Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2 Review
Writer, Artist & Colorist: Patrick Zircher
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Editor: Chris Butera
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $4.99 US
Release Date: August 19, 2026
Ramih Khan is the Regent of Sidhi. Asaf Khan is the Regent
of Karra. Neither holds power by right of ancestry. So, to solidify their
status, their forces attack Gondwana. Durgavati, the province’s ruler, is still
young and beautiful. More importantly, she has the wealth and status they seek.
As a widow raising a young prince, both men view the Maharani of Gondwana as a
prize.
Diwan Beohar Kayastha, Durgavati’s steward, has traveled to
Agra, Hindustan. When the Emperor of the Mughal Empire granted him an audience,
Beohar requested protection from Gondwana’s aggressors. Yet in secret, Emperor
Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar smiles on his Khans’ actions. For Gondwana to know
peace, Maharani Durgavati must surrender her lands and choose Ramid or Asaf as her
next husband. But what will happen to Durgavati and Prince Vir if she accepts a
marriage proposal? And what sorcery or magic links a Puritan warrior with a
deceased holy man? Let’s grab our swords, leap into Solomon Kane: The Lion
Errant #2, and see!
Story
It is a dark and stormy night when Chandra Shah arrives at
Fortress Chauragarh. Maharani Durgavati invites her brother-in-law to join
them. But the Master of Scouts isn’t interested in eating dinner. He reports
that Ramih Khan's army is marching west. To Chandra’s surprise, Diwan Beohar
Kayastha realizes that Ramih Khan’s forces are uniting with Asaf Khan’s army to
attack them. Worse, his late brother’s widow refuses to retreat deeper into Gondwana
and let her Chieftains defend her.
In Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2, Patrick Zircher
interlaces his Puritan hero’s tale with views inside Fortress Chauragarh and
Asaf Khan's manor house. His slow-paced story reveals Durgavati's determination
to rule. It also shows how people respond to her leadership and contrasts this
with how Asaf Khan and Ramih Khan treat the people in their care. Yet as the
two factions mobilize for war, Solomon Kane walks an uncertain path. Shunned by
civilization, the Puritan wanders through the wilderness, led by a lion that
shares its food with him.
Yet, as Solomon Kane insists on moving forward, even if he
doesn't know where he is going, the lion eventually leads him back to
civilization. Unlike Asaf Khan and Ramih Khan, the Puritan meets someone
content with the power he wields. And as he receives a warm welcome, Solomon
Kane regales his listeners with tales from his travels. In this land torn by
the avarice of the two Khans, Solomon most fears that Fate has taken over his
life. So, even if it goes against everything he's been taught to believe, the Puritan
seeks counsel on how to regain control of his life in Solomon Kane: The Lion
Errant #2.
Art
Rain streaks down amid the lightning as a rider drives his
horse along a narrow dirt road. He enters a fortress filled with arched
doorways and interior supports. As his Rani rises to greet him, her court
remains seated cross-legged on the stone floor. Despite the flowers adorning
her ears, her eyes bespeak determination, and a white dot on her forehead
shines like the sun.
Like the Puritan’s black hat, cloak, and clothes, a lion
sports a black mane as he strides ahead. Along with the scratches on Durgavati’s
arm, the head of the Puritan’s staff links with the King of Beasts. Yet when a
streak of light prompts a miniature dust storm, the lion bolts as men wearing
turbans carry muskets, and Solomon Kane draws his flintlock pistol.
Patrick Zircher adorns his detailed art with a rich palette
in Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2. Yet he retreats to a single color when
portraying earlier moments from the characters’ lives. Asaf Khan’s attire links
him to the characters’ lavender and brown-colored memories as he bows to Ramih
Khan’s guidance. Yet a green realm links Solomon to Durgavati’s private,
blue-green domain.
Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white dialogue
balloons and narrative boxes with black uppercase letters. The letters shrink
for lowered voices, enlarge for raised voices, and grow bold with intonation.
Lowercase letters in black boxes introduce characters and settings, while Solomon
Kane shares his thoughts and memories in beige boxes. As gunshots echo across
the rocky plateau, an uninvited guest’s feasting disturbs two men filling the
Mughal Empire with fear. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
While Conan the Barbarian made Robert E Howard famous, one
of the writer's great loves was historical epics. Patrick Zircher draws on the
Puritans' original adventures to set Solomon Kane amid historical events in
Africa. Then, Zircher spices his grand-scale storytelling with the supernatural
à la H Rider Haggard in Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2.
Rating 8.6/10
For more, see Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2 Cover Preview.
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