REH comic gold vein, plus others

Popped into a local comic store for a 25% off sale and got lucky. These are complete sets. Even cheaper than finding a graphic novel trade collection!

I don't know if they are good or faithful, but they were worth the price to check out. With Roy Thomas attached, they should be alright, at least. I need to look up how many of these Dark Horse did.

Aside from Robert E. Howard adaptations, I grabbed these as well. I could have grabbed many more.

Seriously - Tarzan at the Earth's Core & a Predator! Who could resist?!

Reminds me to put Tarzan at the Earth's Core on my shortlist for next year's reading.

I need a comic reading binge week!

recently read comics; Thun'da, Kade, Sledgehammer 44

Stumbled on this one from Arcana during a Comixology sale. It intrigued me as Kade seemed - from a quick glance - to be a combination of Karl Edward Wagner's Kane and Barry Sadler's Casca.

Kade: Mourning Sun

Although the cover clearly indicates a WW2 adventure, the blurb mentioned turn-of-the-20th-century Cossacks, which made me even more interested. I was a little disappointed the Cossack section didn't last very long. I think it would have been more interesting. The story largely involves Kade chasing after Lucifer. Lucifer is impersonating a German officer (Sympathy for the Devil?) and trying to raise an undead army in a most gruesome manner. Kade just misses Lucifer more than once, usually at a physical cost - including years of 'death.'

This story did not make clear to me (nor was there a foreword to explain) where Kade comes from. I can't tell if he is man, demon or angel. He is immortal and he feels no physical pain. Once I figure out which book is the first one, it might have his origins.

There are quite a few of these Kade collections, and in the back of this one, they list each era & location were each story is set. I already have a couple more (it was a half-price sale) and might get some more if I like those.


Onto the jungles of Africa, where Dynamite Entertainment revived the old King of the Jungle...- Thun'da. As Tarzan knockoffs go, I didn't find Thun'da too bad, and hey - originally created and drawn by Frank Frazetta!

Roger Drum is an Army specialist who crash lands in a strange land populated by dinosaurs, Stone Age tribes and other nasties. The crash gave his partial amnesia. He tries to piece together his memories as he fights to survive and climb to the top of the food chain.

Thun'da

The very nice touch here is that each issue includes original Thun'da comics, drawn & created by Frank Frazetta (and, a lot of the stories were written by Gardner Fox.) It also allows you to follow the revamp and see where the new stuff came from. Very neat.


Last up, we have a Mike Mignola entry, Sledgehammer 44.

Sledgehammer 44

I enjoyed this, but I must say... - the opening and the opening of Atomic Robo's first tale are very similar. I sure hope that is coincidence. In each case, the metal heroes are delivered into an enemy position via a bomb, from which they then exit. Someone else already did the footwork.

I found a little thread here, too. The Sledgehammer suit predates Robo, but the Robo story and layout predate this Sledgehammer 44 spinoff. And the Sledgehammer is just a suit (a'la Iron Man) whereas Robo is an actual robot.

Anyway, once the story got rolling, it was certainly its own entity. I enjoyed it enough to try another Sledgehammer 44 title sometime in the future.

Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword still on the radar

Although I have not been as blown away by Dark Horse's Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword as I would like, I am still interested in continuing on.

Issue #6 has been pushed out multiple times.  I checked the Dark Horse site yesterday, and now it is pushed to October 2013.

Savage Sword #6

But, I did also spot that #7 is on the schedule.  Granted it is scheduled for November 2013 (my birthday, in fact.)  But if #6 is so backed up, I wouldn't expect #7 until next year.

Savage Sword #7

recent reads; comic capsules

Thanks to the iPad, I've been tearing through comics lately.  In addition to many single issues (some of which have added series to my wishlist, some which have not) I've read a few collected arcs.

Superman Beyond: Man of Tomorrow

Superman Beyond is new digital exclusive title from DC, though this collected edition was available in trade paperback (which is how I read it.)  Set in the Batman Beyond universe/timeline, the focus here is on an older Superman in the future.  He has recently come out of "retirement," and must face a new era without the friends and family who used to keep him centered.  Battling Lex Luthor (and Luthor's post-death plans,) future super-cops gone rogue and alien oppressors, Superman squares off against the future and his own misgivings & doubts.  I think there was a lot of good going on here, and I plan to continue on with the series - as well as adding Justice League Beyond and Batman Beyond to my wishlist, too.

Neozoic

Welcome to a world where dinosaurs never died out.  Mankind live in fortress-cities reminiscent of feudal Japan.  When the big, hungry lizards come calling, it's time to call out the Predator Defense League - experts in ways to kill T-Rexs and other nasties.  This wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it is still an enjoyable dino romp with politics and religion in the mix.  One complaint is the art-style which is fine but occasionally I felt faces looked too much alike and I lost context a few times on close-ups.  Red 5 Comics just started up a 4-issue sequel, which I will probably be reading in the future.

Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand

Hellboy is a hero, but what heroes inspired Hellboy?  Well, Lobster Johnson was one.  A pulp/noir fighter of crime & evil, Lobster dispatched the baddies with a claw-mark burned in their foreheads.  When mobsters playing Indian (Native American) ghosts try to stir up New York City, Johnson is determined to get to the bottom of things.  But, the occult trappings might be more than trappings, as mobster-fighting leads to deeper, darker things.  This is great, fun stuff.  If you like Hellboy and/or pulp adventures, this will satisfy.

King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword

While Dark Horse uncoupled from the faithful Conan adaptation wagon with their (IMHO) horrible and loose Conan the Barbarian main title, it seems maybe they were hedging their bets by producing some excellent King Conan titles.  The Phoenix on the Sword was the second tale directly adapted from Robert E. Howard under Dark Horse's own King Conan series (as opposed to Marvel reprints.)  (The Scarlet Citadel was first, and The Hour of the Dragon starts soon.)

This is truly excellent.  The adaptation is faithful, though bookends have been added.  The artwork pops off every page.  It is as detailed as the old black-&-white The Savage Sword of Conan, but in full, glorious color.

Stunning artwork.  Faithful adaptation of Robert E. Howard's original story.  Couldn't ask for anything more!

note: I believe all these titles are available in trades (Neozoic was recently reprinted,) or digital through Comixology and/or Dark Horse.