Solomon Kane (comics)

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See also: Adaptations of works by Robert E. Howard
Solomon Kane
Cover of The Saga of Solomon Kane  (2009), trade paperback collected edition, art by Dorian Vallejo
Character information
First appearanceMonsters Unleashed #1 (August 1973)
Created byRobert E. Howard
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
Dark Horse Comics
FormatsOriginal material for the series has been published as a strip in the comics anthology(s) Savage Sword of Conan and a set of limited series.
Genre
Publication dateThe Sword of Solomon Kane
September 1985–July 1986
Solomon Kane
September 2008–February 2009
Number of issuesThe Sword of Solomon Kane
6
Solomon Kane
5
Main character(s)Solomon Kane
Creative team
Writer(s)Roy Thomas
Reprints
Collected editions
The Saga of Solomon KaneISBN 1-59582-317-4
The Chronicles Of Solomon KaneISBN 1595824103
The Castle Of The DevilISBN 1595822828

Solomon Kane is a fictional character featured in several comics published by Marvel Comics between 1973 and 1994. He was originally created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. Dark Horse Comics began publishing a new series of Kane stories in 2008, and also published collections of the 1970s Marvel stories in 2009.

Marvel Comics

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Marvel Comics published several comic books featuring Solomon Kane. He was the lead character in the six-issue limited series Sword of Solomon Kane, published 1985-6. He also appeared numerous times in the company's black and white, non-Code approved magazine format comics, most frequently in Savage Sword of Conan, starring Howard's most popular pulp character. The complete list of Marvel's Solomon Kane story appearances are:

  • Monsters Unleashed #1 (August 1973), an adaptation of Howard's Skulls in the Stars by Roy Thomas, art by Ralph Reese.
  • Dracula Lives #3 (October 1973), Kane meets Dracula by Thomas, art by Alan Weiss.
  • The Conan Saga #50 (May 1991) by Alan Rowlands, art by Steve Carr and Al Williamson (although this magazine was a reprint title, the Kane story in this issue had not been previously published).
  • Kull and the Barbarians #2–3 (July and September 1975), an adaptation of The Hills of the Dead by Thomas, art by Weiss, Neal Adams and Pablo Marcos.
  • Marvel Premiere #33–34 (December 1976 and February 1977). Like the Kane mini-series, this was a Code-approved four-color comic, an adaptation of Red Shadows by Thomas, art by Howard Chaykin.
  • Marvel Preview #19 (Summer 1979), an adaptation of "The Footfalls Within" by Don Glut, art by Will Meugniot and Steve Gan.
  • Savage Sword of Conan #13–14, 18–20, 22, 25, 26, 33, 34, 37, 39, 41, 53, 54, 62, 83, 162, 171, 219 and 220 (July 1976–April 1994) by Thomas, Glut, Doug Moench, Jo Duffy and John Arcudi, art by Gan, Chaykin, Weiss, and many others, including a sequel to the Kane vs. Dracula story, two adaptations of the Howard poem Solomon Kane's Homecoming,[1] and in the last two issues, a meeting of Kane and Conan for which Thomas, with artist Colin MacNeil, used Howard's brief Kane fragment "Death's Black Riders" as a springboard.[2]
  • The Sword of Solomon Kane[3] #1–6 (September 1985–July 1986). Of the six issues, four adapted Howard stories (all previously adapted by Marvel), and two (#2 and #4) contained original stories by Ralph Macchio, with the art credits varying. The finale also contained yet another rendering of the poem "Solomon Kane's Homecoming", illustrated by Sandy Plunkett and Williamson.[4]

In 2019, Solomon Kane returned to Marvel as part of the crossover limited series Conan: Serpent War; teaming up with Conan, Dark Agnes and Moon Knight.[5]

Dark Horse Comics

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It was announced at the 2006 Comic Con that Paradox Entertainment has completed a publishing deal with Dark Horse Comics for a Solomon Kane comic series, to be written by Scott Allie.[6][7] The first two arcs featured completed versions of two Howard fragments — "The Castle of the Devil" and "Death's Black Riders". The first issue picks Kane up traveling through the Black Forest after ending his military career.[6] It was a five-issue mini-series, based on "Castle of the Devil", and featured art by Mario Guevara (pencils), Dave Stewart (colors) and John Cassaday (covers). An eight-page sample was posted on the Dark Horse Presents MySpace page in June 2008 [8] and the first issue was published in September 2008.[9]

The second arc, "Death's Black Riders", was a four-issue mini-series published from January 2010 to June 2010. The third arc, "Red Shadows", had its first issue published in April 2011. "Red Shadows", based on a Robert E. Howard story and previously interpreted by Marvel in Marvel Premiere #33–34 (1976), follows Solomon Kane as he tracks le Loup, an expert French swordsman and womanizer with a habit of killing his conquests, through Europe, across the Mediterranean, and down the West Coast of Africa.

Collected editions

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Solomon Kane Volume 1: The Castle of the Devil, a trade paperback collection of the Dark Horse five-issue mini-series, was published in July 2009 (ISBN 1595822828).

In February 2009, Dark Horse announced a new collection entitled The Saga of Solomon Kane - Soft Cover (ISBN 1595823174) which collected the 1970s Marvel stories.[10] This 400+ page collection includes various stories from Savage Sword of Conan, Conan Saga, Kull and the Barbarians, Marvel Preview, Monsters Unleashed and Dracula Lives.

In December 2009, Dark Horse announced a collection entitled Robert E. Howard Chronicles Slipcase - HC Box Set (ISBN 978-1-59582-407-3).

Solomon Kane Volume 2: Death's Black Riders, a trade paperback collection of the Dark Horse four-issue mini-series, was published in October July 2010 (ISBN 1-59582-590-8).

Solomon Kane Volume 3: Red Shadows, a trade paperback collection of the Dark Horse four-issue mini-series, was published in October December 2011 (ISBN 1-59582-878-8).

In August 2021, Marvel reprints the Dark Horse edition of The Saga of Solomon Kane - Soft Cover (ISBN 1595823174) named Solomon Kane Original Marvel Years Omnibus a HC edition (ISBN 9781302925611). This Marvel reprinted HC book comes in 2 different dust jacket cover, the Direct Market (DM) CV and the Standard (ST) CV.

References

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  1. ^ Jess Nevins' Solomon Kane Comic Page.
  2. ^ "Savage Sword of Conan #219". The Grand Comics Database. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  3. ^ The indicia calls it simply Solomon Kane
  4. ^ Solomon Kane Info Page Archived August 19, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Aguilar, Matthew (September 13, 2019). "Marvel Reveals Conan: Serpent War Event Featuring Dark Agnes, Solomon Kane, and Moon Knight". comicbook.com. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  6. ^ a b Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane Returns at Dark Horse, Comic Book Resources, August 18, 2007
  7. ^ Scott Allie - Bringing Solomon Kane to Comic Book Life, Newsarama, July 21, 2008
  8. ^ NYCC Exclusive: Dark Horse Runs Wild with "Solomon Kane", Comic Book Resources, April 20, 2008
  9. ^ EXCLUSIVE: Solomon Kane #1 Preview, Comic Book Resources, July 10, 2008
  10. ^ "Dark Horse - The Saga of Solomon Kane". Retrieved 2009-04-20.


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