Hexagon Comics -Kabur #9: The House of the Green Priest: Celebrating 50 Years!

 

 Jean-Marc Lofficier, Roy Thomas; 

art by Roberto Castro, Nestor Vargas, Manuel Martin

Peniche; cover by Roberto Castro

7x10 squarebound comic, 

100 pages 

b&w

ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-373-6 - 

$14.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-kabur-9-the-house-of-the-green-priest.html

28. THE HOUSE OF THE GREEN PRIEST  by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Nestor Vargas.
29. THE HEART OF THE ELEPHANT story by Roy Thomas, dialogue by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Roberto Castro.
30. THE CURSE story by Roy Thomas, based on Rudyard Kipling, dialogue by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Manuel Martin Peniche
31. THE RING OF JHINJAEL by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Manuel Martin Peniche

Continuing on his journey south, KABUR arrives in the merchant city of Mwizaruku where he join forces with his old allies, NEVLAK and SEBHO, to thwart a former foe thirsting for revenge... 

This soon leads the trio into a fierce battle against various hostile factions, all eager to acquire the otherworldly Heart of the Elephant...

Kabur then crosses paths with a man who is the victim of a terrifying curse... 

Having resumed his journey, the Prince of Thule is then taken prisoner by the fearsome queen Jhinjael and finds himself fated to die in the deadly arena of the enchanted city of Komong...
 
Four spectacular Kabur stories, including two by legendary Conan writer Roy Thomas, wonderfully illustrated by Roberto Castro, Manuel Martin Peniche and Nestor Vargas.

Oh, this is the one you've waited for!  You were waiting for this one, right? Well, a hundred pager for under $15 dollars in 2025 is pretty rare and what a treat -notice Roy Thomas's name there?

First thing: NO, that is NOT Dr Doom on the cover (he's already on 121 Marvel covers this week).

Campo's art on The House of the Green Priest is wonderfully detailed with an almost fine pencilling quality and his fight scenes are rendered superbly. Looking at the work I would say that if it were coloured it would lose a lot of its edge and this story is a good example of how black and white can sometimes out do colour comics. Castro's art in The Heart of the Elephant is nice and clean and just as admirable as Campo's. Bao is also an interesting character but so are Nevlak and Sebho so maybe future appearances?

Then we come to what I personally see as the best Story The Curse in which Peniche's artwork quite literally drips with old style horror comic art. Dark and broody to accompany a story that, despite being based on one by Kipling, has so many unique touches and I loved it. A barbarian horror story.  In case you are wondering which Kipling story this is based on it is Rudyard Kipling's "The Mark of the Beast" from, I believe, 1890? The story tells of Fleete, and Englishman who desecrates an Hindu temple and is cursed by a leper priest (who else?) and is transformed into a wolf-like creature.The battle with the cultists as well as Kabur's fight to save Wonjin (standing in for Fleete) and the eventual inevitable fight between man and beast... spot on.

The Ring of Jhinjael also has a horror angle with vampires and Kabur has a new ally in Osk -a huge talking lion. Peniche again delivers great art that suits the story to a "T" although "V" might be more appropriate considering the vampire angle!

The stories and dialogue are spot on throughout and if you wanted to get just one Kabur issue to see if it met your tastes I would say buy this one and l;earn a lesson: never get drunk and desecrate a temple. It ain't good for you.

Highly recommended.