(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to The Classic Conan Countdown, a series of reviews focusing on the original 275 issues of Marvel Comics’ Conan the Barbarian, which were published from 1970 to 1993. This is a review of Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #5.)
By WALLY MONK – PM Library Editor
Conan the Barbarian #5 takes its inspiration not from a classic Robert E. Howard story, but instead from one of the pulp author’s classic poems.
Zukala’s Hour, from which this issue was adapted, was first printed (as far as my research could tell) in 1970 in a poetry anthology called Singer in the Shadows by Donald M. Grant Publisher, Inc. The anthology was supposedly limited to 549 copies.
It would later be reprinted in 1977 by a company called Science Fiction Graphics, Inc. but I could not find the details on whether or not this was another limited edition. (If any of you Robert E. Howard scholars or aficionados know this information, please let me know in the comments section!)
Much like issue #4, Zukala’s Daughter in comic book form has a distinct Lovecraftian feel to it, and once more we’re given wizards, spells and extra-dimensional beings. Even the name of the demon who is summoned in this issue (again, reminiscent of issue #4) sounds like something straight out of a Cthulhu story.
Interestingly, though, the plot is not at all complicated. As you’ll see in my review this was not one of my favorite issues from the Thomas/Windsor-Smith run. In re-reading it a second time, I actually prefer issue #2 over this one. That issue – The Lair of the Beast-Men – didn’t rate high on my list either.
Review: Conan the Barbarian #5
Conan is once again on the move and traveling. This time, he’s in a remote Zamoran village, on his way to the evil city of Shadizar. As he stops to visit a merchant, he finds a sword he’s interested in purchasing. But his haggling is quickly interrupted by the panic of townsfolk, all scurrying to get inside. A great cat’s head seems to be forming out of thin air in the middle of the village, and for a moment the merchant curses himself for letting his greed make him forget to “close his shop early” for the day.
The Cimmerian learns that a great “she-cat” comes every month to collect a tithe of 40 gold coins that are taken to the evil wizard Zukala as a tribute. If they don’t pay, the tiger begins wreaking havoc and killing people. This month, the villagers didn’t pay.
Conan springs into action, but the great cat gets the best of him, pinning him down. But for some reason, the beast won’t kill him.
Conan can hear the voice of the tiger in his mind – a woman’s voice. It would seem that another lady has fallen for Conan – as we soon learn that this magical tiger is the daughter of the wizard, Zukala. Her name is Zephra, and she is a woman from an age-old race that can shape-shift. Zephra follows her father’s orders to terrorize the villagers and ensure that the tithe is paid.
The villagers have all taken notice that Conan wasn’t killed by the magical beast. So they decide they’ll hire Conan to take out the evil wizard and give him the 40 coin tribute to finish the job instead of simply paying the wizard his ransom.
Zukala is enraged that his daughter in her tiger-form could not force the villagers to pay. He’s even more enraged when Conan finds his way into the Wizard’s lair, where Zephra announces that he is her chosen mate.
But the wizard has already summoned the demon Jaggta-Noga to finish the job that Zephra could not.
Will Conan wind up married to a she-tigress? Will Jaggta-Noga get Zukala’s tribute from the villagers? And has Conan the Barbarian finally met his match?
CAPSULE REVIEW: As I said earlier in this review, this was definitely not my favorite Conan story. While Thomas’ writing is always good, it’s the plot that is lacking in this issue. We learn that Zukala takes the tribute from the villagers basically because he “can.” He plainly states that neither he nor his daughter need any money. So why not just leave the villagers alone? Conan fights Zukala in the story, and even in defeat, the sorcerer can’t accept the loss and continues rant about how he cannot be defeated, etc. It’s really kind of off-the-wall. Barry Windsor-Smith’s artwork in this issue is good, but there is no striking imagery here like there had been in the last four issues. This is a plain story that rates mediocre in an otherwise excellent run by both creative artists. I’d rate this issue a 6.4 out of 10 for silly story, over-the-top characters, and a villain that just doesn’t make much sense.Ungraded copies of this issue can be had online for anywhere between $14.99-$69.99 depending on condition. CGC-graded copies vary, although most issues over $100 remained unsold in completed listings.
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