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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Solomon Kane: Red Shadows #1 (0f 4)

Robert E. Howard's puritanical demon hunter Solomon Kane is back in a new mini-series, and thankfully he looks more like is old self - which is to say, he's not being depicted as an albino.

Instead, he's what Howard always described - a pale man dressed in black clothing, hunting down the agents of Satan on Earth.

This time around his adventures are being written and/or adapted by industry professional Bruce Jones, who's a long-time master at twist endings and surprising story twists.

In this first chapter of the mini-series "Red Shadows," Jones starts out with a fairly standard tale of a monster on the moor (it's not a giant hound, thank goodness) and the tale of revenge and murder behind the monster.

The art is by Rahsan Ekedel, whose work I'm not familiar with - but he turns in a strong effort here, with dark, scenic layouts, a truly horrific creature and some good character work. He's ably supported by the striking color art by Dan Jackson.

The ending doesn't feel quite right to me, but overall it's a strong effort and seems an improvement on earlier comics in the series - and they weren't bad at all.

Looking forward to the next chapter!

Grade: B+

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Solomon Kane: Death's Black Riders #3 (of 4)

I was a big fan of the first Dark Horse Solomon Kane mini-series, but where that series soared, this one seems to be struggling.

Part of the fault is in the script by Scott Allie (based on the character created by Robert E. Howard), which doesn't seem to lend itself to being broken into four chapters - perhaps it will read better in a collection.

Here we have Solomon Kane squaring off against some demonic creatures that seem to be part horse. Most of the issue is spent inside a tavern waiting for the creatures to attack, with Solomon debating a priest.

But I think most of the fault lies with the art by Mario Guevara. It's dark and moody as you might expect, but it's so murky that we never get a clear look at the characters within. This is Solomon Kane as portrayed by The Shadow - he's always awash in darkness.

The other problem is that virtually every shot is the same medium-range, eye-level angle. Mixing up with some closeups and wide shots might have helped.

Even the ending, which wants to be a cliffhanger, falls short. The last three pages are confusing - I'm not really sure what's happening there (but I won't spoil it by venturing any guesses).

Kane is a terrific character, and there are great stories in the future - but this issue is a bit of a stumble. Here's hoping things are back on course next time around.

Grade: C+

Solomon Kane: Death's Black Riders #2 (of 4)

As a creation of Robert E. Howard, Solomon Kane obviously isn't as popular as Conan, and probably falls behind Kull with many fans - but the dour Puritan also has a strong contingent of fans, including yours truly.

Here's a character who fights evil with sword, pistol and his wits, pledging his abilities to doing deadly work for the Lord. Roaming Europe in the 16th century, he encounters all manner of evil creatures, including demons, monsters and humans.

In this series he makes his way across the Black Forest and finds himself allied with a mysterious swordsman against some strange four-legged monsters that look like horses from hell - or perhaps centaurs from hades.

The duo seek shelter in a dark inn, but find that evil takes many deadly forms.

Writer Scott Allie has been doing a good job writing in Howard's style, and this issue is very much in the vein of Howard's brand of horror, with unseen, suggested terrors firing the imagination and lurking in the dark.

The art by Mario Guevara fits the dark mood of the story, but the style is very sketchy, and there's not much variety in the "shots" he chooses - it's all presented in medium shots, with few closeups or establishing shots, and not much flow between panels. It's not bad, but with some more variety it could be even better.

But those are relatively minor criticisms - it's great to see this character back and featured in a comic that's faithful to the original. Keep 'em coming!

Grade: B-

Solomon Kane #5 (of 5)

I'm sorry to see this mini-series ending, but I suspect we haven't seen the last of Solomon Kane.

Kane was created by Robert E. Howard, though this character's only similarity to Conan is the fact that he uses a sword and finds himself pitted against supernatural foes.

Otherwise, the two are from opposite ends of the spectrum. Kane is a Puritan who wanders the world doing God's work, destroying demons and monsters.

My only beef with this comic is that it insists on depicting Kane as being white as a sheet. I understand that it makes it easier to identify him, but I still think it makes him look too much like Elric, the albino prince created by Michael Moorcock. But I digress.

This issue wraps up Kane's visit to a deadly castle, wherein the master of the house has learned some deadly tricks from the demons that haunt it. Kane has to face those horrific creatures and finds himself in the fight of his life.

The comic benefits from a terrific creative team, including writer Scott Allie and artist Mario Guevara, who does a terrific job capturing the sinister atmosphere of the cursed castle and its strange residents.

The cover by John Cassaday is pretty amazing, too.

This is apparently just the beginning for Solomon Kane, as reprints of past adventures are in the works, along with new adventures (or new adaptations, as the case may be).

Whatever the case, they can't get here soon enough to suit me.

Grade: A-

Solomon Kane #4

After three solid issues of building tension, this issue of Solomon Kane is all about action.

Kane is probably Robert E. Howard's most unusual hero - a puritan swordsman who fights monsters and demons.

This time around he's up against a Baron who's also a werewolf, not to mention some flying demons and assorted murderous servants.

The story is a bit hard to follow in places, and once again, a quick recap somewhere along the line by writer Scott Allie probably would have made it easier to keep all the players straight. Still, the story rolls along briskly as it heads for the finale next issue.

I do like the artwork by Mario Guevara, though it would be nice to have a little more variety in the "camera angles" - almost every panel is a wide shot or a mid-range shot. It would be nice to have some more close-ups along the way. But that's a minor complaint - the art has a strong period feel to it.

Despite my occasional nitpicks, this has been an entertaining series, and I'm looking forward to the final chapter.

Grade: B

Solomon Kane #1

Since junior high school I've been a big fan of Robert E. Howard, the writer who created Solomon Kane, Conan, Kull and a number of other characters.

While I haven't read every word Howard wrote, I do have a nearly complete collection of his work, thanks to the paperbacks printed in the 1970s. But even though I've read all the stories of Conan, Kull and even Breckenridge Elkins (among others), it wasn't until I started to write this review that I realized I've never read Howard's stories about the Puritan swordsman, Solomon Kane.

I've read most of the character's comic book appearances and enjoyed them - especially the stories that ran in Marvel's Savage Sword of Conan. Obviously, I'll have to correct my oversight in the near future.

In the meantime, our friends at Dark Horse continue their efforts to keep Howard's work alive, and turn in a respectable effort with this first issue. Writer Scott Allie shows a nice touch with the dialogue and the mood of the story. The comic gets off to a fast start, as thieves make the mistake of thinking Kane will make an easy target. But after that six-page action sequence, the story slows to a crawl, and devotes the rest of the pages to introductions and little else.

I do like the work by artist Mario Guevara and color artist Dave Stewart. They give the book a grim, storybook look, with strong (but not overly flashy) layouts and clear storytelling. If I had to complain about something, it would be that Kane is depicted as being too pale - he's as white as a sheet of paper. Remember, he's not Elric.

I wish I could give this a stronger recommendation - but this story may work better as a collection. This opening chapter is just a bit too glacial, but there's plenty to indicate it's all moving in the right direction.

But I'm grateful - even an average Howard story is better than most.

Grade: C+