The Six Voyages of Lone Sloane, Vol. 1

First published in 1970, Lone Sloane fits into the genre of cosmic and mysticism-tinged science fiction comics that popped up everywhere at that time. The story follows a space traveler who is transformed by Lovecraftian multiversal gods beyond the comprehension of man, unfolding with a mix of mystical poetry and pulp adventure as Sloane tangles with traditional genre problems such as robots and pirates, as well as abstract, dimension-crossing doppelgangers. Recalling Jack Kirby's work, Druillet's visual universe is an expansive one that can overwhelm two-page spreads with mind-bending abstraction, seemingly impossible geometry, and graphic design elements offering unimaginable worlds and beings. The short story format gives the adventures more of a fable-like quality; they don't have much true narrative depth, but that, too, is part of the charm. (Aug.)