Writer – Steve Gerber
Artist – Rich Buckler
Inker – Frank Chiaramonte
Colours – Petra Goldberg
Letters – Jean Izzo

It has been many years since the mummy walked the Earth and he is a little angry and perhaps even more than a little mad at the moment and so when he comes across a couple of people in the desert, he kills one while letting the other inexplicably live, not having seen a woman in hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. Elsewhere, Doctor Skarab welcomes Ron and Janice into his home as he has finally finished the translations of some very old papyrus that he believes solves the mysteries of a lost era in Egyptian history and of the African slaves who were used to build the pyramid for a Pharaoh named Aram-Set. The writings speak of a giant slave named N’Kantu whom the Pharaoh and his wizard Nephrus were slightly worried about, concerned that he might spark the fires of rebellion in his fellow slaves. As one might guess, that is exactly what happens for once the construction is complete, the slaves who are about to be killed turn the tables on their masters and are led by the one and only N’Kantu. Things do not go as planned of course for just as N’Kantu is about to seize victory, he finds himself on the receiving end of a punishment far worse than death – that of a living one. One could say he is cursed and that would be accurate in a fashion for he is buried alive with his blood replaced by a serum that will make him immortal, forced to live in darkness for the rest of time. Somehow, someway, he is freed in the present and so goes on what most would call a rampage but with one very specific goal in mind, something in his head leading him to where he needs to be which is wherever Doctor Skarab is. Written by Steve Gerber and drawn the very talented Rich Buckler, N’Kantu the Living Mummy is introduced to readers worldwide in this issue he definitely makes his presence known. Though it might seem like just another mummy feature, having been written or filmed about in popular culture many times over, Gerber instead makes it his own for this mummy is not looking to hurt anyone on purpose necessarily nor does he want to live forever. N’Kantu only wants to be cured of his current condition, whether that leads to living or dying, he just wants his freedom and as the book ends, it looks like he might have gotten his wish though not in the way he was likely expecting. A great issue that would utterly captivate despite the familiar material.

3.5 out of 5