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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

November 13th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on Nim Karrak, A Treacherous Corsair & An Escape

Nim Karrak, A Treacherous Corsair & An Escape

Review: Conan the Barbarian #72 – “Vengeance in Asgalun!”

Conan the Barbarian #72
Vengeance In Asgalun!

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics.  This review is written by Bob Freeman.)

One of the unsung
heroes of Marvel Comics was Marie Severin, whom we lost on August 29,
2018. She had worked on Conan before her coloring stints on issues 69
and 72, having added her considerable illustrative talents to the
cover of issue 10. She served as an inker on issue 20 of Conan the
King and was the colorist on the graphic novel Conan the Reaver. She
was also instrumental on another Robert E. Howard property, Kull the
Conqueror, having pencilled issues 2-10 of that series, and coloring
various others.
Marie Severin’s mark
was all over Marvel, as a penciler, inker, and colorist, and her
death earlier this year was a heavy blow to all who knew and
appreciated her skill and professionalism. As I revisited this issue
of Conan the Barbarian, I found her color choices sensible and
dynamic, blending perfectly with the artwork, adding to the whole
without distraction.
Realizing that
Buscema, Chan, and Severin are all gone from this world makes one
appreciate the legacies they left behind all the more. This is issue
of Conan the Barbarian is a fine example of all their best efforts.

Review – Conan the Barbarian #72
Trouble is brewing
for Bêlit.
While she and Conan, along with the crew of The Tigress,
successfully raid a Shemite vessel, the pirate Kawaku disobeys
Bêlit’s command
to accept the surrender of any that call for it.
He instead, murders one in cold blood, drawing the Queen of the Black
Coast’s ire. The seed of mutiny is sown.

Meanwhile, N’Yaga’s
illness worsens. Belit turns the ship back to Asgalun that she might
retrieve healing herbs. Disguised as a weaponmaker and his wife,
Conan and Bêlit
enter the city, but finding a strong Stygian presence there,
Conan presents themselves as acrobats and entertainers. Rasirith,
finding their ‘marital spat’ amusing, grants them an audience with
Nim-Karrak, who overthrew Bêlit‘s
father, and the Stygian King’s representative, Ptor-Nubis.

As Conan and Bêlit
perform for Nim-Karrak, her hatred boils over and she snatches a
sword from a nearby guard. Ptor-Nubis
uses his Stygian sorcery to charm Bêlit,
compelling her to attack Conan.

As the swordfight
becomes increasingly more deadly, Nim-Karrak puts an end to it,
ordering Conan to be conscripted as a soldier, whilst Bêlit
is to be his concubine, at least until he tires of her. Once taken to
his private chambers,
Bêlit recovers the vial containing the herbs she needs
to heal N’Yaga, then attacks Nim-Karrak with a chair, then breaks a
wine bottle, prepared to kill the king with the jagged glass.
Nim-Karrak begs for his life, swearing that her father is alive in
the dungeons of the Stygian city of Luxur.

Bêlit
is confronted by Ptor-Nubis, but she escapes before he can use
his sorcery against her. She soon comes upon Conan. The barbarian
makes short work of the guards who hold him and he and Bêlit
steal away on a chariot. Escaping the city, Bêlit
vows to rescue her father from Luxur, declaring “…if
you will walk by my side, my lover, I’ll find and save him though all
the sorcerers of the Black Ring itself should stand against me!”

CAPSULE
REVIEW:  So close to scoring
a 10 on this issue. I docked it half a point because of the awkward
weaponmaker/acrobat schtick and that odd moment when Conan is
shouting while having a dagger clenched in his teeth, but otherwise
this issue was absolutely brilliant. Roy Thomas paints a terrific
picture, building tensions amongst the crew of The Tigress and
political intrigue and plot twists as he really brings the Hyborian
Age alive.
Of course, this is
helped by the almost unparalleled artistic mastery of the combination
of John Buscema and Ernie Chan. Only Alfredo Alcala rivals Chan for
inking Buscema. Just look at that splash page. The black leaves
plenty of room for the illustration to breath, while the feathering
and shading enhances the pencils underneath.
This is a great
transition issue, setting up so many exciting elements that will come
to fruition in future installments. You can tell that Thomas has a
plan with this title and he is crafting a masterpiece augmented by an
art team that is able to deliver on his vision.
On a scale of 1-10,
I’d rate this issue an 9.5. On eBay, this issue was
readily available for less than $10.
Alba Gu Brath – BF
(aka The Occult Detective) 
November 12th, 2018 Uncategorized 1 Comment »

Rest In Peace, Stan “The Man” Lee – 11/12/18

November 12th, 2018 Uncategorized 2 Comments »

Ashtoreth, Corsairs & A Sea God’s Vengeance

Review: Conan the Barbarian #71 –  “The Secrets of Ashtoreth!”

Conan the Barbarian #71 –
“The Altar of the Damned!”

((EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. Today’s installment is written by Dean Plakas.)


We find Conan, Belit, and members of the Black Corsairs imprisoned in a dungeon, recovering from drugged wine given to them by a tricky priest named  Akkheba. The bloodthirsty priest informs them that he plans to sacrifice them to the goddess Ashtoreth.  
They are quickly rescued by Belit’s sub-chieftain M’Gora and crew member Kawaku. The two men have discovered an escape hatch to the dungeon cells through which Conan and his imprisoned companions crawl to safety. 


Conan and crew make their way to a cliff where Conan spots the Tigress and her skeleton crew awaiting their return, but while Belit desires to go back to the Tigress, Conan has other ideas. 


The Cimmerian prefers to return to and punish Akkheba, take the gold and jewels owed to him and the crew of the Tigress for protecting the city (which Kawaku agrees that Conan should do), and save Aluna from the clutches of the evil Kelkans.  


An insanely jealous Belit believes that Conan‘s real reason to return is to rescue the lovely Aluna only, but he quells her doubts with strong words and a kiss. She believes him and orders her men to the ship as she and Conan make their way back to the city. 

Unfortunately, after fighting and killing several guards on their way into the city, Conan and Belit find Aluna has been sacrificed by the priest Akkheba, who manages to escape from Conan and Belit. 


As they search for him, they hear a woman sobbing. They climb the stairs, following the sound to the top of the tower. Conan comes across iron bars, and as he has done before in earlier tales, he breaks the iron bars with his bare hands and they make their way to the tower room.

There they find Astarta, a young woman who reveals herself to be Ashtoreth. Belit and Conan do not believe her to be Ashtoreth, so she tells them her story (via flashback). She reveals that she is a foreigner who was wed to a sea-god. The sea-god gave her immortality and she believes the sea-god destroyed her coastal city along with many other islands when he grew angry with Atlantis and had it swallowed up by the oceans. He spared her life and made sure she washed safely ashore on Kelka. Unfortunately when the island priests discovered her, they mistook her to be the goddess Ashtoreth.  She tells Conan and Belit that the high priests have kept her imprisoned and abused for generations. She also tells them that their magic has kept the sea-god from hearing her calls for help.

As they talk, the Barachan Pirates, led by Auro, return to the city and start fighting the guards. As Conan tries to avoid getting involved in this battle, he and Belit are met by Akkheba and his guards. They fight. Akkheba tries to escape again but Conan and Belit give chase. Cornered, Akkheba is about to face Conan‘s wrath when an angry Belit robs Conan of his revenge and kills Akkheba herself.  


With the wicked priest dead, Astarta/Ashtoreth’s powers return and in a foreign language she calls out to the sea-god who hears her calls to bring the seas down on the island. She advises Conan and Belit to flee for their lives.


As the island crumbles, we learn that Kawaku found Auro’s pirates on the far side of the island and that Kawaku encouraged their attack on the city as a distraction – so that he could steal the gold and jewels. He insults Conan and Belit. An angry Conan knocks Kawaku unconscious and he carries him as he and Belit run to the shore. The three crew members of the Tigress board a longboat and make their way to their ship and safety. 

CAPSULE REVIEW: This tale is freely adapted from the original story The Marchers of Valhalla written by Conan creator Robert E. Howard.  It’s beautifully illustrated with pencils by John Buscema and inks by Ernie Chan, who was credited for his inks on Buscema’s earlier Conan issues as Ernie Chua.


An interesting tale, but nothing really new here from Roy Thomas..Conan in a dungeon cell? Done. A jealous Belit? What else is new. Woman washed up on shore mistaken for a goddess? Check. Conan breaking iron bars with his bare hands? Seen it already. Crooked high priests? Done, and we’ll see plenty more of them. Sacrificed damsel? Yawwnnnn. Towers tumbled down and a city destroyed by magic? Seen that too. 


Far too many familiar themes here. If this were the first Conan issue I read or owned I could see giving it a 8 out of 10, maybe higher, but because there is really nothing here I haven’t seen for the last 35 issues I give it a 6 out of 10. Copies were available on eBay for $5 or less.


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

– Dean Plakas
November 11th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on In Honor of Those Veterans Who Served

In Honor of Those Veterans Who Served

To all the men and women who served the United States in war or in peacetime, thank you for all that you have done.

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

November 9th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on CBCS Update #5 – 15 Weeks + and No Progress

CBCS Update #5 – 15 Weeks + and No Progress

Follow Wally Monk’s First CBCS Submission From Start To Finish

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Follow Wally Monk’s first submission to CBCS…and see if they live up to the hype, or if you’re better off using a different service.)

Today is past the 15-week mark of my submission to CBCS. Technically, it’s been 17 Weeks, as a friend submitted it for me at a convention in June, so I’ll give them a two week window for acceptance. At this point, I’m wishing I paid extra for their “fast pass” option.

I’m holding onto an autographed copy of Airboy #1 (Eclipse Comics) and debating sending it to CGC to see how their process compares. So far, I’m terribly disappointed in CBCS. I had hoped they would be a reputable alternative to CGC.


Background: A friend took my copy of Conan the Barbarian #1 to a Midwest convention in June this year and dropped it off with a CBCS representative. Two weeks later, it finally showed up as “In Processing.”

Regular updates will continue until I’ve got it back in my hands. 

Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk) 
November 1st, 2018 Uncategorized 2 Comments »

To Every Thing, There Is A Season – Even A Blog

Change Is In The Air At Paint Monk’s Library – Thank You to Our Readers And Bloggers

Whew. It’s been a busy year. Since the blog began in fall of 2017, Paint Monk’s Library has gone from a small blog with a few dozen views of each post to a blog that’s been blessed with well over 1K views a week. Six talented bloggers contributed their talents for most of the past year on the well-loved “Countdown to Conan” and other weekly features. 
We’ve shared well-received creator interviews, with famous comic creators like Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Starlin and Timothy Truman. We’ve talked to lesser-known but prolific artists and bloggers like Robert A. Kraus and Nico Felix Capurro.
Sadly, what began as a hobby – and a fun way for me to put fingers-to-keyboard on occasion – has turned into a “job” that has begun to affect my time in ministry. And I cannot allow that to happen. 
Conan #275 will be our final “Countdown
to Conan” review. 

Effective Dec. 1, Paint Monk’s Library will end the “Countdown to Conan” and we’ll go back to a few sporadic posts, with no particular schedule. That doesn’t mean the Library is closed – it just means you might see a few posts a month instead of three or four posts a week.

Between now and the end of November, I’ve got reviews of Conan the Barbarian #71-74, #100, #116 and #275 to post, as well as one more of Troy’s phenomenal Savage Sword reviews. The final issue of Conan’s Marvel run will be our last Countdown review. 

Features and occasional creator interviews will still be posted (although irregularly), and Bob Freeman has agreed to continue writing the weekly Saturday Night Shivers for all you horror comic fans out there for the forseeable future. 

Each of the PM Library bloggers have been invited to continue providing occasional posts if they wish to do so. But with a slowdown in content, an inevitable slowdown in blog traffic and readership is sure to come. 
It’s amazing how much work a blog takes, even when people are providing content. Editing, formatting, finding graphics, scanning old comic books and promotion all takes time. I have a new respect for the thousands of bloggers who take their time to make sure that readers have something interesting to find on the internet.
A HUGE thanks to all of the librarians who volunteered their time to put pen to paper for me, the Paint Monk, and you the readers. Perhaps one day, when time allows, the Library can once again be filled with regular new volumes, but for now, things must slow down a bit.

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)
November 1st, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on Seasickness, An Island City & Poisoned Drink

Seasickness, An Island City & Poisoned Drink

Review: Conan the Barbarian #70 – “The City in the Storm!”

Conan the Barbarian #70
“The City in the Storm! 

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan,
a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular
Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. This
review is written by Andy
Maglothin.)


“The City in
the Storm” features a busy, generic cover by Gil Kane. Conan and
Bêlit are surrounded in a battle against pirates.
It is Kirby-esque pose leaving the reader ready for the action
within.

As our tale begins, we find Conan,
Bêlit, and the other Black Corsairs on the Tigress in a wild
trip across the open sea. The weather and waves are thrashing the
crew, making it extremely difficult to control the ship. Conan is
struggling to hold the sail and asks M’Gora and Kawaku for
assistance. 
Kawaku reveals he is afraid of the ocean’s roar and
unruly sea. M’Gora punches Kawaku and we see a bit of foreshadowing
related to Kawaku’s feelings toward both Conan and M’Gora. Bêlit is the first to notice land in
the distance…and with land…there are ROCKS! The Tigress crashes
into unseen rocks, causing damage to the hull. Fortunately the seas
calm a bit and they are able to make it to shore with minimal damage.
Bêlit and company are surprised by the land, but due to the damaged
ship, a bit pleased to find this large city. 

As they survey the
damage, M’Gora alerts Bêlit to an emergent situation with N’Yaga.
Bêlit discovers N’yaga below the deck lying in pain after a
treasure chest crushed him. Bêlit vows to search the new island for
herbs to expedite his recovery.

Is this all a mirage? As Conan, Bêlit
and a group of Corsairs ride in long boats to the coast, the thoughts
of a mirage vanish. A group of savages spew forth from the gate
causing Bêlit to ponder how they could have constructed such a
massive fortress. The savages suddenly halt and Bêlit believes they
might be friendly, but one hurls a spear at her as she approaches.
This prompts a battle between the savages and Corsairs which ends
almost as quickly as it begins due to a retreat signal from the
savages. Between the languages they began using and this coordinated
retreat, we learn they are more intelligent than what was originally
presented.

Conan and company learn who called off
the savages…Aluna, handmaiden of Ashtoreth, a well-dressed blonde
woman standing atop one of the buildings. She reveals the leaders of
the city called Kelka will provide gifts if they Corsairs leave, but
if the battle continues; it will be a battle to the death. She leads
a procession of other scantily clad females carrying food, drink and
treasure. The women are as impressive as the treasure they carry. A
short, very overweight priest of Ashtoreth named Akkheba, and a few
guards follow the procession of women and treasure. Akkheba explains
they are frequently harassed by a band of Barachan pirates and
requests Conan and company’s protection. Conan and Bêlit agree…to
the GOLD….but the Corsair men are not allowed into the city…none
of them…including our Cimmerian.

We learn Bêlit is serious about her
stance too as a conversation between Aluna and Conan is interrupted
by Bêlit. As Bêlit interrupts Conan’s discussion,
M’Gora and one of the Kelka savages alert everyone to an incoming ship. Using a spyglass, she sees a Barachan ship with the
most feared pirate at the helm – Auro. Conan, Bêlit, and the
Corsairs retreat into the city waiting for Auro and his men to come
ashore. Auro calls out to the walls of Kelka requesting the loot,
but he is answered by an arrow into the chest of a nearby Barachan
soldier.

The Barchans, led by Auro, attack Conan,
Bêlit and the Corsairs. The Corsairs make quick work of the
Barachans. Auro promptly recognizes defeat and calls for a retreat.
The surviving men scramble onto the ship and hastily depart the Kelka
beach.

Akkheba emerges from the walls of the
great city offering his men to assist with building funeral pyres for
the dead Corsairs and the women to tend to the wounded. He invites
Conan and company into the city but Bêlit continues to resist. Conan
convinces her she’s being foolish and they enter along with the
Corsairs.

Akkheba arranged a celebration of wine,
women and food which requires little prompting for Conan and the
Corsairs to enjoy. Bêlit and many of the Corsairs quickly begin to
get sleepy after the wine and Conan realizes – too late – that it
is a trap. Akkheba reveals he poisoned the wine causing sedation and
reveals his plan to sacrifice, Conan, Bêlit, the Corsairs and Aluna
to the goddess Ashtoreth.

CAPSULE REVIEW: I rarely find a piece of Gil Kane work
I dislike, but this cover just does not do it for me. It is
reflective of the chaotic battles featured in this issue, however it
feels rushed, crowded and the “zoomed in” perspective is too much. The adage ‘don’t
judge a book by its cover’ certainly applies here. Although not a
perfect issue, it is fun, well-paced, and has a decent cliffhanger.

The battle scene between the Conan-led
Corsairs and the savages is an example of what made the team of Buscema and Chan so
great. This single panel of the battle speaks volumes to the chaos
experienced in close quarters / hand to hand combat. The reader sees
spears volleying in the air, bodies piling up and swords slashing
into enemies.

Fast forward to the fight between the Corsairs and
Barachans with another trio of panels featuring Buscema and Chan’s
interpretation of a brutal battlefield. My only complaint is the
brevity of both battles. It would be nice to see more of these epic
battle scenes.

Looks like Bêlit is a bit skeptical
(i.e. jealous) of Conan when Aluna appeared. Bêlit refused to let
him into the city and this continued throughout the story when Aluna
spoke to Conan. Bêlit flinally let her guard down after the
battle with the Barachans yet she and the remaining Corsairs are
poisoned by Akkheba. Call it foreshadowing or women’s
intuition…either way, I would hate to be Conan and wake up to Bêlit
saying “I told you so….” Guys….we’ve all been there right?

On a scale of 1-10, I give this tale 7
Aquilonian Luna. This issue is readily available on eBay for less than $5.

Living life my own
way – Andy from Aquilonia
October 31st, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on The Western Sea & A Shape-Shifting Horror

The Western Sea & A Shape-Shifting Horror

Review: Conan the Barbarian #69 – “Demon of the Deep!”

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome
to Countdown to Conan, a
series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian
to Marvel Comics. This
review is written by Bob
Freeman.)

Robert E. Howard is
best known, and deservedly so, for Conan of Cimmeria, but he was a
prolific author who wrote in several genres. While he arguably created the sword and sorcery tale, he also hammered out a staggering
amount of pulp fiction, including westerns, boxing stories, detective
yarns, and horror tales.

One of his best
horror works was “Out of the Deep”, posthumously published
in Magazine of Horror #18 in their November 1967 issue.


Magazine of
Horror was a digest-sized periodical that mostly reprinted
stories from Weird Tales and similar classic pulp rags. They managed
36 issues between 1963 and 1971. Edited by Doc Lowndes, I remember
reading these when I was a boy and being especially struck by the
editorial columns that fostered in me a deep respect for the authors
who penned these tales and the craft behind it.

REVIEW: Conan the Barbarian #69

As Conan practices
archery on the deck of the Tigress, Bêlit
ribs him about his adjustment to the ‘rolling of the sea’ beneath his
feet. Conan then shares with her the first time he ever set eye on
the Western Sea.

In flashback, Conan
is returning to Cimmeria when he is captured by a group of Vanir. He
is taken to a fishing village on the western shore. As they near the
village, they discover the villagers surrounding the body of a young
man named Fallon who has washed ashore.

His lover, Marga, however,
insists it is not Fallon lying there, but something else.
After the Vanirmen carry Fallon’s body to his nearby house, Gowar, a
rival for Marga’s affections, also insists the drowned man is not
Fallon.

Chastised for
unfounded remarks and superstitious nonsense, the Vanir order Gowar
away. As he marches off in a huff, he shoves a bound Conan, calling
him a captive dog. Conan breaks his bonds and beats the man down with
his fists. The Cimmerian is surrounded by Vanir bearing steel and is
chained to a post outside near the sea.

Conan imagines the
sea as a grey, cold-eyed woman who speaks to him of her hatred of
men, but this fantasy is shattered by death screams from the village.

Marga is found
murdered and Gowar claims he saw Fallon rise from the dead and kill
her and that it was a demon inhabiting the drowned man’s body. None
believe him until the villagers discover she was drowned. Frightened,
they looked to a freed Conan to save them from the evil that plagues
their village.

Lireigh and Gowar
are both killed shortly thereafter. Conan discovers the
demon-possessed Fallon on the beach. As they become locked in a life
or death struggle, Fallon is bested by the sheer power of the mighty
barbarian. As the sun rises, Fallon’s body transforms, revealing him
to actually have been some sort of formless seaweed creature with
hideous dead eyes.

With a the curse of
“Crom!” on his lips, Conan, having fulfilled his promise
not to flee during the night, took flight as morning rose over the
village.


CAPSULE
REVIEW:  This was a terrific
adaptation by Roy Thomas of one of Howard’s best horror stories. All
the tension is maintained, despite injecting Conan into the tale, and
it feels natural, like the mighty Cimmerian always belonged there.

For a fill-in issue,
this one is deftly handled, with solid art from Val Mayerik, perhaps
best known for his horror work on titles featuring Man-Thing, The
Living Mummy, and the Frankenstein Monster. He was a good fit here,
doing a passable John Buscema impersonation with help by the issues
inkers, The Tribe, once again.

The cover, by Gil
Kane and Pablo Marcos, is good enough, but by this time I remember
growing tired of the crouching, awkward poses Kane liked to put the
barbarian into. I am a big fan of the artist’s vast body of work, but
feel, increasingly, that he was a poor fit on this title.

I bought these
issues off the newstand more and more in spite of the covers, not
because of them.

On a scale of 1-10,
I’d rate this issue an 8.5. On eBay, this issue was
readily available for less than $10.

Alba Gu Brath – BF
(aka The Occult Detective) 

October 28th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on CBCS Update #4 – 14 Weeks And…No Progress

CBCS Update #4 – 14 Weeks And…No Progress

Follow Wally Monk’s First CBCS Submission From Start To Finish

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Follow Wally Monk’s first submission to CBCS…and see if they live up to the hype, or if you’re better off using a different service.)

Today is the 14-week mark of my submission to CBCS. Technically, it’s been 16 Weeks, as a friend submitted it for me at a convention in June, so I’ll give them a two week window for acceptance. At this point, I’m wishing I paid extra for their “fast pass” option.

I’ll be sending off an autographed copy of Airboy #1 (Eclipse Comics) to PGX next week to see how their process compares. So far, I’m terribly disappointed in CBCS. I had hoped they would be a reputable replacement for the terrible turnaround at CGC. 
 


Background: A friend took my copy of Conan the Barbarian #1 to a Midwest convention in June this year and dropped it off with a CBCS representative. Two weeks later, it finally showed up as “In Processing.”

Regular updates will continue until I’ve got it back in my hands. 

Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk) 
October 26th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on A Page in Flames, A Missed Reward & King Kull

A Page in Flames, A Missed Reward & King Kull

Review: Conan the Barbarian #68 – “Of Once And Future Kings!”

Conan the Barbarian #68
“The Coming of King Kull!” 

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series of classic Conan reviews ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. This review is written by Dean Plakas.)

This issue has it all. Conan, Belit, Red Sonja, King Kull and…Thoth-Amon! 

My first thought was that this mega-team up should have been an annual rather than a regular issue, with a much grander story line.

John Buscema illustrates and inks his own work here and it’s a rare treat, but I’ve always found that a penciller should get an inker who brings a different artist’s eye to his work, one that compliments it and makes it shine. Look at his Conan and King Kull on page 16, panels 3 and 4 –it’s the same face with exception for the heavy ink around Conan’s eyes!  I’m not a fan of a penciller inking his own work, but that’s just my personal preference, although there are a number of examples to back up my opinion.

Buscema/DeZuniga or  Buscema/Alcala pages are masterpieces. Oh, I’d be happy to own a page illustrated and inked by John Buscema, but I’d rather have my hands on one inked by Tony DeZuniga or Alfredo Alcala first. There is something to be said about inkers who bring out the best of a penciler’s illustrations. Consider the penciler-inker collaborations of John Byrne/Terry Austin,  Neal Adams/Tom Palmer, Ross Andru/Dick Giordano, and George Perez/Joe Sinnott. I’m sure you can name more. Please share your thoughts on this issue’s art in the comments below.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #68
A priest transformed into a flying, winged man-monster is set upon by Conan the Cimmerian and Red Sonja of Hyrkania. To their surprise, they quickly find their weapons to be useless, as they pass right through the beast’s body, as if by magic. In fleeing the room, the creature grabs a rolled up page from the Book of Skelos from the hands of Karanthes and soars away. 


The Ibis-priest Karanthes gives a fire-red gem to Conan. He implies that it is a reward, but then he reveals that the jewel will be of further assistance to them when the time comes. Conan and Red Sonja depart and pursue the man-creature.

Once outside the temple, Conan’s paramour Belit discovers the two of them in private conversation and misconstrues what she has heard. The Queen of The Black Coast shows her jealous nature once more and bickers with Sonja. They almost fight (meeowwwrrr!) but Conan intercedes and explains the situation to Belit. The Shemite hellcat joins them on the chase of the beast. Riding on horseback for hours across the deserts outside Messentia, they soon come across a glorious palace. Conan remarks that such a palace in the middle of the desert is uncommon. 

The Cimmerian and his female companions are soon confronted by a group of guards. One makes Red Sonja uncomfortable and she makes him pay for it in swift Sonja style.  Belit realizes that there is more to Red Sonja than she assumed based on Sonja’s actions toward the guardsmen. Conan and his warrior-women learn that these guardsmen are members of The Black Legion of Valusia of King Kull’s court. They are shocked at the news because as far as they knew, Valusia and King Kull have been dead and gone for thousands of years (before 10,000 BC!).

When Conan and company meet King Kull in his court, Kull’s pict advisor, Gonar,  urges King Kull to battle Conan. Eventually the two fight and it goes on for some time. (Marvel Comics writer Roy Thomas portrays both of Robert E. Howard’s creations as men equal in battle, giving a slight edge to Conan). While they fight, Belit and Red Sonja make the peace, with Sonja telling Belit : “We are NOT rivals–save in your eyes! Conan has been my friend–my comrade–even my foeman at times–but neither he nor any other man has ever been my lover!” 

Meanwhile, in their sword fight,  Conan almost splits Kull’s skull open but his mighty blow is blocked by Kull’s royal crown. King Kull reveals at that moment that a magical red jewel has been missing from his royal crown and since its disappearance, the king and his men found themselves in the desert with part of his palace. Conan realizes he is in possession of the fire-red jewel Kull is speaking of and he returns it. The king promptly places it in its place in his royal crown, despite Gonar’s objections.

We soon learn why Gonar objects – upon replacing the jewel in his royal crown, Gonar is revealed to be an agent of Thoth-Amon in disguise! In fact the false Gonar is really the priest who transformed into the flying, winged monster that  Conan, Belit, and Red Sonja had pursued into the desert. The visage of Thoth-Amon appears to express his disappointment in his agent’s failed plan. As Thoth-Amon’s minion attempts to turn into the flying bat-like creature, Conan kills the priest with an arrow and the stolen rolled up page from The Book of Skelos bursts into fire!  The palace, the Valusians, and King Kull disappear into the past.

Belit, Conan, and Red Sonja return to Karanthes for their pay, but receive none as they failed to return the stolen rolled up page of magic (well, I guess they didn’t have fire insurance back in 10,000 BC). As Red Sonja rides away, Belit finally realizes that the Hyrkanian really isn’t interested in being Conan’s love, but what are Conan’s thoughts and feelings? 

Silently, Conan takes a last glimpse at Red Sonja as he watches her ride away…….Cimmerian, barbarian, librarian, octogenarian, sometimes men want what they cannot have!


On a scale of 1-10, I’d give this an 8, although I wish it was annual and inked by DeZuniga or Alacala. Copies were available on eBay for less than $10. 

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