EXCLUSIVE: Robert E. Howard's Kull Returns, Now at IDW

Before there was Conan the Barbarian, there was Kull of Atlantis -- a warrior king also created by Robert E. Howard that debuted back in 1929, three years before the first appearance of Conan. Now, Kull is back and set to reclaim his comic book throne -- this time at IDW Publishing.

CBR has the first details of "Kull Eternal," a new series set to launch in June from the creative team of writer Tom Waltz (a veteran of IDW's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" books) and artist Luca Pizzari (Marvel's "Black Knight"). It's a time-traveling "weird tale" that will place Kull in a modern setting, in action against the sinister Serpent Men.

"When I first learned we were getting the Kull license at IDW, I was ecstatic on two fronts," Waltz (also an IDW editor) said in a statement to CBR. "The first, of course, being my love for all things Robert E. Howard combined with my absolute adoration for the rich Kull comic book history. The second being the opportunity of taking the ever-expanding Kull legend in a new and, hopefully, surprising direction."

Kull has a history in comic books dating back to the early '70s, but Waltz makes it clear that he was looking to do something different with this new series.

"The classic Howard stories have been re-told to near perfection through comic iterations of the past and there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel -- so I felt we could try something a bit different while still staying true to the core elements that have made Kull such a beloved character for so long," Waltz continued. "'Kull Eternal' is that idea -- using the Howard-penned tale (and one of my personal favorites) 'The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune' as its foundation, IDW will take Kull on a journey through time… a strange journey that will combine modern conspiracies and political intrigue with the supernatural and sword and sorcery underpinnings of the warrior king’s past. This will be Kull as he’s never been seen before… and yet as legendary as ever. A weird tale we hope is worthy of all the fantastically weird tales that have come before."

The first Kull comics were published at Marvel between 1971 and 1985, under the title "Kull the Conqueror." Most recently, the Kull license was at Dark Horse Comics, who published three miniseries from 2008 to 2011. The character was also featured in a 1997 "Kull the Conqueror" feature film, starring Kull the Conqueror.

The full solicitation information for "Kull Eternal" #1 follows, along with five covers for the first issue. IDW Publishing's full June 2017 solicitations will be on CBR this Wednesday morning.

Kull Eternal #1 main cover — "Kull Eternal" #1 main cover by Luca Pizzari

Kull Eternal #1—SPOTLIGHT

Tom Waltz (w) • Luca Pizzari (a) • Luca Pizzari (c)

Robert E. Howard’s legendary warrior king returns! The evil Serpent Men have attempted to infiltrate and enslave mankind from the time of the very first humans… only to be defeated at every turn by the Elder Race’s ultimate warrior… Kull of Atlantis! And now they must call on Kull once more, as the Serpent Men make a last-ditch gambit to first conquer America… and then the world. Kull’s long journey has come full circle—once a small boy who fled his home of Atlantis, which was lost to a monstrous cataclysm… now a modern warrior who must save the New Atlantis from monstrous creatures!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99