“EONS FROM HOME, THE BARBARIAN BATTLES THE CIVILIZATION OF 2099! In the far-flung future of 2099, will barbarism finally triumph over an endangered civilization? When CONAN THE BARBARIAN entered the Marvel Universe with the SAVAGE AVENGERS, he stayed to conquer and claim his kingship in modern times. Now cursed by a mystic to live beyond his years, when Conan’s new kingdom is threatened, he swings his blade once more! But as the calamity in 2099 bears down on his secluded realm, will the future shock unseat the barbarian king? An unforgettable chapter, unlike anything you’ve ever seen in the saga of Conan! “

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

As somebody who prefers Conan in the Hyborian Age, my fingers were shaking a bit when I dropped $4.99 to pick up this book from the local comic shop.

Would this be another Age of Conan: Belit-style train wreck? Or would the team of Gerry Duggan and Roge Antonio be able to pull this one off? Well, a little of both. It certainly wasn’t a train wreck, but it’s not destined to become a classic, either.

I give Duggan and Antonio points for several different things. The writing isn’t bad, and the plot is fairly interesting (if you can suspend your disbelief enough to enjoy Conan with a Nova Corps helmet and a sun-sword). Antonio’s art is beautiful, and he manages to pull off compelling scenes despite minimal and occasionally simplistic backgrounds. The one thing this comic did for certain was increase my excitement to see Antonio’s work on the regular Conan the Barbarian title.

Despite all this, the story is confusing. At some points, it appears as if Conan is ruling his Hyborian kingdom of old, and at others he’s referencing his kingdom which “spans from the mountains in Mexico” to the ocean. Sure, the story has flashbacks to the Hyborian age (I think), but the delineation of showing where Conan is at any given moment often becomes convoluted.

It’s only convoluted, however, if we as readers assume Conan’s eventual return to the Hyborian age. But in another timeline, perhaps – the world of Savage Avengers – maybe Conan never goes back to the Hyborian age at all. Time and future stories will tell.

Review: Conan 2099 #1

We are treated to a brief flashback on the opening page of Conan battling Kulan Gath. After a few brief panels, we see the Cimmerian scaling a skyscraper, where he breaks into the building to discover some traitors hailing a new king!

Our barbarian has broken into a meeting where those in attendance are hailing “King Tlaloc,” as the would-be usurper tells the assembly that they will “push back against the mad King Conan” and “bury him where none will ever find him.”

Anyone who has ever picked up an issue of Conan knows that this will not end well.

We learn that Conan was cursed by the witch Morgan Le Fay, and she haunts his mind, talking to him – and even appearing in his mind – throughout the entire comic.

Le Fay approached King Conan as someone paying tribute, as she apparently offended Doom, the King of Latveria. The barbarian, not wanting to hide a witch nor interfere in another kingdom’s matter, made short work of her. The curse was her “revenge” and will serve as the driving plot element in the book.

Wait a minute. Morgan Le Fay? King Doom? A Nova Corps helmet? What does this have to do with Conan and why is still in North America in 2099?

CAPSULE REVIEW: I’m going to treat this issue as the one-shot that it is, or perhaps pretend that it is a “What If?” storyline. To Duggan’s credit, he composes a good story with a surprise ending. The dialogue is certainly not always consistent with the Conan many vintage readers know, but the character himself is mostly true-to-form.

The real excitement in this issue is Roge Antonio’s artwork. His action sequences are first-rate, and somehow he manages to create pages with just enough background to provide a complete picture. Other artists present either detailed scenes or ones that are minimalist; Antonio strikes a good balance between the two.

Weird, occasionally confusing, and not something I’d like to see as a regular series, I still had fun reading this issue. And the ending was definitely a good one.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 7.5.