SOLOMON KANE: THE LION ERRANT part 2: Love and Hate
The Chauragarh Fort in the Satpura Range. Chandra Shah ((????-????), Prince Vir's uncle, Dalpat Shah's younger brother and the master of the horse archers) informs his sister-in-law (the dowager queen Rani Durgavati) that Ramih Khan (Mughal general, regent of Sidhi) will be invading Garha.
The Narmada River Valley. A mysterious black-maned Asiatic lion has been Solomon Kane's companion for six consecutive days. Qara Bahadur Khan (the occupying governor who serves the third Mughal emperor, NOT Baz Bahadur the last Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate) invites Kane to the palace of Jahaz Mahal in Mandu (now in Madhya Pradesh).
The Chauragarh Fort. Kalyan Shah (Prince Vir's future father-in-law and the Master of the musketeers) will be arriving soon. Vir Narayan ((1545-????), son of Durgavati) tells his betrothed (Kamla Devi, daughter of Kalyan Shah) that he will not be fleeing from the army of the two Khans (Asaf & Ramih).
Asaf Khan's manor house. Asaf Khan I ((1549-1612), Mughal general, regent of Kara) discovers that the reanimated Lopesh (now a vetala, an ancient spirit borrowing Lopesh's corpse) and his murderer (Ramih Khan) are now... associates.
The Chauragarh Fort. News of an impending conflict with the two Khans makes Arjun Das ((????-1564), man-at-arms and chief of Queen Durgavati's foot soldiers)... very horny, he sleeps with an equally aroused Rani Durgavati.
Frustrated that Beohar Kayastha (Rani Durgavati's advisor) wasn't able to secure an alliance with Akbar the Great, Chandra Shah (Prince Vir's uncle) decides to slap the Diwan around.
Mandu Jahaz Mahal. Solomon reunites with Abramo Bensaid and his brilliant daughter, Diamanta (last seen in Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring #4). Thanks to Kane's influence, Diamanta is now an adventurer/explorer, just like the Puritan. Abramo inspects Solomon's Atlantean staff, Kane explains how he obtained it.
Solomon confers with his blood-brother N'Longa... Kane wants to know who is pulling his strings.
Ghebal Qagh (Master of artillery in the army of the two Khans) shows off his newly acquired cannons to Lopesh, Asaf & Ramih. Ghebal's subordinate (the one who lost an expensive cannon in the Gomti river) is fed to a famished Lopesh.
À suivre.
What I did like:
N'Longa, the beloved ju-ju man, is finally here!
Ramih Khan's coat of arms is a Bull's Head. Oliver Reed was banned from the Bull's Head pub.
A letters page (Monsters & Missives)!
Dante's Purgatorio: Canto 16 quoted.
Mahua liquor mentioned.
The brothers: Sunda and Upasunda + The three worlds from The Mahabharata are mentioned.
Androcles and the Lion mentioned.
Shmashana (Hindu crematory ground) mentioned.
Ghiyath Shah (1421-1501, the Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate who constructed the palace of Jahaz Mahal) mentioned.
Baruch Hashem means Blessed be the Lord.
The Bagh Caves and Nemawar in Madhya Pradesh are mentioned.
The Huguenots (French Protestants) mentioned.
A healthy dose of humor throughout the issue.
Fantastic covers by Liam Sharp, Patch Zircher, Marco Rudy & Leonardo Manco!
What I did not like:
Ramih Khan sits way too long at the kitchen table.
War is now an aphrodisiac?
Lopesh floating around in broad daylight.
Kane calls N'Longa... old.
It's Ghebal Qagh not GhebEl.
Abramo and Diamanta are back already? It's much too soon. Kane needs to make new friends.
Rani Durgavati does not appear on any of the covers! Ridiculous!
Where is Sarman (Durgavati's elephant)?!
Baghela (Master of the mahouts, the most interesting man in the mini-series) says nothing!
I give it a 9/10. Professor Z adapts Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard AND The Hills of the Dead by Robert E. Howard. Two adaptations in one comic! A must get!
