(Zero spoiler review) 4.25/5
Solomon Kane, one of Robert E Howards lesser known creations steps out of the shadows of a very big and beloved barbarian, with this, his very own omnibus. And whilst the content is stretched a little thin, something I will touch on before we are done, this is by and large, yet another wonderful collection of comics from the halcyon days of comics. And whilst the deft hand of Roy Thomas pencils near half the stories, it doesn't quite live up to the amazingly high standards of his erstwhile muscled compatriot. Still, Solomon Kane is an altogether unique and interesting character for whom I knew nothing about before picking this up and cracking it open. Kane's staunch puritanical religious beliefs would be something that, in the hands of less talented and (modern) comics writes, would be poorly executed and horrendously annoying, but here (despite the fact that he refuses to take the several strumpets to pound town that throw themselves at him, his religious fervour actually was one of his more original and endearing qualities. But Conan still wins because the man knows how to love the ladies. I was also very pleased to discover Don Glut, a writer for whom I had never red before, but one who can go tow to toe with Thomas and hold his own. Most of the stories and art here are very good, with a perhaps slightly better than average. That said, there is probably about 400 pages of content here, with the final 200 pages of the book, which happens to be my favourite, is Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid) retelling six of the better tales previously collected, with updated art (which was mostly excellent). Still, re-reading basically the same story you just read (in a 00 page book) doesn't exactly scream value, and even though I really enjoyed the vast majority of this, I was all but ready for it to be over when the final page was turned.
If you are a fan of the Original Marvel Conan universe, you will certainly find quite a bit to enjoy here. Should you dislike said universe, this is probably one you can safely skip. 4.25/5
OmniBen.