(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, #19.)

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

If you were brand new to the world of Conan in comics, and had only seen Barry Windsor’-Smith’s work on earlier issues (particularly #1-5), you might think the illustrator of this issue was a different artist! 

Gone are the bulk of the Kirby-esque drawings seen in earlier issues as Windsor-Smith continued to create his own artistic style at Marvel. Truth be told, I prefer the “newer” Windsor-Smith over his Kirby inspired early work! 

Roy Thomas’ narrative excels in this issue, and it’s a great example of “intelligent writing” in comic books. I bought this particular comic at a convention my father took me to as a kid – he sat in a chair reading some of the comics I bought (one of which was this issue) and I remember him telling me “I don’t remember comic books being this well-written when I was your age (he was born in 1942)!”

One of the pages, in particular, has a brilliant sequence where Conan does some reflecting. It’s one of my favorite short narratives in comics, and I’ll go into more detail in the actual review.

An interesting note about this issue is that the colorist seems to begin experimenting with pastel colors, which lend a very unusual look to many of the pages and Windsor-Smith’s artwork in particular. I’m not sure if I like it, but it is a different look for the Conan comic and a curious thing to see in this issue.

Following Conan the Barbarian #18 – where Conan and his friend Fafnir were rescued from the island of Bal-Sagoth – the duo find themselves in the ship of Prince Yezdigerd of Turan. He’s preparing to go forth in war – and if the two want to be rescued, they’ll lend a sword arm (or two). We’ll see plenty of Prince Yezdigerd in upcoming stories, all the way through the end of this Marvel run.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #19

Conan and the Vanirman Fafnir have been hauled aboard the vessel of Prince Yezdigerd of Turan. It seems he’s headed off on a holy war to the city of Makkalet.

For centuries, the Turanian people have held sacred a man called the Tarim, a descendant from the first known Hyrkanian. The Tarim is worshiped as a living god. Aghrapur has been the home of the Tarim since time began – that is, until some men of Makkalet (or paid mercenaries) crept into the city and stole the Tarim, taking him to their own city.

This is a big deal, apparently, because the kingdom in which the Tarim resides becomes by default the most respected of all Hyrkanian kingdoms. In return for their affront, Yezdigerd has been sent by his father to burn Makkalet to the ground and steal the Tarim back.

Conan, however, doesn’t know any of this as the story begins. The first few pages show Conan, in typical Cimmerian fashion, laughing about a wooden statue of the Tarim which is lashed to a mast. One Turanian soldier criticizes Conan and strikes him for mocking the statue. Apparently the piece of wood is an inspiration for those of Hyrkanian descent and Conan has just been culturally insensitive.

People should know by now it’s never safe to cross our barbarian friend, who promptly throws the soldier into the sea where a shark is waiting nearby.

Only an arrow at the last moment, fired at the shark, saves the soldier (named Balthaz) from becoming chum. Yezdigerd has ordered the man to be saved and fished out of the sea, as he needs all the soldiers he can get in the coming battle.

It’s at this point that Prince Yezdigerd explains to Conan the situation with the Tarim and why they are invading Makkalet. Conan wanders away, confused and pondering how much simpler life was in the northern steppes. The writing here is one of my favorite “stories within a story” from Roy Thomas. It’s my favorite example of Conan’s savage yet noble simplicity.

“There, a man might grasp a blood-stained blade in his fist…and think himself the master of his own destiny, his own most-mortal fate. Here, among men called civilized, a stranger may smile and extend one hand, while the other strains furtively for the hidden dagger. Here, Conan finds all motives murky…all actions devious. No use trying to comprehend the nameless forces which play a man like a puppet. No use at all.”

– Roy Thomas, in Conan the Barbarian #19

Conan awakens to the sound of a soldier telling him to get off the sail on which he’s fallen asleep. They’re entering the port of Makkalet, and things are eerily quiet. Over night, Prince Yezdigerd’s ship has been joined by the entire Turanian fleet, which Conan finds awe-inspiring.

Their celebration over a quiet entrance is cut short, as a rain of arrows falls upon the ship, killing many soldiers and causing others to scramble. 

Will Conan, Fafnir and the Turanians win this battle for the Tarim? Or will Prince Yezdigerd’s forces be drowned beneath the waves, food for the shark who was deprived of his earlier meal?

CAPSULE REVIEW: As far as Roy Thomas’ writing is concerned, this is perhaps my favorite issue of the series thus far. While it certainly isn’t groundbreaking, there’s something poetic about Thomas’ scripting that gets you invested in a story that could otherwise be told in only a few pages.

Windsor-Smith’s artwork here seems new and sleek, with tight narrow lines that deviate entirely from his days of emulating Jack Kirby. The use of pastels in the coloring (with an unnamed colorist) is frustrating in parts of the story, but it works well on the cover and I am sure made it “stand out” on the newsstand back in its day.   On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 7.9 for solid scripting by Roy Thomas and a serious effort by Windsor-Smith to divest himself of an old style and come careening out of the gate with a new one.

On eBay, copies of this issue in ungraded condition were readily available for under $10. CGC graded copies at 9.4 were priced at $160-180, while a CGC-graded 9.6 was available for $250.   

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)