Conan The Slayer #8 - An Preview/Review

Conan's newly forged alliance between the Kozak tribesmen and the Reavers of the Vilayet Sea has succeeded! Indeed, Conan's leadership has proven as profitable for his roguish allies as it has been aggravating for Jehunigir Agha, keeper of the coastal border of Turan. Lord Agha proves unwilling to wait for his men to deal with the barbarian, however, and sets a trap on a remote island using an enslaved noblewoman named Octavia as bait.










Conan The Slayer #8 seems a fairly straight-forward adaption of the first few chapters of Robert E. Howard's The Devil In Iron at first glance. Cullen Bunn has built on the original story, however, displaying the full action of events that were only referred to in the classic tale. These additions are well within the spirit of Howard's oeuvre and serve only to enhance what was already a ripping yarn. The artwork by Sergio Davila and Michael Atiyeh is of similar high quality, evoking the memory of Frank Frazetta as easily as Bunn resurrects Howard.

Conan The Slayer #8 releases on April 26, 2017. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #9 - A Review

The best part of Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword is the same strength shared by all high-quality anthologies. Should you find something in the collection not to your liking, you can always go on to the next offering and be certain of finding something enjoyable.  That's certainly the case with this ninth issue of the series, which contains a wide variety of tales based on or inspired by the works of Robert E.Howard.

The issue's first offering is its weakest - a strictly standard Conan the Barbarian story titled Den Of The Pleasure Goddess. The script is inoffensive yet made intolerable by the hack artistry of Freddie Williams II.  Thankfully, this issue closes with a far better Conan offering - a colorized reprinting of the Roy Thomas/John Buscema adaptation of Howard's Black Colossus.  There is no comparison between the two chapters and the final story showcases why Howard and Buscema are considered by many to be the definitive creative team for classic Conan comics.

The Lovecraftian tale of Conrad and Kirowan comes to a better conclusion than what was suggested by its lackluster first chapter. Admittedly, there is less action here than in a standard Howard story but what the text lacks in excitement is more than made up for in the artwork of American Vampire artist Alberto Albuquerque.  There is some classic weird imagery here, as a group of academics is told the tale of a book that can open a gateway to Hell.


The rest of the book is equally enjoyable.  The tale of Sailor Steve Costigan and his efforts to ditch an unwanted fanboy following a boxing match is an enjoyable sports tale.  And the conclusion of Breckinridge Elkins - Mountain Man is one of the funniest things I've read in a good while.

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.

Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #8 - A Review

Somehow, I've missed Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #7.  Thankfully, that didn't matter too much.  Only one of the stories in this issue - Breckinridge Elkins: Mountain Man - is a continuation from that issue and it turns out the first part of the adaptation is available to read elsewhere on-line.  I'm not much for Westerns, but Howard's natural humor comes through in the script and artwork of adapter Gary Chaloner and I found it to be an enjoyable read.

The rest of the issue is of similar high quality.  Dan Jolley spins a Solomon Kane tale in rhyming verse, with epic artwork by John Nadeau.  John Arcudi (of The Mask fame) delivers a humorous tale of daily life in Hyboria and the dangers of accusing a small-town blacksmith of shoddy workmanship.  The artwork of Frank Bianacarelli depicts a Cimmeria well in line with Howard's descriptions of a grey and dismal land.

The only real slow spot in the issue is the first part of Conrad and Kirowan: A Book And Its Cover.  Based on characters Howard created for a series of supernatural detective stories that owe much to his pen-pal H.P. Lovecraft, this tale is a good read that suffers from being included alongside such high-action adventures as the ones described above.  Academics sitting around a study discussing dark magic is not quite so exciting as the action contained elsewhere in this issue.  Still, the artwork by Alberto Alburquerqeue is skillfully done and the story is not bad at all - just incongruous to the rest of the book.

Conan The Barbarian fans will want to pick this issue up for the reprint of the Roy Thomas and John Buscema's adaption of the classic Conan story The Tower of The Elephant.  This reprint features colorization by artist Moose Baumann and, for once, colorization has actually improved upon a classic!  If you haven't read the original story, you're in for a treat and if you have... well, this reprint makes it seem like you're reading it for the first time.

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.

Red Sonja #9 - A Review

Red Sonja #9 revealed something to me that seems obvious in retrospect as I look back over the previous issues of this series but which did not hit me until just now.  Walter Geovani is one of the few comic artists I've seen who is capable of drawing attractive, nearly nude characters without indulging in fan service.  Despite drawing Red Sonja and other characters who don't wear very much, there has never been a single exploitative pose that I can recall.

This thought occurred to me during the opening scene, in which Sonja attempts to infiltrate a legendary brothel by posing as a customer.  This is all part of a larger scheme to liberate the most skillful courtesan in the world.  The ladies and gentlemen employed by this place are attractive but there is nothing sleazy or gratuitous in their portrayal.  This is a subtle touch but a good one and something more fantasy series would do well to emulate when the subject of prostitution is handled.


Given the above scene as well as the events of the previous two issues, it seems redundant for me to once again praise Gail Simone for having nearly modernized Red Sonja as a character.  Gone are the oaths of chastity and the pledge to only bed men who can best her in single combat.  Simone's Sonja is loudly and proudly bisexual and randy - not necessarily in that order.

Does this defy everything ever said about the character in earlier stories?  Does it ever!  But Sonja is a slave to no one and no thing - least of all the dread beast called Continuity!  Trying to fit all of Sonja's stories since her return under Dynamite Publishing's banner into a single story-line would be an act of madness.  And there is so much more enjoyable madness to be had in Simone's writing, such as when the aforementioned courtesan attempts gives Sonja an extreme makeover!



I've said it before and I will say it again - this is one of the most well-written, well-drawn and just plain great comics on the stands today.  You should be reading it.  Why aren't you reading it?  No!  Don't answer!  I don't want to hear your excuses!  Just start reading it!

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.  

Red Sonja #8 - A Review

Were there any doubts left that Gail Simone was dragging the She Devil With A Sword into a new era, they were eliminated with this issue.  There was some thinking that last issue - which had Sonja suggesting she was open to a threesome with two limber-looking swamp-dwellers - was a joke of some kind.  But it's no joke.  This issue confirms that this Sonja has no oath of chastity and is as direct in her romantic dealings as she is in battle.


This is a radical change to say the least!  It is also a welcome one.  While Sonja's infamous oath may have been born of classical literature and the women warriors of myth who required a man prove himself before being able to bed her there is still a serious disconnect between Sonja's status as a feminist icon in the modern day and the idea that her life (romantic and otherwise) is beholden to a war goddess' whims.  In this respect Simone's take on Red Sonja is far closer to the ideals of Robert E. Howard than any other writer to handle the character.

This is ironic because many fans of the Hyborian oeuvre are likely to dismiss Simone's story out of hand given the basic plot of the current storyline, in which Sonja has been recruited by a Stygian priest to recruit six of the greatest artisans in the land so that he may throw the ultimate celebration before his foretold death.  Howard purists may wail that Stygia is an insular country and that an obvious foreigner like Sonja would never be allowed within its borders, let alone allowed to traipse about it on so trivial a quest as finding six artisans.  These people miss the larger point - that Sonja is a heroine very much in the mold of Howard's other heroes and - much like Conan - has little use for gods and priests.


Artist Walter Geovani proves a perfect partner in crime for Simone's work.  I was wowed by Geovani's previous work on Red Sonja before the recent reboot and had hoped he might be given more regular work with the character.  I don't know which god heard my wish and granted it so I shall thank them all on Sonja's behalf.  Because the gods know she'll never do it. :)

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. 

Red Sonja #7 - A Review

I would like to open this review by saying a few words about the fantastic artwork of Walter Geovani.  I would like to do that but I won't.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words but for what my words are worth that would seriously short-change Geovani's work.  As such, I shall merely say I enjoy his work and let you look at the scans below to see why.

As for the writing, if there were any doubts that Gail Simone would bring about big changes for Red Sonja, this issue eliminated them.  In fact, Red Sonja #7 does more than eliminate said doubts.  It beheads said doubts and places their heads on spikes before burning what is left of the doubts' corpses.


Yes, fans.  You read that correctly!  Gone is Sonja's infamous oath of chastity, save to any man who can best her in single combat!  And as someone who has written a fair bit and a bit more about the problems with Sonja's oath and her status as a feminist heroine, I for one could not be happier.  But there's more.  Not only is Red Sonja not beholden to an oath of chastity but she's also confirmed to be bisexual.   


Honestly, this has little bearing upon anything, save to change aspects of the character that are rarely touched upon anyway.  Regardless of her oath or who she would like to bed down with, Sonja is still the same grog-swilling, ass-kicking she-devil she's always been.  And in the end, that is all that matters.

The plot of this issue - and apparently the upcoming story arc - is a standard fantasy fetch-quest. Sonja is recruited by a dying noble to track down six great artisans to help him throw the most epic going-away party ever.  Naturally, Sonja is reluctant to sign on for such a frivolous adventure, agreeing to help only after the noble says he will free all his slaves if she can deliver all the artisans within one month.  This leads Sonja to track down the world's greatest chef - currently the captive of the Hyborian equivalent of the family from Deliverance.

Simone's script is hilarious, as one might expect.  Seeing Sonja openly speaking about being randy - a change that might throw off some long-time fans of the character - is thrown into sharp relief as Sonja confronts an enemy that sees her shapely body and thinks of hungers that have nothing to do with the usual urges inspired by a shapely redhead.  Yet there is one sour note in the script that will offend scholars of  Hyborian culture - the concept of Cimmerian Ale.


As any Robert E. Howard purist will tell you, it was established in The Phoenix On The Sword that Cimmerian is a land without alcohol.  As Conan's general Prospero once told Conan, "You laugh greatly, drink deep and bellow good songs; though I never saw another Cimmerian who drank aught but water, or who ever laughed, or ever sang save to chant dismal dirges."

Personally, I think it matters little.  Sonja herself was born of the pastiche - brought forth into the world of Conan by Roy Thomas, based on a heroine from one of Robert E. Howard's historical novels.  And the idea of there being many Sonjas across the whole of reality was suggested by no less than Frank Thorne and Wendy Pini.  So if the idea of a bisexual Sonja, a horny Sonja or Cimmerians who brew beer offend you, consider this tale a view upon another universe and leave the rest of us to enjoy this one.   

Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #6 - A Review

I'm several weeks overdue in covering this book, which I only discovered had come out by chance.  However, since the comic itself has not had a new issue come out for over a year, I feel little guilt over being late in covering it.  In any case, it has proven worth the wait.

Curiously, Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword seems to be migrating further away from its apparent purpose - anthologizing comics based around Robert E. Howard's less famous creations.  Yet of this issue's five stories, three are devoted to Conan the Cimmerian!  Still, one can't complain.  Even the weakest story in this volume is better than the current Conan the Barbarian comic and all of the stories contained within this volume feature top-tier talent.

Two stories continue on from the last issue.  One is the tale of Bran Mak Morn - Howard's Pictish hero.  This story by Ian Edgington sees the chieftain fighting a battle of wills against a shaman who disapproves of Bran Mak Morn's efforts to cease his peoples' barbarous practices of human sacrifice.  It is a bold tale, skillfully retold with amazing art by Richard Pace.    

The other continuing story centers upon the origins of Dark Agnes - a red-haired swordswoman who had as much a hand in inspiring Red Sonja as Robert E. Howard's historical heroine Red Sonya of Rogatino.  Fans of Gail Simone's Red Sonja book would do well to pick-up this issue and Issue #5, for Dark Agnes's adventures will hold similar appeal.  The artwork by Aaron McConnell proves a skillful substitution for last issue's Dark Agnes artist, Francesco Francavilla.

The remaining three stories are equally appealing.  The issue's opening tale - Sargasso of Sand - centers upon Conan's misadventures as he gets lost in the desert and is confronted by a mad captain who seeks to make his ship sail upon the sand itself.  John Jackson Miller's script is a humorous one and the artwork by Phillip Tan lives up to his usual high standard.  

The second Conan tale - Demons of the Summit -  is a fairly standard tale.  Barbarian meets girl.  Barbarian loses girl.  Barbarian kills monsters and wizards to get the girl.  Despite being formulaic, the tale is well-told and greatly enhanced by the excellent artwork of Tony De Zuniga.

The final story of the issue - Child of Sorcery - proves to be the issue's best.  Small wonder given that it is based on a story by Birds of Prey author Christy Marx with a script by legendary comics writer Roy Thomas!  Though this story also details Conan's efforts to save a woman from enslavement and defilement, the heroine is no helpless prize to be won.  The artwork by Ernie Chan is reminiscent of the classic Marvel Conan comics for all the right reasons.

In short, this book is a must read for all fans of fantasy in general and Robert E. Howard in particular.

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. 

Conan The Barbarian #15 - A Review

Last month, I wrote a fair bit about Robert E. Howard, his view of women and the thin line between chivalric Romanticism and sexism.  This was inspired, in part, by a story that centered upon the character of the pirate queen Belit without really involving her directly in the action.  Conan The Barbarian #15 is a similar beast, despite Belit being directly involved in the action of the story.


Brian Wood tells a tale of two romances in this issue.  These romances are, perhaps, not worthy of the name by modern terms and the characters involved lack the words to describe their emotions in those terms.  Hyboria is not a land that inspires sweet words of woo but it is a classically Romantic place, where passions run wild and the power of nature and natural things is greater than any civilization.  It is a place where love is forged amid lust when a pirate queen watches a barbarian rogue fight her men to a stand-still single-handed.  It is where love blossoms where a slavegirl is purchased by a warlord's son with more gold than sense, to be freed rather than to be used.  This later story, we find out later, is the origin of Belit's parents but it offers echos of Conan and Belit's own romance later on, when Conan meets Belit's father and discovers why Belit has returned to the Shemite fortress where she was born.  I've never thought of Conan as a romantic hero, in either sense of the word, but Wood's dialogue firmly establishes Conan as both.


All of this is lovingly illustrated with equal boldness by Andrea Mutti, Pierluigi Baldassini and  Dave Stewart.  Mutti's pencils are detailed without being dirty and Baldassini's inks offer just the right amount of definition and shade.  Stewart's color palette, while being largely a collection of greys and browns, proves quite rich and visually inspiring in spite of that.  This book is as visually amazing as it is well-written and if you aren't reading it now, you should start immediately.

Conan The Barbarian #14 - A Review

Robert E. Howard has been written off by many fantasy fans as a sexist author.  I personally find this to be an unfair consideration but I understand it given how many of the original Conan stories featured women in peril and everyone's favorite burly barbarian slaying the monster, saving the girl and then 'saving her' again several times that night, if you know what I mean and I think you do.  (Thanks Joe Bob Briggs!)  While many of Howard's personal views are undeniably backward by modern standards, his views on the fairer sex and gender equality are less clear.

The original Conan stories do possess many sexist elements but that may have stemmed less from Howard's personal beliefs and more from his catering to the fetishes of his editor at Weird Tales.  Sex Sells and with The Great Depression in full-swing, Howard literally could not afford to stand on principle - hence all the slavegirls in bondage.  And yet, Howard's most memorable female characters - and the ones for whom he seemed to have the greatest personal affection - were the women warriors like the pirate Queen of the Black Coast, Belit, who refused to bow down to anyone or meekly accept society's expectations.   


Howard's personal letters also point to a different sort of man than the one suggested by some of his fictional writings.  Here we find a man who, while defying all but the broadest definitions of a feminist male, could be said to have a chivalric or romanticized view of women without a hint of misogyny.  He wrote that he dreamed of one-day being able to write and sell a "Conan yarn without sex interest." and indeed did so with the posthumously published Beyond The Black River. And in one personal letter Howard chided a friend for his own attitudes about women's influence on Western Civilization and named a number of great historical women (Joan of Arc, Catherine the Great and Sappho among them) in proving his point that there were many great female leaders, poets and philosophers.

I mention all this because the script for Conan the Barbarian #14 by Brian Wood is very much in line with Howard as he wrote Belit, yet she barely figures into the action of the story at all.  After a flashback where Conan remembers the active warrior Belit he chased into the Shemish desert. he confronts the strange new reality of a Belit who passively watches battle from the ramparts of a besieged city.  Forcibly conscripted into the opposing army, Conan quickly grows tired of waiting and hearing his fellow soldiers discuss the mysterious woman on the wall.  He plots to invade the city with a small group to break the siege.  Here we see the early signs of a Conan who will one day become a captain of mercenaries and eventually a general and king on the battlefield. 


The artwork of Mirko Colak continues to amaze.  There is a clarity to Colak's pencils that is as simple and powerful as Cimmeria's favorite son.  The palette chosen by colorist Dave Stewart also deserves praise, for perfectly capturing the muted shades of a city and military camp at night. 

All in all, this issue is worthy of Robert E. Howard's legacy.  The artwork perfectly depicts the excitement of combat and the mystery of a covert mission.  The script provides plentiful action and intrigue.  There's even a curious twist near the end that will leave the readers anxious for the next issue.