Solomon Kane. The name alone should strike fear into the hearts of evildoers of all manner. For this is no ordinary Puritan, as his garb and demeanor might suggest, but rather a one-man army. A literal living weapon of God himself, whose entire existence is devoted to destroying evil wherever it may lie.
Created by Robert E. Howard (who's perhaps better known for another of his creations, Conan the Barbarian), Kane made his debut in the August 1928 issue of Weird Tales, and would quickly make Howard a favorite amongst fans of the legendary magazine. Set in the late 16th-17th century, the swashbuckling holy warrior would go on to appear in numerous more issues of Weird Tales (as well as other publications) before finding his way to Marvel Comics in 1973, where his legend would continue for nearly 20 years.
And now, thanks to Titan Comics, fans new and old alike can experience the entirety of the Sword of Justice's adventures in Marvel Comics. For context, that's over 600 pages worth of classic stories and content compiled into a beautiful hardcover book.
Arranged in chronological order by their release date, the omnibus contains a multitude of stories that follow Solomon Kane across the world and see him battling all manner of evildoers. From vampires to cultists, werewolves to pirates, demonic forces to the wickedest of humanity, there's a great deal of variety to be found within these pages, all bound together by Kane's signature faith-driven fervor to destroy evil in whatever form it takes. There's even a cool crossover story in which the Puritan warrior must cross blades with a certain Barbarian whilst battling a common supernatural foe.
With over 20 years worth of stories crafted by a variety of writers and artists, the tone and aesthetics of the stories can vary almost as much as the foes Kane finds himself going up against. The most obvious example of this is the art style. While many of the stories are presented in black and white, there are some that are presented fully colored, as the comic in question demanded. Personally, I preferred the black and white artwork, as I found the lack of color tended to create more detailed panels while also creating an atmosphere that lends itself well to the subject matter. That's not to say the stories featuring full color artwork aren't as enjoyable to read; I just found more enjoyment out of the black and white artwork.
As far as the writing goes, it's what you would expect from Solomon Kane stories, even if the tone shifts somewhat depending on the writer. It holds up well in many regards, but in some cases may feel a bit dated 30+ years later. Granted, the same could be said about practically any comic series, so I won't hold that against the stories collected here. On the whole, though, the stories are enjoyable whether you're a longtime fan of the character or someone who might only be familiar with his newest miniseries from Titan Comics. And with so many comics collected within the omnibus, there's sure to be at least a few that grab your attention.
In addition to the aforementioned Marvel comics collected within the omnibus, there are also some neat sections in the back of the book, such as a publication history of the character and a fictitious account of Kane's life. I especially enjoyed the latter of these, as it does a great job of summarizing the character's many adventures while taking care to reference which comic specific events occurred in, allowing readers an easy way to locate a particular issue should it catch their eye.
At $125 retail, this collection is no small investment, especially if you're less familiar with the character. However, the sheer breadth of content contained within makes this a fantastic collector's item for longtime fans while providing a comprehensive catalog for newer fans to dig deeper into the character's mythos. Plus, the hardcover format makes this an excellent addition to any bookshelf. Whether you're a longtime follower of the character looking to scratch that nostalgic itch or a new fan simply looking for more stories of Robert E. Howard's holy warrior, this omnibus is definitely worth checking out.
Solomon Kane: The Original Comics Omnibus Vol. 1 is available now from Titan Comics.
