Hercules: The Knives of Kush #1 kicks off a new adventure for Hercules, following shortly on the heels of last year's Hercules the Thracian Wars. It continues to be written by Steve Moore of 2000 AD fame, but there's a new artist on board for this second outing, Cris Bolson, a relative newcomer.
The Story
The Knives of Kush begins shortly after the end of The Thracian War Hercules and his remaining fellows are sailing away from Thrace on the Mediterranean ... but quickly learn that the world remains dangerous in this time of Greek heroes.
A battle with pirates is largely a colorful aside to set our heroes upon the shores where they will meet their next great challenge--the shores of Ancient Egypt herself. Here, Hercules and his fellows quickly learn that a civil war is engulfing the nation and that finding a spy within the household may be the country's last hope for salvation.
The Storytelling
With its basis in the real-world country of Thrace, the previous Hercules volumes suggested that it was taking place in a much more historical milieu than is commonly the case for Greek myth. This new volume reinforces that fact when it thrusts Hercules and friends into the court of Seti II, a pharaoh who ruled Egypt for a scant six years. The civil war with rival king Amenmesse all seems historical too.
Moore generally melds history and myth well, and I think the result strengthens the series by giving it depth. There is one point when the comic gets perhaps a bit too talky when discussing the historical backstory, but that's the exception rather than the rule.
Beyond that The Knives of Kush builds on the success of the previous volume, offering a look at a band of heroes, not just a single demigod. These heroes were well-characterized in the previous volume, and though there's too perhaps too much plot in this first issue to offer an in-depth look at any of the individuals, I have every faith that their characters will help decide the fate of Egypt as this new arc unfolds.
There's definitely a lot of setup in this first issue. It takes half the issue to get to Egypt, and most of the rest to learn about the problems of war and espionage facing the country. However, when completed, the setup is an intriguing one, full of beautiful queens, evil sorcerers, secret societies (namely, the nominal "Knives of Kush"), rampaging armies, and hidden traitors. I have ever faith that the story that comes out of this setup will be a fun one.
The Artwork
As already mentioned, the artwork in The Knives of Kush is by Cris Bolson. Radical Comics has rightfully received a reputation for publishing beautiful artwork in its comics, and this is no exception.
Bolson's artwork is fully painted, as is typically the case at Radical. The bright and clear artwork that results is a pleasure to look at. I think that the art may be somewhat less detailed than that of the previous series, but if so the crisp and clear printing of Bolson's drawings more than make up for it.
Overall, The Knives of Kush offers up a good story and great artwork, and thus I've given it a "8" out of "10" rating, just a hair higher than what the rating I gave its predecessor, primarily thanks to the strong art of this new volume.
Conclusion
The Knives of Kush continues Steve Moore's tales of Hercules, with a vibrant new background and beautiful new artwork upholding the strengths of the series.
