SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING #2. by Titan Comics on 4/23/25, finds the Man in Black making an unlikely alliance with Abramo Bensaid and his daughter, Zarza, and Nico to find the Serpent Ring.
Credits:
- Writer: Patrick Zircher
- Artist: Patrick Zircher
- Colorist: Patrick Zircher
- Letterer: Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith
- Cover Artist: Ivan Gil (cover A)
- Publisher: Titan Comics
- Release Date: April 23, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 34
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING #2:
Recap:
When we last left the Puritan man in black in Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring #1, Solomon was bequeathed a mysterious snake idol from a dying archeologist aboard a vessel bound for Venice. When Solomon reached the city of canals to deliver the idol, he was beset by assassins and robbers who wanted the artifact for themselves. The issue ends with a pair of hunters in Ndongo finding a disturbingly shaped skeleton in the high grass and a Venetian librarian and his lovely daughter receiving an unexpected visit from a wounded man dressed all in black.
Plot Analysis:
Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring #2 begins in the Sao Marco Mission, where the locals discovered a humanoid skeleton with a serpent’s head for a skull. Father Gancallo pens a letter to his compatriots when he’s interrupted by Sha-Kabet, Priestess of Set, to reclaim the skeleton. The priestess is accompanied by a shapeshifter who assumes the form of Father Goncallo, kills the priest, and burns the mission to the ground. When villagers come looking for Father Goncallo the next day, the serpentine clone plays his part well.
Meanwhile, Abram Bensaid examines the status given to him by Solomon Kane. The librarian finds no inherent value in the artifact, but his daughter, Diamanta, asks to see it, smashes it, and removes a map to the fabled Serpent Ring. Their discovery is interrupted by Zarza and Nico, who’ve come to claim the map for themselves. During the brief scuffle, Diamanta threatens to burn the map. Zarza claims to be an honorable man and former knight, so he agrees to form a partnership to find the Serpent Ring in Ndongo in exchange for keeping whatever wealth they find along with it.
The group of adventurers book passage on a ship from Venice to Africa. Along the way, they get to know each other through conversations and the occasional bar fight. The issue ends when the team arrives at Ndongo to meet Father Goncallo, unaware that the father is a shapeshifting demon in service to Set.
First Impressions:
The main criticism we had of the first issue centered on the dense, discontinuous setup of the story. In Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring #2, Patrick Zircher brings the plethora of threads together in short order to give the story better focus. The story isn’t trouble-free, but it’s an improvement over the first issue.
Artwork and Presentation:
Patrick Zircher’s rich art is mind-bogglingly detailed and gorgeous. Every panel is a work of art, which is an impressive feat for a dialog-heavy issue. Even better, the brief action scenes look great, so this issue is a visual masterpiece.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
Focus and clarity are the names of the game. Patrick Zircher tones down the excessive backstories to focus on what’s needed and sets sail on a clear, purposeful adventure. Zircher’s handle on the distinctive characters, with desires and motivations, is spot on, and the evolving plot gets a boost with named connections to Conan lore.
The Negatives:
The plot comes into focus, but Patrick Zircher’s pacing drags. Again, Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring #2 is a dialog-heavy issue, but it’s not just due to the number of scenes that resolve through dialog but the sheer amount of dialog and narration you have to get through. As the issue progresses, it reads like a Robert E. Howard story with illustrations rather than a comic which lets the art tell part of the story. Some readers who are big fans of prose will love this issue, but readers looking for the visuals to carry part of the story may find themselves tuning out.
Big Picture:
Historical Context:
If you’re a Conan fan, you probably recognize the name of Set the Snake God, but this story also contains references to the Stygian wizard Thoth-Amon. Further, Titan Comics fans will notice this story’s contents echo Conan’s current troubles with Set in his self-named title.
Final Thoughts:
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SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING #2 improves on the first issue by bringing the disparate threads together and giving the story more focus. Patrick Zircher’s swashbuckling adventure puts Solomon Kane on a treasure hunt fraught with danger, and his art is exquisite. That said, the dialog- and narration-heavy issue’s pace drags in spots.
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