“By Crom! For the first time, Robert E. Howard’s Conan is brought to life uncensored! Discover the true Conan, unrestrained, violent, and sexual. Read the story as he intended! Pursued for killing a judge, Conan finds refuge on a merchant ship. But soon after setting sail, the Cimmerian and his new companions face a threat: the legendary Bêlit, self-proclaimed Queen of the Black Coast!  Bonus Material:  The original Robert E. Howard short story is included!”

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Copyright. Public Domain. Cease & Desist. Not the words one would normally think to associate with a battle featuring Conan of Cimmeria and yet here we are. Now that the smoke has cleared, Ablaze is finally able to deliver translated versions of French Glénat’s Conan comics.

Let me see if I can sum it up succinctly. In Europe, most of Robert E. Howard’s works are in the public domain. In the United States? Not so much. In the US, Conan (as well as other Howard Intellectual Properties) is controlled by Fredrik Malmberg’s Cabinet Entertainment. When Ablaze attempted to publish Glénat’s Conan stories in America, they tried to skirt copyright issue by not using the Conan name on the cover, instead calling it The Cimmerian. Cabinet, looking to protect their legal stewardship, sent a Cease & Desist order to Diamond Comics Distribution and Ablaze’s publishing attempts were dead in the water.

Finally, however, Cabinet and Ablaze worked out a deal to allow them to proceed with their publishing plans and thus Queen of the Black Coast arrived in our comic shops, promising uncensored and faithful adaptations of Conan, in direct contrast to the comics Marvel Comics has been delivering since acquiring the license.

So, was it worth the effort?

Well, that’s a whole other kettle of fish.

There is a lot to like about Queen of the Black Coast. The production values are brilliant. The adaptation is solid. The colors are vibrant. The inclusion of Howard’s prose is a welcome addition as well (although the print is awfully tiny).

Near-legendary Howard scholar Patrice Louinet’s editorial hand is obvious as it is very faithful to the source material.

As for what doesn’t work for me? The art. Man, it pains me to write that, because it’s a beautiful comic in every aspect except the Pierre Alary’s interior illustrations. Not that he’s not a brilliant artist. Far from it. But his style does not mesh well with Conan, as far as I’m concerned.

Alary depicts great action, with an amazing array of facial expressions. The backgrounds are lush. The layout is exemplary. But that cartoonish style, which I see in a lot of European comics, just doesn’t strike home for me.

As for the covers? They’re okay. The Metcalf cover is my favorite of the four (five if you count the colorless Benes) and it’s a little flat, but it hews closest to the traditional art style I prefer.

All in all, it’s a comic I will continue to buy, and enjoy, despite my misgivings about the art itself. I give it 6 skulls of my enemies, though it feels like it deserves more.