Well, not really in terror, but you know what I mean…
Hey, we all have gaps, right? Movies or books or TV shows or whatever that we should have seen by now but just haven’t, for whatever reason.
Same holds true for comics, naturally, and it’s time to confess that it was only last week that I read Kraven’s Last Hunt, the 1980s classic by J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck and Bob McLeod.
The six-part epic stayed out of my orbit for decades for a number of reasons, not the least of which is I’ve long had mixed feelings about Kraven himself.
See, when my earliest Spider-Opinions were formed, Kraven was a bit of a non-entity: He was never on the ’67 Spider-Man cartoon — there was a stand-in named Harley Clivendon in a couple of episodes — and he was the least compelling villain in my beloved Ideal Spidey playset.
This one’s not the one I own, but man, I just didn’t have the time to grab it off the shelf.
Plus, I always thought he was a weird combination of being intimidating and downright silly, what with his capri pants and ballet slippers.
But, hey, a terrific story’s a terrific story, and so I have a newfound respect for ol’ Sergei Kravinoff. And since I’ve been shining a spotlight lately on Spider-Man’s villains, I figure it’s time to salute the big guy with the groovy facial hair and lion’s head on his chest.
So here are 13 KRAVEN THE HUNTER COVERS TO MAKE YOU COWER IN TERROR.
Because, y’know, he hunts people and stuff.
Steve Ditko
Mike Zeck pencils, Bob McLeod inks
John Romita
Al Milgrom pencils, Frank Giacoia inks
Ditko
Gil Kane pencils, Giacoia inks
Romita
Bob Layton pencils, Joe Rubinstein inks
Romita
John Byrne pencils, Joe Sinnott inks
Zeck and McLeod
John Romita Jr. pencils, Romita Sr. inks
Romita Sr.
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MORE
— 13 GREEN GOBLIN COVERS to Make You Cackle Like a Maniac. Click here.
— 13 BLACK CAT COVERS to Make You Purr. Click here.
May 8, 2020
These covers have me “Kraven” for more. Hahaha!
May 8, 2020
I just ordered The Kraven’s Last Hunt as an audiobook. Also bought Civil War. These are like the Power Records of the 2020s, with full cast and sound effects. Kraven was always a favorite!
May 10, 2020
When I was a lot younger, my comics-fan cousins and I used to snicker at his name, because we thought the word “craven” meant “cowardly”. Ah, the word games comics used to have…