Post by Roquefort Raider on Apr 24, 2016 10:10:32 GMT -5
SSoC #183
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Threnody
Story by John Arcudi
Art by Armando Carillo and Gerry Talaoc
Armando Carillo is not a name I am familiar with; a cursory search tells me he's worked on several animated series in the '80s. His style resembles that of Fred Carillo, and Gerry Talaoc (not my favourite inker, usually) is a very good fit for his pencils.
This is a short but moving story illustrating Kull's deeply-felt sense of responsibility to his adopted people.
The honest Valusian citizen Cyrus, a young father, is walking back home after a little detour by the tavern. He is stopped by a band of robbers who rough him up, laughing at his belief that help might come; they are convinced that King Kull has plenty of interests other than seeing his streets policed adequately.
They are wrong, for a patrol of Red Slayers led by Bakas interrupt the robbery. Refusing to go quietly, they take Cyrus hostage and back away, a blade to his throat. Not wanting to risk the young man's life, Bakas doesn't press the issue and lets them go.
The robbers make their way back to the thieves' quarter, where they cruelly slit the throat of Cyrus after he's outlived their use to him. Grasping his bleeding throat Cyrus teeters away, but is then struck from behind by a dagger. The robbers are quite proud of their evil deed, and claim that if the money Cyrus had on him is all that a honest man can hope for, they intend to be dishonest all their lives.
But as Cyrus falls, he does so at the feet of a newcomer. Kull is there in person, being given to walk the streets of his royal city incognito.
Enraged beyond measure, Kull jumps on the robbers and brutally kills them all, one with his bare hands. He then picks up the dead Cyrus and takes him with him. Meeting Bakas and his men, the king explains he wants to bring the victim's body back to his family; he tried to wash all the blood off him but couldn't since there was so much of it. Kull mournfully admits that as king, he failed Cyrus.
Bakas protests that the king did not, as he avenged the man. But Kull insists that any savage can exact revenge, and that his job was to protect his subject in the first place. When Bakas states that Kull can't protect everyone, the king voices his agreement but it is clear that in his heart, he believes that he should do exactly that.
Note :
As was made clear in the story that introduced him, Bakas is missing most of the fingers on his right hand. That is usually impossible to see in the following tales because there's never a clear shot of that hand, but here even if it seems to be quite normal writer Arcudi has a character refer to him as "claw-hand", showing that he remembers what his character should look like!
-------------
Threnody
Story by John Arcudi
Art by Armando Carillo and Gerry Talaoc
Armando Carillo is not a name I am familiar with; a cursory search tells me he's worked on several animated series in the '80s. His style resembles that of Fred Carillo, and Gerry Talaoc (not my favourite inker, usually) is a very good fit for his pencils.
This is a short but moving story illustrating Kull's deeply-felt sense of responsibility to his adopted people.
The honest Valusian citizen Cyrus, a young father, is walking back home after a little detour by the tavern. He is stopped by a band of robbers who rough him up, laughing at his belief that help might come; they are convinced that King Kull has plenty of interests other than seeing his streets policed adequately.
They are wrong, for a patrol of Red Slayers led by Bakas interrupt the robbery. Refusing to go quietly, they take Cyrus hostage and back away, a blade to his throat. Not wanting to risk the young man's life, Bakas doesn't press the issue and lets them go.
The robbers make their way back to the thieves' quarter, where they cruelly slit the throat of Cyrus after he's outlived their use to him. Grasping his bleeding throat Cyrus teeters away, but is then struck from behind by a dagger. The robbers are quite proud of their evil deed, and claim that if the money Cyrus had on him is all that a honest man can hope for, they intend to be dishonest all their lives.
But as Cyrus falls, he does so at the feet of a newcomer. Kull is there in person, being given to walk the streets of his royal city incognito.
Enraged beyond measure, Kull jumps on the robbers and brutally kills them all, one with his bare hands. He then picks up the dead Cyrus and takes him with him. Meeting Bakas and his men, the king explains he wants to bring the victim's body back to his family; he tried to wash all the blood off him but couldn't since there was so much of it. Kull mournfully admits that as king, he failed Cyrus.
Bakas protests that the king did not, as he avenged the man. But Kull insists that any savage can exact revenge, and that his job was to protect his subject in the first place. When Bakas states that Kull can't protect everyone, the king voices his agreement but it is clear that in his heart, he believes that he should do exactly that.
Note :
As was made clear in the story that introduced him, Bakas is missing most of the fingers on his right hand. That is usually impossible to see in the following tales because there's never a clear shot of that hand, but here even if it seems to be quite normal writer Arcudi has a character refer to him as "claw-hand", showing that he remembers what his character should look like!