Den, the mostly naked man in the other world of Neverwhere, is the subject of a high-quality reprinting by Dark Horse Comics.
And this 128-page first volume hardcover is not simply a ‘reprint’, but a complete restoration of Richard Corben’s story and art.
The art pages have been rephotographed from Corben’s original art, colour corrected and re-lettered (Blambot). There are bonus pages too, including sketches, posters, and essays.
Den is the story of “Den”, the man who has been accidentally transported into an alternate world. Den is big and bald, and always naked. He ’tries to do the right thing’, which in literary terms, is a surefire way to land in continual trouble. Den encounters naked women in distress, big dinosaur creatures who fight with swords, and loads of other naked and clothed beings.
Richard Corben clearly has a vision for the adventures and tribulations of Den, and it is a breathtaking saga to behold. The colours are vivid and almost psychedelic. The figures are stylized but accurate. The lighting is typically high contrast, that is, there are heavy shadows on the figures as they fight, argue and make love.
Den Volume 1 is a well-packaged reprise of one of the most unique and well-endowed (oops, I mean well-intentioned) male action figures in underground (Fantagor Press, Heavy Metal, Warren publications, etc) comics history.
Dark Horse, Den Volume 1: Neverwhere, $34.99 for 128 pages. Mature readers
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