Redo the DH Kull comics
Jul 19, 2017 4:59:10 GMT -5
Post by lordyam on Jul 19, 2017 4:59:10 GMT -5
Say it's 2008; you get tapped to do the Kull comics. It's your job to make them profitable and interesting to long term staff. How would you do it?
I'd start with an adaptation of Exile of Atlantis; it's fleshed out into 12 issues or so. We see Kull's early childhood and his adoption by another tribe after years in the wilderness. THEN we see Kull being forced to flee and then getting captured by the Lemurians. Things climax in a brutal uprising (which would naturally be portrayed as a big badass battle sequence before they settle in Valusia. This is sorta open ended in that it's satisfying to leave off IF things don't go well
If reaction is positive we get the MAIN Kull series.
Kull gets captured. He's offered the choice between life as a gladiator or death; Kull chooses the former. He displays badassery and soon he manages to earn the respect of both the common people and select nobles (including Counciller Tu and the King's daughter.) This helps Kull (who is still a great fighter) earn freedom quickly. Kull joins the Valusian military out of boredom and starts to make some allies (Tu, the King's daughter) who teach him how to read and write at least. Kull also has the adventure of the Golden Skull; Borna, who is feeling threatened by Kull sees it as a way to get rid of him without attracting suspicion. The plan backfires when Kull manages to kill Rotah. At home, things get ugly as Borna gets increasingly batshit; nobles are getting executed and Borna finally shows how much he's lost his marbles by having his own kid executed out of a paranoid belief she's plotting against him (she's not). This causes a civil war (Howard mentions a civil war in his backstory, and I think something as horrific as "murdering your own child" is a pretty good spark.) Kull gets involved and the final issues shows Kull managing to gain support and overthrowing Borna. However some of the nobles feel cheated (they wanted the crown and feel Kull has taken their chance from them.). The series would be 25 issues
The next series would also be 25 issues, and would start with...Shadow kingdom. It's six issues, as we see Kull deal with a few stragglers, and gets targeted. One thing I rather liked about the DH version is that the serpent cult VERY quickly does damage control once their first attempt fails. They show they aren't just going to lie down and die and also demonstrate WHY they were the power behind the throne for millennia. We see Kull try to launch a campaign against them, but it's mostly cloak and dagger shit. Kull manages to do enough damage that Thulsa Doom, a millennia olds sorcerer, is called in to deal with him. Things culminate in Kull's first clash with Thulsa who flees for his life after Kull bests him and exposes the serpent people for good in Valusia (the battle with Thulsa is incredibly epic). The power of the serpent is weakened permanently, and at this point the serpent men wage a guerrilla war campaign against Kull.
We'd get a 4 issues miniseries of Cat and the Skull. Ditch the goofy dance, but also show that the serpent people are still up to no good. Thulsa reappears, but leaves since Kull has his guards with him and given that Kull kicked his ass last time he'd rather not have a repeat right now.
That's all for now
I'd start with an adaptation of Exile of Atlantis; it's fleshed out into 12 issues or so. We see Kull's early childhood and his adoption by another tribe after years in the wilderness. THEN we see Kull being forced to flee and then getting captured by the Lemurians. Things climax in a brutal uprising (which would naturally be portrayed as a big badass battle sequence before they settle in Valusia. This is sorta open ended in that it's satisfying to leave off IF things don't go well
If reaction is positive we get the MAIN Kull series.
Kull gets captured. He's offered the choice between life as a gladiator or death; Kull chooses the former. He displays badassery and soon he manages to earn the respect of both the common people and select nobles (including Counciller Tu and the King's daughter.) This helps Kull (who is still a great fighter) earn freedom quickly. Kull joins the Valusian military out of boredom and starts to make some allies (Tu, the King's daughter) who teach him how to read and write at least. Kull also has the adventure of the Golden Skull; Borna, who is feeling threatened by Kull sees it as a way to get rid of him without attracting suspicion. The plan backfires when Kull manages to kill Rotah. At home, things get ugly as Borna gets increasingly batshit; nobles are getting executed and Borna finally shows how much he's lost his marbles by having his own kid executed out of a paranoid belief she's plotting against him (she's not). This causes a civil war (Howard mentions a civil war in his backstory, and I think something as horrific as "murdering your own child" is a pretty good spark.) Kull gets involved and the final issues shows Kull managing to gain support and overthrowing Borna. However some of the nobles feel cheated (they wanted the crown and feel Kull has taken their chance from them.). The series would be 25 issues
The next series would also be 25 issues, and would start with...Shadow kingdom. It's six issues, as we see Kull deal with a few stragglers, and gets targeted. One thing I rather liked about the DH version is that the serpent cult VERY quickly does damage control once their first attempt fails. They show they aren't just going to lie down and die and also demonstrate WHY they were the power behind the throne for millennia. We see Kull try to launch a campaign against them, but it's mostly cloak and dagger shit. Kull manages to do enough damage that Thulsa Doom, a millennia olds sorcerer, is called in to deal with him. Things culminate in Kull's first clash with Thulsa who flees for his life after Kull bests him and exposes the serpent people for good in Valusia (the battle with Thulsa is incredibly epic). The power of the serpent is weakened permanently, and at this point the serpent men wage a guerrilla war campaign against Kull.
We'd get a 4 issues miniseries of Cat and the Skull. Ditch the goofy dance, but also show that the serpent people are still up to no good. Thulsa reappears, but leaves since Kull has his guards with him and given that Kull kicked his ass last time he'd rather not have a repeat right now.
That's all for now
