The Chronicles of Kull, Vol. 1: A King Comes Riding and Other Stories

The Chronicles of Kull

by Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Len Wein

The Chronicles of Kull Volume 1: A King Comes Riding and Other Stories kicks off Dark Horse’s newest addition to its popular Robert E. Howard reprint line. Presenting every color Kull comic from the 1970s and ’80s chronologically for the first time ever, volume 1 features color Kull stories from Creatures on the Loose! #10, Monsters on the Prowl #16, and Kull the Conqueror #1 to #9. The writing talents of legendary creators Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Len Wein and the stunning visuals of Marie Severin, John Severin, and Bernie Wrightson are on display in such thrilling tales as “The Skull of Silence,” “Night of the Red Slayers,” and “The Forbidden Swamp!” See how Robert E. Howard’s Kull stories were interpreted over three decades ago in comics.

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Sword and Sorcery

200 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2009

About the author

Roy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.

Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.

Reviews

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 18.000BC
In pre-cataclysmic era, way before the sinking of Atlantis, there was Kull.

Great stories. Great artwork. At least half of those stories are adaptations from the mostly short stories by Robert E. Howard, which everyone knows created Conan, and Conan is Kull's descendant. So, fortunately the good folks over at Dark Horse collected the stories in these volumes in the best way possible for us to read the adventures of Kull chronologically, the way they Gods intended.

The collection features many great stories, but what really stands out is how the stories were adapted from the novels. The writers went above and beyond, making noticeable changes and additions. If you've read the original novels and short stories, you'll see some differences in this adaptation.

This is not a bad thing. I particularly liked how "The Shadow Kingdom" was expanded into a bigger story, incorporating elements from other tales and continuing the story tying it all up even after the main story was finished. Some stories in the comics have larger plots while also adapting short stories or referencing Kull's previous adventures. These connections, which are sparse or absent in the novels, made the read more enjoyable.

If you're a fan of sword and sorcery adventures and barbarians, this will be you jam!

"And now comes death! But here we stand-- and here we die." - Kull

[Todd Glaeser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always felt that these Kull books seemed more "literary" than the Conan books at the time. I still feel that way, but now I realize it is the effect of incredible artwork by John Severin.

Mike Ploog takes over as the artist in The Chronicles of Kull, Vol. 2: The Hell Beneath Atlantis and Other Stories which is amazing for one issue. Unfortunately, things fall apart writing and art-wise as various inkers obscure Ploog's drawings.

Nevertheless, this volume is an incredible, classic sword and sorcery comic book storytelling.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marie and John Severin do a fantastic job illustrating most of the issues here. Roy Thomas doesn't quite seem to know where to take the series, mostly a series of one-off stories about people trying to kill Kull. John's inking on Marie's pencils is fantastic. Issue 10 has a different inker and a lot of the magic is lost.

Kull usurped the throne of Valusia from a tyrant King Borna and refused to give the crown to the overweight royalty - Rodando the poet sings of getting rid of Kull. Kull proves to be a very humane ruler, fair and righteous in his actions.

His mortal enemy is the sorcerer Thulsa Doom - introduced here and killed off in one issue, but of course he comes back.

Similar to Conan in many ways, Kull feels like a more depressed and introspective King Conan - Marvel would go on to do a King Conan series (I haven't read much of that yet). Conan, Amra the Lion... Kull is very different -- he's got to spirit of a Tiger!

Robert E. Howard rewrote many Kull tales into Conan stories. So there's also a lot of familiarity in these comics between this adaptation and ones I've read numerous times as Conan tales.

Robert E. Howard is the king of macho, heroic purple prose like he punched his typewriter keys like a shotgun blast while riding on the back of a wild bull. Roy Thomas takes this but doesn’t have the chops to pull it off. It at times is just purple prose, a bit too elaborate and just says what could be said in half the time.

[Adrian Montanez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kull the King! My first foray into Marvel's first original Robert E Howard stories. Interesting stories, and great art by the Severin siblings. Now. I gotta get the marvel omni.

3.5 stars out of 5.

[Your_Average_Magical_Girls_Fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start by clearing a fact: I am a super fan of Conan The Barbarian Comics, I've read it in both Savage Sword of Conan and on the Conan full color Marvel Series. I also love the first Conan the Barbarian movie, as well as several metal bands which lyrics are deeply rooted in Conan Mythos and Lore. That said, this is my first encounter with Kull the King, and in all Honesty...If this is the same character taken from the literary works of Robert E. Howard, I think I now Totally prefer Kull over Conan. Yes, they're pretty much as day and night, and the former wins easily over the cimmerian because of his much more awesome origins and because of being the quintessential example as why barbarism is better than civilization, which is the use of wisdom and intelligence as a far better King than his civilized predecessor was. A king that seeks peace when it is needed, a king that avoids useless bloodshed and refuses to go to war for the good of his people, a king that defies conventions and traditions with the middle finger, a king who is also a tactician. That means Kull doesn't kick ass?nope, he just kicks ass with brains instead of unbridled rage (only). And what about the art in this comic? very good, I must say. John and Marie Severin did a very good job, as did Ross Andru.
One of the best purchases I made in recent time, and a wholeheartly recommended read.
I Think I'll check the Kull book original series too...

[Matty Dub · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Severins were every bit as good as Big John when it came to bringing Hyboria to life, finely detailed and badass looking sword and sorcery magic. Is this a Conan clone? Absolutely and I’ll fucking take it.

[Robert Noll · Rating 2 out of 5]

If there was a Mount Rushmore of the Fantasy World, Robert E. Howard would definitely be one of the busts on the mountain. That being said, his epic Kull the Conqueror series misses the mark after being translated to funnybook form. Dark Horse evidently acquired the rights from Marvel, and conveniently erased the phrase "Marvel Comics Group" from the title page reproductions. They also used a bargain-basement printer to produce a crummy quality book. However, high-quality printing cannot save this series from choppy stories and clumsy dialog. Read the original works by Howard. Then stop.

[Brannigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid fun read. The art is great full of detail. The stories inventive and engaging. I will say there is a lot of repetition in character background and story points but I believe it’s due to the nature of comics only coming once a month.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reprints Creatures on the Loose! #10, Conan the Barbarian (1) #10, Monster on the Prowl #16, and Kull the Conqueror (1) #1-9 (March 1971-July 1973). Valka and Hotath! Exiled barbarian swordsman Kull finds himself king of Valusia through a hostile takeover orchestrated by men within the kingdom. When Kull decides to stay and rule Valusia, he finds that the men that betrayed their king are also not the most loyal subjects. While battling threats from outside like the menace of Thulsa Doom and political intrigue from within, heavy is the crown that Kull wears!

Written by Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, John Jakes, and Len Wein, The Chronicles of Kull Volume 1: A King Comes Riding and Other Stories is a Dark Horse Comics sword-and-sorcery comic book collection. The comic book focuses on Kull who was created by Robert E. Howard and first appeared in “The Shadow Kingdom” (Weird Tales August 1929). The series is a reprint of Marvel Comics’ Kull adventures and the first part of his first series. The collection features art by Bernie Wrightson, Ross Andru, Wally Wood, Marie Severin, and John Severin. Issues in this collection were also collected as part of Kull the Destroyer: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus.

Conan the Barbarian was king at Marvel when I was growing up. You had Conan movies and Conan comics and magazines…Kull was just a weird outlier. I had received one of the Kull the Conqueror comic books from someone once and never was quite sure how he fit in into the whole mythos of Conan. Following Kull from his first adventures, he is a nice alternative to Conan.

While Kull and Conan are separated by time, they are often virtually the same. The comics largely consist of Kull battling wizards, warriors, and demons much like Conan. The difference is that Kull also has political storylines. He’s the king of Valusia and commander of the Black Legions. This did distinguish him from Conan for a while. When King Conan began publication, it felt like Kull was a bit redundant.

The big villain in this collection is Thulsa Doom who first appears in the one-shot storyline in Monsters on the Prowl #16 (April 1972). Like Kull, Thulsa Doom was created by Robert E. Howard in The Cat and the Skull and proves to a good foil for Kull. The character later went on to be the named character of Conan the Barbarian (though that Thulsa Doom is closer to Thoth-Amon). In these comics it is nice to see a “super villain” since it feels like most of the comics are one-offs where there bad guy dies.

The series also has a nice supporting cast. While Kull has some allies like Brule, the fun characters are those almost outwardly working against Kull. Kull knows this but continues to allow them to be around him. It is almost a game to him which I wish was played up more.

The Chronicles of Kull 1: A King Comes Riding and Other Stories is a fun start to a series of Kull adventures. It is odd to see the issues so clean and crisp in their transfers and you could argue that it takes away from the pulp nature of the publications. Kull isn’t Conan, but like Conan, it reads dense…so be prepared for a slow ride. The Chronicles of Kull 1: A King Comes Riding and Other Stories is followed by The Chronicles of Kull 2: The Hell Beneath Atlantis and Other Stories.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Kull summed up is when the king gets to play. You have a reigning king that spends far less time on the throne then he should and in doing so gives us some fun adventures to follow.

The Art: Is good in the first few stories but really gels when Marie and John Severin get on it. In the style of prince valiant you get a savage turned king which apparently entails wearing shirts of various sorts but never pants. The look that robin the boy wonder pioneered is in full effect here. I can't tell if this was a function of the 70s or if this is what they genuinely thought people in olden times dressed like. So while the illustrations are solid some of the choices in wardrobe work against the implied toughness of the characters. The reproduction here is true to the original comics with some white balancing coming into play. This is nice in that you are getting the comics as they truly were. The downside is the sometimes terribly offset colors along with the poorly printed text can both frustrating and a bit jarring. I wish they would have at least taken the time to clean up all the lettering since being able to read it is the least you can ask for.

The Stories: Are very fun and something unique. Here we see adventure through the eyes of a responsible king who is both grounded in this worlds reality but also seeks out adventure as he feels a loss of the freedom his fast wheeling life once had. The format works and since he has a kingdom we get to see it fleshed out as art of the cast of characters. This is a departure from Conan where inhospitable constant travel we rarely see the same folks to often if at all. This helps justify Kull a bit and further separates him from Conan. Though much like Conan there are ancient cities and sects to explore and foes to be slain. And yes violence is also the solution here generally.

This format though of adventuring king is a very fun one that I would love to see Marvel comics use with the Black Panther character since it would fit him flawlessly and give him a nice ongoing series base.

Overall there is a reason that Conan outshines Kull in terms of book sales but that does not mean that this comic series is not a worth while one with sone ideas that would still work very well today.

[Helmut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Augenkrebs und gute Unterhaltung

R.E. Howard, Erfinder des weitbekannten Conan, hat noch weitere Charaktere im Repertoire, die in fantastischen Welten ihr Glück suchen; einer von ihnen ist Kull der Atlanter, der noch vor dem hyborischen Zeitalter in den Königreichen von Lemuria und Valusia lebte. Insgesamt etwas philosophischer als die Conangeschichten (dabei aber nicht weniger actionlastig) sind in diesem Band nun die ersten Auftritte Kulls in der Marvelwelt gesammelt.

Im Gegensatz zur "Chronicles of Conan"-Reihe aus demselben Verlag hat hier keine Neukolorierung stattgefunden; die einen werden das gut finden, da sie hier eine originalgetreue Reproduktion vorfinden; die anderen (und zu dieser Gruppe gehöre ich) werden kaum diese nostalgischen Gefühle nachvollziehen können bei einer derart grusligen Farbgebung. Die Farben sind meist sehr deftig und wenig nuanciert, unscharf aufgetragen und durch grobkörnige Druckmuster noch weiter vermatscht. Wer sich bei der Conan-Neukolorierung beschwert hat, dass durch die neuen Farben die feinen Zeichnungen der Künstler übertüncht werden, sollte hier mal genau hinsehen: ich finde diesen Kritikpunkt bei der Originalkolorierung noch deutlich schlimmer.
Bei dieser Kritik nehme ich die erste Geschichte in diesem Band, gezeichnet von Bernie (Swamp Thing) Wrightson aus: Hier ist die teilweise halluzinatorische Kolorierung ein Teil des künstlerischen Effekts und wirkt sehr gut. Aber auch hier könnte ein besseres Remastering (auch ohne Neukolorierung) noch mehr herausholen.

Dark Horse liefert wieder solide Ware in Bezug auf Papier, Druckqualität und Bindung (die Aufmachung ist identisch zu den "Chronicles of Conan"). Ein stellenweise scharfsinniges, stellenweise laberiges Vorwort von Howardkenner Mark Finn ist den Comics vorangesetzt, für die die Originalcover mitabgedruckt sind.

Wer kauft dies? Sicherlich alle Howard-Fans, denn Roy Thomas steht für gute Umsetzungen seiner Werke. Allgemein an Fantasycomics Interessierte sollten mal reinschauen, ob ihnen die Originalfarben nicht etwas zu ablenkend sind, ansonsten ist das sicherlich kein Fehlkauf.

[Ed McKeogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm currently a nerd-in-limbo, I can at least own up to the fact that "barbarian heroes" were never on my nerd-dar and that, in my entire life, I've read only two novels by ERB (The Mad King and Tarzan of the Apes, which I only read after seeing "Greystoke").

So the reason I read this book had nothing to do with the character or genre, but everything to do with the sister/brother art team of Marie & John Severin, whose rich work spans almost 200 pages of this volume. On that account alone, I found the book very satisfying. The art is quite a few notches above that which appeared in other books that hit the spinner racks at the time, but I tend to believe that about everything to which John Severin put his hand.

What I found most surprising, however, was that the stories hold up well, set as they are in a time and place that never were, but mainly because the art (especially Marie Severin's careful, expressive and inventive pencils) transports the reader to an alien place with graceful ease. I found myself enjoying Kull's adventures more than I would have thought possible, despite some of the heavy-handed writing or outlandish hallmarks of the barbarian hero genre.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for fun non-superhero American comics. It may not convert you to the genre, but it will entertain you nonetheless.

[Jussi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of early 1970’s comics from Marvel, based on Robert E. Howard’s stories from the late 1920’s (and some original writing, as there are not many of Howard’s Kull stories).

The style is very sword & sorcery with pretty vibrant and colorful art, but also a product of its time. The heavily muscled male heroes go without shirts whenever (in the cold, while fighting armored enemies, etc.) and mostly only wear ridiculous briefs. But also long boots. Not unlike Masters of the Universe, in some aspects. At the time it was apparently inappropriate to show blood, so even when people get killed with a sword or gored by some beast, there is no visible injury of any kind. I find this a bit distracting and immersion-breaking, in fact. Generally, though, the art suits the Conan-ish setting well.

The writing is somewhat old school, mimicking Howard with dramatic and pompous language and unnecessary exclamations like “Kull strikes! And strikes again!” (I’m sure everyone saw you hit the guy with your axe, Kull, and why are you talking in third person). But it all still kind of fits the context.

Overall I’m divided between 2/5 and 3/5 but let’s go with 3.

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonostante non siano invecchiate molto bene, queste storie dei primi anni '70, riduzioni e trasposizioni del personaggio di Howard, Re Kull, restano godibili e di certo interessanti per chiunque ami il genere cappa e spada.
Lo stesso Howard usò Kull come base per il suo più noto personaggio, Conan il Barbaro, che non è altro che un Re Kull diminuito nel valore e nella forza delle storie.

In particolare le storie di questo albo, in Italia, le pubblicò la Corno specialmente su Conan & Ka-Zar, e sono di difficile rinvenimento.

[Kristeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kull is no Conan. Or maybe it's just that the writers did not stay as faithful to Robert E Howard. I'm not going to bother reading more.