Killraven

Killraven (2002) #1-6

by Alan Davis

In the not-so-distant future, Martians have invaded our world and laid waste to our civilization! Now, only Jonathan Raven - the gladiator known as Killraven - and his band of Freemen stand between Earth and utter annihilation! Dig sci-fi action? Love great visuals? Then grab your tub of popcorn and get ready for this modern classic from the great Alan Davis! Collects Killraven #1-6

Genres: Marvel, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Fiction, Adventure

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Alan Davis is an English writer and artist of comic books, known for his work on titles such as Captain Britain, The Uncanny X-Men, ClanDestine, Excalibur, JLA: The Nail and JLA: Another Nail and others.

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent remake of Marvel's take on War of the Worlds meets John Carter from Mars.
Not bad at all and I'm a long time fan of Alan Davis' gorgeous artworks, but I remember classic Killraven series from my teen comic-books reading days being far better than this one.

'Nuff said.

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Davis updates the story of Killraven, originally presented in Amazing Adventures back in the '70s. I have a fond memory of those old stories, some of the earliest Marvel comics I bought. Davis' art is always pleasurable -- somewhat cartoony, but here it recalls the work of Neal Adams (original artist on the first issue of Killraven, or at least part of it), though I'd never really made that connection with Davis before. The story is an abbreviated version of the old series, with all the major characters I remember: M'Shulla, Carmilla, Mint Julep, Volcana, Old Skull (my favorite), and Hawk -- who I remember really liking in the old series, although here he's presented as a self-centered jerk and potential traitor to the team. The story gets wrapped up too neatly and quickly at the end, but overall makes for a pleasant and nostalgic read.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this book up out of the Bargain Bin at Barnes & Noble because I though it would make a sturdy addition to my classroom's lending library, but not expecting very much out of Killraven besides it being pretty to look at, thanks to the Alan Davis artwork. Imagine my surprise to become fairly engrossed in the story, an far-flung update of H.G. Wells War of the Worlds.

Although I know that the Killraven character presages my childhood in the 1980's, I couldn't help but enjoy the books on the level of my old Saturday morning cartoons, with aspects of Hanna Barbara's Thundarr the Barbarian and Filmation's He-Man characters seemingly lifted from this type of story.

A surprisingly fun read!

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qualche anno fa Alan Davis aveva uno strano "contratto" con la Marvel: loro gli producevano delle mini in cambio del suo operato su serie mainstream. Questa mini di 6 è una rilettura del classico Killraven degli ani '70.
Non è male, ma non è all'altezza dell'originale, se non per i disegni. Non mi è piaciuta la riscrittura del personaggio di Hawke, ben diverso nell'originale.

[Ekenedilichukwu Ikegwuani · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting short story arc. not bad

[Hamish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comic book candy. Not terribly nutritious, but it tastes so good!

[Steven "Steve" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent retelling of the legend of Killraven. A return to the far future of 2018. I thought Carmillla Frost was not as well developed a character as the original series, but other than that it was excellent.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I don't think I was the target audience for this. For starters, I am not a teen boy living in the 90s, but I had never read the original Killraven comics either. On the other hand, I am a big fan of H.G. Wells The War of the Worlds, familiar with John Carter of Mars, and have enjoyed other Alan Davies' stories.

I quite enjoyed this and I wasn't actually expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, especially after reading the first issue in this collected Killraven edition, which was just mindless 90s action - clearly based on the Gladiators and pro wrestling but worse. The story, while simple, really picks up after that first issue, although it never ceases to be silly and over the top. We see Killraven lead a band of merry misfits to fight the Martians, a fight which culminates in uniting humanity to confront their overlords. Surprisingly, but in line with the original H.G. Wells, the final confrontation is not an action-packed showdown, which is a breath of fresh air in the Marvel world.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvel's rip off...sorry...homage to ERB's John Carter of Mars stories is brought back with beautiful Alan Davis art and a great big pulp sci-fi adventure feel.
Really good stuff.

I never had a chance to read the old series, so I don't know how it compares, but the new series stands on it's own well and has me wanting to track down the back issues.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I ordered this, I thought it was an update of the original Killraven series but it turned out to be a sort of prequel. It was pretty good and I really liked the art. Killraven is definitely a John Carter kind of character and the story is really Sword & Planet fiction, even though it takes place on an Earth conquered and altered by the Martians of War of the Worlds.

[Geoff Sebesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most enjoyable Marvel comics that I've read for a long time. Pure science fiction geekery. It's obvious Alan Davis read Killraven as a kid and had all sorts of great ideas, and he finally gets to make them all happen.

I guess Killraven is officially some sort of cult super hero.

[Reyel2107 · Rating 5 out of 5]

almost better than the first !!!!!!