King Conan: Wolves Beyond the Border #4 - An Advance Review

With the fate of his kingdom - and perhaps all the Western civilized lands - at risk, King Conan has formed an unlikely alliance with the Pictish Wolf Clan. They share a common enemy in the mad witch Kwarada, whose alliance of the Pictish tribes under the Iron Crown of Brule would spell destruction for Pict and Aquilonian alike. Yet events have become stranger still, with the heir to the Wolf Clan's leadership abducted and readied as a sacrifice to awaken the dreaded Children Of The Night!

Once again, Tim Truman has told a tale worthy of Robert. E. Howard himself. This story was well-researched in regard to the history of Hyboria and - as before with his shout-out to Kull in the first issue - Truman pays homage to another of Howard's heroes. Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia match Truman's script in quality, delivering more of the epic artwork we've come to associate with the various King Conan mini-series. Highly recommended.

King Conan: Wolves Beyond The Border #4 is due out on 03/30/16!

King Conan: Wolves Beyond the Border #3 - An Advance Review

Conan's quest to return a magic crown to the lands from which it came have taken a dark turn. His soldiers dead, Conan just barely escaped sacrifice at the hands of a witch who has united the various Pictish tribes under one banner. Now, to save his kingdom, Conan has forged an unlikely alliance with members of the renegade Wolf Tribe. But can Conan trust their word, even when they follow the word of his old ally, the druid Nai?
With this issue, Tim Truman has journeyed well beyond the role of an adapter. Despite this, Wolves Beyond The Border feels like a long-lost Robert E. Howard script. Part of this is due to how well-placed this story is within the Howard aesthetic and continuity - indeed, this story makes mention of the events of Howard's Beyond the Black River. The greater part of this, however, is due to Truman's skill as a storyteller and his ability to spin a ripping yarn in a manner to do Howard credit.

Truman is matched in skill and suitability by this series' art team. For my money, Tomas Giorello is the finest artist to work on the Conan comics in the past five years. And the colors by Jose Villarrubia are as wild and vibrant as the land of Hyboria.

 King Conan: Wolves Beyond The Border #3 is due out on 02/24/16!

King Conan: Wolves Beyond the Border #2 - A Review

Charged with a sacred quest by a desperate man, Conan and two of his most loyal knights have ridden west into the Pictish Wilderness. Their mission? To find some means of destroying the dark magics within an accursed crown. Alas, the Picts know of their approach!

Though Tim Truman's writing is wholly original, it beats with the heart of Robert E. Howard. The action of this issue perfectly captures the weird spirit of the original Conan tales and the whole affair reads like a lost work of classic pulp fiction.
This spirit is well portrayed Tomas Giorello. To my mind, Giorello is the finest Conan artist in the past decade. There is a visceral, untamed feeling to his character designs and a darkness to his inks that hints to the mystery of the ancient time beyond time of Hyboria. Colorist Jose Villarrubia completes this aura with a well-chosen palette of grim greys and greens that hint at the decay of civilization and the primal wild beyond.

King Conan: The Conqueror #6 - A Review

Until this final chapter, Tim Truman seemed content to avoid any major changes to the story in his adaptation of Robert E. Howard's The Hour Of The Dragon.  Indeed, the entire text had remained untouched, as far as my expert eye could tell.  And Truman's only addition to the tale was a frame story, depicting an aged Conan as he related the events of his adventures to a scribe recording the history of his reign.


The script here replaces what was originally a nameless virgin primed for a sacrificial altar with Zenobia - the slave-girl who saved Conan's life and won his heart several chapters earlier.  Truman's change is a minor, but understandable one.  The final chapter of Howard's original tale was chiefly concerned with epic battles between thousands of soldiers and Conan's direct role in the action was rather limited.  This change not only allows Conan to play the hero but also enables Zenobia to be directly involved in the story's conclusion, when originally she disappeared from the narrative completely after saving Conan's life.



While Howard purists may argue about the changes in the script, all will agree that Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia do a fine job of depicting the action.  These two artists set the gold-standard for Conan artwork with their run on the series several years ago and I shall be sad to see them gone.  Hopefully there will be another collaboration between them and Tim Truman shortly.

King Conan: The Conqueror #5 - A Review

There is precious little I can say about King Conan: The Conqueror I have not said already in previous reviews.  There is even less that I can say about this issue in specific.  It is all climax and build-up for next issue's final battle between King Conan and the dark forces that have lain siege to his kingdom.

Tim Truman's script does a fine job of adapting the original Robert E. Howard story but there is little he can do to speed the pacing of the climax.  Still, while there is little direct action, the drama of the story is well-played.  And the grim humor of Conan's character is evident throughout, serving as a striking counterpoint to the urgency of his situation.
The artwork by Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia is also of the highest quality.  Giorello is one of the best modern artists to tackle Cimmeria's favorite son and Villarrubia's use of color is second to none.  The only bad thing about this series is that we have but one issue left to look forward to.

King Conan: The Conqueror #4 - A Review

This tenth chapter of Dark Horse Comics' adaptation of Robert E. Howard's The Hour of The Dragon proves just as enjoyable as previous issues.  This month we find Conan in the darkest depths of Stygia.  There he expects to encounter the murderous priests of Set but does not count on the subtler dangers found in an attractive woman who shuns the sunlight...


Writer Tim Truman has stuck faithfully to Howard's original text in this adaptation.  His only embellishment comes in the form of a frame story, in which an aged King Conan relates the events of The Hour Of The Dragon to an eager scribe.  It is here that Truman adds a little definition to Conan's character, revealing the Romantic nature of the barbarian conqueror as he waxes philosophical on the power of love.  Conan is not the sort to be sentimental but his passions are as great as his rages and Truman captures that expertly.


The artwork by Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia is as grand as the story.  I find myself fast running out of ways to describe their brilliance as the conclusion of this miniseries approaches.  So let me say this - many art teams have handled Conan The Barbarian over the past few years but for my money no team has done so good a job in depicting him as Giorello and Villarrubia.

King Conan: The Conqueror #3 - A Review

The best moment of this issue comes early on, in one of the flash-forward scenes featuring Conan as an aged king.  Here, we see Conan show the scribe to whom he dictates the story of his life the one statue possessing his likeness that he has allowed to be made since his ascension to the throne - the statue that decorates what is to be Conan's tomb.   And Conan, being Conan, expresses precisely what he thinks of such opulence... by releasing the contents of his bladder upon his own statue!


Tim Truman has not added much to the tale in his adaptation of Robert E. Howard's one Conan novel The Hour Of The Dragon but this scene is a welcome and comedic interlude from some of the darkness that comes later.  Truman grasps the core of Conan like few writers today and this scene displays the essence of Conan as a character.  He holds no respect for symbols - only for that which is real.  He also holds no concern for the dignity of kings (not even himself!) nor for death itself.  This scene proves an interesting counterpoint to later scenes, where Conan shows his fearlessness and lack of respect for symbols and death in a more direct fashion as he sneaks his way into a Stygian city and a temple of Set.


As always, Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia do a masterful job on the artwork.  Giorello depicts the wild and visceral world of Hyboria with a vividness few artists can match.  Villarrubia's colors subtly shift the mood of each scene, with strong colors enhancing tense moments and muted hues subtly suggesting the fading glory and decadence of the Stygian civilization.  

King Conan: The Conqueror #2 - A Review

This eighth chapter of Dark Horse Comics adaptation of The Hour Of The Dragon finds our favorite barbarian in dire straits.  The last issue ended with Conan setting sail after the thief who stole the magical gem he needs to save his kingdom.  As this issue opens, Conan is lost at sea and without provisions.  Salvation of a kind does find Conan but his rescuers see him not as a sailor in need but as another strong back for their slave galley!



As in previous chapters, Tim Truman's script captures the flavor of Robert E. Howard's original writing, for good and for ill.  While this chapter - in which Conan turns the tables on the slavers and leads a rebellion against them - is a grand action sequence, it is still full of unfortunate implications to modern audiences in that the predominantly black slaves didn't have any apparent inclination to try and rebel against their captors until Conan showed up.  Truman mitigates this by making some of the crew more reluctant to jump into the battle, until their fellows - former crewmen of Conan in his pirate days - tell them of Conan's prowess as a leader.  


Every glorious bit of gore and action is perfectly captured by Tomas Giorello and Jose Vilarrubia.  Giorello is one of the finest visual storytellers in the business and Vilarrubia's colors are well-applied throughout, with a wide variety of vibrant shades being used in the backgrounds to contrast the dimmer colors used for most of the events in the foreground.  The final effect is breathtaking!

King Conan: The Conqueror #1 - A Review

King Conan: The Conqueror  #1 opens with a glorious summary of the events of the preceding miniseries, King Conan: The Hour Of The Dragon.  Most readers probably won't need such a summary.  If they are anything like me, they have been eagerly awaiting this latest adaptation from Truman, Giorello and Villarrubia for a while now.  Still, the summary offers a welcome reminder and should prove a boon to any new readers who choose to jump into the story at this point.



Truman's script sticks firmly to the original text by Robert E. Howard.  Truman's sole expansion upon the original story is a framing device, in which an aged King Conan relates a tale of how he reclaimed his kingdom to a young scribe.  Truman does add one interesting wrinkle to the tale - the idea that Conan and his beloved queen Zeonbia were never formally wed.  Conan's reasons for this, however, are true to character and the revelation, while interesting, is inconsequential to the action at hand. 

And what action!  Disposed from his throne by an evil wizard in the service of an enemy nation, Conan now seeks The Heart of Ahriman - a magic gem used by his enemies to resurrect and command said wizard.  Conan has tracked said gem and the thief who stole it to the port city of Messatina.  It is here he hopes to reconnect with old contacts from his days as a pirate and recover the gem before the thief can find a buyer.



Moody and morose, Tomas Giorello's artwork is a perfect complement to Truman's script.  Giorello is one of the finest sword-and-sorcery artists in the business today and his Conan is quickly becoming the definitive modern version.  His artwork is aided by some masterful choices of color by Jose Villarrubia, whose muted palette aids to the feeling of gloom and desperation that dominates Conan's current attitude and plight. 

King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #6 - A Review

The best aspect of King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon is that it seems less like a comic and more like a campfire story.  This is due entirely to the writing style of Robert E. Howard, whose unpretentious prose - much like the plays of Shakespeare - demands to be spoken rather than read quietly. Writer Tim Truman wisely chooses to portray the story as such, with an aged King Conan recalling the action of the story to an enthralled scribe. 


The action of the issue is thrilling indeed.  After seeing to the safety of the Countess Albiona (whom Conan risked much to save in the previous issue) our hero rides off in the guise of a simple mercenary in pursuit of a magical gem that will give Conan power enough to stand against the sorcerer who aids the usurping nobles that have conquered his kingdom.  Naturally there are complications and high adventure but also humor, as Conan shows his cunning in a variation on the old joke regarding a translator delivering the wrong message to an oblivious fool. 


As always, Tomas Giorello's art is impressive.  There is a gravity to Giorello's work and a true depth to his pencils and inks rarely seen in modern comics.  Attention must also be paid to Jose Villarrubia, whose sombre palettes bring new life into the world of Hyboria, despite it's dark and depraved nature. 

King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #5 - A Review

King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #5 proves a welcome change of pace from last month's issue.  The fourth issue of this series, which I did not review last month, was a bit of a snoozer.  There was little action past Conan's rescuing a prophetic witch from some wicked mercenaries and a lot of talk meant to give Conan a direction to move in his quest to reclaim his usurped kingdom.  All of this was all well-written and well-depicted, yet I can't help but feel such exposition should have been condensed somewhat to allow for more action.


This issue, by contrast, is almost nothing but action.  Indeed, most of the issue is taken up by one long action sequence!  Our focus is on Conan as he seeks to rescue the Countess Albiona from the executioner's block - a fate decreed for her in the face of her refusal to wed the usurping lord Valerius.

Despite being based around the most cliched pulp-plot ever, Robert E. Howard turned a leaden concept into golden treasure.  So too does Tim Truman take Howard's prose and tweak it to better fit the graphic novel format.  The action of the issue is thrilling but also showcases how Conan has changed as a character over time.  We learn of Conan being a progressive liberal by the standards of Hyboria, allowing his subjects to worship whatever gods they wish, so long as their rites do no harm to others.  The crude chivalric code the barbarian adopted in his later life is also well in evidence, given his treatment of the beautiful young countess he has rescued.


It is the countess who represents the one fault I find in the artwork this time around.  Though it may be foolish to complain of cheesecake and fan-service in a Conan book, Albonia spins the entirety of the issue in a ragged dress that is more rag than dress.  It's particularly vexing given there is no reference to her being nearly naked in the original Howard text and because Albonia is otherwise presented as a strong-willed young woman who will stand for her convictions even in the face of torture and certain death.

You are better than this, Mr. Giorello.  Please remember that in the future.

King Conan: The Hour of The Dragon #3 - A Review

The tale of Zenobia is a literal rags-to-riches story.  Born and raised to serve in the harems of royalty, she had a strength and fire that seemed incongruous to her position and upbringing.  Despite this, Conan placed her in his affections as highly as his other great love - the pirate queen, Belit - and this issue of King Conan showcases precisely why a simple slave girl earned such fierce devotion.


What Tim Truman has written here in his adaptation of the classic Robert E. Howard story is a true romance in every definition of the word.  Howard's writing is Romantic in the classical sense, with his reoccurring themes of Nature vs. Civilization, a focus on individuals over society and an emphasis on strong emotions (i.e. the "gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth" of Conan).  Yet this chapter also satisfies the modern definition of a romantic tale, with Conan cast as the bare-chested epitome of passionate manliness and Zenobia as the strong-willed heroine.  Thankfully, the action of the story keeps the characters from slipping into cliche and the story does work on both levels.


The artwork by Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia equals the quality of Truman's script.  Giorello's pencils are naturally clear and he's a maste rat using his inks to obscure the visuals in just the right way to leave things appropriate moody and threatening without drowning the page in ink.  Colorist Villarrubia offers a surprising subtlety in his palette, using brighter colors in his depiction of Zenboa relative to the rest of the art.  Is this symbollic of the ray of light she brings to Conan in his darkest hour or merely a reflection of the colorful attire standard to her life?  Either way, the visual is effective.

King Conan: The Hour of The Dragon #2 - A Review

Tim Truman's masterful adaptation of Robert E. Howard's The Hour of the Dragon continues in fine form this month.  The action of this issue sees a young King Conan laid low by dark sorcery as his armies are routed by foreign invaders.  Locked away in a dungeon, Conan finds salvation at the hands of Zenobia - a comely slave girl, who has long harbored a crush on the foreign king.


As always, Truman stays close to the original Howard text, his only addition to the story being a framing device wherein an older Conan tells tales to a scribe recording the official history of Conan's reign as King of Aquilonia.  This allows Truman some creative license in his adaptation, deepening the character of Conan in ways the original text does not allow.  I'm not sure the word "sentimental" can be applied to Conan but I'm hard pressed to think of another word to describe any man who still carries the knife that was given to him by his future wife long after her death.


The artwork by Tomas Giorello and Jose Villarrubia is also as impressive as ever.  Giorello's dirty yet detailed style is a perfect choice for depicting the harsh world of Hyboria.  The gloomy yet vivid palette chosen by Villarrubia further heightens the glorious wonder of Giorello's penicls and inks.  

King Conan: The Hour Of The Dragon #1

It was inevitable that Timothy Truman and Tomas Giorello, who have already adapted so many of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories into graphic novels, would eventually get to The Hour of The Dragon - the one novel-length Conan story Howard wrote.  Those of you who have enjoyed their previous collaborations on The Scarlet Citadel and The Phoenix On The Sword will find more of the same here.  As for those of you who haven't read a Truman/Giorello adaptation before, you're in for a real treat.


Truman's scripts stay largely true to the original Howard text.  His only real addition is a framing sequence involving a young scribe recording the life's story of an aged Conan, long retired from heroics to wear the crown of Aquilonia on his weary brow.  These sequences connect this story with Truman's other King Conan adaptations while easing new readers into world of Hyboria.

Our story begins as an aged Conan's late-night visit to the tomb of his queen Zenobia  is interrupted by his young scribe.  Inspired by the bard's parroted description of Zenobia's beauty, Conan agrees to tell the tale of how Zenobia - once a lowly slave-girl - became the queen of the most powerful nation in Hyboria.  We are then taking back a span of years to when Conan was a new king, still coping with enemy nations at his front and treasonous nobles at his back...


Giorello is one of my favorite Conan artists.  His style is as dark and savage as Conan himself, full of rich details and character in every panel.  Credit must also be given to Colorist Jose Villarrubia, whose palette is as somber and dull as the Cimmerian highlands, save for the vibrant and wild colors he uses to depict the torches that seem to be the only source of light in Giorello's Hyboria. 

Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #5 - A Review

Anthology titles are a difficult sell to modern comic book readers. It is difficult enough for a reader to justify purchasing a title starring familiar characters with artwork or scripting by a creator they enjoy in these tough economic times. It is harder still to convince an empty-pocketed reader to part with double the price of a regular comic for a collection of stories they might not entirely enjoy. Even the name of a respected writer with a rich body of work like Robert E. Howard makes such a thing a challenge. But sporadic though the publication of this book is, averaging two issues a year since it first premiered in late 2010, Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword has always proved an engaging read.

This issue offers less variety than previous installments, though the quality of workmanship remains the same as ever. This volume is almost entirely comprised of sword-and-sorcery tales. This doesn't offend me but it does seem to defeat the purpose of this series, which I believe was meant to draw attention to some of Robert E. Howard's creations besides Conan and Kull.

Even the one non-fantastic story in this collection has elements of the fantastic in it. I speak of In the Forest of Villefere -a historical horror piece adapted by that master of modern horror, Steve Niles. Paired with his artistic partner from Criminal Macabre, Chris Mitten, Niles borrows heavily from the original Howard text. This proves to be a wise move, though the twist of the story is rather obvious. Mittens does a fair job setting the moody tone of the story, though the protagonist looks just as warped and tinhuman as the foreboding landscape.

For my money, the best story in the batch is a retelling of the origin of Dark Agnes - a crimson-haired warrior woman who deserves far more fame than she's ever achieved. The script by Paul Tobin depicts Agnes as a woman ahead of her time, strong-willed and unwilling to be bullied into a marriage she doesn't want by her boorish father. The art by Francesco Francavilla perfectly depicts Agnes as a beautiful woman and a capable fighter - a feat that seems to elude many sword-and-sorcery artists, who draw every heroine like a supermodel. Those who dismiss Howard's writing as sexist purely because of his Conan stories would do well to check this issue out as well as the original stories.

Speaking of Conan, the one original tale in this anthology - based on Howard's characters rather than on a specific story - is a King Conan tale written and drawn by the legendary Howard Chaykin. The artwork is gorgeous but the plot - involving Conan's investigating the murder of a harem girl in his own palace - doesn't seem much like a Robert E. Howard story or indeed a Conan story. While Conan is far from the muscle-headed dolt many authors depict him as, puzzling out the details of a killing Sherlock Holmes style seems somewhat out of character for the world's most famous barbarian.

The first and last tales of this anthology are perfect bookends. The first tale, written by Ian Edgington with art by Richard Pace is an adaptation of Howard's Men of the Shadows - the first story to star his warrior chief tan hero Bran Mak Morn. The last tale, Kings Of The Night, is a reprint of a classic Roy Thomas adaptation with art by David Wenzel. I believe this story marks the only time that Robert Howard initiated a crossover between two of his own creations. In this case, King Kull of Atlantis is brought forward in time to aid Bran Mak Morn in leading a rough union of barbaric peoples against the invading Romans.

I cannot recommend Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword strongly enough, though at the same time I cannot recommend it to everyone. Like certain wines, this book will only appeal to those with a certain palette. But if you are the sort of reader who enjoys the kind of entertainment that might be more appropriately described as a ripping yarn than a story, I don't think you'll get better value for your money than you will purchasing a copy of this book.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel # 3

GOOD THING: This issue is truly faithful to the original Robert E. Howard text.






BAD THING: That being said, this issue is being painfully faithful to the slowest part of the original story. It all goes downhill from Conan freeing the wizard, with the rest of the issue being an info dump of just how bad things have gotten in Conan's absence.







The Final Verdict: It's a faithful adaptation of the slowest part of the story it is based on. The art is good but that doesn't disguise or excuse the fact that there's not a lot of action to be had. Still, the Howard purists will be happy and it is a wonderful set-up for the big finale next time.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel #2

BAD THING: Truman deviates a bit from Howard's text in this chapter. In the original Robert E. Howard story, Conan's jailer recognizes him from his days as a pirate as the man indirectly responsible for the death of his brother. While he is identified as a eunuch by the narrator, no reference is made to it in the dialogue of the scene. So it is somewhat jarring to see this extra bit of motivation added to the jailer's hatred of Conan and his threat to do more than kill Conan.





I can understand why Truman made this change as the original text of this scene was filled with some commentary and description that would be racist by today's standards. The problem is that having the jailer refer to Conan as "your kind" rather than "white men" is little better and the whole scene could honestly lose the reference to the jailer being offended by Conan's attempts to bribe him... particularly since he was the one who started demanding money to release him in the first place!


GOOD THING: All issues of just how acceptable it is to alter the original text in an adaptation aside, the action does flow very well here. And artist Tomas Giorello has an amazing gift for capturing expression, managing to do well what few artists even attempt - a frightened Conan.







The Final Verdict: While some may debate the appropriateness of adding in references to castration that were not in the original story, it cannot be denied that this comic is a fast-paced, well-illustrated tale of Conan regardless of how you feel about how it was adapted.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel #1

GOOD THING: A new mini-series from the writing and art team that worked on the late Conan The Cimmerian title together for two years, adapting one of Robert E. Howard's most beloved stories? What's not to like?





BAD THING: The only flaw this story really has is that Truman chose to use a framing device to tell it. While it makes sense for the story to be related in this way - with Conan, as an elder king, dictating the tale to a scribe for a history of his adventures - I fear this might be a bit anti-climactic to those readers who haven't read the original story.





Of course, we know that Conan will survive the events that he is describing. We know that he survives the dangers of his youth and becomes King of Aquilonia by his own hand. And while it is still possible to add drama into the tales of Conan's adventures in spite of this fact, it does spoil the tension a bit to have the final cliffhanger of the book be Conan facing down a giant snake when we already know he lives.



The Final Verdict: It's Tim Truman and Tomas Giorello, together again, adapting one of Robert E. Howard's best Conan stories. Despite my grousing about already knowing how it is, I must say this is an enjoyable issue and a must-read mini-series. Newbies to Conan will get a lot more out of it than us old-timers, though.