(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) #78.)

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Crom, it feels good to be back reviewing classic Conan. Oddly enough, my first review, back in the proverbial Hyrkanian saddle, is a reprint from the premiere issue of Savage Sword, specifically “Curse of the Undead Man.”

“Curse” is interesting in that it was an adaptation of an unfinished Howard story called “Mistress of Death” that featured one of his most captivating creations, Dark Agnes de Chastillon.

Dark Agnes appeared in two complete tales, “Sword Woman” and “Blades of France”. The third story was completed, rather poorly in my opinion, by Gerald W. Page in 1971. I first read it not long after I had discovered Howard’s prose Conan in the Sword Woman collection from Berkley in 1977.

Roy Thomas’ adaptation introduces the character of Red Sonja, a fiery amalgamation of Howard’s Dark Agnes and Red Sonya of Rogatino, with a dash of Valeria thrown in for good measure.

Sonja is more Thomas than Howard, to be sure, but she fits in well in Conan’s Hyborian Age and I’m not so much of a purist that I don’t welcome her there. Yes, there are aspects of the character that are somewhat ridiculous, with the chain mail bikini being the most obvious. But is it patently more ridiculous than the scantily clad barbarian in most renditions? No.

At the heart of it, Red Sonja works because of the strong foundations from which she has sprung, particularly those two Dark Agnes tales. Side by side with Conan, Sonja was every bit the Cimmerian’s equal and a hallmark of the cultural revolution of the times, perhaps even more so now.

Review: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #78

Conan struts through the city of Arenjun’s decadent Maul, coming upon a bevy of voluptuous prostitutes, who convince him to seek out plunder for a week long debauchery of drink and women. Off to relieve someone of their coin, Conan is nearly run over by a robe-clad priest fleeing a band of thieves.

The thieves turn on the Cimmerian, but Conan makes short work of them. However, the barbarian trips over something and the lone remaining thief goes for the kill, only to be savaged by the killing stroke of Conan’s old friend Red Sonja.

Sonja chides Conan for tripping over seemingly nothing in such a wide alleyway, but the Cimmerian discovers the culprit – a bejeweled, severed finger. Exploring further, the two uncover the head and body of Costranno, a sorcerer whose execution Sonja witnessed just that morning.

He had been turned in for practicing “nameless, obscene rites of life and death” in the home of a woman named Berthilda, one of ill-repute. Berthilda, believing the source of Costranno’s power was in his “ring-finger” had cut it off. As he was about to be executed, he vowed to return from the dead to seek his revenge.

Sonja surmises that Costranno’s followers were trying to reassemble the body. Conan, with his distaste for magic, tosses the finger aside in disgust, and neither he nor Sonja notice as it slowly crawled its way toward the dead sorcerer’s hand.

Later, in a seedy tavern, Sonja comes into conflict with the prostitutes Conan had engaged in the Maul, decking one of them, but the woman retaliates by calling on the city guard, accusing Conan and Sonja of the murder of the thieves in the alley. The two fight their way out of the tavern, but Conan had noticed a hooded figure wearing Costranno’s ring.

Sensing impending danger for Berthilda, Conan and Sonja go to her place only to find Costranno and his acolytes with the woman laid out on an altar.

The Cimmerian springs into action, leaping over Berthilda’s body to tear into the sorcerer, but he seems impervious to the attack. Meanwhile, Sonja makes short work of the acolytes, but then a beastly arm reaches out of the nearby pit and tries to pull her in.

Conan cuts off Costranno’s hand, robbing him of his power, and the sorcerer dies once more. The Cimmerian tosses the body into the pit, distracting the beast so that Sonja can escape.

Sealing the pit, Conan and Sonja escape with the unconscious Berthilda, who upon waking demands that she be unhanded and that they leave her house at once. She storms off back to her home, and Sonja is convinced it is solely for the magical ring. They realize the ring had fallen into the pit and had probably seen to resurrecting the sorcerer once more.

Conan and Sonja walk down the street to the resounding screams of Berthilda. The sorcerer Costranno finally got his revenge.

CAPSULE REVIEW: What a smashingly excellent issue. Oh, it’s got its share of problems, mostly nitpicky ones, such as the writer calling the severed finger “a ring finger” and the artist drawing the forefinger…but that won’t detract any points as far as I’m concerned.

The biggest crime here are the muddy colors. Of course, this issue being a reprint, it was originally meant for grayscale, so the colorist had their work cut out for them. If you look at the original publication, you can see that it’s translation is solid enough, but that it was meant for black and white.

In point of fact, Savage Sword was a far superior product, and I think the perfect medium for tales of Howard’s Cimmerian.

One final note on the writing, comparing “Mistress of Death” with “Curse of the Undead Man”, Thomas does a fine job adapting Page’s finished manuscript, with the addition of Conan to the tale making it far more palpable.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 9. On eBay, this issue generally is available for around $5.

Alba Gu Brath – Bob Freeman (AKA The Occult Detective)