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(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. We’ll be reviewing issues of Marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian series weekly. This is a review of Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #10.)
By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor
Some of Roy Thomas’ Conan stories were inspired by tales told by Robert E. Howard. In the case of Conan the Barbarian #10, the inspiration was merely a few opening lines from Howard’s tale Rogues in the House, according to Pierre Comtois, co-author of Marvel Comics in the 1970s: An Issue-by-Issue Field Guide to a Pop-Culture Phenomenon.
That story continues in Conan the Barbarian #11. In this issue, Thomas simply converts one of the rogues from Howard’s original work into an old Conan adversary first seen in Conan the Barbarian #1.
In the Barry-Windsor Smith Conan Archives Vol. 2 (Dark Horse Comics), author Thomas says that several parts of this issue were particularly worrisome for the artistic team. I won’t spoil exactly what their concerns were, but let’s just say that hanging wasn’t something the Comics Code Authority at the time was crazy about. In actuality, the CCA did take issue with a panel that needed to be changed, but it wasn’t what the author expected.
One of the things (that I never knew) is that wrongdoers (according to CCA) were expected to be brought to justice, and if they got away with a crime, it may have been considered objectionable and kept an issue from receiving the mandatory approval stamp. A small re-write of the final page was necessary to bring the issue into compliance, Thomas explains in his introduction to the second volume of the Dark Horse collection.
Conan the Barbarian #10 is exciting not only because of the story, but also because it includes two back-up features in a king-sized format! The first features the Black Knight and is called Men of the Shadows; the second story is a tale of another Howard hero, King Kull of Atlantis, titled The King and the Oak. The back-up stories are separate and not connected to Conan’s adventure here. Thomas scripts the Kull story, with art provided by Art and Marie Severin. I will only review the actual Conan story in this post.
Review: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #10
Escaping the guards, Conan comes to the realization that he recognizes one of the thieves! It’s the Gunderman, Captain Burgun, who we first saw in Conan the Barbarian #1. Both he and Conan presumed the other dead or gone after their encounter in Conan the Barbarian #8. Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt; the two become friends and decide that their new trio will become the most famous thieves in the land!
It seems Captain Burgun (or should we say robber Burgun) has made a deal with the city’s priest of Anu. The priest serves as a fence for the merchandise stolen and this arrangement helps keep them from getting caught. As the trio enters the temple, they joke with the fence-priest about robbing the bejeweled temple, but he doesn’t think it’s funny. Instead, he summons the avatar of the bull-god Anu to show them what will happen to those who desecrate his temple.
It’s interesting to note that there’s something brewing between Jenna and the third thief, whose name is Igon. As Conan and Burgun talk about their plunder and deeds to come, Jenna leaves with Igon who appears quite smitten with her. Is there some treachery brewing here, or is Jenna just being herself? I will leave that topic to associate editor Joeseph Simon and his review of Conan the Barbarian #12 this Friday.
The failure to capture the infamous Gunderman thief Burgun has really got the captain of the guard’s world turned upside down. He’s been threatened by the infamous Red Wizard to find these thieves or it’ll be his own head on a stake. Knowing that these thieves have been seen around the Temple of Anu and of the shady dealings within, the captain of the guard makes a deal with the devil (or at least a deal with the bull-god!)
CAPSULE REVIEW: This is a really good issue of Conan – here, we see Roy Thomas continuing to build an ongoing storyline, with not just one, but two recurring characters. I am always a fan of Barry Windsor-Smith’s art, and I’m dreading issue #24 (Windsor-Smith’s last interiors). The fact that John Buscema takes over at that point is no consolation, even though his work excels in its own way.
The story here flows beautifully, and the side-plot with Jenna is fun. She’s an interesting character, because it is clear she has some “good” in her, yet she’s always devious in some way. Jenna always keeps a reader thinking.
The tale here has a particularly poignant end, and I really was saddened at the way the issue ended. That’s not to say the ending wasn’t appropriate or a good one. Here, Thomas develops an ally for Conan and the way his storyline finishes is abrupt yet fitting.
On a scale of 1-10, I give this issue a 7.9 for good use of recurring characters, a good plot twist in the priest of Anu being a fence for stolen merchandise, excellent art and witty scripting.
This issue was reprinted in The Chronicles of Conan Vol. 2 by Dark Horse Comics.
On eBay, ungraded copies of this issue are available for less than $10. It’s a shame, because with the writing and the art, it’s worth much more in enjoyment value.
As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)
