“This issue of Conan is the conclusion of L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter’s story “The Snout in the Dark,” which was put together and completed from an unfinished Robert E. Howard manuscript. In today’s comic, Conan must wrap up unfinished political business while coming face-to-face with a demon!”
(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, #107.)
BY WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor
We’re a mere eight issues away from Roy Thomas’ parting-of-ways with our Cimmerian hero. I tend to savor these issues, from #100-115, as many of them came out during the height of my youthful comic-collecting days.
Rascally Roy will disappear from this title from issues #116-239, replaced by other talented writers, including J.M. DeMatteis, Bruce Jones, and later, James Owsley (now known as Christopher Priest). While Bruce Jones is one of my favorite comic writers, even he would not have the subtle grasp of Conan’s nuances that Roy Thomas was able to employ.
Thomas would re-appear to wrap up Marvel’s initial Conan run, scripting issues #240-275. His final issue was an ongoing tale that sees its end in Savage Sword of Conan. In the 1990s, Roy wrote a new series, Conan the Adventurer, which lasted a mere 14 issues. Several mini-series events would follow before the torch would be passed to Dark Horse Comics. You can read the review of one such mini-series, Conan: Lord of the Spiders, here.
But I am getting ahead of myself. For now, there are a few more Roy Thomas/John Buscema issues to enjoy, and many more issues of Conan’s original run to review! Today’s installment is the second part of Roy’s adaptation of “The Snout in the Dark” which began in issue #106.
Review: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #107
(For background information prior to reading this review, please read Bob Freeman’s review of Conan the Barbarian #106.)
Conan and the Kushite queen Tananda are at a stand-off. The queen is determined to torture Diana, who she suspects of being a political tool and a spy of the cunning Tuthmes. But Conan, her new captain-of-the-guard, isn’t having it. He barks at her, telling her to put down the whip. The political climate in Tananda’s city is tense, and punishing Diana will only rile up rival nobles.
The barbarian wins the argument, despite Tananda’s threats and anger. He takes Diana down from her shackles and carries her out of the room. An angry Tananda screams at the barbarian, accusing him of preferring the captive over her due to Diana’s “lily-white skin.”
Shubba, the street dweller under Tuthmes’ employ, sees Conan leaving with the Nemedian “gift” and rushes off to tell his benefactor. Unamused but unsurprised, Tuthmes indicates that it is time to have the conjuror Muror summon the great pig-demon to kill Diana, should she reveal any of his plans to Conan, and the barbarian as well.
Meanwhile in the city square, Tananda has moved forward with her plan to have a man named Aahmes executed. With tensions already high in the city and unrest over Tananda’s violent rule, Conan knows this will only incite the populace more against the queen. In disgust, he goes off to find Diana.
Conan arrives in the nick of time, as the Cimmerian enters her chambers to see the great pig-demon beginning to form. Grabbing his sword, he rushes to her defense and a battle ensues.
The barbarian stabs the monster repeatedly and for moments it seems as if the beast may have the upper hand. But a deadly blow to the demon’s neck causes it to stagger away, bleeding and half-dead.
Conan trails the monstrosity to the town square, where it falls dead at the feet of the sorcerer Muru – the man who brought it forth! Since Muru is standing with Tuthmes, an angry man in the crowd – Ageera, a “witch smeller” – accuses Tuthmes and the wizard of controlling the beast and the mob attacks.
Queen Tananda orders her soldiers to stop the crowd, but they turn on her, killing her instead. As the city erupts in violence and mayhem, Conan takes Diana and together the duo flees the burning city.
CAPSULE REVIEW: An excellent ending to a good story. While I never read the original tale as written by de Camp and Carter, Roy Thomas did an excellent job in this tale examing the intrigues of the Hyborian Age, even in the uncivilized lands of Kush.
Once again, George Roussos quality coloring is evident in the different hues of the Kushite tribesmen. You can see people from different tribes all in different and subtle hues. This wasn’t an easy feat to accomplish and he deserves kudos for making the artistic distinctions. Even when comparing the Nemedian Diana to Conan we see different skin tones.
Conan again plays second-fiddle in this story to the ongoing plot among the Kushites, but as is always the case with our Cimmerian, he saves the day – or at least the girl – and rides off to fight another day.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: A special thank you to Jim for answering my questions and taking the time to do so, and a special shout-out to the Marvel bullpen editorial folks who allowed this interview to move forward! Both this monk and our loyal readers are looking forward to this new chapter in the Conan the Barbarian saga!)
By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor
Following Jason Aaron’s 12-issue story arc “The Life and Death of Conan,” Marvel writer Jim Zub will be picking up the scripting duties on Marvel’s flagship Conan title beginning with Conan the Barbarian #13.
Like Aaron, Zub has a healthy resume already at the House of Ideas, where he’s scripted fan-favorites like The Champions, Avengers: No Road Home, and the Mystery in Madripoor mini-series featuring Wolverine. He’s also the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Award, which he won in 2018, and is a two-time Harvey Award nominee.
Jim graciously agreed to an interview with Paint Monk’s Library in anticipation of his Conan the Barbarian series premiere.
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WALLY MONK
So your first comic, Makeshift Miracle, came out in 2001. At the time you had your first comic published, what were your goals in the industry? Had comics always been something you were interested in? Can you share the beginnings of your journey in the industry, and what led you from there to your current gigs at Marvel?
JIM ZUB
“I grew up as an avid comic reader but, to be honest, I didn’t consider it a viable career path for a long time. As far as I could tell the only people who were making a go of it in comics were based in the U.S. (especially New York) or were brilliant and British. My knowledge of Canadian comic creators was limited and, even then, I just didn’t see how people made their way into the business.
My post-secondary education was in Classical Animation and that was originally where I expected to work. I wanted to be a Disney animator or work on other animated productions. It was a creative goal, but one that seemed reasonable. I could get focused training and be one of a few dozen names that scrolled by during the credits.
As soon as I got out into the business, I could feel the animation industry shifting under my feet. Computer animation was rapidly overtaking traditional production methods and I felt like I was out of date almost as soon as I began. The first couple of industry jobs I got were fine, but at an entry-level you don’t have much creative input, so I felt like a cog in the machine. Makeshift Miracle was a creative outlet I worked on in the evenings. It was a way to make my own story without interference. I slowly taught myself Photoshop and basic HTML so I could post up pages online a few times per week. That would connect me to the growing webcomic community and build my excitement for comics all over again.
When animation freelance work slowed down, I originally planned to go back to school for computer animation, but instead an opportunity popped up to join UDON, an art studio full of illustrators and animators who were working on concept designs, advertising art, and comics. Through the studio, I learned a ton about publishing, storytelling, project management, conventions, and marketing. It was the kind of energizing place where the more you put into the job the more opportunities you could take on and I really dove in with both feet. Over time I realized that at the heart of all these projects I was involved with, the stuff that really engaged me was story development. I wrote a few stories at the studio when clients needed a writer and would eventually take what I learned to help me launch Skullkickers at Image.
Skullkickers was an action-comedy built from the things I loved about sword & sorcery stories like Conan and Dungeons & Dragons. I didn’t put it out intending it to be an “audition” for more writing work, but that’s eventually what it became. As I started freelance writing for other comic companies (Dynamite, IDW, DC and eventually Marvel), the experiences I had working at UDON meant I understood the whole publishing pipeline and could anticipate what editors needed. That has served me well right through to the present day.”
In 2010, your series Skullkickers ran an amazing thirty-four issues at Image, and was followed by Wayward, described by some as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer set in Japan.” You also wrote Samurai Jack for IDW. It’s clear you have a fondness for stories in Eastern settings. What inspired that fondness? It’s interesting your first adventure on the Conan title takes place in Khitai!
JIM ZUB
“Sword & Sorcery is definitely my jam, with Conan and D&D at the heart of my fandom for the genre. Skullkickers was me trying to take the strange unexpected turns that happen in D&D game sessions and attach them to a very pulpy and weird Conan-style story.
In the early-mid nineties I was still in high school when my brother came home to visit from university and brought a bunch of Japanese animation and comics he was getting into. That really opened me up to the variety of comic stories being published in Japan and keyed me into Japanese mythology as well. I found it really fascinating as I dug into the similarities and differences between Japan’s myths and the Euro or Greco-Roman myths I was used to. Years later I would travel to Japan a few times on business trips for the UDON studio and that reignited my excitement for those myths all over again.
Classic samurai stories share a lot of connective tissue with pulp fantasy tales like we see in Conan – Characters venturing into the unknown to confront threats way out of their league or heroes choosing between the bonds of duty and the chaos of freedom. It’s all pretty primal stuff.
As far as taking Conan to Khitai, it wasn’t an intentional riff on things I’ve done before, it was more about finding places where a lot of Conan stories hadn’t already been told. With hundreds of Conan comic stories already out there, I’m feeling the pressure to try and strike a balance between the familiar tropes, the stuff about the genre I absolutely love, and the unexpected. Putting Conan in different environments is a way to shake things up a bit without losing the heart of what makes him so great.”
WALLY MONK
In addition to Japanese-influenced work, you tackled four different Dungeons and Dragons comic series for IDW. Are you an RPG gamer? Were you familiar with D&D before taking on the projects at IDW? And how will your previous work in fantasy influence your take on Conan?
Dungeons & Dragons: Evil At Baldur’s Gate was one of several D&D comic series Jim wrote for IDW.
JIM ZUB
“I’m a lifelong D&D player. I started playing D&D when I was 8-years old. It became a way to bond with my older brother and carries a ton of great memories for me. I even did a TEDx Talk about how D&D has influenced my creative career (link).
“One of the challenges I’m enjoying is making sure my writing on Conan feels very different from my writing on D&D. Fantasy is not homogenized approach and two fantasy properties I really like can and should be unique.”
Jim Zub – Paint Monk’s Library Interview
Getting the chance to write D&D comic stories has been a dream come true, but I’m quite conscious that D&D is not Conan. D&D was influenced by the work of Robert E. Howard, but it also carries strains of Fritz Leiber, H.P. Lovecraft, Jack Vance, Poul Anderson, Michael Moorcock, J.R.R. Tolkien and a slew of others. It’s a high fantasy/low fantasy mash-up built on a miniature wargaming engine that has grown and changed in many ways over the years, building its own look and feel that changes with the settings and each new edition of the rules. I love D&D, but it is its own thing.”
WALLY MONK
Unlike many comic book characters, Conan is what some might consider a legacy character. His background was established by Robert E. Howard, and people – especially hard-core REH fans – are very critical of new interpretations of the Cimmerian. Conan is not like other Marvel characters who have been killed off and brought back, or changed repeatedly with reboots or relaunches. What is your vision for Conan in light of such history and his often critical yet loyal fan base?
JIM ZUB
“You’re absolutely right that Conan is a legacy character with very specific characterization at different points in his adventuring ‘career’. Like Howard says, he has ‘gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth’. I want to try and evoke that feeling of plunging readers into a sweeping adventure against crazy odds with brutal action.
Part two of the “Conan the Gambler” storyline in Savage Sword of Conan.
For me, Conan stories have particular elements that make them special. Many of my favorite Conan stories are about morally dubious miscreants struggling to survive in a mad world they will never fully understand. They’re about good people making bad choices, warriors fighting against insane odds, and misplaced courage. The kind of misplaced courage that makes you look death in the face and laugh.
I love the feeling of mystery inherent in the Hyborian Age. Magic is not about casting spells or destined heroes with prophesized magic items, it’s forbidden secrets unleashing curses and creatures that can only be stopped by an indomitable will and a strong arm swinging cold steel.
Conan the Gambler, the 3-part Savage Sword story I did this summer, is as good a preview as I could give of what I enjoy and what I’m hoping to keep rolling as I take over the flagship series – Conan in over his head, using wits and a wicked blade to take on everything he comes up against.”
WALLY MONK
In light of my last question – and I’m not asking you to bite the hand that feeds you here (winking at Marvel) – but how do you respond as a newer Conan writer to critical fans who are not happy with Conan showing up in the mainstream Marvel universe?
And how do you think you can make a “believer” out of fans who are not embracing a new take on Conan’s adventures? Is there a way to “bridge the gap” between older fans not willing to budge on classical interpretations of Conan and newer fans hoping for something new and untried?
JIM ZUB
“I wrote Conan meeting the Avengers in No Road Home because we were asked by Marvel editorial if we could do it and I figured I could make it feel like the classic Conan comics I grew up with. Selfishly, I also wanted to write the character again (I’d previously co-wrote him with Gail Simone in Conan Red Sonja back in 2015) and felt I could do him justice even in the weird situation of him getting mixed up with superheroes.
That first issue where he shows up (Avengers: No Road Home #6) is a straight-up sword & sorcery tale as Conan travels across Stygia with the Scarlet Witch. I did my damnedest to bring them into his world instead of “fish out of water” stuff in modern Marvel Earth. That’s also why we ended that story by depositing Conan in the Savage Land. It felt like the most pulp-appropriate place to set up future adventures.
Conan travels Stygia with the Scarlet Witch in Avengers: No Road Home #6.
Gerry Duggan’s been writing Conan’s adventures in Marvel Earth over in Savage Avengers and obviously I’ve been keeping up on it. Gerry’s done a nice job at keeping the character intact and consistent even in some really strange circumstances, so my hat’s off to him for that. I might have hesitated in spots where he’s gone for the team-up gusto.
Personally, I prefer Conan in the Hyborian Age so that’s where my focus is. In the upcoming Conan: Serpent War mini-series, he stays in the Hyborian Age and the other characters come to him to complete their quest. In Conan the Barbarian, he won’t be teaming up with forces outside of classic sword & sorcery. Barbarian is the pure Hyborian Age series, just like it always has been. In other series or places, I think it’s fine to experiment, but keeping that spot carved out for pure Hyborian adventure is important to me, and I know it’s important to the fans too. I hope REH fans give my run a try and support that vision of the character.”
Conan: Serpent War #1 hits stands on December 4th, 2019.
WALLY MONK
Roy Thomas is considered by many to be the consummate Conan writer in comics. Others that have taken up the torch, like Tim Truman, have done a commendable job with the character. In light of this, was being selected to take on Conan intimidating? How do you view your work on Conan when considering the previous scribes who have taken on the title?
JIM ZUB
“It’s absolutely intimidating! The whole thing is surreal at times. They’re called “dream projects” because you don’t actually ever think the dream will become reality, but here we are. I feel a lot of pressure to try and measure up to the kinds of stories that have influenced me so much. In October, I had the chance to meet Roy Thomas at Paris Comic Con and in private conversation I let him know I was taking over the series. He was incredibly kind and it made my whole trip extra-special.
I wish I could say I have the perfect characterization that will please old fans and new, but all I can do is write Conan the way I feel works and hopefully, it hits the mark for the majority of readers.
Conan isn’t a character who needs radical reinvention, but it’s also important to try and steer clear of clichés that have become too well worn. Putting him in new locales, brainstorming unexpected threats, it’s all a way for me to try and honor the character’s legacy but also not endlessly recycle what has been done before. Will I succeed? Only one way to find out…”
WALLY MONK
Your three-issue arc “Conan the Gambler” was well received and hopefully was a preview of what you’ll be doing in the new series. Can you give us at “Paint Monk’s Library” an exclusive hint of something we can look forward to in your time with Conan the Barbarian?
JIM ZUB
“The Gambler distilled a lot of the elements I love about Conan stories and the response from readers has been really heartfelt. It’s even more special now since it went over just as well with the Conan license holders and started me on the path to taking over the flagship series.
Into The Crucible is the first of a series of connected stories of Conan in his younger days. He’s the more headstrong Conan we see in The Tower of the Elephant or The Frost Giant’s Daughter. He’s venturing further than he’s ever gone before and the exotic locales he treks through are steeped in opulence, opportunity, and otherworldly danger.
The cover to Conan the Barbarian #13 with art by E.M. Gist.
Variant cover artwork for Conan the Barbarian #13 by Toni Infante.
In a city in Uttara Kuru, Conan joins a wild celebration underway but doesn’t know the local language or customs, so that revelry takes a dark turn and puts him in a life or death contest called The Crucible Tournament. He needs to figure out who he can trust and a way out before everyone gets sacrificed to the warped whims of a dark god.
I love putting Conan out of his comfort zone and far from the places he knows. The Demon’s Den in the Gambler story was a place where Conan didn’t have control and didn’t know what might happen next. Now it’s whole countries filled with the strange and the sublime – Beautiful women, vast treasures, and bloody vengeance are all coming up.”
WALLY MONK
Thanks, Jim, for taking the time to share your thoughts with me and library readers. I have one last question – and it’s a personal one. Savage Avengers began in the Savage Land, and personally, I’m hopeful Conan might return there at some point. Since Conan is headed in many different directions in different Marvel titles, is there any chance he’ll cross paths with Ka-Zar, Shanna or Zabu? That would make this monk smile.
JIM ZUB
“I wish I could definitively answer that for you, but I really don’t know. That’s a question for Gerry Duggan or Saladin Ahmed since they’re now handling Conan stories where he’s interacting with Marvel Earth. Right now, my sights are firmly set on the Hyborian Age.
One last thing – I’m not trying to give people the hard sell, but I do want to stress that starting a new run with issue #13 is tougher than a new #1, so it’s extra important that readers let their local comic retailers know that they want to get on board. Please read Conan the Barbarian #13-17 and let us know if we deliver the goods. I would love to build out a long and healthy run on a book that has meant so much to me, but I can only do that with reader and retailer support.”
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FEBRUARY 2020 – INTO THE CRUCIBLE AS THE MARCH TO KHITAI BEGINS!
“Conan has faced many foes since leaving Cimmeria, but the greatest challenge lies ahead! A perfect jumping-on point for new readers as Conan finds himself in a city in the mystical Uttara Kuru, further on the eastern border than the young barbarian has ever traveled. And with the new city comes new dangers! Unfamiliar with the language, Conan inadvertently agrees to be the latest entrant to the Great Crucible. The people of the city support their foreign champion…but what deadly traps does the Crucible hold, and what will Conan sacrifice to overcome his ordeal?”
Writer JIM ZUB (SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME) and artist ROGÊ ANTONIO (CONAN 2099, X-MEN RED) lead Conan on an all-new journey, as we begin a new era for CONAN THE BARBARIAN into undiscovered country!
December 1st, 2019 By Wally Monk, Conan (2019)Comments Off on REVIEW: Conan 2099 #1 A Bit Muddled But Still Fun
“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.
“BARBARIAN ACTION AND INTRIGUE BY ROY THOMAS & ALAN DAVIS! CONAN’s latest job has gone awry, as he finds himself at the mercy of the Afghuli hillmen! But even this is nothing compared to the threat hovering in the hidden mountain cave that SERRA hired him to find! If they can escape the creatures, can they save the treasure? What secret is ZUBAIR hiding and what is Serra REALLY after? Plus: the penultimate chapter in the all-new novella THE SHADOW OF VENGEANCE!”
By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor
The title says it all. We’ve been given a mere two issues with Rascally Roy Thomas, and the tale is over. Frank Tieri will take over writing chores in Savage Sword #12, while Andrea Di Vito snags the pencils from Alan Davis.
I made some predictions last month about Thomas’ first issue and so far I’m pretty much on the mark. Zubair, a hired mercenary working alongside our Cimmerian (as I predicted) has become a problem. Serra, the noblewoman who hired Conan in the first place, harbors a secret (I said she was more than she appeared). A treasure in the form of a dark crystal is another concern.
Wait a minute – it’s not the “Jim Henson” Dark Crystal; rather, it’s the Hyborian dark crystal. Ironically, it’s a shard of the aforementioned crystal that is the lynchpin in Roy Thomas’ story this month, much like it was in the muppet film.
I wonder how much money the Henson estate has for lawyers?
Review: Savage Sword of Conan (Vol. 2) #11
Conan manages to escape from the Afghuli hillmen, while Zubair and Serra lead the villains to the dark crystal cave. But there are defenses in place; a huge swarm of bat-beasts roost in the cavern, ready to come to the defense of the massive gem.
A betrayal is afoot. Serra’s ring is a missing shard of the crystal they have found and a battle ensues. It’s a Hyborian free-for-all inside the crystal cave!
CAPSULE REVIEW: This issue wasn’t awful, but it left me with some concerns. First and foremost, why was Roy Thomas given a mere two-issue story arc? While I pondered this, I was reminded that Thomas is capable of telling a story in two issues that most Conan writers would need a trade paperback to describe. Perhaps there really is some truth in that.
Alan Davis’ artwork is always a treat, and his scenes involving the bat-creature denizens of the crystal cavern are fun and a joy to see on the pages.
Notably absent are many of Thomas’ signature dialogue boxes, which are far more sparse in this issue than the last. This installment relies more heavily on word balloons and artwork to tell the story. In addition, some of Conan’s dialogue is awkward. He…doesn’t sound like Conan, you’ll need to read the story to appreciate exactly what I am saying. At one point in the tale, Serra tells Conan “I don’t have time for your philosophy.” These seem like odd choices of verbiage and divergence from Thomas’ normally flowery prose.
I would be curious to see the original script for this issue and if these were Thomas’ words or editorial changes. While I’m certainly not an expert, I would wager money on the latter.
This was not a terrible tale and while worth the cover price, it was not a story arc that allowed Roy’s mastery of the Cimmerian to shine. A few weeks ago, I read the 1990 Conan mini-series “Flame & The Fiend” which he wrote and I thought it was far better than this issue.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate SSoC #11 a 7. It’s far better than much of what we’ve seen so far in Savage Sword, with the exception of the “Conan the Gambler” storyline. It’s tough for me to admit, but in Marvel’s newest Conan outings thus far, Jim Zub seems to have a better grasp of the barbarian than Roy Thomas. It will be exciting to see Zub take the reins of the regular Conan series soon.
November 20th, 2019 By Wally Monk, NewsComments Off on EVENT: Bob Freeman’s “Descendant” Blog Tour Begins
Long before Paint Monk’s Library welcomed Bob Freeman aboard as a librarian sharing his vast knowledge of Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian lore, the Occult Detective from Indiana was already busy exercising his creative chops and literary skills in many different ways.
This week, Bob is celebrating the release of his latest book, Descendant, with a blog tour, featuring personal appearances, interviews, podcasts and more. You can find more information about the Descendant Blog Tour and scheduled events here or at the link below:
Bob is a tremendously talented member of the Paint Monk’s Library team, and I am truly grateful for his contributions. Both this site and the Countdown to Conan would not be the same without him.
I would encourage all of our readers to visit his site and tour events if possible to meet the man behind the written magic. This monk guarantees you will not be disappointed!
A lifelong student of mythology, folklore, magic, and religion, Freeman has written numerous short stories, articles, and reviews for various online and print publications and is a respected lecturer on the occult and paranormal phenomena.
He lives in rural Indiana with his wife Kim and son Connor.
In addition to occultdetective.com, Mr. Freeman can be found online on twitter and facebook.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Saturday Night Shivers, a feature at Paint Monk’s Library. In the spirit of Elvira, the Ghoul, and other horror movie hosts, we’ll be featuring a review of one classic horror comic each week. All horror stories we review are from books approved by the Comics Code Authority or from comics that were published before the code was enacted. This installment is written by Wally Monk.)
Welcome to Saturday Night Shivers, a weekly feature about horror comics.
In the mid to late 1960s, DC Comics was experiencing huge success with a handful of horror titles. Their “leading” title in this genre was called House of Mystery, and it began in 1951 as an anthology of scary stories. It would run a whopping 321 issues and undergo several shifts in content until its cancellation in 1983.
At the height of DC’s success in the genre, Marvel wanted to get into the game and created Tower of Shadows, which debuted in 1969, and its sister title, Chamber of Darkness.
The lead story in the series’ premiere issue was “At the Stroke of Midnight!” which featured art by Jim Steranko – it would later win the 1969 Alley Award for best feature story.
After issue #9, Tower of Shadows became Creatures on the Loose, and the first issue under the new title featured the debut of Robert E. Howard’s King Kull in Marvel Comics. It was a story penned by Marvel’s own Bullpen barbarian writer Roy Thomas with art by the famous Bernie Wrightson.
Later issues in the series added more sword-and-sorcery than horror, including stories of Lin Carter’s Thongor the Barbarian. Creatures on the Loose was canceled with issue #37.
Review: Tower of Shadows #1
WARNING! SPOILERS FOLLOW
Story #1 – “At the Stroke of Midnight”
Story and Artwork By Jim Steranko
Look, it’s a narrator! Can anyone say Crypt Keeper? Opening the first page of Tower of Shadows, we see a lanky, pasty-faced skeleton of a man standing in a graveyard with a shovel firmly planted in the ground. Behind him stands a lone headstone. Bats flying from the background complete the scene. The reader can call him “Digger,” he says, in first person narrative – and the frightening figure believes the reader looks like someone who rushed past him just the other night…on their way to Shadow House.
Lou and Marie have just inherited to sinister Shadow House from Lou’s “favorite” uncle. As a child, Lou remembers just how scary the house was…full of dusty old antiques, candles everywhere…and he’s not excited about going inside. To make matters worse, it’s a dark night and they just climbed a massive stone staircase to reach the house on the hill.
Marie doesn’t like her husband – that’s evident from the beginning, with constant nagging like “You fool!” and “I could have married a man!” She gets even angrier when Lou says he hasn’t paid the electric bill, which means they’ll be rooting through the old house by candlelight. There’s treasure beyond imagining here, and Lou’s old occult-dabbling uncle has to have hid it somewhere.
It seems Lou’s uncle also dabbled in time-travel. When the duo finally stumbles across a room full of gold and jewels, their excitement lasts only momentarily – until they realize to whom the jewels belong.
Will Lou and Marie live happily ever after? Or is there something about these jewels and the previous owners they should know? There’s always a “catch” in these horror stories!
Story #2 – “From Beyond the Brink”
Story and artwork by Johnny Craig
Digger’s got another story for us – this time, it’s a tale called “From Beyond the Brink!” which was written and illustrated by Johnny Craig, born John Thomas Alexis Craig. This story was one of a handful Craig completed for Marvel, with the highlights of his career stemming from his days with EC Comics in the 1950s. Online sources claim the artwork was drastically refinished by John Romita Sr.
Hayden Hathaway is debunking phony spiritual mediums – he spends his time visiting self-proclaimed spiritualists and fortune tellers, and has put many of them out of business. A struggling writer named Arthur Watson has been working on a biography of Hathaway, but the missing piece has been the debunker’s motives for exposing these fake fortune tellers and their plans.
All comes clear one day when a spiritualist that Hathaway cannot debunk crosses his path. In a meeting with both Hathaway and Watson, Madame Angelica begins her seance. Hathaway appears impressed, as he sees members of his family from the past and impressive things are revealed, things that Madame Angelica never could have known.
Enraged, Hathaway suddenly starts tearing the room apart, declaring that she has to be a fake and that somehow, he will discover the source of her illusions.
Why is Hathaway so determined to find a real medium? Will Madame Angelica turn out to be a charlatan like all the rest? And what is the “motive” for Hayden Hathaway’s obsession?
Story #3 – “A Time to Die!”
Story Stan Lee / Artwork By John Buscema
Stan Lee’s ability to write really mean-spirited, frightening characters makes me wonder about the legendary mind behind the stories! In Chamber of Chills, he writes about a truly sadistic warden. Here, he’s writing about a twisted alchemist, who is determined to invent a potion that brings him eternal life.
The alchemist has an assistant, Arthur, who we learn is a convicted felon. The alchemist constantly berates the assistant, calling him everything from “witless assistant” to “weak-minded fool” and “toady.” The mad scientist even gloats that Arthur will tolerate any abuse he chooses to heap upon him – after all, who would help out a man with a horrific criminal past?
That past may come back to haunt the alchemist. Arthur knows he’ll get revenge for all the abuses heaped upon him – but hopefully not until the formula for eternal life is discovered.
What is the silent, vengeful Arthur planning? And will the potion that brings immorality ever be in the alchemist’s grasp?
CAPSULE REVIEW: Wow, this issue is dark. The stories, although produced under the watchful eye of the Comics Code Authority, are terrifying, even by today’s standards. It’s sad that this title lasted a mere 37 issues – and that the focus changed from horror to science fiction and fantasy. All three of the stories here focus on the darkness of human beings and their behavior, which is in many ways much more frightening than the “things that go bump in the night.”
The first story by Jim Steranko is hands-down the best, and its clear why he won his industry award. In a mere seven pages, the Marvel legend tells a horror story with an ending so unexpected that it leaves you wanting more. His artwork is typically excellent, and reminds me of the stories the DC competitors shared that Marvel was trying to emulate with this title.
The second story is perhaps the weakest, although I can’t wrap my head around why Marvel didn’t use Johnny Craig more often. His story was clear, well-told, and to the point. The artwork reminded me a lot of Mike Ploog’s work on Werewolf By Night. The third story was a good closer for a good book. No one can quibble with the pencils of John Buscema.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue an 7.9. On eBay, copies in ungraded condition could be purchased for $5 in lower grades with others priced between $10-15.. A CGC-certified copy graded at 9.2 was available with a Buy-It-Now of $121.60.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The classic cult fantasy film Hawk the Slayer could live on in audio! British entrepreneur Graham Richards is currently crowd-funding the first installment of ‘Hawk the Slayer’ on a loaded, sound effects laden and character filled audio CD. If this endeavor succeeds, he’s indicated that he plans to complete the trilogy with Hawk the Hunter and Hawk the Destroyer to follow. Graham graciously agreed to a interview with Paint Monk’s Library about this exciting venture.)
By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor
If you’re a fan of swords and sorcery and were into cinema in the 1980s, you’ve no doubt seen the B-movie Hawk the Slayer. From it’s futuristic yet oddly appropriate soundtrack, to Crow the elven archer and a dramatically cliché and twisted Jack Palance, the film made its mark with fantasy enthusiasts across the globe.
Sadly, a Kickstarter project to produce its movie sequel, Hawk the Hunter, failed in 2015 and the film project seems to have been shelved. But never fear – you may still get your chance to hear a remastered and re-envisioned version of the original movie in audio. And if that’s successful, the other two planned installments of Hawk could eventually make their way to fans too!
As someone who loved the original movie, I have enthusiastically backed the new Hawk the Slayer audio project – and I’m hoping some of our readers and friends will jump aboard for the ride, too. I’ve reached out to Graham Richards, the British mind behind the new project, and he graciously agreed to an interview with this lowly monk. You can check out the Hawk the Slayer Audio Kickstarter project by clicking here!
Hawk the Slayer could come to life in audio form through crowdfunding.
While this was never made, Graham says he hopes to bring it to life in audio if the first project successfully funds.
WALLY MONK
Thanks for agreeing to share your project with our library readers! Can you tell us a little about yourself, your experience working with audio media, and your reason for choosing “Hawk the Slayer” for an audio remastering and release?
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“I’m just a product of my own mad schemes, with a wonderfully tolerant wife who helps with design, packaging, and all the really important things, plus a bunch of cherished friends who’ve stuck by, despite, or because of, my reluctance to do ‘normal stuff’. All invaluable and go towards making me who I am.
My love for audio began when I was 8 years old. My sister had a big ole’ portable stereo that I used to sneak away to record stories on, recording myself as all the characters, then passing the tapes around at school. I never really stopped doing this, and went on to rope anyone I met into this odd ritual.
From school, to college, to the working world. It wasn’t long before it was no longer a solo venture. I still have most of the tapes. It’s essentially the same to this very day. Most people I bump into I’ll try to wrangle into my audio madness. The difference is, that the stories have become more ambitious, and the people I’ve dragged by the hair are now seated along-side hired actors. As for Hawk, well, I hate unfinished business when it comes to story-telling.
TIM PLEWMAN (Defending the Caveman, SA Theatre) voices the role of the villianous Voltan.
ADRIAN J. ANDREWS (Midsomer Murders, Survivors, Brighton Fringe Theatre) is the voice of Voltan’s son Drogo.
We’ve been denied a sequel to Hawk for so many years now by various cruel turns of fate, that I couldn’t rest unless I’d made some attempt to put that right. As a completest, I need to start at the begining. There’s no point in starting with Hawk the Hunter as it’ll look odd to have your CD box-set sitting next to your DVD (Or Blu-ray, or VHS, or Laser Disc. Note to Self: I want a Laser Disc of Hawk. Was it even released on Laser Disc?!) It needs to exist as a complete medium, at best, a trilogy of CD box-sets, and that’s certainly feasible. “
WALLY MONK
What did you enjoy most about the original Hawk the Slayer film? You mention that you’re making a tremendous effort to preserve the Hawk that fans know and love, but that some additions will be made. Can you elaborate on some of those?
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“It’s the definitive D&D movie. It just gets the characters so right, even in their awkwardness and unfamiliarity (as a stereotypical tea-drinking Brit I’m looking at you here, Crow, with your rugged manliness and sharp American accent.) I also love its sincerity. It takes itself pretty seriously and I adore that. It’s a bold move, and it pays off, as amid all the theatrics, matte-paintings, and glowing ping-pong balls, is a film that is shouting at you, ‘This is just like that game you like playing, only it’s real!’
“(Hawk the Slayer is) the definitive D&D movie. It just gets the characters so right, even in their awkwardness and unfamiliarity….(it’s) a film that is shouting at you, ‘This is just like the game you like playing, only it’s real!'”
Graham Richards, Project Creator
Everyone really acts their socks off to make sure it’s perfect for the viewer. No one gives a half-hearted effort. No one within the cast sends it up for the sake of it. The humor is honest and perfectly balanced, ensuring that the time you invest in the story is going to be well-spent. Kudos to the entire cast and production team for that. It’s unique.
As for additions, we’re mainly trading the path of the book here, so if you’re familiar with that, then you’ll have an idea of the extras. In audio we also need to be carefully led into some of the scenes, paint a bolder picture if you will. To elaborate on just one, we have the battle at Ranulf’s village fleshed out and scored.
Ranulf, the one-handed man who seeks out Hawk in the original film. (SOURCE: IMdB)
It just wasn’t enough to have some music, some huffing and wheezing, then some chap collapse at the Abbey. We need to be introduced to Ranulf, hear the approaching threat, understand what they are capable of, and how Ranulf deals with it. It’s not a long scene, but necessary to keep the flow.”
WALLY MONK
Have any of the original cast members or people affiliated with the original Hawk film agreed to take part in the project, or have they offered their support? It would be interesting to have some surprises like this in an audio production
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“There’s still the potential for this manner of support here, but it depends on how well the Kickstarter perfoms. I could have introduced cameos and such as stretch goals, but it’s no certainty, just a possibility. Albeit a promising one. If it only just-about funds, I’d say, “Don’t discount the possibility.”
WALLY MONK
While Hawk was a commendable movie that has achieved “cult” status, there were some silly yet memorable moments – such as Voltan assaulting a loaf of bread to demonstrate what he’d do to his younger brother Hawk. How – or will – you attempt to keep moments like that in an audio format, when much of the fun came from the visual?
In the original film, Voltan (Jack Palance) viciously chops a loaf of bread in half to demonstrate what he plans to do to the hero Hawk. Good-bye, bread, we hardly knew you! (SOURCE: IMdB)
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“I’m happy that the fans will know that the loaf is being helpfully cut when they hear it, and it wouldn’t add anything to over-elaborate on those events. We don’t want to inadvertently create a parody. This may mean that some of audio Hawk will come across as being “slightly more serious” to some, but there are some cheeky lines to enjoy and the dialogue is so delicious anyway that you should feel steeped in Hawk’s unique mythos throughout its duration. “
WALLY MONK
One thing that stood about the original Hawk film was the odd yet compelling futuristic music. You mention in the Kickstarter campaign that you have received the blessing of the property’s estate to use the soundtrack. How will that play into the final audio product, and what if any changes will be made?
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“For this to work well, the score has to fit the play, not just be tacked onto it (we tried that and it felt quite false, or empty with no surprises) so we are recording the score as we create the scenes, always taking our cues from Harry Robertson.
We want to maintain the overall familiarity with the score, but naturally progress it into the new territory. We want listeners to smile when they recognize certain things, but we want them to be able to take a different look at other aspects of the story.
We’ve most recently been working on the Mindsword track. It’s an odd, ambient piece with some really harsh sounds in there. We’ve included the most recognizable sounds to paint the scene, how they rise and fall, and due to additional dialogue, have broadened the soundscape with… ah, you’ll have to listen.
We used Voltan’s main theme for the audio trailer. In the drama this is heard early on, and is, for the most part, a direct translation from the original soundtrack. Again you’ll find more dialogue in the audio drama, and in this case, the theme is joined by a Peckinpah, Wild-Bunch(ish) inspired march. It feels like a lost track from the original Hawk soundtrack. That’s what we want from this. “
WALLY MONK
Despite the failure of the Hawk the Hunter movie Kickstarter that you were not associated with, it’s clear that Hawk the Slayer still has a fan base. How committed are you to finishing the trilogy in audio form once this project is funded?
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“It’d be the right thing to do. My fingers are poised already to type that email to Terry Marcel and the Harry Robertson estate to say, ‘Heya. The Slayer was funded. Now about the next two…'”
WALLY MONK
I’m a religious monk and my full name is Walter. If you need a monk for Voltan to harass in one of the monasteries for the audio recording, I’d gladly pay a pledge level to have someone address “Walter Monk”. Just saying….thoughts?
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“Sounds great as a pledge. We currently need £628. How important is this scene to you? ;)”
WALLY MONK
Thanks once again for taking the time to talk with me and share your project with our readers. As I ask these questions, your project is already over 75% funded with over 20 days left. Is there anything you’d like to tell Hawk fans out there, or my readers in particular?
GRAHAM RICHARDS
“Seriously, if you’re a fan of Hawk the Slayer, then this is the best way to ensure its future. Please pledge and let’s see this thing through to the end, together.”
***
The Hawk the Slayer audio recording Kickstarter ends on Dec. 4th. The Paint Monk gives it a hearty thumbs up! Click on the image or link below to go directly to the project page.
These days, you’ll get both good and bad coming out of the House of Ideas. February 2020 brings us certainly much of the former and potentially some of the latter.
Today, on the Pull List YouTube podcast it was announced that Jim Zub will be taking the reins of Conan the Barbarian after Jason Aaron’s “Life and Death of Conan” story line wraps up with issue #12.
Cover for Conan the Barbarian #13 (by E.M. Gist)
“A NEW ARC BY JIM ZUB & ROGÊ ANTÔNIO – INTO THE CRUCIBLE AS THE MARCH TO KHITAI BEGINS! Conan has faced many foes since leaving Cimmeria, but the greatest challenge lies ahead! A perfect jumping-on point for new readers as Conan finds himself in a city in the mystical Uttara Kuru, further on the eastern border than the young barbarian has ever traveled. And with the new city comes new dangers! Unfamiliar with the language, Conan inadvertently agrees to be the latest entrant to the Great Crucible. The people of the city support their foreign champion…but what deadly traps does the Crucible hold, and what will Conan sacrifice to overcome his ordeal?
Writer JIM ZUB (SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME) and artist ROGÊ ANTÔNIO (CONAN 2099, X-MEN RED) lead Conan on an all-new journey, as we begin a new era for CONAN THE BARBARIAN into undiscovered country!”
For those of us who enjoyed Zub’s three-part story arc “Conan the Gambler” this is certainly good news. Now brace yourself for the potential train wreck, but let’s keep our fingers crossed that Marvel has learned something from Age of Conan: Belit and it’s successor, Age of Conan: Valeria.
Here comes Dark Agnes #1.
Cover of Dark Agnes #1 by Stephanie Hans
“Forced into an arranged marriage, Agnes de Chastillon took matters into her own violent hands to free herself from the yoke of a life she never wanted. Now, the woman known as DARK AGNES, along with her mercenary partner ETIENNE VILLIERS, make their way through 16th century France as sell-swords on their way to join the wars in Italy, where the real money is! But when Etienne is captured by the DUKE OF ALENCON’s forces and set for execution, it’s up to Dark Agnes to save the day! But what evil designs are being enacted on Agnes, and will she doom herself by saving Etienne? An all-new story following up Robert E. Howard’s tales, the swashbuckling saga of DARK AGNES in Marvel Comics starts here!”
Dark Agnes #1 is written by Becky Cloonan with artwork by Luca Pizzari. I can’t say that the cover looks promising – rather, it looks as if this comic might be geared to younger female readers. While appealing to different audiences isn’t a bad thing, I think its safe to say that veteran Conan readers (especially those approaching middle-age) might be getting the same fare we received in both Age of Conan mini-series.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. I don’t want to judge a book by its cover, but I’ve been let down twice already.
For more information on Marvel’s February 2020 releases, you can watch the whole Pull List You Tube video here.
“Some people think Marvel’s new Conan comics are great. Others think they are mediocre and don’t reflect the barbarian they know and love. Whatever the opinion, they’re all OK. We don’t have to agree and we can still be friends. The PM Library Editor-in-Chief shares his thoughts on polarization in the comics hobby.”
By WALLY MONK – PM Library Editor
Since Paint Monk’s Library began covering Marvel’s new Conan the Barbarian comic, I’ve received a slew of emails and private messages, mainly from people agreeing with our reviewers about the direction the House of Ideas has taken with such an iconic property.
But for every five or six encouraging emails, I get one message from an angry reader telling me that I’m out of touch and if I don’t like Marvel’s new comics to quit reading and “go back to the nursing home to read Bugs Bunny” (Yes, I really did receive that email last month).
Contrary to what some younger readers might believe, I am not old enough to remember seeing Bugs Bunny on the retail shelves.
The thing about reviews is that they’re entirely subjective. If you share a like mind with the reviewer, you’re more likely to believe that based on that reviewer’s thoughts, you might or might not enjoy that same comic book yourself.
The natural conclusion to the above is that if you think a reviewer is an old “fuddy duddy,” you’re probably going to disagree with his or her reviews and buy a comic anyway. That’s the nature of reviews – it’s also why some people watch certain news networks instead of others. They may sympathize with certain narratives and really don’t care about the opinion offered by someone with whom they do not agree.
But this isn’t an article about politics – but it could be about how identity politics has crossed over into our hobby. I’m concerned about the nastiness currently abounding in the industry – both from the fans and the creative teams, and it applies to more than just a Conan story. If one person is unhappy about changes to major characters, they’re automatically “a jerk”, “old-fashioned” or a “judgmental idiot”. If another person applauds a companies decision to change a beloved character in some new, unexplored manner, they’re a “crazy ‘SJW’ who is out to destroy everything”, “incompetent” or simply “clueless”.
Come on, everybody, we’re better than this.
It’s true that I am not a fan of Marvel’s latest experiments with Conan. My reviews are based on the mindset of a 50 year old who has collected comic books for decades, with an eye on sword-and-sorcery and classic storytelling. Google Analytics and blog statistics here and on our Facebook page indicate that the bulk of our readers are over 30 and under 65. That would make them early to late middle-aged comic collectors, much like the writing team here.
My criticisms and book reviews are never intended to go after a new generation of writers for trying something new. Rather, much of my criticism lately comes from the seeming inability of creators these days to respect the past while boldly re-presenting and re-packaging classic characters for a new generation of readers.
Fellow Paint Monk’s Library blogger and author Bob Freeman refers to this as a writer’s ability to “play in the sandbox without breaking the toys” left there by a previous creator. It seems to me that is the crux of the problem.
Jason Aaron, in my opinion, has dropped the ball on Conan the Barbarian overall. But he’s kicking it out of the park with Jane Foster: Valkyrie, a series to which I am now hopelessly addicted (and will begin reviewing here with issue #5). Tini Howard is being lauded for her work on the new Excalibur comic – but she blew it, in my opinion, with Age of Conan: Belit, which was a writing and artistic travesty of epic proportions.
Comic book readers are as diverse as the subject matter covered in the hundreds of comic books released to the public each month – why can’t we all get along?
Ultimately, love and enjoyment of the comic hobby is one’s personal preference. Here at Paint Monk’s Library, my objective is to share my thoughts (and the thoughts of our regular bloggers) on some of the books out on the shelf. And whether you are referred to as “a jerk, old fashioned, a judgmental idiot, a ‘crazy SJW’, incompetent, or just clueless” what you read here on this site is informed opinion. But it’s opinion offered with respect to all people who – like you – love the comics industry with all its glory, ugliness, creativity and petty disagreements.
We can share what we like about comics and what drives us crazy, but let’s do it with respect and dignified treatment of all, especially those with whom we have different opinions. One kind word is all it takes, or in some cases, maybe it’s holding back a negative word that doesn’t need to be shared.
In the words of Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan (I’m putting a time stamp on myself here, folks) – let’s be “excellent” to each other. But that doesn’t mean I won’t tell you if I genuinely don’t like a comic book – and why.
As always, I am – Wally Monk, PM Library Editor
July 6th, 2019 By Wally Monk, ReviewsComments Off on REVIEW: Magik – Storm & Illyana (Mini-Series) #1-4
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a re-post and re-edit of a review I wrote long before Paint Monk’s Library had a single follower, so it will be new to most readers. A more in-depth version was written for comic review site Comic-Watch during my brief stint as a contributor there in 2017. A link to my review on that site can be found at the end of this review in case you want to read a review with more spoilers!)
By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor
As a young comic book reader, I exclusively read fantasy and science fiction comics. I was never really interested in superheroes. While my friends read Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and the Uncanny X-Men, I was happy to be collecting Conan the Barbarian, John Carter, Warlord of Mars and Ka-Zar the Savage.
In issue #11 of Ka-Zar the Savage from the 1980s, I remember the jungle lord fighting with Belasco, the demon based on the character in Dante’s Divine Comedy. So when I stumbled across Belasco on the cover of Magik: Storm & Illyana #1, I had to buy the comic (even if it did have superheroes in it)!
In Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men series, the character of Colossus (Peter Rasputin) has his little sister snatched from him by an entity (Belasco) through a dimensional doorway. Seemingly, that’s the last we see of her, but she pops up again shortly afterward – 7 years older. Where did the time go?
The Magik: Storm and Illyana mini-series (4 issues) tells what happened toColossus’ sister after she was snatched away from the world as we know it. This particular Marvel mini series is pretty dark, and it’s not one that I would recommend kids under 12 to read (despite being approved by the CCA) without talking with their parents and families about the theme of the series or the reactions of numerous characters throughout. It’s effectively the story of a little girl who is turned into a demon – and her struggles with good and evil throughout that battle.
It’s written by Chris Claremont, one of many Marvel writers who needs no introduction, and he handles the subject tastefully and well. It’s clear that Illyana Rasputin is good – and she fights the influence of the dark Belasco admirably.
Review: Magik – Storm & Illyana #1-4
In the first issue (Magik #1), young Illyana has been captured by the demon Belasco and taken to his dark realm called Limbo. We soon learn that the young girl’s innocence will be tainted by Belasco and she will be used as a portal by which the Elder Gods (whom Belasco serves) can enter the mortal realms.
Belasco takes a portion of Illyana’s soul and turns it into a “bloodstone,” and it is the first of five such stones the demon will create to fill a pentagram-shaped amulet. When complete, the amulet will summon the Elder Gods to the human realm.
The first two characters we meet are Ororo and “Cat” – twisted versions of the Storm and Kitty Pryde thatIllyana knows from the “real” world. Limbo’s Ororo and Cat come from a reality where instead of Illyana being taken by Belasco, the X-Men were captured instead.
Both X-characters (and many more in the series) have been twisted by the dark magic of of Belasco’s realm. After the demon lord flees from brief conflict, the trio of Ororo, Illyana and Cat head off for Ororo’s “Sanctuary,” a garden in the midst of Limbo’s chaos. It is a small piece of paradise, protected from the raging fires of the foul dimension and maintained by Ororo’s magic (she is a sorceress in this series, on top of being a weather-controlling mutant)!
It is here that Cat suggests killing Illyana. Apparently, this more violent version of Kitty Pryde is still angry that the X-Men were trapped instead of Illyana in her alternate reality. Secondly, she would rather see the youngster dead than as part of a plot to bring evil into the world. Ororo objects, and Cat leaves the sanctuary angrily.
Meanwhile, Ororo learns that evil has spread into Illyana much faster than she had thought possible – so rather than kill her, Ororo makes Illyana her apprentice, hoping to teach her how to use her strength for good instead of evil.
What will become of the soon-to-be New Mutant? And will she succumb to the dark side and Belasco’s influence? Read the series and find out.
THE GOOD: Chris Claremont is a superstar when it comes to anything X-Men, and the artwork by John Buscema in the first two issues is stellar. Ron Frenz steps in to pencil issue #3, which has by far the weakest art in the series, and Sal Buscema wraps up with solid pencils in issue #4. The story is definitely one that makes you think, and it helps set the stage for Illyana as a character in the New Mutants. Of the many Marvel mini-series from the mid-1980s, this is a solid must-buy.
If you’re a parent of a child under 12, you might want to check the comic out first – it’ll give you a chance to talk about the “temptation of evil” which is an ongoing theme in the series. But for teenagers, Claremont’s writing is clear enough to grasp the horrific goings-on and put them in context of a conflicted character in their own age group.
THE BAD: So much more could have been done with this particular storyline, but I’m not qualified to second guess an industry talent like Chris Claremont. I find it difficult to understand how Belasco decimated most of the X-Men in Limbo yet got his demonic backside kicked by a blonde-haired jungle lord (Ka-Zar) with no powers. The series makes it clear that Belasco’s powers are greater in his own realm – but that doesn’t explain how Ka-Zar was more formidable than the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe.
WHERE TO FIND IT: X-Men: Magik was collected as a hardcover book and trade paperback numerous times. You can find it on eBay or Amazon, where it averages $9-25, depending on condition. The individual issues can be purchased at many comic book stores for even less.
Do you enjoy Robert E. Howard's classic Cimmerian in comic book form? Join Paint Monk's Library bloggers, as we review all 275 issues of Marvel's original Conan the Barbarian series. New installments added regularly!
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December 6th, 2019 
EDITORIAL: What’s All The Fuss? Division Over “Conan”
“Some people think Marvel’s new Conan comics are great. Others think they are mediocre and don’t reflect the barbarian they know and love. Whatever the opinion, they’re all OK. We don’t have to agree and we can still be friends. The PM Library Editor-in-Chief shares his thoughts on polarization in the comics hobby.”
By WALLY MONK – PM Library Editor
Since Paint Monk’s Library began covering Marvel’s new Conan the Barbarian comic, I’ve received a slew of emails and private messages, mainly from people agreeing with our reviewers about the direction the House of Ideas has taken with such an iconic property.
But for every five or six encouraging emails, I get one message from an angry reader telling me that I’m out of touch and if I don’t like Marvel’s new comics to quit reading and “go back to the nursing home to read Bugs Bunny” (Yes, I really did receive that email last month).
The thing about reviews is that they’re entirely subjective. If you share a like mind with the reviewer, you’re more likely to believe that based on that reviewer’s thoughts, you might or might not enjoy that same comic book yourself.
The natural conclusion to the above is that if you think a reviewer is an old “fuddy duddy,” you’re probably going to disagree with his or her reviews and buy a comic anyway. That’s the nature of reviews – it’s also why some people watch certain news networks instead of others. They may sympathize with certain narratives and really don’t care about the opinion offered by someone with whom they do not agree.
But this isn’t an article about politics – but it could be about how identity politics has crossed over into our hobby. I’m concerned about the nastiness currently abounding in the industry – both from the fans and the creative teams, and it applies to more than just a Conan story. If one person is unhappy about changes to major characters, they’re automatically “a jerk”, “old-fashioned” or a “judgmental idiot”. If another person applauds a companies decision to change a beloved character in some new, unexplored manner, they’re a “crazy ‘SJW’ who is out to destroy everything”, “incompetent” or simply “clueless”.
Come on, everybody, we’re better than this.
It’s true that I am not a fan of Marvel’s latest experiments with Conan. My reviews are based on the mindset of a 50 year old who has collected comic books for decades, with an eye on sword-and-sorcery and classic storytelling. Google Analytics and blog statistics here and on our Facebook page indicate that the bulk of our readers are over 30 and under 65. That would make them early to late middle-aged comic collectors, much like the writing team here.
My criticisms and book reviews are never intended to go after a new generation of writers for trying something new. Rather, much of my criticism lately comes from the seeming inability of creators these days to respect the past while boldly re-presenting and re-packaging classic characters for a new generation of readers.
Fellow Paint Monk’s Library blogger and author Bob Freeman refers to this as a writer’s ability to “play in the sandbox without breaking the toys” left there by a previous creator. It seems to me that is the crux of the problem.
Jason Aaron, in my opinion, has dropped the ball on Conan the Barbarian overall. But he’s kicking it out of the park with Jane Foster: Valkyrie, a series to which I am now hopelessly addicted (and will begin reviewing here with issue #5). Tini Howard is being lauded for her work on the new Excalibur comic – but she blew it, in my opinion, with Age of Conan: Belit, which was a writing and artistic travesty of epic proportions.
Ultimately, love and enjoyment of the comic hobby is one’s personal preference. Here at Paint Monk’s Library, my objective is to share my thoughts (and the thoughts of our regular bloggers) on some of the books out on the shelf. And whether you are referred to as “a jerk, old fashioned, a judgmental idiot, a ‘crazy SJW’, incompetent, or just clueless” what you read here on this site is informed opinion. But it’s opinion offered with respect to all people who – like you – love the comics industry with all its glory, ugliness, creativity and petty disagreements.
We can share what we like about comics and what drives us crazy, but let’s do it with respect and dignified treatment of all, especially those with whom we have different opinions. One kind word is all it takes, or in some cases, maybe it’s holding back a negative word that doesn’t need to be shared.
In the words of Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan (I’m putting a time stamp on myself here, folks) – let’s be “excellent” to each other. But that doesn’t mean I won’t tell you if I genuinely don’t like a comic book – and why.
As always, I am – Wally Monk, PM Library Editor