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

Posts Tagged ‘#Conan’

February 12th, 2021

By Bob Freeman, Conan (2019), Slider

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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 challenge of being the Cimmerian’s primary scribe, particularly of the comic adventures of Pathfinder’s iconic characters.

He has done an admirable job with Conan and I am thrilled to share with you this short interview as we lead up to the next exciting arc in the adventures of Conan the Barbarian.)

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

***

BOB FREEMAN

Thanks for being patient with me, Jim. The world sort of got turned on its ear in March of 2020 and we’re still not out of the woods quite yet. No one has felt the brunt of this, creatively, more than you, I suspect. With your run on Conan the Barbarian interrupted just as it was gathering steam, I can imagine you had more than a few sleepless nights.

JIM ZUB

It was definitely surreal having this bucket list project finally launch and then the world slide into an unexpected state of chaos. I had originally planned a really aggressive convention schedule and a big part of that was going to be Conan-focused, but then the whole convention calendar shut down, and then, a couple of months later, the Conan monthly series was on pause. A 6-month gap right in the middle of our first story arc was not ideal, but thankfully when we came back in October we were able to pick back up and are now pushing hard with new issues in 2021.

That’s where my focus is now – beating the drum as hard as I can to make sure readers know we’re building something special and that the series is worth following, month after month and collection after collection, especially with Conan the Barbarian #19 coming in March as the start of a new arc and perfect jumping-on point.

BOB FREEMAN

As you’ve often stated, writing Robert E. Howard’s Cimmerian is a dream job for you. I’d be interested in the backstory of how you discovered Conan. It’s often telling if one’s introduction came by way of Howard, Thomas, or Schwarzenegger.

JIM ZUB

The original Arnold Conan film came out when I was 6 years old, so I wasn’t able to see it in theaters but the ripple effect it had on visibility for the character was immediately apparent and it got my older brother to start reading the original books. So many of my fandoms came from following in his footsteps, and in this case that meant reading the Lancer paperbacks, he started collecting and then shifting from there over to the Conan comics. Since the film was R-rated, I wouldn’t see it until years later on home video. I was still technically under-age for it, but we were in the midst of our sword & sorcery obsession with Dungeons & Dragons and fantasy novels aplenty, so it didn’t feel too severe.

A preview of Cory Smith’s artwork from the upcoming Conan the Barbarian #19.

BOB FREEMAN

You’ve had the chance to work with several artists that have really done your writing justice, but I have to say, after seeing previews of Cory Smith’s art, there’s some real ‘pop’ to these new pages. The layouts are really spectacular. That’s got to be inspiring.

JIM ZUB

Agreed! Cory is doing a stunning job on each issue and really carrying forth in the tradition of some of the best Conan comic artists of the past with rock-solid storytelling and dynamic action. It’s funny because on a phone call early on he admitted to me that he wasn’t generally a fantasy guy in terms of his own reading and drawing, but with each page he’s gotten more into it and is now starting to dig back through the classics and appreciate how well done they were. I think at first he assumed it would be easier than the kind of technical drawing he did before with cityscapes and sci-fi stuff, but the figure work and other details have provided their own challenges and he’s making the most of it.

What’s also crazy is that the page samples going around are just from his first issue. I feel like, as good as those are, issue #20 and 21 are even stronger, so readers are in for a real treat.

Another piece of sample artwork from *Conan the Barbarian #19*.

BOB FREEMAN

I appreciate how you’ve approached the character, staying true to the Cimmerian’s personality, especially in Howard’s tales of his early years. You’re delivering some dynamic prose that really breathes life into the Hyborian Age and its principal antagonist. Your plots, however, have tended to lean heavily on your experience with roleplaying game storytelling, which has been a nice change of pace. There’s a freshness to the stories that set your Conan apart.

JIM ZUB

Thanks so much. I really appreciate the kind words about the stories. It means the world to me to know that fans of the characters are enjoying them.

BOB FREEMAN

Tell me how you got into playing RPGs. What era did you come up in? I first rolled dice in 1978 with the Holmes Blue Book, and I never looked back, exploring every edition since, as well as countless other RPGs, like Gamma World, Top Secret, Traveller, and every iteration of Lord of the Rings and Conan that have seen print (and some that haven’t).

Zub’s introduction to fantasy RPGs came from the D&D Red Box rules set.

JIM ZUB

I started gaming with the D&D Basic Red Box, but my brother and I didn’t fully understand the differences between editions or Basic and Advanced D&D so our collection became a hodge-podge of different material with the Mentzer Basic Set, Moldvay Expert Set, and first printings of the AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual. As you might imagine, trying to keep the rules consistent early on was a challenge.

I’ve said this many times, but I wouldn’t be a writer today without D&D. It gave me a lot of confidence and ignited a desire to create stories and characters instead of just reading them. For me, coming up with scenarios and writing dialogue is very much about role-playing. I don’t want the characters to talk like I do, I want them to sound like themselves.

Robert E. Howard is one of the many influences on D&D, but it also carries a lot of other elements in there as well that I don’t feel translate back to Conan, so I sprinkle in a bit of D&D-esque dungeon delving and dark magic but do my best to hew to something more REH or Roy Thomas-influenced where possible.

In addition to writing Conan the Barbarian for Marvel, I’ve been writing official Dungeons & Dragons comics since 5th edition D&D launched in 2014. Writing two of the biggest fantasy properties in the world at the same time is absolutely surreal and I work really hard to make sure they feel distinct from each other.

BOB FREEMAN

I recognize some of your influences, but I’d be curious to know who some of your favorite authors are and what books mean the most to you, personally, and as a storyteller. Comic influences as well.

JIM ZUB

In addition to Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber and Lloyd Alexander were big for me growing up. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser felt like a gloomier version of D&D-style capers and I loved those books. Before those, I devoured The Chronicles of Prydain. The Dragonlance novels by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and the original Icewind Dale Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore also arrived at a pretty formative time.

Lloyd Alexander’s *Chronicles of Prydain* were among the many books that introduced Zub to the fantasy genre.

I also got a big kick out of some of the Fighting Fantasy novels because they mixed Choose Your Own Adventure-style choices with a dice-rolling combat mechanic. There’s artwork from Forest of Doom, City of Thieves and Deathtrap Dungeon burned into my brain alongside imagery from the Monster Manual and specific D&D adventure modules.

In terms of comics – Roy Thomas on Conan (both Barbarian and Savage Sword), Chris Claremont on Uncanny X-Men, and Roger Stern on Amazing Spider-Man and Doctor Strange are three big influences from my early collecting years. Later on, I’d also seek out work from J.M. DeMatteis, Ann Nocenti, Frank Miller and Neil Gaiman.

Obviously the writing was crucial, but great art really drove it all home, so fantasy illustrators like Frazetta, Elmore, and Easley grabbed my attention alongside comic artists like Paul Smith, Gene Colan, Michael Golden, or Art Adams.

***

The next arc begins with issue #19, dropping on March 10th, where we find Conan in the Land of the Lotus! Here’s Marvel’s announcement:

CONAN’s march to Khitai has landed him as the prisoner of the imperial guard…but it will take more than chains to keep a Cimmerian down! As Conan plans his escape, what dreaded beasts lurk in the land of Khitai, and what new dangers will impede his quest to return the TOOTH OF THE NIGHTSTAR to its rightful master? The travels of Conan the Barbarian continue with the perfect jumping-on point for new or lapsed readers! Join us as we welcome new series penciler CORY SMITH to the Hyborian Age in this epic adventure!

January 1st, 2020

Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: A King, Plans Overheard & A Daring Escape

“Roy Thomas continues his adaptation of Norvell W. Page’s “Sons of the Bear God”. In this third installment, Conan is taken away by dwarven guards on charges of treason and stirring up rebellion. Will the Cimmerian escape the clutches of King Aosoka and succeed in an attempt overthrow the dwarves?”

(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) #111.)

By BOB FREEMAN — Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Roy Thomas’ near perfect run on Conan the Barbarian is almost at its end. This issue has to rank as near the lowest of his creative output. It’s a pain for me to read, truthfully. The only thing that gets me through it is the absolutely beautiful artwork that Buscema and Chan deliver.

Reading this adaptation of Norvell W. Page’s “Sons of the Bear God” leads me to compare it to the current state of Conan in the Marvel Universe.

As much as I loathe what’s happening in the pages of Conan the Barbarian, Savage Sword of Conan, Age of Conan: Belit, and Avengers: No Road Home (Man, Conan sure gets around), from a story standpoint, each and every one of the titles released thus far in 2019 is better than the “Sons of the Bear God” storyline… damning praise, but there you have it.

But, and this a pretty big ‘but’, not a single issue of these new releases hold a candle to the illustrative genius on display, even in this lesser work.

John Buscema and Ernie Chan, who now both sit beside Crom on his mountain, rarely strayed from perfection. We were lucky to have them.

REVIEW: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #111

Tossa sensuously dresses in the morning as Conan wakes. He rebukes her for calling herself his wife. He has no interest in being betrothed. As they dress, the Cimmerian talks to her about the slaves of the city needing to rebel against their diminutive overlords when there is a knock on the door.

Conan thrusts open the door, ready to do battle, but finds a family gathered on his doorstep. They are the family of Visimar, the Aesir warrior he cut down the night before. As is their tradition, they are there to offer themselves up as slaves to the victor.

Conan sends them away, giving them a gold chalice that they might buy back their freedom. As they leave, Erfu rushes in with news that the long-eared priest overheard Conan’s talk of a revolt and soldiers have been dispatched to bring him before the king.

As the sound of the approaching soldiers resounds outside the swelling, Erfu accuses Tossa of being a wife to as many warriors as there are in the Aesir camp. Tossa attacks him, and Conan has to separate them.

The dwarven soldiers arrive and lead Conan away. Once alone, Tossa scolds Erfu for his ruse as he begs forgiveness, calling her “Highness”.

Conan goes with the soldiers peacefully. The entourage is soon joined by a band of Aesir. Once they arrive en masse at the palace stairs, the priest orders Conan to be disarmed and slain, but Conan charges the dwarf and pulls off his ceremonial ears.

Clutching the ears, Conan avoids the attack of dwarves and Aesir alike as he rushes into the palace, barrings the door behind him. The Cimmerian then sets out to find the throne room, having to fight his way past dwarven archers and swordsmen.

Finally, Conan uncovers the throne room and he bursts inside only to find King Aosoka sitting upon his throne with but a tapestry of mesh netting between them. Conan attempts to thrust it aside, but a surge of electricity courses through his body. With a mighty effort, Conan tears the netting free and hurls it at his tormentor, but it passes straight through the king.

The Cimmerian approaches and discovers the king is but a mirrored reflection. The palace guard finally gathers and attack, but Cona cuts his way through them, running out of the palace. Seeking higher ground, he scales the pyramid outside, taking note of the blue globe at the top.

The globe is tied to another and they in conjunction allow him to see far off into the distance.

Conan puts on the priest ears that he had been carrying with him and he hears an Aesir, Tossa’s brother Thanamund, across the courtyard urge him to traverse the thin brass rod that stretches between the two buildings that separate them.

As Conan makes his way slowly across as dwarven archers attempt to pepper the Cimmerian. Thanamund pours a dark wheat-like substance from a bag that covers the entire courtyard in smokey darkness.

Conan, once safely across, is lead out of the city by Thanamund. Conan counsels him to send Tossa and Erfu into hiding until he returns in that hour when the Heaven-Bear turns against his dwarven grandsons.

Outside the city, Conan sets out to find the encampment of the men of Aesgaard, intent on raising them to overthrow the dwarves at last.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Man, that was painful. While my review of issue #109 was kind, I had a much tougher time with this one. It is again, well written and well-drawn, but it is the plot that fails in every possible way.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 5. On eBay, this issue generally is available for less than $7, and as low as $3. Buy it only if you must. And read it only for the pictures.

Alba Gu Brath – Bob Freeeman (aka The Occult Detective)

December 11th, 2019

By Andy Maglothin, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: Conan Battles Against the Devourers of Darfar!

“Conan and Diana are free from the clutches of Tananda, the queen of Meroe – but have they stumbled into a new nightmare as they find themselves face-to-face with the Devourers of Darfar? In this issue, we see the return of a familiar face and our Cimmerian acquires a new traveling companion for his long journies.”

By ANDY MAGLOTHIN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

In this month’s issue, we catch up with Conan and Diana riding a horse through a dense rainstorm north of Kush. A pair of Kushite sentries stop them, requesting that Conan and Diana surrender their weapons. Conan attempts to explain his identity, yet the sentries do not accept this and attack. Conan quickly kills one and the other escapes. The dead Kushite’s horse remains, so Diana mounts it and they ride to shelter for the night.

Diana explains how over the past few months, she became a slave in Kush. Her father was sent to Messantia as part of the royal court. A plague broke out, which was perceived to be a curse, and the woman’s father decided they should leave on a ship headed to Zingara. Buccaneers took over the ship, slaying her father in the process. After having their way with her, the buccaneers sold her to a slave trader and subsequently to Shubba. Conan “keeps her warm” during the night and in the morning they ride off to Sukhmet.

As they ride through the high grasses, Conan spots a group of Darfari who were lying in wait for someone to attack.

One of the savages pulls Diana from her horse, but Conan slays him and scoops her up to flee. The Cimmerian and Diana stumble upon a group of people, one of whom he recognizes: Thutmekri. The Darfari are on their heels and Conan negotiates with Thutmekri to join forces long enough to fight off the group of attackers.

Thutmekri’s group is small, and even with the Cimmerian’s assistance, they are overwhelmed by the sheer number of savages. The Darfari’s language is understood only by Conan, and he learns they wish to capture Diana to use in their moon-dance ritual. It’s time for more negotiation, as Conan and Thutmekri agree to give two men to the Darfari instead of Diana, so Conan and Erfu, servants to Thutmekri, are sent off with the Darfari.

With Conan and Erfu chained up to separate poles, the moon dance beings. We discover Erfu is a sorcerer’s apprentice and has a potion that weakens his chains, allowing him to free himself. He uses a small amount on Conan’s chains, too, but not before the Darfari notice their captives are both free. A battle ensues, but Conan and Erfu are outmatched by sheer numbers so they flee the scene, finding a single horse and rapidly getting away.

A few days pass before they reach Sukhmet where they find Thutmekri and Diana. Conan is ready to leave with Diana but she decides to stay with Thutmekri. Conan and Thutmekri agree to Erfu and only two steeds joining the Cimmerian on his next journey.

CAPSULE REVIEW: A very mediocre cover to a likewise mediocre issue. The cover features Conan carrying Diana, running away from a group of Darfari savages. There’s a lot of negative space and for some reason the combo of Buscema and Layton does not work for me. Conan’s face is off-kilter and the proportions are odd. I’ll give it credit for capturing a scene in the comic, but it is a very average cover.

The story provides a brief background on Diana and Erfu, but neither story makes you care for the characters at all. Eh…Diana was a love slave for the bucs…she’s almost captured by the Darfari…she stays with Thutmekri…YAWN. Erfu’s assistance to free himself and Conan was a nice spin, but again, his character is a bit bland. The end made me chuckle as Conan and the talkative Erfu ride away. Conan simply asks him to keep his mouth shut, but Erfu continues with a story of riding the desert with a Eunuch.

The most redeeming quality of this issue is the interior artwork. It features Buscema / Chan artwork with George Bell’s work on colors. The characters’ facial features, size and skin color allow the reader to differentiate people and races. Background details are missing in some panels but others have enough detail to see the texture and depth of the scene. One of the best scenes is when Conan breaks free from the post and uses the chain to slay one of the Dafari savages.

On a scale of 1-10, I give it 5.5 Aquilonian Luna.

Living life my own way – Andy from Aquilonia

December 1st, 2019

By Wally Monk, Conan (2019), Interviews, News

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INTERVIEW: Jim Zub to Take Reins of Conan in 2020

(EDITOR’S NOTE: A special thank you to Jim for answering my questions and taking the time to do so, and a special shout-out to the Marvel bullpen editorial folks who allowed this interview to move forward! Both this monk and our loyal readers are looking forward to this new chapter in the Conan the Barbarian saga!)

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

Following Jason Aaron’s 12-issue story arc “The Life and Death of Conan,” Marvel writer Jim Zub will be picking up the scripting duties on Marvel’s flagship Conan title beginning with Conan the Barbarian #13.

Like Aaron, Zub has a healthy resume already at the House of Ideas, where he’s scripted fan-favorites like The Champions, Avengers: No Road Home, and the Mystery in Madripoor mini-series featuring Wolverine. He’s also the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Award, which he won in 2018, and is a two-time Harvey Award nominee.

Jim graciously agreed to an interview with Paint Monk’s Library in anticipation of his Conan the Barbarian series premiere.

***

WALLY MONK

So your first comic, Makeshift Miracle, came out in 2001. At the time you had your first comic published, what were your goals in the industry? Had comics always been something you were interested in? Can you share the beginnings of your journey in the industry, and what led you from there to your current gigs at Marvel?

JIM ZUB

“I grew up as an avid comic reader but, to be honest, I didn’t consider it a viable career path for a long time. As far as I could tell the only people who were making a go of it in comics were based in the U.S. (especially New York) or were brilliant and British. My knowledge of Canadian comic creators was limited and, even then, I just didn’t see how people made their way into the business.

My post-secondary education was in Classical Animation and that was originally where I expected to work. I wanted to be a Disney animator or work on other animated productions. It was a creative goal, but one that seemed reasonable. I could get focused training and be one of a few dozen names that scrolled by during the credits.

As soon as I got out into the business, I could feel the animation industry shifting under my feet. Computer animation was rapidly overtaking traditional production methods and I felt like I was out of date almost as soon as I began. The first couple of industry jobs I got were fine, but at an entry-level you don’t have much creative input, so I felt like a cog in the machine. Makeshift Miracle was a creative outlet I worked on in the evenings. It was a way to make my own story without interference. I slowly taught myself Photoshop and basic HTML so I could post up pages online a few times per week. That would connect me to the growing webcomic community and build my excitement for comics all over again.

*Makeshift Miracle* is available in collected editions.
.

When animation freelance work slowed down, I originally planned to go back to school for computer animation, but instead an opportunity popped up to join UDON, an art studio full of illustrators and animators who were working on concept designs, advertising art, and comics. Through the studio, I learned a ton about publishing, storytelling, project management, conventions, and marketing. It was the kind of energizing place where the more you put into the job the more opportunities you could take on and I really dove in with both feet. Over time I realized that at the heart of all these projects I was involved with, the stuff that really engaged me was story development. I wrote a few stories at the studio when clients needed a writer and would eventually take what I learned to help me launch Skullkickers at Image.

Skullkickers was an action-comedy built from the things I loved about sword & sorcery stories like Conan and Dungeons & Dragons. I didn’t put it out intending it to be an “audition” for more writing work, but that’s eventually what it became. As I started freelance writing for other comic companies (Dynamite, IDW, DC and eventually Marvel), the experiences I had working at UDON meant I understood the whole publishing pipeline and could anticipate what editors needed. That has served me well right through to the present day.”

*Skullkickers* enjoyed a 33-issue run at Image Comics.

WALLY MONK

In 2010, your series Skullkickers ran an amazing thirty-four issues at Image, and was followed by Wayward, described by some as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer set in Japan.” You also wrote Samurai Jack for IDW. It’s clear you have a fondness for stories in Eastern settings. What inspired that fondness? It’s interesting your first adventure on the Conan title takes place in Khitai!

JIM ZUB

“Sword & Sorcery is definitely my jam, with Conan and D&D at the heart of my fandom for the genre. Skullkickers was me trying to take the strange unexpected turns that happen in D&D game sessions and attach them to a very pulpy and weird Conan-style story.

In the early-mid nineties I was still in high school when my brother came home to visit from university and brought a bunch of Japanese animation and comics he was getting into. That really opened me up to the variety of comic stories being published in Japan and keyed me into Japanese mythology as well. I found it really fascinating as I dug into the similarities and differences between Japan’s myths and the Euro or Greco-Roman myths I was used to. Years later I would travel to Japan a few times on business trips for the UDON studio and that reignited my excitement for those myths all over again.

Classic samurai stories share a lot of connective tissue with pulp fantasy tales like we see in Conan – Characters venturing into the unknown to confront threats way out of their league or heroes choosing between the bonds of duty and the chaos of freedom. It’s all pretty primal stuff.

As far as taking Conan to Khitai, it wasn’t an intentional riff on things I’ve done before, it was more about finding places where a lot of Conan stories hadn’t already been told. With hundreds of Conan comic stories already out there, I’m feeling the pressure to try and strike a balance between the familiar tropes, the stuff about the genre I absolutely love, and the unexpected. Putting Conan in different environments is a way to shake things up a bit without losing the heart of what makes him so great.”

WALLY MONK

In addition to Japanese-influenced work, you tackled four different Dungeons and Dragons comic series for IDW. Are you an RPG gamer? Were you familiar with D&D before taking on the projects at IDW? And how will your previous work in fantasy influence your take on Conan?

*Dungeons & Dragons: Evil At Baldur’s Gate* was one of several D&D comic series Jim wrote for IDW.

JIM ZUB

“I’m a lifelong D&D player. I started playing D&D when I was 8-years old. It became a way to bond with my older brother and carries a ton of great memories for me. I even did a TEDx Talk about how D&D has influenced my creative career (link).

“One of the challenges I’m enjoying is making sure my writing on Conan feels very different from my writing on D&D. Fantasy is not homogenized approach and two fantasy properties I really like can and should be unique.”
Jim Zub – Paint Monk’s Library Interview

Getting the chance to write D&D comic stories has been a dream come true, but I’m quite conscious that D&D is not Conan. D&D was influenced by the work of Robert E. Howard, but it also carries strains of Fritz Leiber, H.P. Lovecraft, Jack Vance, Poul Anderson, Michael Moorcock, J.R.R. Tolkien and a slew of others. It’s a high fantasy/low fantasy mash-up built on a miniature wargaming engine that has grown and changed in many ways over the years, building its own look and feel that changes with the settings and each new edition of the rules. I love D&D, but it is its own thing.”

WALLY MONK

Unlike many comic book characters, Conan is what some might consider a legacy character. His background was established by Robert E. Howard, and people – especially hard-core REH fans – are very critical of new interpretations of the Cimmerian. Conan is not like other Marvel characters who have been killed off and brought back, or changed repeatedly with reboots or relaunches. What is your vision for Conan in light of such history and his often critical yet loyal fan base?

JIM ZUB

“You’re absolutely right that Conan is a legacy character with very specific characterization at different points in his adventuring ‘career’. Like Howard says, he has ‘gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth’. I want to try and evoke that feeling of plunging readers into a sweeping adventure against crazy odds with brutal action.

Part two of the “Conan the Gambler” storyline in Savage Sword of Conan.

For me, Conan stories have particular elements that make them special. Many of my favorite Conan stories are about morally dubious miscreants struggling to survive in a mad world they will never fully understand. They’re about good people making bad choices, warriors fighting against insane odds, and misplaced courage. The kind of misplaced courage that makes you look death in the face and laugh.

I love the feeling of mystery inherent in the Hyborian Age. Magic is not about casting spells or destined heroes with prophesized magic items, it’s forbidden secrets unleashing curses and creatures that can only be stopped by an indomitable will and a strong arm swinging cold steel.

Conan the Gambler, the 3-part Savage Sword story I did this summer, is as good a preview as I could give of what I enjoy and what I’m hoping to keep rolling as I take over the flagship series – Conan in over his head, using wits and a wicked blade to take on everything he comes up against.”

WALLY MONK

In light of my last question – and I’m not asking you to bite the hand that feeds you here (winking at Marvel) – but how do you respond as a newer Conan writer to critical fans who are not happy with Conan showing up in the mainstream Marvel universe?

And how do you think you can make a “believer” out of fans who are not embracing a new take on Conan’s adventures? Is there a way to “bridge the gap” between older fans not willing to budge on classical interpretations of Conan and newer fans hoping for something new and untried?

JIM ZUB

“I wrote Conan meeting the Avengers in No Road Home because we were asked by Marvel editorial if we could do it and I figured I could make it feel like the classic Conan comics I grew up with. Selfishly, I also wanted to write the character again (I’d previously co-wrote him with Gail Simone in Conan Red Sonja back in 2015) and felt I could do him justice even in the weird situation of him getting mixed up with superheroes.

That first issue where he shows up (Avengers: No Road Home #6) is a straight-up sword & sorcery tale as Conan travels across Stygia with the Scarlet Witch. I did my damnedest to bring them into his world instead of “fish out of water” stuff in modern Marvel Earth. That’s also why we ended that story by depositing Conan in the Savage Land. It felt like the most pulp-appropriate place to set up future adventures.

Conan travels Stygia with the Scarlet Witch in *Avengers: No Road Home #6.*

Gerry Duggan’s been writing Conan’s adventures in Marvel Earth over in Savage Avengers and obviously I’ve been keeping up on it. Gerry’s done a nice job at keeping the character intact and consistent even in some really strange circumstances, so my hat’s off to him for that. I might have hesitated in spots where he’s gone for the team-up gusto.

Personally, I prefer Conan in the Hyborian Age so that’s where my focus is. In the upcoming Conan: Serpent War mini-series, he stays in the Hyborian Age and the other characters come to him to complete their quest. In Conan the Barbarian, he won’t be teaming up with forces outside of classic sword & sorcery. Barbarian is the pure Hyborian Age series, just like it always has been. In other series or places, I think it’s fine to experiment, but keeping that spot carved out for pure Hyborian adventure is important to me, and I know it’s important to the fans too. I hope REH fans give my run a try and support that vision of the character.”

*Conan: Serpent War #1* hits stands on December 4th, 2019.

WALLY MONK

Roy Thomas is considered by many to be the consummate Conan writer in comics. Others that have taken up the torch, like Tim Truman, have done a commendable job with the character. In light of this, was being selected to take on Conan intimidating? How do you view your work on Conan when considering the previous scribes who have taken on the title?

JIM ZUB

“It’s absolutely intimidating! The whole thing is surreal at times. They’re called “dream projects” because you don’t actually ever think the dream will become reality, but here we are. I feel a lot of pressure to try and measure up to the kinds of stories that have influenced me so much. In October, I had the chance to meet Roy Thomas at Paris Comic Con and in private conversation I let him know I was taking over the series. He was incredibly kind and it made my whole trip extra-special.

I wish I could say I have the perfect characterization that will please old fans and new, but all I can do is write Conan the way I feel works and hopefully, it hits the mark for the majority of readers.

Conan isn’t a character who needs radical reinvention, but it’s also important to try and steer clear of clichés that have become too well worn. Putting him in new locales, brainstorming unexpected threats, it’s all a way for me to try and honor the character’s legacy but also not endlessly recycle what has been done before. Will I succeed? Only one way to find out…”

WALLY MONK

Your three-issue arc “Conan the Gambler” was well received and hopefully was a preview of what you’ll be doing in the new series. Can you give us at “Paint Monk’s Library” an exclusive hint of something we can look forward to in your time with Conan the Barbarian?

JIM ZUB

“The Gambler distilled a lot of the elements I love about Conan stories and the response from readers has been really heartfelt. It’s even more special now since it went over just as well with the Conan license holders and started me on the path to taking over the flagship series.

Into The Crucible is the first of a series of connected stories of Conan in his younger days. He’s the more headstrong Conan we see in The Tower of the Elephant or The Frost Giant’s Daughter. He’s venturing further than he’s ever gone before and the exotic locales he treks through are steeped in opulence, opportunity, and otherworldly danger.

The cover to Conan the Barbarian #13 with art by E.M. Gist.
Variant cover artwork for Conan the Barbarian #13 by Toni Infante.

In a city in Uttara Kuru, Conan joins a wild celebration underway but doesn’t know the local language or customs, so that revelry takes a dark turn and puts him in a life or death contest called The Crucible Tournament. He needs to figure out who he can trust and a way out before everyone gets sacrificed to the warped whims of a dark god.

I love putting Conan out of his comfort zone and far from the places he knows. The Demon’s Den in the Gambler story was a place where Conan didn’t have control and didn’t know what might happen next. Now it’s whole countries filled with the strange and the sublime – Beautiful women, vast treasures, and bloody vengeance are all coming up.”

WALLY MONK

Thanks, Jim, for taking the time to share your thoughts with me and library readers. I have one last question – and it’s a personal one. Savage Avengers began in the Savage Land, and personally, I’m hopeful Conan might return there at some point. Since Conan is headed in many different directions in different Marvel titles, is there any chance he’ll cross paths with Ka-Zar, Shanna or Zabu? That would make this monk smile.

JIM ZUB

“I wish I could definitively answer that for you, but I really don’t know. That’s a question for Gerry Duggan or Saladin Ahmed since they’re now handling Conan stories where he’s interacting with Marvel Earth. Right now, my sights are firmly set on the Hyborian Age.

One last thing – I’m not trying to give people the hard sell, but I do want to stress that starting a new run with issue #13 is tougher than a new #1, so it’s extra important that readers let their local comic retailers know that they want to get on board. Please read Conan the Barbarian #13-17 and let us know if we deliver the goods. I would love to build out a long and healthy run on a book that has meant so much to me, but I can only do that with reader and retailer support.”

***

FEBRUARY 2020 – INTO THE CRUCIBLE AS THE MARCH TO KHITAI BEGINS!

“Conan has faced many foes since leaving Cimmeria, but the greatest challenge lies ahead! A perfect jumping-on point for new readers as Conan finds himself in a city in the mystical Uttara Kuru, further on the eastern border than the young barbarian has ever traveled. And with the new city comes new dangers! Unfamiliar with the language, Conan inadvertently agrees to be the latest entrant to the Great Crucible. The people of the city support their foreign champion…but what deadly traps does the Crucible hold, and what will Conan sacrifice to overcome his ordeal?”

Writer JIM ZUB (SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME) and artist ROGÊ ANTONIO (CONAN 2099, X-MEN RED) lead Conan on an all-new journey, as we begin a new era for CONAN THE BARBARIAN into undiscovered country!

August 26th, 2019

Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: A Captive, A Bargain of Flesh & An Elder Beast

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

Of all the Conan stories Roy Thomas adapted during his long run on the title, Conan the Barbarian #104 sticks very closely to the source material. But I am convinced that Marvel today would not publish this particular comic book as it was drawn or written. You’ll see what I mean in the actual review.

During Howard’s time, society looked at many things differently, and Howard’s blatant (and often caustic) observations about race and women were things that wouldn’t make it past editors today, and rightfully so. But we must be careful to remember that Conan’s world is a place in which the social niceties and patterns of respect established today do not exist.

The original story “Vale of the Lost Women” first saw print in The Magazine of Horror in Spring 1967 and was reprinted later that year in Conan of Cimmeria, by Lancer Books.

Howard’s original story, though printed for the first time long after his death, is considered to be part of Conan’s history and continuity. It involves a bargain that Conan will save a woman from her captors in exchange for intimate favors, something I’m surprised the Comics Code Authority didn’t scream about, given that this story was published in 1979.

Roy Thomas tones down some of the darker implications of the story; which, again, I’ll touch on during the capsule review. The cover, by Ernie Chan and Danni Crespi, is perhaps my favorite of the entire series. I’ve actually been looking to acquire the original art of this particular cover since my early twenties.

Review: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #104

Livia, a captive from Ophir, lies nervously on her bed, listening to members of the dark-skinned Bakalah tribe dance around their campfire. She is brought food by a Kushite woman, who gives the Ophirian an evil look. “Are they coming for me now?” Livia asks, to which she receives no response.

On the next page, we see the bloated and overweight king of the Bakalans, Bajujah, eating food on his throne. He is a loathsome sight to look upon (according to Thomas’ description) and in theory, not much of a king. For some reason, these people serve him out of fear…or something. I’m not exactly certain.

Conan and his Bamula tribesemen march into the Bakalan village and everything stops for a moment, but soon the two tribes are feasting together, as an alliance – or at least a temporary peace – has been struck. Livia, who has been watching from a distance, notices that Conan is different from her captors and perhaps she can elicit some help from him.

Conan, the Bamulans and the Bakalans all have a feast together, rife with food and lots of drink. As the chieftain begins drooling on himself and passing out (as depicted in the artwork), Conan makes his way to a hut – escorted by Bakalan soldiers – where he will be spending the evening.

Livia sneaks out of her room, lifting up a floorboard and crawling underneath to the place where she learns Conan will be bedding down for the night. My first question was if she could get out that easily, why didn’t she run away sooner? She’s certainly not greeted well by our Cimmerian, who grabs her by the hair and yanks her out from the floorboards, before noticing that she’s a woman, and one from Ophir at that!

Knowing that Livia risked her life to get to Conan, he allows her to tell her tale – although he doesn’t seemed moved at all, to which Livia reacts poorly. She was accompanying her brother to Stygia with special permission for him to study in the great city of magicians. Along the way, they were captured by these Bakalahs and her brother was tortured to death before her eyes. Angry that Conan isn’t moved by her story, she says she’ll give him the only thing a savage like he understands – if he kills the Bakalah chief, she will be his slave.

In a break from Howard’s original source material, Conan takes offense to her words. “Women are cheap,” Conan tells her, adding that Bajujah would probably “give” her to him if it meant he wouldn’t kill him or follow through on a war against his tribe. He explains that he will help her for “reasons of his own.”

As Conan returns to his feasting, it seems that Livia’s plan was the same as Conan’s all along. The new “corsairs”, Conan’s Bamula tribe, approach the feast and attack. After a short-lived battle, Conan heads back to Livia’s hut-prison cell. But she, in fear, realizes that Conan is coming to “claim” his reward – terrified, she jumps onto a horse and rides away.

Livia flees into the night on her horse, riding in fear, not knowing in which direction she is heading. As she rides, her horse finally tires, stumbling headfirst off a rise, and landing upside down, tossing Livia to the ground.

The Ophirian woman finds herself in a valley with orchids everywhere, and she is approached by a group of fair, dark-skinned women with orchids in their hair. Thinking herself safe, she approaches them, but is soon carried aloft to a round, sacrificial altar.

The zombie-like women dance rhythmically around the altar, apparently in some sort of summoning ritual. Livia lays atop the altar unmoving, until the flapping of leathery wings wakens her from her trance. Conan, of course, is nearby to hear Livia’s screams.

As the women who danced around the altar have now fled, it is Conan alone left to face the Elder beast which has come to devour its prey. Strangely, this is one of the few Conan comics where Conan doesn’t defeat the creature – rather, he injures it enough that it decides to fly away, living to fight (and perhaps feast) another day.

Instead of being grateful for Conan’s arrival, Livia trembles as Conan approaches her. When Conan asks her why she is afraid, she refers to him as a “beast coming to claim his prize,” reminding him of her offer to be his slave if he slew Bajujah. Conan refutes her, saying that he reconsidered his part of the agreement when he left to save her – “Oh, don’t cower there like a scolded puppy, Livia” Conan tells her. “It was a foul bargain that I made; I discovered that on the way here. I don’t regret killing Bajujah, but you’re no wench to be bought and sold. The ways of men vary in different lands, but a man need not be a swine, no matter where he is.”

Hear, hear, Conan. Good for you.

Pleased with Conan’s announcement, Livia suddenly warms up to the Cimmerian and becomes very friendly. hugging his bare leg and thigh. “Crom, girl, don’t do that! Haven’t I explained that you’re not the proper woman for the war chief of the Bamulas?”

CAPSULE REVIEW: This was one of the first issues of Conan I read growing up. Buscema’s artwork throughout is fantastic, the battle sequences between the tribesmen and Conan’s battle with the Elder beast are all top-notch. I also loved the cover with the Elder beast, which as a kid, usually prompted me to buy a comic (dinosaur/monster covers were always a winner!)

The inking of Ernie Chan is clean and improves on Buscema’s pencils. The colors by Ben Sean are nearly perfect – clean, yet dark where appropriate in the story, with different shades of color used to imply mood with effectiveness. Howard’s original story reflects lots of things, as I’ve said, that we’d find largely inappropriate today. The concept of Livia seeing possible redemption in a lone person of the same skin color is troublesome, although given the context, it’s obvious to see its place in the story.

Some writers who have looked at and considered the original tale imply that Livia found solace in the “Vale of Lost Women” because it was a lesbian sub-culture, one where a woman could feel free of male oppression. Roy Thomas carefully avoided these elements in his story and managed to tell it effectively any way.

Re-reading this issue as an adult, I couldn’t help but be jarred by the artwork of Conan dragging Livia around by her hair, but it’s no surprise, as we’ve already established our Cimmerian as the hashtag-Me-Too poster boy of the Hyborian Age. I am surprised, on the other hand, that the CCA allowed that artwork without having it re-drawn. Perhaps someone was asleep at the editorial desk.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue an 8.9 – it would have been a 9.5, but I knock some points off for Conan’s indiscretions being depicted in the artwork. Good (although edgy) story, great penciling/inking, and a classic adaptation of one of Robert E. Howard’s posthumous works.

It’s also one of the few CCA-approved comics that I’d avoid letting young kids read, simply because of Conan’s treatment of Livia. Parents, you’ve been warned.

Copies are available on eBay for less than $5.

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

August 1st, 2019

Conan (2019), Reviews

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REVIEW: Conan Goes Home – to Find Thoth Amon at Work!

“THE TWISTED SPELL OF THE WIZARD THOTH-AMON! CONAN returns home to Cimmeria! But things aren’t exactly as he remembers them…Is he that out of touch…or is he falling right into the trap of the wizard THOTH-AMON?! “The Life & Death of Conan” continues!”

By BOB FREEMAN – PM Library Writer

I am bone weary. Truly. While the first few pages of Jason Aaron’s narrative had me excited, the feeling quickly evaporated like one’s icy breath on the chill wind.

Here we find Conan returned home to the village of his youth, seeking out his grandmother and bringing gifts for his clansmen, only to find the wizard Thoth Amon has reached out to mentally enslave these familiar faces as the Stygian plots his vengeance against the Cimmerian.

It is all pretty ridiculous, to be blunt about it.

It’s not serviced by the guest artwork of Gerardo Zaffino either. His blocky, muddy inks are mere sketches doing little to bring the Hyborian Age to life.

I am so tired of being negative about this book, but they’re not giving me anything to work with.

Matthew Wilson does an admirable job with the colors. He’s really good at setting mood with his color palette. And Travis Lanham’s lettering is not distracting in the slightest.

I am left to praising the colors and letters. Crom, preserve us.

There have been two consistent praise worthy aspects of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian relaunch — the first being Esad Ribic’s covers. This one is no different — the muted blue tones, the towering Thoth Amon looking ghostly and fearsome, and Conan surrounded by his kinsmen as he draws his blade is a ‘trapped in amber’ kinetic moment that is never duplicated in the inner pages.

The second item of consistency lies in John Hocking’s Black Starlight. While Hocking continues to write ‘rpg prose’, it’s still an entertaining sword and sorcery yarn and the only thing that keeps me coming back.

Well, that and a completest mentality that I’d really love to squash.

Anyway, enough rambling. This issue gets 3 skulls of my enemies. One for the cover. One for Hocking. And one because I’m feeling generous because I actually enjoyed the first two pages of the story…

—Alba Gu Brath,
Bob Freeman
occultdetective.com

July 9th, 2019

Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: Zula Departs, A Beast King & Belit Captured!

“How can Conan defeat a man that both the birds and the beasts obey? Conan the Barbarian and Belit face off with a chieftan who could perhaps be one of their deadliest foes, the Beast King of Abombi! Can Conan and Belit’s crew of Black Corsairs restore order to the tribes along the Black Coast and rescue Ombassa’s daughter?”

(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, #94. )

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

We’re a mere six issues from the end of Roy Thomas’ adaptation of “Queen of the Black Coast”, and we’re treated this issue to the beginning of a new four-issue story arc focusing on the Beast King of Abombi. This short but entertaining tale will be concluded in the pages of Conan the Barbarian #97.

Here, Roy Thomas says goodbye to Zula, the last of the Zamballahs, as he departs with some of Belit’s corsairs to forge his own path. Strangely, and perhaps as a thank you for his service and companionship, Zula takes a few of the Black Corsairs with him with Belit’s blessing. Goodbye, Zula, we hardly knew you…

This was one of the first back issues of Conan I had to find as a kid – my first store-bought Conan story was Conan the Barbarian #95 – and I felt compelled to read this, the first part of the story.

Writer Bob Freeman has mentioned in his reviews that the team of Thomas/Buscema/Chan gave the series a certain continuity – this was something I noticed myself when I was younger. Where other titles had a revolving door of guest artists, one could always count on the world of Conan to remain consistent.

Perhaps this was why Conan was so successful during its first 100-issue run. Readers and fans always knew that whatever the story might be, the art and world would be strangely familiar.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #94

As Zula departs with some of Belit’s crewmates, Conan, the she-pirate and the crew of the Tigress continue sailing south along the Black Coast. As they travel, they notice that many of the villages they pass are in smoldering ruin.

Eventually reaching their allies, the Watambis (first seen in Conan the Barbarian #60), Conan and Belit learn that an exiled noble from a nearby tribe has assumed control of an ancient and abandoned mountain fortress called Abombi. This noble, named Ajaga, has learned the powers of an ancient god named Jhebbal Sag which allows him to control animals.

Using this power, Ajaga has extended his rule over the villages, many of which formerly paid tribute to Belit and her pirate crew.

The Watambi chieftan reveals that his tribe tried to refuse Ajaga’s leadership, but once they resisted, their village was continually harrassed and plagued by wild animals from within the jungle.

The Watambi resistance crumbled after chieftan Ombassa’s daughter, Nyami, was captured by baboons and taken off to be Ajaga’s wife. Ombassa offered tribute then to the Beast King, but the tyrant still refused to release his daughter from captivity.

As an ally of Ombassa and his people, Conan, Belit and the Corsairs pledge to help rid the coast of Ajaga and his foul control of the wild animals. Their journey to Abombi is short-lived, as the group atempts to scale the cliffs to the fortress, only to be ambushed by angry animals under Ajaga’s control.

Baboons angrily attack the group as they climb – Conan falls off the cliff and Belit is taken as a prisoner for Ajaga.

CAPSULE REVIEW: First carried off by giant hawks to the city of Harakht, Belit is once more captured, but this time by giant baboons under Ajaga’s control. Conan could be in major trouble in this issue, and the cliff-hanger at the end of this issue is disconcerting. Has the barbarian met his match?

Roy Thomas once again cobbles together another story to push forward and engage us in the goings-on along the Black Coast, and it will sad to see these stories end in a mere half-dozen issues. Seeing Zula depart was disappointing, as he was just starting to fit in as part of our heroic trio.

The whole concept of Ajaga and his control of animals is an interesting one. Theoretically, he’s an impossible character to defeat because of the sheer volume of critters he can place under his control. It will be interesting to see how Roy Thomas resolves this plot line in coming issues.

This issue is jam-packed with dialogue – it’s a tribute to the artistic team as well as letterer Bill Spicer that the panels worked as well as they did.

**Whoa! Roy Thomas fills *Conan the Barbarian #94* with more dialogue than usual.**

The color, however, seems off. Although I read this issue digitally, I checked my physical copy too and the colors seem brighter there also, and in many places too “in your face” to be the typical work of fine colorist George Roussos. Perhaps Marvel was experimenting with a new printer? Something just didn’t seem right.

This story was reprinted in Conan Saga #38, as well as The Chronicles of Conan Vol. 12 by Dark Horse Comics. On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this story a 7.5.

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

May 7th, 2019

Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: A Return to Harakht & A Cimmerian In Chains!

“The artwork of John Buscema returns in this issue! Conan returns to Harakht only to find his beloved Belit was imprisoned but had escaped! Deep in the dungeons with Zula, Conan shares an uneasy incarceration, but will soon come to value his cellmate as a valuable companion on dangerous journeys down the road!”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. We’ll be reviewing issues of Marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian series weekly. This is a review of Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #84.)

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

John Buscema, for many, is the quintessential Conan artist, and understandably so. He was a consummate draughtsman, a true artist, whose ambitions always laid beyond cartooning. The man simply wasn’t a fan of super-hero comics, and yet he drew some amazing issues that stand the test of time. For all his bluster, he enjoyed his tenure on Conan and was a fan of the source material.

In an interview with Roy Thomas, John said “…Conan was something that hadn’t been done before and I loved the Howard books. I fell in love with them as soon as I read them and I was chomping at the bit and I wanted to do them so badly.”

Buscema didn’t enjoy drawing anything mechanical and thus Conan was a perfect fit for him.

“I can create anything that comes into my imagination,” he said. “That’s why Conan appealed to me. I had a lot of freedom in those books. I could do anything with the buildings and create costumes.”

As an artist, he was very picky, and seldom liked anyone else inking his work.

Speaking to Roy Thomas, he mused, “The only thing I’ve saved is a couple of Conan books we worked on, and that’s it. I got rid of everything. One of the reasons, which upset me over the years, is that other people were inking my stuff, and that is not my work. I can’t look at it. The ones I inked, yes, I keep. Anything with super-heroes, I’m not interested. Only the Conans.”

John’s love for Conan was evident on every page, and though he would have preferred to ink the work himself, it all still came out beautifully. The following review covers John’s return to Conan after a long hiatus. While I enjoyed the Chaykin run, seeing Big John back meant the world to me as a twelve year old kid, picking this issue up off the rack.

REVIEW: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #84

Conan returns to Harakht and his beloved Belit, but learns that the she-wolf, who had been condemned to imprisonment due to the high priest’s prophetic dream, had escaped, holding Mer-Ath’s wife Neftha as a hostage.

Mer-Ath has Conan taken captive, hoping to draw Belit back into court. Chained in the dungeons alongside the slave, Zula, who had been instrumental in the Cimmerian’s capture, the two share an uneasy incarceration.

Meanwhile, Belit and Neftha enter the city of Luxur and make for a temple of Set. It is here that Belit hopes to learn of her father’s whereabouts. Neftha prays to the image of Set and the women succumb to a magical sleep. Belit has a vision of two pythons slipping through a grate in the floor and she wonders if it is a dream or something more.

Back in the dungeon beneath Harakht, Conan and Zula make their peace, and Conan agrees to help travel with Zula to Kheshatta, City of Wizards. and assist him with some unfinished business in exchange for the slave freeing him.

Zula produces a vial of acid to burn through their chains, then feigns being attacked by the Cimmerian, drawing the guards to their cell. Conan and Zula swiftly overpower their captors.

Making their way to the pen of the giant falcons, Zula uses a flute to command the beast and he and Conan take flight, headed for Kheshatta.

CAPSULE REVIEW: This issue was packed. Usually we’re treated to a couple of splash pages, but there was no room for any of that here, as Roy quickly got the story rolling and covered a lot of ground, trying to get back to the story he had started several issues before.

He does an admirable job getting the reader back up to speed, not only covering what had gone before, but propelling the story forward, and introducing a fantastic new character to boot.

I’m sure this was a task for Buscema and Chan, to pack so much art into so many panels, but they really are able to keep the flow of the story, and make the panels, especially the action, readable and vibrant.

Colors and letters are terrific as usual. Zula’s ebony skin had to be particularly tricky, and Phil Rache used blue as a black shorthand to great effect, contrasted with the gray skin tones of the Harakht peoples.

All in all, a fine return to form and another superb issue.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue an 8.75. On eBay, this issue generally is available for around $7.

Alba Gu Brath – Bob Freeeman (aka The Occult Detective)

May 4th, 2019

Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: The Dance of The Skull, Toroa & Crocodilemen

“Conan the Barbarian #83 marks the end of Rascally Roy Thomas’ adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s “Black Canaan”. It’s also the end of Howard Chaykin’s four-issue run on the Marvel’s flagship Conan title. He will not return to pencil any of the remaining 192 issues. John Buscema will make his triumphant return to Conan in issue #84.”

By ANDY MAGLOTHIN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Conan rides through the swamps of Viper’s Head recalling the eerie words of Sabia – “When I call you tonight – you will come!” He crosses paths with Neth-At, who reveals he is looking for the captive who told them about Toroa. Neth-At reveals the man was sedated and held prisoner, but a sudden noise from the swamp distracted the guard and the man arose, attacking the guard and escaping into the swamp.

Conan concludes the captive heard the call of Damballah, causing him to rise and escape. Conan thinks back to his interaction with Sabia and realizes he is under the same spell as the captive soldier and both are basically under her control.

Their horses get spooked and both men dismount. Conan explains the horses hear the distant drums and sense danger from beyond the river, yet Neth-At does not hear what Conan describes. A determined Conan and reluctant Neth-At continue their journey through the swamp on foot until they stumble across an abandoned village.

Conan tells Neth-At to leave and he will proceed alone, but Neth-At refuses. Neth-At is startled by what he thinks is a human spying on them, but when the Stygian caught a glimpse, the human scrambled away on all fours into the swamp.

They rush to the spot in the water and see nothing. Both dismiss the event and proceed through the swamp toward the drums. As they move through deeper waters, Neth-At stumbles and yells for Conan’s assistance. Neth-At describes it as something “pulling him deeper into the water”. Conan assists him to a more level area, then Neth-At sees something moving in the thicket. Neth-At fires an arrow into the woods, striking Sabia who falls backward. Neth-At is then attacked again by something in the water. It drags him completely under, then his mangled head appears briefly before going under for a longer period. Searching the area, Conan sees a body wash ashore and discovers it is the mutilated corpse of Neth-At.

Conan also finds blood from Sabia, yet her body is not in the area. The uncontrollable urge to find her surfaces again, forcing Conan to venture further into the swamp. The Cimmerian stumbles upon a group of the villagers surrounding Toroa, looming over a fallen villager in the light of a huge bonfire. As Toroa mutters an incantation, Conan glances over to the swamp water where five human heads appear from below the surface, then with a wave of Toroa’s hand, the heads slowly sink back into the swamp. Toroa then requests the Dance of Skull, which causes Sabia to appear from the shadows. Sabia’s dance increases the magical strain between the woman and the barbarian, but she falls over lifelessly to the ground as a result of Neth-At’s arrow.

Her death releases the spell connecting her to Conan and he is able to clearly think through the cascade of events. At the same time, Toroa drags the motionless body of the man at his feet into a nearby hut and grabs a sword. Toroa and Conan face off in battle, but it is short lived due to Toroa’s poor sword fighting skills.

As Conan surveys the area and thinks through the series of events, he is grabbed from behind. A creature pulls him deep into the swamp water. Conan is in the grasp of a half man / half crocodile – and he realizes they are the five heads that appeared from the water earlier! Conan struggles to free himself from the inhumanly strong grip of the beast; he squirms away from one, but is captured again from behind by another. Our hero is able to stab the creature in the head, causing it to release him and the Cimmerian successfully swims to the surface.

As he starts to leave the area, Conan enters the hut Toroa dragged the man into earlier. Conan discovers it is the man who left the camp earlier that day and he is mutating into one of the creatures in the swamp. Using his sword, Conan ends the man’s soon to be miserable existence as a zombie, half-crocodile / half-man swamp creature then sets the hut ablaze as a funeral pyre.

CAPSULE REVIEW: The Buscema / Chan cover is an awesome preview of the intense underwater battle in this issue. The cover inspires the reader to ask: What are these creatures? Where did they come from? How will Conan survive? That’s the intent of a comic cover – grab and inspire the reader to ask questions and read more to find the answers.

Chaykin and Chan’s artwork provides detail and characterful emotions. The opening splash page shows Conan’s frustration and concern with Sabia’s words. The pile of human remains was a nice touch and adds to the feeling of impending doom. Check out the intense scenes when Neth-At and Conan are lost beneath the surface of the swamp. Neth-At’s death was suspenseful and foreshadows Conan’s battle. The final underwater battle between Conan and the man-crocodile displays the intensity of Conan struggling to get to the surface for air.

Thomas’ details are not lost in the pacing. He provided enough detail to describe the sequence of events and character’s thoughts but not so much to cause a reader to be distracted from the art. This issue displays the fine balance between telling the story through words and pictures.

I give it 7 Aquilonian Luna out of 10.

Living life my own way – Andy from Aquilonia

April 29th, 2019

Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews

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REVIEW: Thomas Adapts Howard’s “Black Canaan”

“In this re-envisioning of an original Robert E. Howard tale, Conan stumbles across an ambush in the swamp in the form of a lone woman looking for help. Is she the source of trouble behind a growing rift between the Stygians and local Kushite tribes? And will the Cimmerian live long enough to find out what is truly going on?”

By JOESEPH SIMON – Paint Monk’s Library Associate Editor

Conan the Barbarian #82 is freely adapted by Roy Thomas from Robert E. Howard’s tale “Black Caanan”, a short horror story originally appearing in the June 1936 issue of Weird Tales. Often, when writing these reviews, I compare the source material with the adaptation. For today’s review, I wish to enjoy the comic on its own.

Beginning in Conan the Barbarian #79, illustrator John Buscema took a brief hiatus and was temporarily replaced by Howard Chaykin. Chaykin began his illustrating career under the tutelage of Gil Kane – he pasted up dialog and zip-a-tone on Gil Kane’s early graphic novel masterpiece, Blackmark.

Chaykin would later become an assistant to Wally Wood. For a while, he did a little of this and a little of that. His first work for DC Comics was an adaptation of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (Sword of Sorcery #1-5). Chaykin also worked on his own creation, Domic Fortune (inspired by his work on Scorpion for Atlas Comics), Cody Starbuck and Ironwolf.

At this point in Chaykin’s career, he was obviously well versed in the genre and an interesting choice to team up with Ernie Chan in Buscema’s absence. Before his work here on Marvel’s Conan, Chaykin worked with Roy Thomas on the Marvel adaptation of Star Wars.

Chaykin oddly notes that during this time, his interests were in drawing “guys with swords and women with big (breasts)”.

Now let’s dig into “Sorceress of the Swamp”.

Review: Conan the Barbarian (Vol. 1) #82

Conan rides through a swamp on horseback. Having left the valley of Iskander, he goes northward to the hawk-city of Harakht. He doesn’t ponder very much about how he was close to dying during his mission to the valley. This is likely due to the life he has led – being in peril is a common situation for our Cimmerian.

His thoughts drift from Bardylis and then to Belit, who waits for him in the north. Companionship is always on Conan’s mind, perhaps more so than others. Many of his friends perish or leave within a short period of time. Of course, with Belit waiting for him, why would Conan’s mind wander to Bardylis? Or perhaps the next woman he will meet…?

Our hero meets a dark-skinned woman who “speaks in the Stygian tongue with Kushite accents” in the middle of his journey through the wild lands. She claims that her brother has hurt his leg and cannot walk. While seeking help, she explains she has lost her way. Conan agrees to assist, tethering his horse to a tree and allowing the woman to lead him to her brother.

This turns out to be a trap, and Conan discovers this moments before it is too late. Two Kushites attack the barbarian. In defending himself, he kills one attacker while the other escapes.

It’s interesting to note that Conan has once again fallen for the “beauty in need of a hero” routine. Often, in times like this, the tricksters do not know who Conan is. I must conclude that because this is a widespread method of gaining advantage over others that either a) the average person is horny and dull-witted or b) plenty of people feel the urge to be a hero.

Either way, Conan should know better. He rides away in anger, questioning himself, and wondering if he was “bewitched by the woman that approached him or if he has simply been too long from the side of Belit”.

Before the barbarian can contemplate the matter further, he is surprised by a group of men from Stygia. Neth-At, the Stygian leader, introduces himself to Conan. The Cimmerian notes a dead man slung on one of the horses. After exchanging comments, we learn Neth-At found the dead body of one of the men who attacked Conan. The two men also ambushed Neth-At’s group and successfully killed two of them. Seeing that Conan killed someone they were also hunting, the Cimmerian is allowed to join the group.

Neth-At claims the Kushites now intend to launch a major attack against the Stygians because of a man who arrived in Viper’s Head. Normally, the two groups have an uneasy peace in this land, but the arrival of the man named Toroa has changed this. Some claim he is a witch-man who practices juju, a dark magic. Neth-At believes that the Kushites have come under Toroa’s spell. Rumors abound that Toroa is performing something called the “dance of the skull” and the Kushites believe all Stygians will vanish from Viper’s Head…how, no one knows.

Toroa is accompanied by a woman called Sabia. When asked, Conan lies and says he has not seen her. The conversation is broken up when Neth-At’s men mention having captured a Kushite. The Stygians attempt to torture him, hoping to glean information about Toroa’s plans. Conan offers to help and he is given a few moments of time to do as Conan must in order to extract the needed information.

Conan leans forward and whispers a single name – Amra – to the man. He stiffens with fear and says he will tell them anything if they protect him from Toroa. For those of you are just jumping on board with this review, Amra is the name by which Conan is known on the Black Coast, and a name that is greatly feared. This is perhaps my favorite scene in this issue.

The Kushite prisoner begins answering questions, telling Conan that Toroa is the master of all his people along Viper’s Head and that the witch-man is an outcast from Kheshatta, the fabled city of magicians.

Before the prisoner can spit out all the information he knows, a terrifying, shrill sound (a signal!) is heard. Neth-Ath shouts that he’ll find the one who made the signal call, only to be stifled by Conan. Neth-Ath acknowledges Conan’s hesitation, knowing that the situation is now beyond his reach.

Conan tells Neth-Ath to protect the prisoner and leaves toward where Toroa is thought to dwell, claiming that “one man may succeed where your small army would fail.” I don’t really buy this, as Conan knows absolutely nothing about this enemy or the situation into which he is headed. I might be more willing to accept it if they had scouted the area beforehand. This was not the case. Regardless, Neth-Ath readily agrees.

As he departs the Stygian camp, Conan suspects that Sabia might have something to do with the mysterious happenings. Either way, he goes forward to find Toroa and put an end to the evil magic and the situation in which he has found himself.

Will Conan’s apprehensions be accurate? Is Sabia somehow behind the mysterious goings-on? You’ll have to read the rest of the issue to find out – and the next issue too, because this is the first part of a two-part story line.

CAPSULE REVIEW – Did Howard Chaykin meet the goal of his youthful self in his art for Conan? While there are muscular men with swords, there was far more talking and thinking in this issue than sword play. The initial attack at the beginning of the issue where Conan was ambushed was a great fight scene. Outside of that, everything else is minimal. Sabia’s appearance changes throughout the issue and she is the only female drawn.

Taking in the comics mentioned above that Chaykin illustrated around the same time, I’d have to conclude that the art in this issue is a true collaboration of both artists as opposed to one or the other doing most of the work. Other than a few inconsistencies with the appearance of characters like Sabia, the art is well done, but not entirely that of Chaykin or Chan. Both artists will continue to fill in for Buscema in the next issue.

Conan the Barbarian #82 sets the stage for the next issue, and as a result it’s hard to critique. It does a nice job of setting things up. I’m not the type of person Conan is, so I would rather have continued on the road to meet Belit than get wrapped up in this particular tale.

Perhaps I am being too hard on the Cimmerian at the beginning of this story. One can never know if, when someone is being baited with a “woman in need of help” con, it is truly a con or not. While I don’t think it’s Conan being a boy scout type, it is something we should all want to do – to help out our fellow human beings. Given that, if I followed in the same footsteps that Conan did, I would still wash my hands of the situation and moved forward to meet Belit. Conan understands that the times are dangerous. Belit might be a fully capable woman, but no one knows what dangers might be lurking around the corner for her. If Conan should be a hero, it should be to her.

On a scale of 1-10, I give this issue a 6. It suffers from being a set-up tale for the next issue. If both issues were taken together, I would give it a 7. On eBay, copies of this issue were available for $5 or less.

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