Cancelled!
Another Michael Whelan cover starts things off, though not quite as strongly as the high-water mark of the second issue. More new content is featured, though not enough to save the title, which ends with this third and final issue. The cancellation is unfortunate but not surprising. Given enough time Kull and the Barbarians might have grown into something unique. The problem was not leaning into the things that made Kull different from Conan. Material from later issues of the black and white Savage Sword of Conan showed what could be done with King Kull given the right stories and art.
As a small note of curiosity: the bridge in the attached Kull image seems very familiar; swiped from a Kirby issue of Thor perhaps? If anyone recognizes it, please let me know!
Why is Cotton Mather still here?
Inexplicably, non-barbarian Solomon Kane is heavily featured once again. This isn’t a bad thing in terms of art and story. Pablo Marcos inks Weiss’s pencils. This would look even better (I’m a big fan of Marcos) if he wasn’t following on the heels of Neal Adams inking Solomon Kane in the previous issue. The real problem, and possibly a reason for poor sales, is thematic inconsistency. You don’t buy something with “barbarians” in the title expecting to see a guy in a Pilgrim hat.
She-Devil with a Sword
Red Sonja fits in much better. Sonja’s origin story by Thomas, Moench, and Chaykin is the third and final tale. Fair warning, the subject matter in this entry is disturbing, though not graphically depicted. Sonja’s origin includes rape by an evil warrior. This is the reason for her vow of chastity and life as a mercenary. After receiving the blessing of a mysterious, androgynous spirit, the future she-devil takes up her sword to seek revenge. I want to say I have seen this story elsewhere in a more complete form with different finishes. A review with side by side comparisons might be worth doing once I track down the other version.
Savage Tales
We now draw the curtain on Kull and the Barbarians. This won’t be my last Kull review. There are already a few more in the pipe. The next black and white magazine-sized title we review will be the Larry Hama-helmed Savage Tales.
Hey, kids, it's the most dangerous man in the world!
Bonus: Each issue of Kull and the Barbarians featured a full-page ad for the Dim Mak aka "the Death Touch" martial arts system.
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