to a strange world and is sent on a mission, eventually returning to his former existence on Earth. Like Dorothy, Den is from Kansas. The stories of Robert E. Howard. Before completing the first Den collection, Corben adapted a short story by Howard, "Bloodstar", where the muscular hero fought a amorphous, demonic creature, similar to Uhluhtc. The tales of H. P. Lovecraft. Particularly in the first volume of Den, the presence of Uhluhtc (Cthulhu spelled backwards) is a constant theme throughout the story. Uhluhtc is also mentioned in "For the Love of a Daemon" and Children of Fire. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. As pointed out by SidSid Keränen, the Nar stones and the scepter made from them, the Locnar, are similar to the One Ring and its corrupting power. Captain Marvel (DC Comics). The transformation of a weak protagonist into an extremely developed muscleman resembles the same wish fulfillment fantasy between Billy Batson and Captain Marvel. Critical response Most critics have commented on the rather uneven and clichéd plot of the story and its visual power. Scholar Maurice Horn remarked that Den 1 "sounds like a lot of hokum ... but it is saved by Corben's astonishing graphic mastery and the sweep of his composition". Román Gubern considers that, "Den's brilliant experimentalism appeared tinted by a Neo-expressionist influence". Tim Pilcher calls Den "Conan on Viagra". Historian Paul Gravett thinks that "Corben's plotting may be erratic and prone to charges of sexism and cliché, but his total conviction and self-absorption in imagining this sensual dreamscape captivate and transport us there". After analyzing all of Corben's major works, Alberto García Marcos wrote, "Den's stories seem to wander aimlessly, with a minimal plot that weaves scenes of heroism, sex and action while giving unlimited power to the imagination of the author in the design of scenes and characters and the graphic experimentation. And graphically they do have great impact, but taken as a whole ... they are more or less ... mental masturbation". Author Samuel R. Delany agrees with the importance of the visuals in Den and its basic lack of plot. D. Aviva Rothschild wrote about the first volume, "Although coherent and interesting, the story takes second place to Corben's lush, magnificent, fully painted, animation-quality art". Rothschild believes that the only problem with the book is "the ludicrously large breasts of the two women..." but considers that Neverwhere