Allan Quatermain and the Tomb of Hephaestus is a comic written and illustrated by Chris Ring. Allan Quatermain is thrust into a dangerous situation after a Tablet of Hephaestus is found. This is an adventure story with plenty of violence and excitement and starring a legendary character. The leading man for this story is Allan Quatermain, a person who is good with guns and is an adept fighter. The main lady for this tale is Irene Deral, a woman who is the niece of two old friends of Allan’s. The story takes place in 1885 and begins with Allan attempting to relax before finding himself in a life-or-death situation. There is plenty of travel and meetings with familiar people. The action here is like something out of a Western but with no blood or gore. The pacing is steady and the intensity fluctuates based on the situation. The tone is serious but no overly so, a bit like an Indiana Jones movie. The dialogue is proper English with a dignified air and at least a couple wordy pages. This is an exciting romp across the world with an impromptu pair that deal with danger at every turn while having a story that’ll keep you interested.

            The art here looks like an upgraded version of what you might have seen in the 60’s with realism as a focus. This comic is in black-brown-and-white with it looking like it was drawn on old textbook paper. The scenery isn’t always present but you will see rolling hills, calm skies, and still seas. This story begins in Crete but moves around Europe via various methods of transportation. The backgrounds more often than not contain parts of the scene in them so the moments carry a bit more weight. The expression level here is about average with Quatermain wearing a near-permanent scowl. The looks are mostly anger with a few doses of fear which fit the treasure hunter vibe. The faces have strong jaws and detailed features which also hearken back to early comics. The looks they exhibited tend to come across clear. The action scenes have good flow and are punch-heavy with guns also playing a prominent role. There isn’t any blood or gore here.

“Is this worth reading?”

Yes.

“Would I like this?”

If you like stories about historical treasures starring a mixed-gender pair and taking place in the 1900’s with some supernatural elements and old-fashioned combat than this is for you.

“What would this comic’s film rating be?”

PG-13. Violence.

“Could I get a quote from the comic?”

“There’s only one reason to carry an overcoat in this weather.”

 

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1035298541/allan-quatermain-graphic-novelette/description

***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***

Probably Contains Spoilers

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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 32

Violent Pages: 6, for 19% of the comic

Sexy Pages: 1, for 3% of the comic

 

**The levels below aren’t necessarily maintained throughout the whole comic, but they were definitely reached**

 

Violence Level – 3

“Wasn’t no tussling at all.”

“Sometimes you gotta hit somebody.”

“I’m getting charged with how many counts of assault?”

“This was a tournament arc.”

“All my life I had to fight.”

 

Gore Level – 1

“The only thing leaking out your face is tears.”

“Looks like somebody spilled some ketchup.”

“Might need to soak that up with a bath towel.”

“That isn’t supposed to be outside the body.”

“This is a slaughterhouse.”

 

Death Level – 1

“And everybody lived happily ever after.”

“We might have gone to a couple funerals.”

“It just LOOKS like a serial killer was here.”

“Yeah this was a tragedy.”

“Think Gettysburg.”

 

Porn Level – 2

“Everybody kept their clothes on.”

“I guess it was too hot for a bra.”

“Sometimes you got to let everything air out.”

“This is like late night Cinemax in the early 2000’s.”

“Oh. This is porn.”