 (of 4)

Solomon Kane has to be one of the most unusual pulp heroes still running around - a puritanical man of God who roams the world in the late 1500's fighting evil in its many forms.

Created by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s, he's appeared in a number of comic book adaptations and was recently made into a film (which I sadly haven't seen yet).

In this issue, he encounters a worthy opponent - a wicked man named Le Loup who has led a gang of cutthroats to rob, rape and murder in France. Encountering one of Le Loup's victims - a young girl - Kane vows revenge.

What follows is a brutal series of events as Kane (shall we say) turns the gang over to a higher power for judgment. But with Le Loup, he may have run up against a superior fighter.

The script by Bruce Jones is lean and effective, bringing out the best in Howard's character.

I like the art by Rahsan Ekedal (with color by Dan Jackson) - it's vivid, with some dynamic layouts and clear characterizations. A few panels are a bit gory for me, but it fits the story, so it's easy to overlook.

So far, this series is the best yet since Dark Horse took over the line - and the previous efforts were good, too!

Grade: B+


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