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Vampires beware, monster hunter Captain Kronos is back in comics form...

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter may not be among Hammer’s more iconic movies, but it’s one of the most beloved. The cult tale of a sword-wielding soldier who battles the forces of evil, he returns in September for a comic book sequel.

“I saw a lot of Hammer when I was younger,” says writer Dan Abnett, who pens all four issues of the new mini-series. “Kronos really stands out. Its a classic Hammer flick: bold hero, ghoulish monsters, buxom wenches… but it has a lot of appealing quirks. There’s a Sergio Leone flavour in the quiet, focused Kronos dual-wielding his rapier and katana.”

Abnett promises that the sequel will find Kronos facing a lot of vampire foes, but don’t expect them to all be the same. “‘Vampire’ is a broad term in Kronos’s world. It’s haunted by monsters, but they come in many forms, with their own rules, weaknesses and appetites. It might feed on blood, or life or youth. To defeat one you have to understand it first.”

Kronos is pencilled by Martian Manhunter artist Tom Mandrake. “Tom’s a fantastic artist,” says Abnett. “He brings a haunted, gothic, graphic style – crunching action too.”

Kronos isn’t the only character returning. He’s joined by mentor Heironymous Grost and Carla. “In the film, Carla is left behind – presumably because it was intended to be a series and Kronos would have a different leading lady each time – but I’m suggesting she followed them. She’s a smart girl in a world that offers her meagre prospects. Vampire hunting appeals to her, so she’s joined them to learn it from Kronos, just as he learned it from Grost. The mentor/protege cycle repeats.”

Hammer Comics: Captain Kronos #1 is out 27 September from Titan Comics.