More comfortable with a sword than a scepter, the enigmatic Kull has recently crowned himself king and seeks to unite the once proud and powerful land of Valusia. As representatives from all corners of his kingdom seek his counsel, the warrior-king accepts a strange invitation from the Pictish emissary. Kull will need to discard ancient prejudices if he's to save the newly united Valusian empire from a clandestine enemy that once threatened to enslave and exterminate mankind! Aided by Brule—a hotheaded Pict confidant—Kull uncovers layers of deception and treachery in the ancient halls of the Tower of Splendor and faces the growing threat of the devious Serpent Cult! Join us as we discover Valusia's darkest secrets and witness the first days of its mightiest king. • Collection features a new cover by Paul Renaud. • See pages 28-29 for the conclusion to Arvid Nelson's acclaimed Rex Mundi series and the return of Zero Killer! • "Strong storytelling, powerful action, real emotion, great detail work, and a balls-to-the-wall sense of power from his main character."—Comic Book Resources

In a meteoric career that spanned a mere twelve years, Robert E. Howard single-handedly invented the genre that came to be called sword and sorcery. From his fertile imagination sprang some of fiction’s most enduring heroes. Yet while Conan is indisputably Howard’s greatest creation, it was in his earlier sequence of tales featuring Kull, a fearless warrior with the brooding intellect of a philosopher, that Howard began to develop the distinctive themes, and the richly evocative blend of history and mythology, that would distinguish his later tales of the Hyborian Age. Much more than simply the prototype for Conan, Kull is a fascinating character in his own right: an exile from fabled Atlantis who wins the crown of Valusia, only to find it as much a burden as a prize. This groundbreaking collection, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Justin Sweet, gathers together all Howard’s stories featuring Kull, from Kull’ s first published appearance, in “The Shadow Kingdom,” to “Kings of the Night,” Howard’ s last tale featuring the cerebral swordsman. The stories are presented just as Howard wrote them, with all subsequent editorial emendations removed. Also included are previously unpublished stories, drafts, and fragments, plus extensive notes on the texts, an introduction by Howard authority Steve Tompkins, and an essay by noted editor Patrice Louinet. Praise for Kull “Robert E. Howard had a gritty, vibrant style–broadsword writing that cut its way to the heart, with heroes who are truly larger than life.”—David Gemmell “Howard’s writing seems so highly charged with energy that it nearly gives off sparks.”—Stephen King “Howard was a true storyteller–one of the first, and certainly among the best, you’ll find in heroic fantasy. If you’ve never read him before, you’ re in for a real treat.”—Charles de Lint “For stark, living fear . . . what other writer is even in the running with Robert E. Howard?”—H. P. Lovecraft

Conan wasn't the only Robert E. Howard sword and sorcery icon to be adapted to Marvel Comics! Following Conan's breakout success, Roy Thomas set his sights on Howard's legendary barbarian king of Valusia: Kull! Marie and John Severin contributed what many consider the creative highlight of their careers, in tales that showed how uneasy hung the crown on the head of Kull -- especially when confronting wicked sorcerer Thulsa Doom! The art of Mike Ploog also features heavily, along with contributions from some of the era's top talents...including Kull's first appearance, drawn by comics legend Bernie Wrightson! COLLECTING: Kull the Conqueror (1971) 1-10, Kull the Destroyer (1973) 11-29, Creatures on the Loose (1970) 10, Monsters on the Prowl (1971) 16; material from Kull and the Barbarians (1975) 1-3, Savage Sword of Conan (1974) 9, Conan the Barbarian (1970) 10, Conan the Barbarian Annual (1973) 3, FOOM (1973) 14

David Lapham (Stray Bullets) pits Robert E. Howard's original barbarian king against a terrifying magical foe from his doomed homeland of Atlantis. The Hate Witch has waited from the beginning of time for a great man of uncertain destiny, whom she can use to bring about the destruction of civilization. She believes that King Kull is that man, and she has launched an all-out assault on Valusia, slaughtering its people, in an attempt to draw him to her seat of power—the wilds of Atlantis! Kull will have to return to his savage origins if he wants to hold onto the throne in Valusia and save it from civil war! Collects issues #1-#4 of the miniseries.

Dark Horse presents The Savage Sword of Kull, which is the first of a two volume set that will collect all of the black and white Kull material printed by Marvel in the 1970s through the1990s! Howard's characters have always attracted top talent, and the creators assembled in this hefty tome are no different. Industry heavyweights like Roy Thomas, Chuck Dixon, and Gerry Conway Barry Windsor Smith, Bernie Wrightson, Marie and John Severin, and others to bring you some of the most exciting tales of fantastic battles and political intrigue ever committed to paper!

From Robert E. Howard’s fertile imagination sprang some of fiction’s greatest heroes, including Conan the Cimmerian, King Kull, and Solomon Kane. But of all Howard’s characters, none embodied his creator’s brooding temperament more than Bran Mak Morn, the last king of a doomed race. In ages past, the Picts ruled all of Europe. But the descendants of those proud conquerors have sunk into barbarism . . . all save one, Bran Mak Morn, whose bloodline remains unbroken. Threatened by the Celts and the Romans, the Pictish tribes rally under his banner to fight for their very survival, while Bran fights to restore the glory of his race. Lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Gary Gianni, this collection gathers together all of Howard’s published stories and poems featuring Bran Mak Morn–including the eerie masterpiece “Worms of the Earth” and “Kings of the Night,” in which sorcery summons Kull the conqueror from out of the depths of time to stand with Bran against the Roman invaders. Also included are previously unpublished stories and fragments, reproductions of manuscripts bearing Howard’s handwritten revisions, and much, much more. Special Bonus: a newly discovered adventure by Howard, presented here for the very first time.