Could the New Moon Knight Series “Fix” the Character?

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor When I heard that Moon Knight was being relaunched this summer (followed in a month or two by my favorite Jungle Lord, Ka-Zar), I was filled with excitement but also with much […]

Comics Unlimited Reprints PM Library Glut Interview

My interview with Donald Glut was reprinted in the latest issue of Comics Unlimited! If you haven’t read this new bi-monthly yet, it’s one of the best comic mags I’ve enjoyed since Comics Journal was on the shelves years ago. […]

INTERVIEW: Jim Zub’s Conan #19 Coming Out March 10

(AUTHOR’S NOTE: It has been no secret that I have had issues with Marvel’s relaunch of Robert E. Howard’s Conan. The one bright spot has been the writing of Jim Zub. I was a fan before he took up the […]

EDITORIAL: Ka-Zar’s Death? Sorry, No Apology Is Due

“This editorial is full of spoilers for all three issues of Empyre: Avengers. If you haven’t read them or had your fill of modern comic book plots that have been beaten to death, go read the comics and come back […]

EDITORIAL: Please Don’t Break The Toys in the Sandbox

“As children, we all grew up and played together. Sometimes we even shared our toys, our bicycles, and our skateboards. But the cardinal rule was to take care of the toys or bicycle that you borrowed. Woe unto the kid […]

 

PREVIEW: Killing Red Sonja #1 – A Touch Too Whimsical

“An all-new series, spinning out of the smash-hit RED SONJA title written by MARK RUSSELL! In order to become queen, Sonja The Red had to defeat an evil emperor. But that emperor had a son. And that son will do ANYTHING to exact his revenge…even if it means embracing horrible magics he does not understand. Don’t miss out on this series that will affect the Sonja series for years to come! By MARK RUSSELL (Red Sonja, Year Of The Villain), BRYCE INGMAN (Edgar Allen Poe’s Snifter Of Terror) and CRAIG ROUSSEAU (The Flash).”

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Calling Red Sonja a “smash hit” is a bit disingenuous. The book is moving about 10,000 copies a month, and that’s with 5 variant covers per issue. It’s a good comic, however, and I wish more people were reading it. And while I didn’t love this spin-off out of … (Read More)

REVIEW: Conan, Jenna Reunited & A Deformed Wizard

“Conan saves yet another damsel in rags, only to discover she is an old lover, now hideously deformed. Claiming that Conan must take her to “the valley,” the barbarian looks down to see that he, too, is now covered in boils, afflicted by the pestilence that has claimed his former paramour. Can our barbarian find a cure for this mysterious affliction?”

(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) #118.)

By BOB FREEMAN — Paint Monk’s Library Writer

I am a huge J.M DeMatteis fan. His work on titles such as The Defenders, Justice League, House of Mystery, Captain America, and the short-livedAbadazad really stand out and should be counted among some … (Read More)

REVIEW: New Team Brings Spark, Creativity to Conan

INTO THE CRUCIBLE AS THE MARCH TO KHITAI BEGINS! Conan has faced many foes since leaving Cimmeria, but the greatest challenge lies ahead!  A perfect jumping-on point for new readers as Conan finds himself in a city in the mystical Uttara Kuru, further on the eastern border than the young barbarian has ever traveled.  And with the new city comes new dangers!  Unfamiliar with the language, Conan inadvertently agrees to be the latest entrant to the Great Crucible.  The people of the city support their foreign champion…but what deadly traps does the Crucible hold, and what will Conan sacrifice to overcome his ordeal? Writer JIM ZUB (SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME) and artist ROGÊ ANTONIO (CONAN 2099, X-MEN RED) lead Conan on an all-new journey, as we begin a new era for CONAN THE BARBARIAN into undiscovered country!”

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Here we are, at … (Read More)

REVIEW: Conan, Tentacled Blobs & A Towering Ziggurat

“Conan finds himself in a mysterious ziggurat. A woman accuses him of violating the temple of Hanuman, but all is not as it seems. Writing blobs, seductive wenches, and visions of the past are not quite what they appear to be. Can the barbarian defeat Mullah-Kajar and his power of illusion?”

(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) #117.)

By ANDY MAGLOTHIN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

High Priest Mullah-Kajar overthrew the Turanian satrap forcing him into exile – but he holds the Turanian ambassador and his wife hostage inside a great ziggurat. Two of Mullah-Kajar’s guards are inside the entrance, discussing these recent actions and hear something in the hallway. They decide … (Read More)

REVIEW: Why Can’t The Hulk Have a Picnic In Peace?

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Paint Monk’s Library, in collaboration with the enthusiastic staff over at the Into the Knight Podcast, are tackling the Moon Knight chronology! Each week we’ll take an in-depth look at the Fist Of Khonshu in a series of reviews, all in order of character appearance! These reviews will appear on Monday each week until we’ve covered them all, or until the enthusiastic Moonies get too exhausted to write. Whichever comes first!)

By JUSTIN OSGOOD – Guest Writer

The issue starts with our hero given the dramatic center stage, flying directly at the reader on the very first page! He is desperate to find the Defenders after his clever escape in the previous issue (see Defenders #48), but not really sure how – so he quickly makes his way across the city, thinking that Dr. Strange’s Sanctum would be a good place to start.

Review:

(Read More)

REVIEW: Moon Knight Captured – And Tossed A Beer?

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Paint Monk’s Library, in collaboration with the enthusiastic staff over at the Into the Knight Podcast, are tackling the Moon Knight chronology! Each week we’ll take an in-depth look at the Fist Of Khonshu in a series of reviews, all in order of character appearance! These reviews will appear on Monday each week until we’ve covered them all, or until the enthusiastic Moonies get too exhausted to write. Whichever comes first!)

By REYNALDO G. – Guest Writer

There’s a lot to like about this issue as it is chock full of story; but one can also say that the comic is also bogged down by the writer’s indulgences, and that is painfully apparent from the first few pages of this issue.

I initially balked at the lengthy dialogue between Zodiac and Nick Fury – which opens the issue – and found myself rolling my … (Read More)

REVIEW: Hyrkania is Starving – Will Khitai Offer Help?

“A NEW STORY ARC BEGINS! Year Two of MARK RUSSELL’s epic tale kicks off here, joined by artist BOB Q (Captain America, Fantastic Four). In this issue: Sonja The Red has won. Now comes the impossible part…”

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

While Shadizar relishes in the death of their despotic ruler, Emperor Dragan, Queen Sonja debates with her counsel how Hyrkania is to survive in the wake of their victory. With little food, their only hope is to receive aid from neighboring Khitai. Of course, therein lies a pretty big problem.

As we followed Sonja’s mentorship with the Khitian War Master in flashback over the previous twelve issues, we are now introduced to his fall at the hand of the crown prince, learning that Sonja was framed for the murder of her mentor and of the Emperor, allowing for the prince to assume the throne.

Sonja … (Read More)

REVIEW: Book-And-Record Set Adapted for Conan #116

“In Marvel’s first Conan outing in over a decade without legendary scribe Roy Thomas, we encounter a tale of Conan as a desert captive. Rasto, a wandering nomad, has captured the Cimmerian and intends to sell him at the slave market in Shadizar. But our barbarian’s captivity will not last long…”

(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) #116.)

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

One would think that the absence of fantasy’s most prominent comic book writer would have warranted some fanfare (or perhaps a eulogy) from Marvel Comics at the time. Instead, the first issue where Roy Thomas is not at the writing helm has an interesting – and (Read More)

REVIEW: Moon Knight Vs. Nick Fury in Defenders #47

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Paint Monk’s Library, in collaboration with the enthusiastic staff over at the Into the Knight Podcast, are tackling the Moon Knight chronology! Each week we’ll take an in-depth look at the Fist Of Khonshu in a series of reviews, all in order of character appearance! These reviews will appear on Monday each week until we’ve covered them all, or until the enthusiastic Moonies get too exhausted to write. Whichever comes first!)

By REYNALDO G. – Guest Writer

This issue brings Moon Knight in contact with the greater Marvel Universe and sees the start of the Fist of Khonshu functioning as a potential team member.

Solid writing and multiple story threads make this enjoyable and engaging throughout, with the added satisfaction of seeing those threads come together towards the end of the story.

Although dialogue and behaviors of the characters are somewhat dated by today’s standards, … (Read More)

REVIEW: Aaron’s Tale Finds Redemption In Conan #12

“THE EPIC CONCLUSION OF “THE LIFE & DEATH OF CONAN”! RAZAZEL has risen! CONAN has fallen! CROM may not care, but you CANNOT miss this issue!”

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Anyone who has been following along knows that I have not been a fan of Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar’s take on Conan. I am a Jason Aaron fan and thought he would be a perfect fit. He wasn’t, at least, not from my perspective. Let’s cover that a bit before moving on to my thoughts on the conclusion to “The Life and Death of Conan”.

I was raised poor on a struggling horse farm in rural Indiana and I loved books more than anything else in the world. I would prowl the creek behind our house, stalking through the woods with a pretend sword, holing up in one of my makeshift forts reading comics and … (Read More)