“High priest Hun-Ya-Di’s assassins have all failed, and it is time for the Stygian to take matters into his own hands. Will Conan the Barbarian – now King Conan – be able to outwit and defeat this new threat, or will it be a short-lived kingship for our favorite Cimmerian, as he fails in his mission for Mer-Ath?”

(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) #81.)

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

As a kid, John Buscema was my Conan artist, and still is, but I recall quite vividly purchasing this run of the Barbarian featuring Ernie Chan’s inks over Howard Chaykin’s pencils.

I was aghast when I saw the credits in Conan the Barbarian #79. But by the time I reached “The Hyborian Page” at the end of the book, I was sold, thrilled by Chaykin’s visual storytelling prowess. It was a great fit.

Of course, we learned that Big John had fallen behind on Conan, due to his overwhelming duties on the equally brilliant Tarzan (among other things). Snatching up a story slated for Savage Sword, and having Ernie add a page here or there throughout the run, made for an exciting change of pace and gave Buscema a much needed break that would ultimately lead to one of my favorite Buscema runs.

But more on that later.

Review: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #81

Having defeated Ptolemy in combat, Conan is declared king of Attalus. The Cimmerian leads the troops now under his command to meet the invading Stygians. There he confronts Hun-Ya-Di, whose ambition is to sow discord that he might rest control of the warring city states and bring them under Luxor’s dominion.

Hun-Ya-Di has recruited mountain villagers to his cause and he leads this large army into the valley. Despite having superior bow power, Hun-Ya-Di is forced to send in ground troops due to Conan’s tactics, utilizing the terrain to their advantage.

The Cimmerian and his men make swift work of the Stygians and hillmen, then Conan comes face to face with Hun-Ya-Di himself.

Despite a surprising amount of martial skill, the wizard is defeated by Conan, and, as he dies, the sacred Eye of Set in Conan’s pouch begins to bleed.

As Conan reflects on his victory he is approached by Ptolemy, who has recovered from his defeat at the Cimmerian’s hands. Conan braces for battle, but Ptolemy is honorable and thus pledges his fealty. Showing remorse, the former king delivers a tribute to Conan —the severed head of Ablah.

Conan in turn hands over the crown of Attalus to Ptolemy, proclaiming he has more “wandering to do before I find the land and throne that suit me.”

The Cimmerian is set to return to Belit, but not before spending a final night with Bardylis.

CAPSULE REVIEW:  Thomas continues to produce an interesting adaptation of Howard’s El Borak tale, “The Lost Valley of Iskander”. Originally slated for Savage Sword, this Chaykin/Chan story was re-cut and edited to fit into the Barbarian timeline in order to give regular penciler John Buscema a brief respite.

Despite my reservations, I found the issue to be one of the best issues of the entire series. Chaykin’s ability to tell a visual story is so compelling and with Chan’s inks, it really maintains a consistency to the art. While there are clear distinctions between Big John and Hapless Howie, Chan bridges the gap between them and maintains continuity.

While I think that Buscema is the better draughtsman, Chaykin produced in this adaptation a more kinetic energy than you find with John’s work. Page 14, for example, is such a beautiful, frenzied battle scene, with the larger panel being one of my favorite Conan images.

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 (The Occult Detective)