Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Today, Kull vs. Skeletor.


Actually, that looks less like Masters of the Universe's Skeletor, than like Remco's Skullman. (That link is a eBay listing from a while back, but for the price it might be there a while...) Of course, it's actually Kull's usual big-bad, the wizard Thulsa Doom, in Marvel Preview #19, "Riders Beyond the Sunrise" Adapted from a story fragment by Robert E. Howard by Roy Thomas, with art by Sal Buscema and Tony DeZuniga.

I have to wonder how much of a fragment it was, though; since this story seems to start one place, and go somewhere completely different. Kull's councilor Tu is boring the king's crown off with the account of a countess who fled an arranged marriage, to run off with a low-born adventurer. Although it violates a number of Valusia's laws, Kull doesn't really care until he gets word of said adventurer bad-mouthing him. Taking his Red Slayers and Brule the Spear-slayer with him, Kull rides off in pursuit, to a mysterious land east "beyond the sunset."

So, it seems like this is going to be a commentary on so-called civilization against the more-honest barbarism of Kull; but instead the whole thing is a lure set by Thulsa Doom. No longer serving the "serpent," Doom plans on getting revenge out "where neither god nor demon has power." That part doesn't necessarily feel like where Howard might've been taking this one; I kinda think Thomas took an opportunity to wrap up storylines from Kull's cancelled comic.

Also this issue: a Solomon Kane story, "The Footfalls Within," featuring Kane against slavers. Eh, it's OK.

No comments: