Review by C.J. Bunce
Fans of Conan the Barbarian may be familiar with an earlier character by its creator, writer Robert E. Howard: Solomon Kane, his 17th-18th century hero seen in the pulp magazine Weird Tales, which introduced readers to Conan in the story “Red Nails.” Older Marvel fans may recall Solomon Kane starred in Marvel Comics from the 1970s through into the 1990s and again in a short run from 2008 to 2009. He was also featured in a 2009 movie starring James Purefoy. The hero is an enigma–a sword-wielding defender of justice who is part of long tradition of hero stories that includes Robin Hood, Allan Quatermain, Zorro, and later Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Mummy. And yet he wears the garb of a Puritan, fatigues that haven’t held up so well if you’re searching for a 21st century hero comic.
In the character’s first comics story in 15 years, writer-artist Patrick Zircher has researched and crafted a very faithful follow-on to Howard’s creation, one who stands up against the heroes of seafaring adventure tales new and old, like Pirates of the Caribbean, King Solomon’s Mines, and C.S. Forester’s novels. Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring from Titan Comics is a limited series from earlier this year now collected in a graphic novel, available here at Amazon.
Readers catch up with Kane as he makes a critical error, killing an innocent man he took for a criminal captain he had searched out. To atone he delivers a relic to Venice, Italy, to the man’s brother-in-law and niece. But just as he arrives he clashes with competing interests for the object, which actually turns out to be worthless. It houses a map, and in that venturing style Howard established in his Conan works, Kane partners with his newfound friends as well as their enemies.
Zircher pulls the real Big Bad of this tale from a foe found across the Howard universe of fantasy… Conan and Kull… resurrecting the fabled, shape-changing, Serpent Ring of Set. Zircher’s writing is layered and smart, making something interesting and intriguing from somewhat dated characters and tropes. His art style impresses me incredibly because it conjures the many comic book stories of Mike Grell. Zircher’s heroine couldn’t look more like the dark-haired heroine of many a Mike Grell Green Arrow or Jon Sable book.
While reading this in graphic novel form I recalled elements from James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Keep an eye open for his Renaissance-outfitted rogue who resembles a character straight out of the U.S. Civil War–George Armstrong Custer or maybe Nathaniel Hawthorne?
The book reprints the limited series’ four issues and several variant covers from the likes of Mike Mignola, J.H. Williams III, Andrew MacLean, and Daniel Brereton. It features a history of Kane and an interview with Zircher.
An excellent return of an enigmatic hero of the past, add Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring to your pull list at Elite Comics or your local comic shop now, or pick up a copy here at Amazon.
