REVIEW: A Ship Sunk, N’Yaga Speaks & The Tale of Belit!

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September 19th, 2018

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REVIEW: A Ship Sunk, N’Yaga Speaks & The Tale of Belit!

(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, #59.)

By DEAN PLAKAS – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

After a successful raid on a Stygian vessel, a nameless priest curses Belit and Conan. As the Stygian ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean with its dead passengers, Belit kisses the Cimmerian and tells him she will wash up and wait for him in her cabin.

Conan seizes the moment to ask N’Yaga, the shaman, about Belit’s intense hatred of the Stygians. N’Yaga explains her origin to Conan.

The Shemite hellcat is the child of King Atrahasis of Asgalun, a city-state of Shem. Although she was the rightful heir to the throne, her jealous uncle Nim-Karrak coveted the kingship and wanted it by any means necessary. He arranged for his own brother’s assassination and that of his heir.

Being her royal tutor and loyal to the king, N’Yaga smuggled her to safety with some loyal guards when Nim-Karrak overthrew the government. He took Belit to his homeland, where they were immediately attacked by the Bird-Raiders, archers who rode on large, flightless birds.

These bird-raiders killed the royal guardsmen – and N’Yaga, in an effort to save Belit, put on a display of fire with some powder. He convinced the raiders that she was the daughter of Derketa, the goddess of death. The pair was released, and N’Yaga returned to his tribe, continuing to look after the Shemite woman.

Although Belit joined N’Yaga’s tribe, she was never fully accepted. As she grew into maidenhood, her accomplishments caused dissension and jealousy among the tribesmen. She killed a blood-crazed baboon; she killed a man-eating leopard. Despite these feats, the tribe refused to acknowledge her as a warrior.

When she insisted that she be initiated, Chief Uzumi of the Silver Isles plotted her death. The jealous chief sent Belit on a suicide mission to reclaim the Silver Eye of Dagon, a long-missing jewel that was stolen by the frightening Mound-Dwellers.

Instead of being killed in what he thought was an impossible task, Belit was able to steal the gem away from its monstrous keepers, who chased her back to the village. She warned her tribesmen that the Mound Dwellers were following her – and she soon discovered Uzumi’s treachery.

With the help of N’Yaga, Belit force-fed liquid steel to the chieftan! The Mound Dwellers, sensing the silver in Uzumi, took the screaming chief instead of the gem.

With the chief gone and her ferocity witnessed by fellow tribesmen, Belit was now fully accepted as a warrior, tribe member, leader and goddess.

Concluding his story, N’Yaga bids Conan good night. The barbarian approaches Belit’s cabin and sees her store some treasure in a chest.

He spies the great Silver Eye of Dagon from N’Yaga’s tale. Instead of entering the cabin, Conan remains on deck, staring at the full moon and pondering his future with this formidable woman.

CAPSULE REVIEW: The Hyborian Page in this issue gives insight as to how Thomas and Buscema adapted Belit’s origin. Using the little information Robert E. Howard had given about the Shemite hellion in his original tale “Queen of the Black Coast,” Thomas and Buscema built a solid backstory about Conan’s femme fatale mostly in an effort to explain how a white woman ended up leading a crew of dark-skinned warriors.

Although they tried to stick to the original version of Howard’s character, they did alter her look drastically. Where Red Sonja’s look was altered after her original appearance in Conan, the Mistress of the Tigress had her look changed from the beginning.

Belit, as written by Howard, is supposed to be adorned in jewels, wearing only a red silk girdle and sandals – but her wardrobe was changed to match Conan’s look. In the comics, she wears a fur bikini top and loincloth.

Steve Gan does a competent job here inking John Buscema’s pencils, but at times the texture is a bit flat and he keeps shadows to a minimum. It’s easily overlooked, as the pacing of the action-packed story makes up for it.

On a scale of 1-10, I give the “Ballad of Belit” an 8.5. On eBay, copies of this issue averaged around $5 buy-it-now, which is a shame for an issue thatis a very, very good origin story.

– “And this story shall also be told.” – The Wizard in Conan the Barbarian

– Dean Plakas

August 29th, 2018

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REVIEW: Killer Plants, An Amulet & A Wizard’s Conspiracy

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. Weekly installments will be published until Marvel releases their first issue of the new Conan series. Today’s installment is written by librarian Dean Plakas. With this post, we’ve hit a fifty issue milestone for our countdown event!)

By DEAN PLAKAS – Paint Monk’s Library Copy Editor

Continuing the story Roy Thomas freely adapted from “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse” by Gardner Fox, we find Conan and his female companions in the Border Kingdoms province of Ravengard. Cradling an unconscious Stefanya in his arms, the Cimmerian is caught between man-eating plants and a giant flesh-eating monstrosity called Pthassiass.

The fearsome creature attacks Conan and his companions. The barbarian rests Stefanya on the ground away from the dangerous plants with his sword drawn. He fights the monster, cutting away at it until it has only one prong left on its tongue.

Pthassiass manages to toss Conan into the deadly plants and as the barbarian fights for his life against the vegetation, the hideous creature turns his attention to the serving wench from the castle! As Conan hears her screams, the beast grabs her with the remaining prong on its tongue and devours her. The Cimmerian cuts himself free. Although he is too late to rescue her, he can still save himself and Stefanya.

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS!

Review: Conan the Barbarian #50

Conan slashes away at the carnivorous monster and its hunger knows no end. As they battle, the Cimmerian notices that Pthassiass is avoiding the plant life. The barbarian decides to lure the beast into the plants, where the vines and tendrils attack and eat the massive beast.

With Stefanya in tow, the Cimmerian leaves the accursed land with the wizard’s amulet in hand. They re-unite with the wolf-woman Lupalina who initially mistakes Stefanya for her mother, whose name was Chrysala. Lupalina confirms that she knows Stefanya all too well. To make sure that she is Chrysala’s daughter, the wolf-woman looks for and finds the star-shaped birthmark on Stefanya’s leg. In flashbacks, she reveals to the pair Stefanya’s history.

Stefanya is the child of Thormond, lord of Phalkar, whose death was plotted by two wizards named Elviriom and Thalkalides. Lupalina also reveals that she was once called Samandra and she was Chrysala’s lady-in-waiting. The wolf-woman admits that she helped the wizards in their plan, but she did not want to kill the baby (Stefanya) so she hid her for a few days until she could be handed over to the wizard Zoqquanor. Lord Thormond and his wife Chrysala were killed in a rockslide made to look like an “accident.”

Now that Stefanya’s parents were dead, Themas Herklar, the wizards’ puppet, was put on the throne and made regent of Phalkar. Lupalina informs them that she repented, and went to live her life in the wilderness with wolves. She further informs the duo that Herklar sent to Merdoramon the Mage the amulet of protection that Conan now happens to hold – it is the amulet Conan needs to deliver to Herklar, without alerting the wizards!

Using her magic, Lupalina spies on the wizards. She witnesses a young man named Unos – she senses great evil in him – sitting on Herklar’s throne. She sees General Jarkan Val being scolded by Elviriom for not attacking Kaddonia as he was ordered. The general advises the wizard that they are at peace with Kaddonia and he only takes orders from Herklar. The general is advised that there has been a recent change in the regime and he needs to respect the new leader. A condemned man who was imprisoned for stealing bread is dragged in shackles into the throne room, and Unos disintegrates him by shooting beams of fire from his eyes as a lesson to General Val.

Lupalina tells Conan that the amulet can teleport him to the castle at Phalkar, where he may find Themas Herklar. The amulet transports him, floating him through the air and allowing him to pass through solid walls until he is near the dungeon holding Herklar captive. After a brief fight with a masked executioner, Conan finds Herklar in a dungeon. Tortured, broken and near death, Herklar tells the barbarian that Unos was created in a vat by the two wizards with the aid of demons.

As Herklar dies, subhuman creatures attack Conan, whose life is spared as he promptly teleports back to Stefanya and Lupalina. The three agree to go to Phalkar and kill Unos and the wizards.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Issue #50 – a milestone for a character Stan Lee thought wouldn’t last long under the Marvel Comics banner. Up until this point, the title did have its share of drama: artwork by both John Buscema and Barry Windsor-Smith getting lost in the mail, Windsor-Smith being woefully underpaid for his work, a lack of existing storylines involving the Cimmerian to sustain a long print run, and the lingering concern of cancellation.

Titles involving barbarians and savage lords of the jungle had been created and published by scores of other publishers before, but with the exception of Tarzan, none had consistent success. Conan is, after all, a savage barbarian from days gone by. Could such a limited character many do not consider “heroic” last? How heroic was he to begin with? A brutal, short-tempered, aggressive, womanizing, lusty, superstitious savage who is quick to kill people, even those who aren’t the villains or always the “bad guys.” Well, the joke was on Marvel. People loved the big lug then as we do now.

So how do we celebrate this 50th issue? With sorcery, beautiful women and some nightmarish creatures, what else? It’s worked every time and gotten us fifty comics.

The artwork in this issue is surprisingly inconsistent. The giant monster Pthassiass, although threatening, looks like a serpent version of Fin Fang Foom as imagined by The Muppets (and it doesn’t matter if it was drawn by cover artists Gil Kane and Klaus Janson or John Buscema!) The first three pages are great. Lots of action, smooth sequential storytelling and well-drawn overall by the parties involved. The comic is beautifully colored by Janice Cohen, but for the exception of a few sporadic panels thereafter, the pencilling and inking didn’t seem to gel.

I’m a fan of both John Buscema and Dick Giordano, but Giordano’s embellishments on Buscema’s work doesn’t seem to bring out the best in either of them after the first few pages. In doing further research, it turns out that Giordano was NOT the only inker for this issue. Terry Austin also inked the comic! Austin’s uncredited contribution here is that Austin inked the backgrounds while Giordano inked the characters. Knowing this now, you can examine their different approaches to the craft – you can see Austin’s more fine line work as opposed to some broad strokes by Giordano. Not their best, but enjoyable anyway.

Conan’s wisecrack response to Stefanya’s comment about being an inexperienced ruler is quite amusing, but Conan floating through the air and walking through walls was too much. It felt like I was watching the Vision in an Avengers comic book more than a Hyborian age barbarian. Sorcery is fine, but this was overdone, especially with Unos pulling a prehistoric Darkseid with some deadly optic beams.

Not the worst, but hardly the best – it’s certainly not anything special for a milestone 50th issue. On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 5. On eBay, copies were available for less than $6 depending on condition.

“And this story shall also be told!” – The Wizard in Conan the Barbarian

– Dean Plakas

July 18th, 2018

Classic Conan Countdown, Editorial

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EDITORIAL: How Many Lives Does Conan Have?

By WALLY MONK – PM Library Editor

For a Cimmerian that doesn’t pay much attention to Crom, the chief god of the Cimmerians bails him out an awful lot. In fact, Conan might not have made it more than a dozen issues if it weren’t for villains who’d rather brag than slay the barbarian, or friends who show up just in the nick of time.

I had this thought the other evening while reading Savage Sword of Conan #69. In that issue, Conan comes face to face with a three-eyed wizard named Giyune. The sorcerer lives in a magical castle, and has the ability to turn people into animals (and probably more) with his eldritch extra eye.

Why he doesn’t turn Conan into a ant and just step on him is beyond me, but alas, it doesn’t happen. He turns the Cimmerian into a lion, and goads the Conan-feline into slaying his own friends. As the wizard cackles maniacally about his dastardly plot, one of Conan’s friends flees and shoots the wizard’s magical retina with a well-timed arrow. The spell is foiled, Conan returns to normal, and Cimmerian and crew escape in the nick of time.

**Why would an evil wizard turn Conan into a lion instead of an ant he can smash?**

We’re talking about sword-and-sorcery here, so I know these stories are fantastical by their very nature. But many of Roy Thomas’ other adaptations are strong on plot (“The Tower of the Elephant” in Conan the Barbarian #4 or “The Garden of Fear!” in Conan the Barbarian #9) and show the Cimmerian’s ability to get himself out of rough situations simply by relying on his own strength and skill.

Here are just a few of Marvel’s Conan comic scenarios where our barbarian could easily have bit the dust, yet didn’t because of a braggadocios villain or a well-timed save.

5. Conan the Barbarian #40 – Old man Libro is dying in the desert, but once rescued by Conan, we learn he’s a powerful wizard who has figured out how to hold a goddess captive in a large diamond.

The mage summons a demon to take out some thieves who are chasing our barbarian friend – but the demon turns on Conan, sensing that he has the diamond Libro is seeking. As the wizard says he’s not “saving (Conan) a second time” one of the dying thieves throws a dagger into the wizard’s back. The demon disappears, and Conan (seconds ago being crushed to death) gets a reprieve from the afterlife.

**A dying thief’s dagger saves Conan from becoming demon pulp.**

4. Conan the Barbarian #24 – Red Son-ya (as she is called in this issue) saves the Cimmerian’s neck not once but twice – first in Conan the Barbarian #23 (with the timely arrival of her mercenary band) and again in this issue.

A bar brawl has turned ugly – as a man with a blade creeps up behind the barbarian, Son-ya calls out to him, quickly helping him sidestep the attack. As Conan says in the comic book, “My thanks for that Son-ya…I thought this was just a friendly brawl, but if it’s blades, it’s blades.”

**Red Sonja might not want a fling with Conan, but she’s saved his skin more than a few times.**

This timely save doesn’t mean that Son-ya is interested in the Cimmerian. Instead, they banter back and forth, with Son-ya rebuffing his macho advances at every turn. Ironically, Conan doesn’t have any issue putting up with Red Son-ya’s refusal to fall victim to his charms. Perhaps it’s because he has seen her fight and doesn’t want to wind up losing another one of his many lives.

3. Conan the Barbarian #11 – Thak the ape is one of Conan’s iconic villains. He’s been referenced in the film Conan the Destroyer, and a 28mm gaming miniature was even made of the barbarian’s fierce simian adversary.

In this comic, aptly named “The Talons of Thak,” Conan gets into a hand-to-hand battle with the monstrous ape, and quickly winds up on the losing end of the conflict. In an epic battle (lasting six pages!) Conan battles with the ape. It takes a quick save from Conan’s hireling Murilo to bring the advantage to the Cimmerian’s side.

**Conan and Thak the ape engage in battle-frenzied monkey business for six pages.**

Without his friend to help, Conan would have been short work for the rough and tumble Thak. How the barbarian could have thought to take on the ape alone is just “bananas”.

2. Conan the Barbarian #12 and Conan the Barbarian #13 – Holy guacamole! Conan should be beside himself that Jenna got rid of his “yak helmet” in Conan the Barbarian #6! If he had it on, he wouldn’t have been KO’ed by bandits and desert nomads at the start of both issues.

Ironically, even though Conan kills many of the bandits both times, they don’t kill him when he’s down – by some fluke of luck, they let him live after taking what they want, despite the body count of their comrades. If that isn’t “divine intervention” I’m at a loss.

Letting the protagonist live despite circumstances that would normally dictate otherwise is a common tactic used by writers of both comics and written novels. But it doesn’t make the circumstances any less ridiculous for the reader.

1. Conan the Barbarian #1 – What? The very first issue? You mean Conan might have been dead before his series got past its inaugural story? That’s right.

Conan is carried off – and dropped – by demon-creatures. He’s unconscious when he’s brought back to “The Shaman,” who intends to sacrifice Conan to a device called the Star-Stone. With the Cimmerian’s death, “The Shaman” could keep his precious Tara alive and in this dimension. But the wizard doesn’t make the sacrifice immediately.

He has to show everyone the power they do not comprehend – the power of the stone! As the magical device shows Conan his future destiny as a king, it also gives him time to figure his way out of the situation. But it could have been the end of Conan long before his second issue.

What other stories do you remember where Conan would have met his demise without a bragging villain or a timely rescue from one of his cohorts?

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)

July 2nd, 2018

By Joeseph Simon, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: A Brotherhood of Thieves, Bourtai & A Fire Tower

By JOESEPH SIMON – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Norvell Page, under the nom de plume Grant Stockbridge, wrote nearly a hundred tales of The Spider from 1933 to 1943. The Spider was a pulp hero that in many ways was competition for Walter Gibson’s The Shadow. Page also wrote under other names such as N. Wooten Pg, Randolph Craig and others. Under his aliases, Page wrote other pulp titles and tested out other genres.

Under his given name, he wrote sword and sorcery novels. These novels were “Flame Winds” (the very story from which Conan the Barbarian #33 is adapted) and “Songs of the Bear-God”. Both were published in 1939 and each featured a hero based on Prester John. These stories would be among the last that Page penned. As World War II engulfed the globe, he wrote government reports and worked for the Atomic Energy Commission.

Conan
the Barbarian #33 is another adaptation placing Conan in non-Conan
stories. I would love to know Roy Thomas’ reading list during during
the 70’s! These stories obviously influenced him in many ways. Norvell’s “Flame Winds” takes place in a city called Turgohl, which is also
the name of a character from “The Blood of Belshazzar” in Conan the Barbarian #27.

Interesting
to note – in the 1970 paperback version that Page wrote: “Heroic
Fantasy in the great CONAN tradition.” Page’s story though, as
the author explains himself, notes that he was particularly impressed with the character of Catholic priest
Prester John.

Prester
John might ring a bell with some comic fans. A more proper Marvel Universe character with the same name appeared in Fantastic Four and Thor as
well as DC Comics’ Arak: Son of Thunder.

Characters
taking his name appeared in a wide variety of pulp novels
through the century (in addition to Page’s) ranging from books by Umberto
Eco (Baudolino), John Buchanan and Charles Williams. Even William
Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About Nothing” references Prester John’s
name.

Steeped
in history and religion and worthy of independent research and
reading, Prester John has been debated for decades as to whether or not he
actually existed. Real or fiction, in Conan the Barbarian #33,
Prester John does not exist. Conan only follows in his foot steps as
written by Page in his “Flame Winds.”

Instead
of “Flame Winds,” Conan the Barbarian #33 is titled “Death and the 7 Wizards.” This issue is continued from the previous (where “Flame Winds” is referenced in name only).

Review: Conan the Barbarian #33

A short recap of the preceding issue can be found here.

This issue begins with Conan, visible “sucker” wounds covering his body from underwater battle, unconscious and viewed by a passerby as dead. The passerby
is Bourtai, a beggar, who plans on taking what little Conan has.
Conan stirs and attempts to assess his situation. Bourtai becomes
submissive, calling Conan his master and being obedient as Conan demands
safety after his traumatic underwater conflict with the octopus-woman.

Bourtai
takes him to a house that joins to an underground network of caverns
where Conan, a thief himself, guess that the Brotherhood of Thieves have their headquarters. Bourtai
says “ to this low estate are we fallen, master, since the coming
of the Seven. But perhaps our fortunes will change now that you are
here.”

Conan,
not a stranger to being a hero and savior, says “Perhaps. We’ll
talk about it after I’ve eaten.”. While waiting to eat, Bourtai is
asked to tell Conan of the wizardsand he complies.

I
am somewhat impressed. Bourtai tells how
seven wizards came to Wan Tengri and overthrew the previous king and
now rule the city with magic and terror. Conan also learns that
Kassar, the man who smuggled Conan into the city, has been captured
and will be put to death. Feeling responsible, Conan vows to save
him, and has Bourtai lead him to the flame tower where the wizards
rule. The tower itself is surrounded by the magical red flames that
cover the city, and each untrusting wizard’s personal guard lies
ready to attack the other for the slightest reason. Bourtai and
Conan sneak into the underground passages of the tower, and the two
are separated. Conan comes across the already deceased Kassar, and
soon finds himself in an arena, a guest of the seven wizards.

“….they
merely…appeared one day….on the seventh day…in the seventh
month, in robes of seven colors. Their magic turned Won Shi (the then
leader of the city)into a pile of scattered ashes. Then they built
the flame tower, whose far-darting fires fall with lethal fury on any
caught outside the gates after nightfall. One must either accept
their yoke…or trust to the desert of Black Sands Beyond. There is
no other choice. And, a thief now runs the risk that the man he robs
may be one of the seven, who walks among us in many disguises. The
Wizard has but to think of a stolen object…and it returns to him.
It is most unfair.”

Bourtai
then mentions that Won Shi had a beautiful daughter who is imprisoned in the flame tower Conan inquires if perhaps Bourtai
is one of the seven in disguise. Bourtai explains he snuck in once.
Conan is undecided if he accepts, and quickly distracts himself
insulting the food he has eaten and going to sleep.

We
should note that while Conan demands answers, none are asked of him
and he chooses to not explain why he happens to appear in their
lives. We’re reminded of a dream that indicated to Conan he would be
crowned a King and wonders “this place has no king right now, only
wizards and a princess….” and falls asleep, sword in hand.

When
he wakes, his welts are gone from the previous fight and Conan
overhears that Kassar was arrested and taken to the flame tower – this is the same Kassar who helped sneak Conan in the city to spy on it. Conan
announces that “No man dies in place of Conan of Cimmeria. By
Crom I’ll free him–if I have to tear down the Flame Tower itself!“

The
thieves are shocked that Conan would risk his life to save a
“worthless sheep herd.” Conan demands Bourtai take him to the flame tower Conan, though, has yet to call Bourtai by his name.
Instead, he calls him “monkey face.” Bourtai requests that Conan not call
him “monkey face” before his fellow thieves. Conan says that Bourtai’s
name is “not much of name” but agrees to do as Bourtai asked him.

It
is interesting to note that the Cimmerian’s continued belief that he will one
day be a king could potentially define how he treats others. On one
hand, Conan was said to feel relaxed among the thieves having been
one himself. At the same time, he treats them as inferiors, much like
various kings have treated him.

The next exchange in the story is my favorite in the entire issue.

Bourtai
takes Conan outside the flame tower and Conan reflects…”I was just thinking of how much of my life so far has been bound up with wizards
and towers.”

We
are then shown a two-page spread of Conan’s sentimental journey of the
past 33 issues. We take a tour through time of Conan’s
experiences with wizards and towers. While Conan already had a
disdain for wizards, its about time he realizes that towers represent
danger!

With
thoughts of danger, Conan’s mind recalls Jenna and then Red Sonja
(with Buscema keeping true to Conan’s memory and the full chainmail
top version of Red Sonja that Barry Windsor-Smith created!)

Conan
casts these thoughts aside while he and Bourtai sneak into the flame tower. Conan also continues to call his companion “monkey face” (though he did promise to stop doing that in front of the entire thieves’ guild!)

What will happen next? Will Conan keep his word and call Bourtai by
his proper name in front of his fellow thieves and stop being a jerk? Can Conan best not one
wizard, but the combined might of seven? Will Conan save Kassar? Will
he save the princess, become a king, and forget about Jenna or Red
Sonja? What sort of spy will the Cimmerian prove to be?

CAPSULE REVIEW: I
enjoy the character development of Conan. I think, in reading the
series as a whole, that Roy Thomas does a great job building
momentum with Conan as a person. I remember reading the first couple
dozen Amazing Spider-Man comics. At varying times I would read them
with a greater interest in the plot pertaining to Peter Parker and
other times, the parts with Parker in costume as Spider Man.

Its
not to take away from Conans life and death struggles, given that I
really enjoyed Conan’s interactions with Bertai and the Cimmerian reflecting
on his life. The pay off is there, as all plots and character
development does pay off and lead to greater stories later in the
series.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 7.4. On eBay, copies (ungraded) were affordable and available from $5-$15.

– Joeseph Simon

June 30th, 2018

By Wally Monk, Classic Conan Countdown, Interviews

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INTERVIEW: Will Barry Windsor-Smith work on New Conan?

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

Marvel Comics has announced the release of a new omnibus edition of their Conan the Barbarian series for release in 2019 well ahead of their expected new Conan series. This special release – set to be available in January 2019 – will include Conan the Barbarian #1-26, Savage Tales #1 and #4, Chamber of Darkness #4 and Conan Classic #1-10.

This new edition has once again been digitally re-mastered, but the inks and colors appear to be much closer to what perhaps the artists’ intended and is much different from the re-inking and re-coloring completed in the Conan: The Barry Windsor-Smith Archive Collection from Dark Horse Comics.

**The new coloring (left) in Marvel’s Omnibus versus the Dark Horse BWS archive.**

As we roll into the 13th week of our Classic Conan Countdown here at Paint Monk’s Library, we’ve covered reviews of all Conan’s “early” issues featuring the outstanding pencils of the legendary Barry Windsor-Smith. Months ago, I reached out to Mr. Windsor-Smith in the hopes he’d be kind enough to answer some questions for this humble blogger, allowing me to pay tribute to his time on the series as we rolled into the long run of John Buscema’s artwork on the Cimmerian.

Preparing just a few questions for the artist, I was excited! Will Mr. Windsor-Smith be a part of the Conan re-launch at Marvel? Is there a chance that the bullpen at the House of Ideas would do whatever it takes to bring a legend back to their creative fold? The answer, it seems, is a resounding “no”.

WALLY MONK

Did you have any idea at the time that the series on which you were working (Conan) would span 275 issues? And did you think you would be considered a “legacy artist” based on your Conan work alone? You have worked on many other fantastic projects, but your Conan artwork is a landmark for many fans.

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH

“Conan the Barbarian was on shaky ground for the first year so I wouldn’t have guessed it would have such longevity. Although I enjoyed several of Robert E. Howard’s books and I was thoroughly involved in each story I created or co-created I wasn’t deeply invested in the REH mythology nor its place in Marvel Comics’ publishing history. Because Conan was not part of the Marvel Universe there was a greater freedom to pursue his character and his world. My involvement was more of a personal nature than any superhero book I created.

To be honest with you, I’ve got no idea what ‘legacy artist’ means. Who came up with this term and for what purpose? Is John Buscema also a ‘legacy artist?’ Or is he the main ‘legacy artist’ with I being the runner up?”

WALLY MONK

In an early interview (Comics Journal, I believe) you mention you were not particularly happy with your work on Conan. I don’t mean to re-hash things you’ve already spoken of, but would you share with our readers “why” you felt Conan was a let-down for you in some ways?

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH

“I can’t recall the interview you’re referencing. I toiled passionately on the stories and art of those early issues. In fact, I worked so hard that I barely had a social life. I couldn’t afford to eat out and I had to make do with pizza and fish out of tins. I wasn’t paid nearly enough for my commitment to the work and I wasn’t credited or paid for my stories or dialogue.”

WALLY MONK

Had you remained onboard with Marvel, did you have any specific ideas for things you would have liked to do with Conan? And what parts of your work on Conan were satisfying? What was the favorite story on which you worked?

Art from Conan the Barbarian #4, which Barry Windsor-Smith considered a turning point for his work.

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH

“I had many ideas and plans for directions I wanted Conan the Barbarian to go but c’est la vie. ‘The Tower of the Elephant’ story was a turning point for me, a milestone in the evolution of my storytelling. I dreamed most of the scenes before I composed them. The next day, I did my best to draw the pages as I had envisioned them the night before in my sleep. I created most of the adaptation that way. It was a practically mystical experience.”

WALLY MONK

The reprints of your work – such as the Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives by Dark Horse – are of high quality, but the newer inking style sometimes dilutes the fine lined artwork you worked so hard to see published. If a reader was to look for a “collection” of your work that you are comfortable with, what would that be?

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH

“The re-coloring of the Dark Horse reprints was abominable and reprehensible. The only choice to see the comics as they were intended to be is to purchase the actual editions from the 1970s. That or the Conan Saga reprints in black and white.”

WALLY MONK

This is a long shot, but as you know, Marvel will be getting the Conan license back in 2019. Is there a chance we might see you re-visit the Cimmerian? Or would you have any interest in doing so?

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH

“No. I won’t touch Conan again. That bird has flown.”

* * *

I’ve taken Mr. Windsor-Smith’s suggestion and so far have collected issues #1-7 of Conan the Barbarian, with the premiere issue sitting at CBCS while I type this article (UPDATE: It came back as a 4.5 and I’ve since purchased the first Marvel Omnibus which collects BWS entire run.)

Thank you, Mr. Windsor-Smith, for your time.

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)

June 18th, 2018

Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: A Magic Sword, Toruk & A Duel to the Death!

(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 was published from 1970 to 1999. This is a review of Conan the Barbarian Vol. 1, #31. )

By DEAN PLAKAS – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Set in a hilly, rocky countryside, we find Conan and the Turanian army, led by Captain Malthuz, ambushed by a local tribe of Hill-Men led by Hobar. Malthuz orders a hasty retreat to higher land, buying what’s left of his army and the Cimmerian some advantage.

In a foreshadow, Captain Malthuz is directed toward a delicately balanced rock formation for an escape route, but he points out that it’s too delicate a rock formation and that “one misstep” would cause the rocks to fall and bury them all.

Hobar of the Hill-Men proposes a challenge to Malthuz: champion versus champion to the death! If Hobar’s champion wins, the Turanian army dies. If he doesn’t, then they are free to leave unmolested. Malthuz senses Hobar is a man of honor and will keep his word, so Malthuz agrees to the terms. Malthus does, however, wish he had a magic sword to fight Hobar’s champion, a giant of a man named Toruk whom Malthuz will fight himself at the agreed upon time of sundown.

The comment Malthuz made about having a magic sword stirs memories in Conan from his youth. In a flashback, after running for his life and fighting a giant bear, Conan found an underground tomb. He came across a skeleton’s hand holding a skull-hilted magic sword protruding from “a giant man-carved slab of stone,” sort of like a landlubber’s version of The Lady of the Lake and Excalibur. Conan managed to pull the sword out of the skeleton’s hand only to discover evil magic attached to the weapon as he faced a frightening enemy – the giant shadow of Conan himself! Using light and fire, the Cimmerian managed to escape the tomb and decided not to keep the sword, throwing it back into “the gaping aperture for some less prudent soul to find…”

Conan doesn’t like the odds of Malthuz winning the battle, so the barbarian knocks him unconscious from behind. The reason is two-fold: Conan respects Malthuz, he might even like him, but more importantly Conan doesn’t want his fate in some one else’s hands. In a hard fought contest, Conan defeats the giant Toruk by positioning him under the aforementioned delicate rock formation and causing an avalanche of rocks by throwing his sword at it.

Between the flashback and the present story, writer Roy Thomas does a fine job by connecting the two into one. As Toruk dies, he releases his grip on his own sword – which turns out to be the skull-hilted blade Conan had thrown away in the flashback. As the Hill-Men depart, Conan walks away with the Turanians and with their lives intact, as promised by Hobar. Conan does not notice the blade leaving the hand of the dead giant, who turns out to be the “less prudent soul” he imagined in his youth when he tossed the sword back into the tomb. Just like when Conan fought his giant shadow for the magic sword and his life back then, he now fought for his life again against the same sword and left a giant in the shadows of his own tomb of fallen rock.

CAPSULE REVIEW: The cover is illustrated by two other artists from the Silver Age of comics – Gil Kane and John Romita. Kane drew Conan and Romita drew the shadow of Conan. Overall, it’s a fine cover, fully illustrated with marked texture but with a tight sense of spacing.

The splash page of this issue reminds me of the splash page of Conan the Barbarian #17, which is the issue with the title “The Gods of Bal-Sagoth,” illustrated by Gil Kane. It’s practically the same page, with bodies everywhere, the Turanians and Conan having to fight for their lives, this time together against the Hill-Men instead of each other. There’s even a face of a character at the bottom of the right hand corner calling for Conan’s death in both issues. In Conan the Barbarian #17, the character is referencing a battle axe. In this issue, the character is holding a battle axe.

Much of the lettering in captions is not needed for the flashback sequence, as John Buscema does a fantastic job telling an action packed story through his pencils alone. You’ll note that Buscema even draws a thinner Conan with the necklace and horned helmet that former Conan artist Barry Windsor-Smith orginally drew. It’s these subtle visual things that give the comic book the edge over a novella. Although…the homage to Smith would have been more apparent and complete had Ernie Chua (Chan) used finer inks and Glynis Wein used pastel colors in the flashback.

My final comment is also with regard to the lettering, in particular to the typo on page five. Captain Malthuz whispers, “Thouugh were you raised” it should be “Though where you raised.” I don’t mean to be picky, but his comment made no sense whatsoever until I realized it was a typographical error.

Lots of action, a well-structured story, great art, and even a tribute to Barry Windsor-Smith’s Conan from John Buscema. On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 9 (see our rating and review standards here.) On eBay, ungraded copies are available (depending on condition) for between $3-$15.

“And this story shall also be told.” – The Wizard in Conan the Barbarian

– Dean Plakas

June 2nd, 2018

By Joeseph Simon, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: Big Jax, A Dancing Hyrkanian & A Serpent Tiara

By JOESEPH SIMON – PM Library Writer

This issue features the second appearance of the red-haired force of nature, Red Sonja, and it’s definitely something to cheer about! It’s also near the end of the Makkalet storyline. For me, there were some good stories during the Makkalet arc, but I didn’t particularly like the city or the setting.

I think it was more confusing than it had to be and Makkalet doesn’t feature prominently in future stories. I suspect others felt the same way about these tales.

Dean Plakas is correct in his assessment of the conservative nature of Barry Windsor-Smith’s Red Sonja in his review of Conan the Barbarian #23. I’m glad other artists gave her the trademark look that remains popular today. I’m not quite sure her rise in popularity would have sustained itself otherwise.

My critique of Sonja’s appearance is not made to diminish her personality or impact in the stories. She has plenty of both. I do love Smith’s artwork, but many of his women look the same and are not as memorable as a result in a visual sense. Red Sonja manages to stay away from the familiar-looking Smith women to a degree.

So what of the story of “The Song of Red Sonja?”

Review of Conan the Barbarian #24

Once again, our scene is set in a tavern. As with many such locations in the Hyborian Age, ale flows freely and women are dancing. The dancing woman in question this night is Red Sonja. Conan has a front row view with everyone else in the crowded bar captivated and chanting her name (as Son-ya.)

Another common element in Hyborian taverns are brawls – one of which quickly ensues when a companion to Red Sonja’s party, Big Jax, wants Sonja to sit with him. Big Jax, sadly, had part of his head cleaved off by an axe in a previous battle and it’s made him rather dull-witted. This escalates into a fight with Conan that turns into a full-fledged bar room brawl.

**Big Jax just wanted Sonja to sit with him and look at the mess now…**

Conan and Sonja, having their fill of battle, run outside to jump into a pool of water for an improvisational dip to cool off. Sonja plunges in, and re-emerging from the water has taken off her chain mail top. Before things can turn PG-13, Romantic Red teases Conan and they get out of the pool.

I don’t quite recall where, but I remember reading about how this scene did have edits to make it more reader-friendly. Remember, we’re not talking about covering up full nudity. Smith, no doubt, knew the rules of Marvel, a primary rule seemingly being that “sometimes less is more.” My memory on this continues to be lacking, but I believe there was a re-printing, perhaps a giant-sized, treasury edition, that showed Smith’s real intentions for the scene.

The story shifts to palace guards asking the tavern owner about the brawl. While they discuss the details, the guards realize that their horses are being stolen….by Sonja and Conan! The end of the first part of the story sees our red-spirited beauty and her enamored barbarian friend taking the road towards the royal palace.

The second part of the comic begins with a Howard-penned poem referencing the man called Kharam-Akkad. When we next see Conan and Sonja, they are facing a tower (Roy Thomas’ and Robert E. Howard’s fascination with towers apparently continues!)

Towers, as all readers know by now, are never good for Conan. Ignoring his past encounters with previous structures like these, our Cimmerian attempts to arouse Sonja in talk and bodily bravado only to be punched squarely in the face, with enough force to fall back into some bushes.

Speaking of personality…Conan responds with “By Crom, girl — I’ve killed men for less than that!” and Sonja mic-drops Conan with “For what? For not letting you kiss them?“

**Sonja lays Conan out with a mean left hook.**

An interesting sidenote is Red mocking Conan for pronouncing her name as Son-ya – “you pronounce my name as if there is apish blood in you” she says. I thought of the Hulk when I read Sonja’s comment!

Into the tower the pair travel, luckily entering a riches-filled room high inside the structure. Conan is enchanted by the treasures while Red says wisely to check the corridors for guards and more danger.

In my review of Conan the Barbarian #21, I mentioned how Conan was not quite “king material” at this point. He has much to learn. Even here, on a basic level, he is still learning. At least Red knows to police your area!

Conan goes to secure the room as requested and Red comes across a bejeweled serpent tiara. One moment all seems promising, the next Conan hears her screaming and he finds himself racing to her aid. This is the end of “Part Two.”

What kind of mess has the fire-haired Hyrkanian got herself into now? And how does Conan end up learning yet another lesson about women and ending up with another “Charlie Brown” moment?

CAPSULE REVIEW: This is a bittersweet issue. While I may be disappointed with the artistic interpretation of Sonja, I find Barry Windsor-Smith to be a great artist with a renowned style. Without his artwork, Conan may never have reached 24 issues. Roy Thomas is to be credited as much as Smith, and as a team, they did rule supreme (even if there were moments of occasional tension!) Either way, they created something different, something new, something challenging for the 1970s while standing the test of time even today.

It is then sad, as this issue is the last of the Roy Thomas / Barry Windsor-Smith run. It’s not entirely bad news, as Smith’s time with Conan helps propel him to greater heights in his career. We, as fans, can purchase many different reprints and collections representing this grand period of Conan. And it won’t be the last time we find these creative juggernauts working together.

I think it will be interesting as we progress further in the Classic Conan Countdown to see how the team dynamic changes as Roy Thomas works with new artists.

Creativity when shared can be powerful, creating things that otherwise would not exist with just one or the other or with someone else involved. Commonly acknowledged with great bands and musicians, collaborations in comics can be just as rewarding. Robert E Howard, Roy Thomas, and Barry Windsor-Smith have been and always will be known as a team worthy of reading as much as they were when these issues were first released.

Storywise, Red Sonja is the saving grace of this particular comic. Place any other female that Conan has met to this point in the series and you would not have the same story. You can, however, replace Conan with another heroic barbarian hero in this specific story and it won’t affect the dynamic at all.

No one knew that Red Sonja would soar to great fame – given that she did, I would rate this issue a 7.5 out of 10. Seeing that this is the end of a legendary creative team up, I’ll kick the score up to an 8.5.

On eBay, copies of this issue in ungraded condition were readily available in the $35-60 range.

May 30th, 2018

Classic Conan Countdown, Red Sonja, Reviews

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REVIEW: Red Sonja, The Vulture & Conan Sends A Gift Box

“In this issue, we get the first glimpse of Red Sonja. Sonja, a creation of Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, was an amalgamation of two fiery females created by Robert E. Howard. Red Sonja’s complete origin would be told in the pages of Conan the Barbarian #24 the following month.”

By DEAN PLAKAS — Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Written by Robert E. Howard and loosely adapted by Marvel Comics scribe Roy Thomas, “The Shadow of the Vulture” is a landmark issue of Conan as it marks the debut of Red Sonja in Marvel Comics’ version of the Hyborian Age.

Created by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith, Marvel’s Red Sonja is based on two of Robert E. Howard’s creations: the pistol-wielding swashbuckler ‘Red Sonya of Rogatino’ (from his 1934 short story “The Shadow of the Vulture”) and the swordswoman ‘Dark Agnes de Chastillon” (from his short story “Swords Woman” published years after Howard’s suicide). Both Red Sonya and Dark Agnes are red-headed women with short tempers. They share similar origins in that they were both mistreated by men before they embarked on their lives of adventure.

Howard’s “Shadow of the Vulture” was published in 1934.

Red Sonya’s adventures are placed in the days of the Ottoman Empire, where she is the Polish-Ukrainian sister-in-law of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. 16th Century France serves as the background for Dark Agnes.

Both female characters are among Howard’s works of historical fiction, while Conan remains purely in the fantasy genre. In developing this mash-up of Howardian heroines, Thomas and Smith transposed their timelines thousands of years back to the days of Conan. Most of the melded character is the Red Sonya from the story on which Conan the Barbarian #23 is based.

A lawsuit in 2008 was settled with regard to copyright and trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition with regard to the Red Sonya and the Red Sonja names and characters.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #23

Marvel’s rendition of “The Shadow of the Vulture” is very similar to the original Howardian tale but with some major character shifts. Prince Yezdigerd and Conan the Barbarian are playing the roles of the Ottoman Sultan’s Grand Vizier Ibrahim and the knight Gottfried von Kalmbach respectively but in the Hyborian timeline.

In both versions of the story, Mikhal Oglu, the feared soldier known as “the Vulture” is charged with hunting down the hero and bringing his head to the arrogant antagonist. The Vulture’s fate is the same in both stories.

The tale begins as Conan steamrolls his way into the king’s palace in the city of Pah-Dishah. The barbarian is bringing a message to King Ghannif from his son-in-law Eannatum. Eannatum is the king of the besieged city of Makkalet and the husband of Melissandra, Ghannif’s eldest daughter.

Ghannif gives Conan a sack of gold for delivering the message and then entreats the barbarian to entertain him with stories of the barbarian life. Since arriving at the king’s court, the Cimmerian has been assaulted, insulted and threatened and he leaves abruptly without honoring the king’s request.

**Conan is not prepared to regale the king with barbarian tales on this day!**

Meanwhile, in Makkalet, Mikhal Oglu (the Vulture) pays Prince Yezdigerd a visit. Oglu is given the mission to hunt down Conan and to bring his decapitated head to Yezdigerd for scarring the prince’s face and other troubles the Cimmerian has caused. Oglu’s Turanian army tracks Conan down and razes the village where he has found comfort.

The barbarian tells his female friend Ivga that she is safe, but she is killed by an arrow intended for Conan. Stealing a Turanian soldier’s horse, Conan races back north to Makkalet (which he has been doing since issue #19, for Crom’s sake…) with the Vulture and his Turanian soldiers in pursuit.

**Another one of Conan’s female friends meets their maker.**

Exhausted, Conan’s horse collapses and the barbarian rushes to a door leading to the city of Makkalet with the Turanian horde just behind him. The door opens and out rushes an army of warriors from Pah-Dishah led by Red Sonja.

A warrior tries to get Conan to safety, but Conan refuses. His pride won’t let him sit out this fight, and his ego won’t let him sit out the battle while a woman fights it for him! He thanks her but she tells him no thanks are necessary – she is a paid soldier of King Ghannif of Pah-Dishah and doing her job.

As Sonja and her bowmen enjoy the evening with food and drink, Conan strolls the city at night and stumbles upon Queen Melissandra. He ignores her forced pleasantries for he knows she tried to have him killed.

As he continues his walk, he comes across spies of Prince Yezdigerd who are in the process of sending messages to the prince. Conan is knocked unconscious and tied up by the spies. He finds himself rescued again Red Sonja. After defeating the traitors in their midst, Conan sets a trap for Oglu.

**The Vulture might be the best swordsman in Turan – but Conan isn’t IN Turan.**

In a locked room, the Vulture is confronted by Conan. He informs the Cimmerian that he is the best swordsman in all of Turan and our hero reminds him that they are not in Turan. Conan douses all light in the room and they fight in darkness. The next day amid celebrations at the Turanian camp, a messenger delivers to Yezdigerd a pretty package – containing the head of the Vulture.

CAPSULE REVIEW: It’s not every issue where a character is introduced who saves Conan twice in the same comic and ends up getting her own title. It’s also not every issue where three different inkers are used in the same book to ink one penciler’s work. This IS that issue.

The splash page is beautifully drawn with fine detail and background work by Barry Windsor-Smith; however, anatomically and composition-wise, Smith’s rendering of Conan on this page is questionable. As he is drawn on the page, Conan would have to be nine feet tall and all leg for him to have two full-grown guards between his legs trying to take him down, unless they are circus midgets, which they are not.

There is also a guard behind Conan running up the steps, but take a good look at the steps – they are the tiniest steps compared to the guard’s foot! Other visuals are better, like when Ivga is killed by an arrow after Conan told her she will be safe with him. Take a good look at the panel where she dies – his hands are covered with her blood – blood is literally and figuratively on his hands.

Other than Barry Smith himself, Dan Adkins was one of the best to ink Smith’s pencils. He was meticulous in his work, which was a blessing and a curse, for sometimes he wouldn’t be able to finish an issue in time for the deadline. This is one of the issues where Adkins didn’t ink it all – Sal Buscema and Chic Stone helped, and you can really see the difference in styles. Compare the fine linework of Adkins over Smith to the more broad embellishments of Sal Buscema and Chic Stone over Smith. You will also notice much less detail in the background, if there is background at all when Stone or Buscema have inked Smith’s pencils.

This brings us to the depiction of Red Sonja. In 2011, Red Sonja was voted Comics Buyers Guide “hottest fictional female” in comics but you never would have guessed that from her first appearance here.

Smith drew her very conservatively, with short red pants and a long-sleeved shirt made of chainmail and no gloves. The curvaceous, full-figured heroine in the bikini-style costume made of chainmail with matching boots and gloves – as she is most well-known – would never have been if not for Spanish artist Esteban Maroto (and later Frank Thorne) who redesigned her look and submitted to Roy Thomas. We’ve been indebted to them ever since.

With regard to Roy Thomas, hwoever, there is one thing that I find curious in his dialogue in this issue. He mentions Hell and the Devil. Crom! – Hell and the Devil were religious concepts that had not taken effect in the days of Conan. Unless Thomas transposed Hell and the Devil for this issue too…

On a scale of 1-10, I rate this issue an 8.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate this issue an 8 (please click here to our review guidelines.)

On eBay, this issue commands a hefty price as it is the first appearance of Red Sonja. Ungraded versions vary widely, ranging from $40 (in poor condition) to $180 (listed as near mint but ungraded.) At the time of this post, high (9.4 and higher) CGC-graded copies listed for sale ranged from $240-$600.

“And this story shall also be told.” – The Wizard in Conan the Barbarian

May 28th, 2018

By Wally Monk, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: The Check is In the Mail…And So Is Conan’s Art

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

For a complete review of this issue, please see my previous post about Conan the Barbarian #1.

Ok, Paint Monk, you screwed this one up. The cover of this comic book promotes “The Shadow of the Vulture” in the lucid pencils of Barry Windsor-Smith, but your review is about Conan the Barbarian #1! What were you thinking?

If you feel cheated by today’s Classic Conan Countdown post, you’re not alone. I normally prepare my reviews at least a week in advance and was shocked to see that the Conan review I’d been highly anticipating was nothing more than a reprint of Conan’s first comic book appearance. Given that Barry Windsor-Smith is gearing up for his departure from Marvel here and there were some delays with certain inkers along the way, it’s not surprising this happened, but this is a waste of a darn fine cover.

After being teased with this tantalizing illustration, we open the comic to find a nice little disclaimer from Marvel Comics editorial, along with a very familiar splash page – Windsor-Smith’s very first splash from Conan the Barbarian #1. To add insult to injury, the text box with narrative introducing Conan is replaced with Marvel’s explanation.

Instead of a review, I’ve included some text from the editorial of this issue’s “Hyborian Page” detailing the faux pas for your edification (below). For those of you who are still feeling cranky and thinking “What the he**?” I can assure you that blogger Dean Plakas has a fantastic and insightful review of the real “Shadow of the Vulture” tale already finished and not “lost in the mail” for Wednesday.

In the meantime, consider catching up on any of our Countdown to Conan installments that you may have missed.

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

(Editorial, Conan the Barbarian #22)

Well, it finally happened! As I’ve been telling you for months, it’s been a terrific strain for Roy, Barry and our hard-pressed, hard-working inkers to turn out an issue of CONAN THE BARBARIAN each and every month. Time after time, the ever demanding deadline has forced them to take desperate measures – including one issue reproduced partly from pencils, another finished up from Barry’s layouts by no less than four penciler/inkers.

But this time, Fate as well went against them – and you. At the last minute – and believe it when we say we mean just that! – no less than thirteen pages of the 21-page spectacular planned for this issue went lost in the mail, necessitating either a reprint of an earlier CONAN issue – or the substitution of a few “Conan-presented” sword-and-sorcery tales gathered from earlier Marvel mags. There wasn’t even time to change the now-accidentally-misleading cover, since it was printed long before the loss could have been anticipated. (And please, people – don’t tell us we should simply have skipped putting out an issue at all this month. Nothing would have pleased Roy and Barry more – but, once printing schedules are definitely set up, that becomes impossible. By legal contract, Marvel had to put out something called CONAN THE BARBARIAN this month – even if the mag had been completely filled with re-runs of Millie the Model! No lie!)

May 26th, 2018

By Joeseph Simon, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: Howard’s “Black Stone” Adapted For Comics

By JOESEPH SIMON – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Conan the Barbarian #21 has a thought-provoking cover, but symbolically it’s not what you might think. It shows Conan standing over foes who have fallen but aren’t dead. It’s not really a standard look for a Conan frontispiece, and not so inspiring at first look. But a keener eye will catch the slogan on the cover – “Winner of the Comic Book Industry’s own Academy Award for Best Comic-Mag!”

Due to its context and lack of standard cover art, one can infer that symbolically the fallen yet still-living foes are the comic books that didn’t win the award. An interesting side note is Marvel’s own spelling of comic book as “comic-book” and comic magazine as “comic-mag.”

The award in question is the Academy of Comic Book Arts Shazam Award, a short-lived but then prestigious honor. This was not the only time Conan won that particular recognition. In 1970, as many fans applauded, Barry Smith received the award for best new talent. In 1971, Conan was honored for both best continuing feature and best writer (Roy Thomas.)

This would not be the last award for Conan either! You can, in fact, expect one coming very soon in upcoming issues. I believe many fans might be able to predict accurately what the next award Conan received might have been – please leave your guesses in the comments section below.

Review: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #21

We find Conan in a situation continued from Conan the Barbarian #20, or depending on your viewpoint, from issue #19 or earlier, where we see the Cimmerian washed up on the shore and wounded from battle after trying to save his Vanir friend Fafnir.

Conan is fortunate enough to have survived the watery grave that otherwise would have been his fate. His luck runs out onshore where workmen of the men from Makkalet find him. These men attack him, thinking he is a Turanian mercenary who has recently menaced the city. In truth, Conan recently did fight with the Turanians – but Conan’s attempt to correct the men falls on fists and swords. The Cimmerian, not only weary from his previous battle and survival in the sea, also suffers from an arrow still sticking in his body.

Our barbarian is overpowered and the men, close to killing Conan, are stopped by Haram-Pyr, commander of the Makkalet King’s Guard. Conan is then thrown into a prison, where his presence creates palace intrigue.

A court physician is called to help Conan with his wounds by the Queen’s command, and he’s prepped to meet Queen Melissandra, King Eannatum, and the supreme priest of the true Tarim. Conan is led out of jail by Khurusan, a man that Conan sizes up as someone to watch and in time deal with.

Once in front of the King, Queen and Supreme Priest, things start to snap into place. The queen wanted to see Conan for a reason – she was seen in Conan the Barbarian #19 and was going by the name Caissa at the time. Conan and Caissa (or Melissandra) acknowledge each other silently as the king demands to know Conan’s story. The barbarian explains the events and King Eannatum decides, with the queen’s approval, to let Conan help the kingdom.

Conan agrees, but only if he receives a fast horse in return, as well as the shortest route west.

The barbarian is sent to recruit the help of the queen’s father. Caissa (Melissandra) sees Conan off and even gives him a rune-carved armband to protect him. As Conan, Khurusan and several other soldiers ride out of town, they encounter Turanian troops attempting to blockade the roads. Making short work of the Turanians, the group approaches an altar made of towering obelisks.

Present are the obelisk’s caretakers, a man named Justin and his daughter. Justin is an old, blind hermit. After mysterious words and warnings from Justin, Khurusan and his soldiers kill the old man and then beat Conan into unconsciousness.

On the opening page of this issue, it’s mentioned that this issue is inspired by a Robert E. Howard horror story called “The Black Stone.” The second half of the issue has significant impact with the story from which it was inspired. In a way, the second act of the issue has just begun.

What exactly does that mean? And will Conan ever save Fafnir?

CAPSULE REVIEW: The art in this issue is rounded out by several legends of comic book and fantasy illustrations. The art, while rendered by Barry Windsor-Smith, is rounded out by P. Craig Russell and Val Mayerik. How far each of these artists has come!

Illustration-wise, just the name of these talents should elevate the rating of this book past what I have graded this review! The story on its own merit could have been better. There’s a lot going on, but most of it is left unresolved.

Within the context of a story arc that has a grasp far wider than I believe even Marvel expected at the time, everything fits in. This issue is just a piece of the puzzle that helps make my choice of rating this issue an 8 on a scale of 1-10 just right (please see our review and grading standards here.)

Eagle-eyed readers might remember that the Tarim Incarnate, the living body of the greatest Hyrkanian deities, and a man-god that Conan has heard of, was also mentioned in King Kull.

On eBay, copies of this issue ungraded are readily available for less than $10.

– Joeseph Simon

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Archive for the ‘Classic Conan Countdown’ Category

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EDITORIAL: How Many Lives Does Conan Have?

REVIEW: A Brotherhood of Thieves, Bourtai & A Fire Tower

INTERVIEW: Will Barry Windsor-Smith work on New Conan?

REVIEW: A Magic Sword, Toruk & A Duel to the Death!