The Chronicles of Solomon Kane

This may be the best of the Chronicles editions of comic reprints featuring adaptations and and works inspired by the author Robert Howard. This handsome collection features two versions of Howard's Red Shadows, a great story to start this set about the Puritan adventurer Solomon Kane. The other Solomon Kane stories featured here are also very well done. Few have captured the somber nature of this restless wanderer, avenger and walking contradiction of his Puritan faith as well as these tales have done. Kane is a strange man quite unlike Howard's Cimmerian adventurer Conan from the Hyborian age. With Solomon there is no lust for the ladies, looting, thievery or fun. solomon Kane is on a mission. It's one that tests him, his faith and his sanity as he battles the known avarice, and savage inhumanity of men and the unknown horrors shambling in the outer dark. Most of the line art reproduced here is beautiful, crisp and uncluttered. And while color is not as varied as I would like it goes to the service of the stories in a muted but effective way. Writers Roy Thomas and Ralph Macchio (who adapts or writes all the tales but the first version of Red Shadows) and pure Robert Howard (by way of the poem Solomon Kane's Homecoming) are very good. Ralph Macchio was surprisingly good and this second helping of his scripts reminds me of why I liked his work on this character even after 2 decades have passed since I first read them in the original comic series. All the artists deliver some of the best work in their careers. Howard Chaykin was becoming very stylized at this time in his career and this book reminds me of why he was such a talent. Steven Carr's artwork is a rare treat and here it is a powerful argument for me to see even more. Brett Blevins as inker and penciller is almost perfect in this early part of his career. Mike "Hellboy" Mignola is also featured in this coincidentally timely tale about the meeting of two faiths on an adventure, one Christian, and one Muslim, and both bordering on zealotry. Jon Bagdanove is also along, and his illustrative and comic designs are enviable. My favorite John Ridgeway artwork is also featured in this book as is the always stellar Sandy Plunkett , who masterfully illustrates the poem Solomon Kane's Homecoming. Another artist featured is the inking of the legendary Al Williamson on several of the tales. I wish all the Chronicles series collecting Marvels efforts to adapt and expand on the characters created by Robert E. Howard were as tight and beautiful as this volume.