Talos, of the Wilderness Sea

FROM THE ARCHIVES (Comics That Time Forgot)

Talos of the Wilderness Sea

Issue # 1 (DC Comics, One-Shot, 1987)

Script: Gil Kane & Jan Strnad

Art: Gil Kane

Letters: Gaspar

Colors: Greg Theakston

Editor: Julius Schwartz

Originally planned as a twelve-issue maxi-series, Gil Kane’s Talos of the Wilderness Sea was released by DC as a 45-page one-shot in 1987, with a hope that future installments would follow should fan interest warrant (apparently it didn’t). Although the cover art makes Talos look like a standard Conan-type of barbarian, Kane & Strnad actually came through with a very different story.

In a post-nuclear armegeddon future, the lands around the Wilderness Sea are inhabited by two communities: the beast-people, radiation-deformed slaves and the Zar, normal humans who have forced the beast-people to serve them. One day a miraculous event occurs: the offspring of two beast-people is a perfectly formed human baby. Kidnapped and raised as a prince of the Zar people, Carn learns the way of a warrior but grows increasingly sympathetic to the beast-people’s plight. In true messianic fashion, he learns that he is actually the incarnation of their god, Talos, and that it is his destiny to lead the beast-people into freedom.

Talos certainly has its share of sword-fighting, tiger-riding, and other fantasy staples. As an introduction to Carn and the launching-pad of what Kane hoped would be an epic fantasy story, the one-shot succeeds. Although a bit simplistic at times, Talos is a solid story with good art. Hardcore sword-and-sorcery fans shouldn’t hesitate to seek it out.