pencil: Richard Corben

story: Richard Corben

Den and Kath's life in Never Before is in crisis.
The girl is tired of nudity and wants to return to her world.
Zeg, the old chief of the flying village of Zegium that hosts them, reveals to Den that only one of the Nar Stones can return them home.
Den joins Tarn, Zeg's nephew, and Scon, the second in command, with other warriors to recover them.
Muuta, Tarn's fiancée, is secretly in love with Den and tries to convince him not to leave, abandoning Kath.
The Nar Stones are hidden in a tower created by the Dramites, small but hungry creatures that once ruled over Never Before.
They narrowly survive the Dramites' attack and bring the Stones to Zegium.
Den and Kath return to Earth.
Muuta breaks off the engagement with Tarn and returns to her kingdom.
Tarn sets off in pursuit, leaving his grandfather alone.
The Queen, warned of her vulnerability by Scon, breaks into Zeg's room and kills him, but the Stones have already been stolen by Scon.
Tarn takes a wrong turn on his journey and ends up a prisoner of the Dramites.
He discovers the hard way that the monstrous creatures require a human to reproduce and becomes their new breeding King.
Den returns to Never Before shortly after, finding Zegium destroyed.
He nearly dies in the desert, but is saved by Zandor and his blue people.
Zandor trains him in martial arts and soon after discovers that Tarn has survived the Queen.
Den says goodbye to Wyn, Zandor's beautiful daughter, then sets out to rescue Tarn.
The Dramites are destroying Never Before with their voracity and are headed towards the Muuta kingdom.
Den meets Muuta in the now abandoned Dramite Tower.
Muuta seduces Den and together they manage to survive the Dramites by taking refuge on an island.
Tarn joins them shortly after with his army.
Den's friend is now transformed into a monster, who devours Muuta and tries to kill Den.
Den prevails and with Tarn's death his army also dies.
Den wakes up on a deserted beach, where Kath has returned to stay with him.
This story certainly has a sequel, given the narrative lines left open.
Overall an enjoyable, if confusing, read.