Hexagon Comics KABUR #13 THE DEMONSMITH

 

stories by Jean-Marc Lofficier, Jean-Marc Lainé; art by Manuel Loayza, Mike Ratera, Jay, Luis Espitia Ayala, Nestor Vargas, Eduardo Garcia, Sebastian Garcia, David Lafuente, Martin Espinoza; cover by Moritat.

7x10 squarebound comic, 

96 pages b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-435-1. 

US$14.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-kabur-13-the-demonsmith.html

Introduction by Thierry Mornet.
NIGHTMARE ISLAND story by Jean-Marc Lainé; art by Jay.
35. THE DEMONSMITH. by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Manuel Loayza.
TALES OF KABUR:
THE WRATH OF THE MOTH-GOD story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Mike Ratera.
THE TAROT OF KABUR story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Nestor Vargas.
KING KABUR: 
MIRAMAZE AGAINST THE NIGHT story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Sebastian Garcia.
THE REAPER: NEW DAWN story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luis Espitia Ayala.
THE DEATH OF MADDON THE PALLID story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Eduardo Garcia.
YOUNG KABUR: 
FELIXIA story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by David Lafuente.
ARIANROD: THE LITTLE GIRL WHO SHRANK story by Jean-Marc Lofficier based on a concept by Irene Lee Ross; art by Martin Espinoza.


The celebration of KABUR's 50th Anniversary comes to an end with a full-length story drawn by Peruvian artist Manuel Loayza in which Kabur finally meets the otherworldly "Demonsmith" who has plagued him since the city of Olyazabad. Then we have eight more tales from the world of Kabur, featuring not only the Prince of Thule in his different incarnations as Young Kabur and King Kabur, but also Princess Arianrod as a child.

Guest artists include David Lafuente, Mike Ratera, Martin Espinoza, Jay, Nestor Vargas, Luis Espitia Ayala, Eduardo & Sebastian Garcia.

For the final volume of the Kabur 50th anniversary books we have...an art feast! The cover by Moritat I love. That scene has played out in the minds of most fantasy gamers over the decades -come on: barbarian versus skeleton warriors!

Some nice text pieces with some photos and to make sure no one gets confused there are notes to indicate between which issues of Kabur stories take place.  Thierry Mornet in his introduction notes that Kabur has  become embroiled in adventures and scenarios his creator, Claude-Jacques Legrand had likely never envisioned even with the legendary Italian artist Luciano Bernasconi!

Everything is kept tidy both in characterisation and continuity by Lofficier and so far he has not failed to impress -even when it comes to the Arianrod story where the art style is not my favourite being more cartoony -competently drawn but a style that has never really impressed me.

As for art styles well, this one has a lot.from the detailed and wonderfully drawn Nightmare Island where Jay shows off what he can do to Manuel Loayza's Demonsmith  with its interesting use of grey tones.   Ratera's art on Wrath of the Moth God is incredibly detailed and strikes you straight away. The contrast between his style and the previous strips works well.

Nestor Vargas Campo then draws The Tarot of Kabur is a fine traditional style with stipling and other techniques it is good to see in use.  Sebastian Garcia draws the King Kabur story, in which Kabur does not appear but Miramaze does. Not so heavy on the use of solid blacks but it is one of the best strips herein.

Luis Esitia Ayala opens The Reaper almost in Frazetta style.  For giant spiders, ape men and more of Miramaze alongside Kabur Eduardo Garcia delivers the goods in The Punishment and as with a couple of the other artists he uses tones and I've not seen that used much in recent years other than in Manga.

David Lafuente brings us the Young Kabur story; very clearly delineated and , again, nice subtle use of tones alongside the black and white art.it is that story that leads into Arianrod which I want to make very clear is not bad artwork. It is well drawn but just not in a style I like but then it is a style that is popular.  It's cute and Ican see a younger reader enjoying it but what do I know?

All-in-all this is a very nice volume and just goes to prove that not all barbarian characters are Conan rip-offs -buy a copy and see!

Hexagon Comics WAMPUS #4:THE RETURN

 

7x10 squarebound comic, 

96 pages 

b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-449-8. 

US$14.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-wampus-4-the-return.html

cover by Luciano Bernasconi

- THE POG OF MONTSEGUR story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luciano Bernasconi 
- DEATH IN VENICE story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luciano Bernasconi
- THE ORIGINS OF HUNTER story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luciano Bernasconi
- ON CE UPON A TIME ON ARENA story by Jean-Marc Lainé; art by Luciano Bernasconi

With this special issue, we commemorate the 57th anniversary of Wampus, first published in France in March 1969.


Our first story, The Pog of Montsegur, begins exactly where Strangers #13 ends, and continues with a “new” Wampus on the prowl in the South of France. This storyline continues in Death in Venice, which guest-stars the wondrous Sibilla. The Origins of Hunter, is a flashback to the events recounted in episode #3 of the original Wampus series and an origin to the heretofore mysterious character of Hunter, introduced in Strangers 2. Once Upon a time on Arena takes place a long time ago on the home planet of the Bronze Gladiator, now under attacked by Wampus.


This issue also included a series of Wampus pin-ups by Steve Bissette (Swamp Thing, Taboo, Tyrant), Wampus’ co-creator, the legendary Luciano Bernasconi, and Mexican artist, Manuel Martin Peniche (Kabur, Strangers).

Now i did not fet volume 1 but here are links to the 2nd and 3rd volumes reviews:

Wampus 2 https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2022/03/hexagon-comics-wampus-02-doomsday-march.html

Wampus 3 https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2023/03/hexagon-comics-wampus-3-end-times.html

One day someone at a French movie studio -or any movie studio anywhere- is going to realise how good a character Wampus would be.  If you see the original sketches for Wampus -it is in this book- you will see how scary -much scarier-he/it could have been. Seriously, I stared at that draft sketch a while!

The opening scene is straight out of a horror or horror-sci fi movie. I really need to find that Wampus paperback because although I loved reading it when it cam out I cannot remember some of the scenes being so scary -kids must have loved this when it first appeared.

Once Upon A Time On Arena was interesting and showed Wampus can be quite devious and maybe a little Machiavellian? We can look at these stories in 2026 (uh-oh: I just had to check the year!) and think "been done"; I have heard the same from people who read The Watchmen in recent years and start saying how titles that came years after "did this"! This is Wampus' 57th so, yes, he was doing a lot of this before the year 2000!

Some panels reminded me of The Thing(Carpenter) or the 1970s Invasion of the Body Snatchers and I wonder how kids in France reacted when they saw all of this -I wonder whether it was anything like my reaction as a youngster picking up and reading Avengers 61?

There are also sketch pages of Wampus by Bissette, Ladronn, Peniche and, of course, Bernasconi.  

I think that Wampus deserves a place alongside Dr Doom, Kang or any of the other super villain greats of comics. Maybe one day!