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Solomon Kane: Death’s Black Riders Issue #3
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Scott Allie
Penciller: Mario Guevara
Colorist: Juan Ferreya
Covers: Darick Robertson
Dark Horse continues to delight us with one of the best adaptations in comics of Solomon Kane to date. Issue #3 of Solomon Kane: Death’s Black Riders, which hit stands yesterday, hits a great stride as it reaches a perfect balance of action and story, providing us with an enjoyable read from cover to cover.
The first page of issue #3 talks about the calm before the storm, and maybe that’s what issue #2 was. Issue #2 was quieter and more subdued, sprinkled with moments of violence and some much needed story, but overall it was more comparable to a Hitchcock piece. Issue #3 finally becomes a fusion of all the kick-ass action of issue #1 with the story and dialogue of issue #2, and the storm really begins to stir up once more. This latest issue is what works best some days in horror comics: the “crazy monsters begin to attack and chase you down” moment. From demons to living skeletons to some great gore, the mix is all given to us here with perfect pacing and an eye-pleasing art style.
Writer Scott Allie and artist Mario Guevara once again get a tip of the hat as they nail it, bringing us not just some great fights, but also translating to the page this incredible tension between Kane and the demonic Black Riders creeping outside the tavern he’s trapped in. The images of the Black Riders just standing outside, staring at them in the rain, is a punch of gothic-bliss that is a necessity to any Kane story worth its weight and time.  In this respect our dynamic-duo over at Dark Horse have captured Kane at his core, while providing us an entertaining tale that appeals to all generations of Solomon Kane fans.
Issue #3 provides an over-all great delivery, with each page seemingly getting better and better. Without trying to give anything away if you haven’t read it yet, the magic really takes place right at the end of the issue with…what we’ll just call a little prayer leading up to do battle, and then a fantastic cliffhanger ending that would even bring a smile to a Republic movie serial. Pick it up today!
Drew McCabe
drew@comicattack.net