Conan The Barbarian #12 - A Review

I'd complained in recent months that Conan The Barbarian had become something close to a talking-heads comic.  What little action existed was sparse and it seemed that we had more pages devoted toward Conan and Belit talking about their relationship than we had honest action.  That changes with this issue, though the opening does start with Conan brooding on his own in a tavern.  This time, however, Brian Wood is quicker about getting on with the story and we see more of the ready wit that lies at the heart of Conan's character.


I am somewhat torn on Brian Wood's script in one regard.  While the plot regarding the sickly crew of The Tigress is played-out well and the action scenes in the second act are well-paced, I am concerned about the surprise revelation that is tossed out at the end of the comic.  I cannot even hint at it without spoiling all, so I'll say nothing here.  Suffice it to say, it is bothersome that we only see this part of the story from Conan's point of view and not from Belit's as the tragedy involved touches her even more deeply than it does our favorite barbarian.  Hopefully we'll see things from Belit's perspective soon, if not in the next issue. 


Declan Shalvey's artwork is as amazing as ever, simple without being simplistic.  The inks and shadows are largely kept light, giving all the artwork an appearance not unlike that of painted woodcuts.  The coloring by Dave Stewart helps throw the action into sharp contrast, accomplishing with one tinted panel what a pint of drawn blood can not.

Conan the Barbarian is still a worthy read, though a slow-paced one that reads better in trade collections than as a monthly comic.  Brian Wood touches upon these classic characters with a thoughtfulness unseen since the days of Kurt Busiek.  The artwork by Declan Shalvey is top-notch.  Still the finest fantasy comic on the market, despite my issues with the pacing.

Conan The Barbarian #11 - A Review

I fear I've grown bored of Brain Wood's thoughtful take on Conan The Barbarian.  And by thoughtful, I mean there are more pages of people standing around talking than there are scenes of honest combat.  While this sort of thing is okay in moderation - and indeed, I enjoyed last month's issue which was mostly scenes of Conan and Belit discussing their relationship - two issues in a row of Conan brooding on his place in the universe is a bit much. 



By my count, this issue has two and a half pages of combat compared to five pages of Conan having hallucinations while on an inexplicable vision quest that serves no obvious purpose in the story apart from padding the page count..  This is, to my mind, unacceptable.  Does this mean I want nothing but mindless action in a Conan story?  Of course not!  Robert E. Howard wrote many thoughtful scenes of Conan philosophizing but those scenes were interspersed with scenes of Conan kicking ass.  This book, by contrast, is all talk with little action.



At least the artwork by Declan Shaley is appropriately atmospheric.  What precious little action exists is paced well and ably illustrated.  And Shaley manages the difficult task of drawing a Belit who looks sickly yet strong at the same time, though her appearance does not stay consistent between the two scenes we see her in - her blotchy skin vanished when it comes time for her to bail Conan out of a fight.

Conan The Barbarian #10 - A Review

As Conan The Barbarian #10 opens, Belit grows fearful that Conan may be getting tired of their life together.  She's certainly growing bored, as their reputation now inspires merchant ships to surrender their booty without a fight.  This state of affairs has made them wealthier than gods but holds little attraction for a warrior queen who lives for battle and she fears the same restlessness may drive Conan away. 

Naturally Conan hasn't put as much thought into this, being a straight-forward man of simple tastes.  He is as content as any man of action may be when he's offered regular combat, decent food and drink, good friends and a girlfriend who spends much of her time lounging on her throne wearing nothing but jewelery and a sultry smile.  Naturally this state of affairs won't last and a chance encounter with an abandoned ship and a sickly prisoner promises horrors aplenty next month.


One might accuse Brian Wood of feminizing Robert Howard's famous pirate queen a bit much with her mooning in this issue.  Yet this faucet of Belit's personality does not seem untrue, considering Howard wrote her as similarly thoughtful and brooding in Queen of the Black Coast, as she pondered the nature of the gods and asked Conan for his thoughts.  And while Belit may voice concerns about herself and Conan to her shaman, she is no shrinking violet and is quick to call Conan out on his behavior and equally quick to action when needed.


The artwork by Declan Shalvey is a step-up from the artwork seen in previous months, no less stylized but far less cartoonish and exaggerated.  Conan is once again lean and wolvish, as Howard described him.  Belit is a pale beauty, no longer white as a drowned corpse.  Skillful shadowing captures the somber mood evoked by Wood's script perfectly. 

If you had told me a week ago that I'd ever have nice things to say about a Conan The Barbarian comic with more scenes of Conan and Belit talking about their relationship than scenes of our favorite Hyborian heroes kicking ass and taking names, I'd be forced to call you a liar.  And yet - here it is - a Conan comic that is virtually all set-up and no action.  And I enjoyed it, as I suspect you might too if you are a fan of low fantasy and high adventure.