Created by Robert E. Howard in 1932, Conan the Barbarian is the main character of a series of fantasy stories published in Weird Tales magazine. Following the author’s passing in 1936, many other writers have written works featuring Conan, including movies, television and comic books. Regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre, Howard was a troubled figure who, after a family tragedy, took his own life at the age of 30. His Cimmerian creation, however, would live on over the decades. Whether this is intentional or not, this seems to inspire the fictional backdrop of Helen of Wyndhorn.
Reuniting the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow dream team of Tom King and Bilquis Evely, this Dark Horse title centers on Helen Cole, who is called back to her grandfather’s enormous and illustrious estate, following the tragic death of her late father C.K. Cole, esteemed pulp writer and creator of the popular warrior character Othan. During her time at Wyndhorn House, where she is constantly in a drunken state much to the annoyance of Governess Lilith Appleton who is trying to give her an education, Helen discovers the fantasy stories that her father told have a greater element of truth.
Outside his superhero works at DC, King has spent time with other publishers, telling stories that are about pulling apart aspects of classic literature, from deconstructing the old romance novels with Love Everlasting at Image, to updating George Orwell’s Animal Farm with Animal Pound for BOOM! Studios. Helen of Wyndhorn combines Gothic and pulp fantasy to tell a story about a family that is literally torn between two worlds.
Dark Horse
Despite the book being named after Helen, the story frames Lilith as the main character, who is introduced at the start of the first issue being interviewed by a young man who is writing a book on C.K. Cole. It may seem unusual that King uses Lilith as the book’s narrator, given her lack of participation as the story delves deeper into the Other World, and yet she serves as an emotional anchor for Helen in Wyndhorn House. As much as King is playing with a non-linear narrative that includes the young author Thomas Rogers who is trying to come in terms with the story that is being told to him, Helen of Wyndhorn is at its best when it focuses on Helen of Wyndhorn herself.
Introduced as a rebellious teen who can’t fit into normal society, Helen is clearly grieving from the loss of her father and would rather drown her sorrows away. As she spends more time at the house where she has a monstrous encounter, which is resolved by her grandfather Barnabas, Helen finds a new lease of life when she joins him in adventures in the Other World, where she narrates her side of the story. Whatever monsters they encounter, the true conflict is Helen coming to terms with who her family really is, starting with her grandfather, who seems initially cold towards her but slowly embraces her, only to eventually reject her when he thinks the Other World is too much for her. Plaudits for King for showing how dark things can get, especially when it comes to presenting a decline in mental health and how Helen recovers.
Sword and sorcery stories tend to attract a male audience, so it’s nice seeing a female perspective towards the subgenre here with Helen wanting to be more than the damsels in distress from her father’s stories. That perspective is also reflected in the art by Bilquis Evely, who puts her own spin on a subgenre that has been defined visually by the likes of Frank Frazetta. Whether it is the Gothic surroundings of Wyndhorn House or the outlandish locations of the Other World, it always feels like Evely is delivering something new with every page, particularly issue #3 which is a masterclass in fantasy worldbuilding. Given how good Evely is on visual storytelling, you just wish King didn’t go heavy-handed with the captions to the point he might as well write prose, the same problem that occurred with Woman of Tomorrow.
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