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Posts Tagged ‘Harakht’

March 24th, 2019 By Andy Maglothin, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews Comments Off on REVIEW: A Giant, Raptor Eggs & A New Ruler in Harakht

REVIEW: A Giant, Raptor Eggs & A New Ruler in Harakht

(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, #77.)

By ANDY MAGLOTHIN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

Conan the Barbarian #77 wastes no time getting into the thick of the plot – the opening splash page shows our Cimmerian in the clutches of a gray-skinned giant. At the end of the last issue, Conan was thrown into a pit, where he discovered a sacred stone and was grabbed by the massive humanoid as he approached.

Conan quickly becomes the aggressor, climbing onto the giant and locking his arms around its neck. Without hesitation, the giant hurls the Cimmerian across the room with ease. As the giant holds the barbarian’s head to the ground, he swiftly grabs the sacred stone, intending to bash in Conan’s skull.

The scene abruptly shifts to the Temple of the Hawk-God, where we find brother-kings Mer-Ath and Neftha discussing Conan’s fate. Neftha asks Mer-Ath if there is any way he can intervene on Conan’s behalf. Mer-Ath stresses the decision is not his to make, it is up to his brother, Hor-Neb. Mer-Ath is merely a priest, but Hor-Neb is a warrior and thirsts to have all of Stygia kneel before him.

At the same time, Bêlit is being held captive by a group of guards. She is fighting to free herself  when Hor-Neb demands they all stop fighting. Hor-Neb approaches Bêlit, asking why she is fighting so hard when he has offered her the queenship of Harakht – the Shemite hellcat has the option of either joining him on the throne or dying with Conan. As the conversation continues, Bêlit stops fighting and Hor-Neb calls for her release, stating that her choice is obvious. As Bêlit and Hor-Neb approach each other, she attacks him, clawing at his eyes proclaiming she prefers to join Conan in hell than serve with Hor-Neb on the thrown of heaven. Angered by her response and attack, Hor-Neb has the guards take Belit away.

Meanwhile, Conan has been pinned to the floor by the giant. The colossus’ arms are so long, Conan is able to pull his legs up, scissoring the giant’s head between Conan’s calves, but more importantly, pushing the rock from the giant’s hand. Conan flips the giant to the ground, grabs the giant stone with intent now to kill him. For some reason, Conan pauses for an instant when the giant stammers in a gloomy voice, “Go on, outlander! Kill me!”

Standing atop the giant with rock in hand, Conan opts against the fatal blow, instead asking the hulking humanoid how he came to live in the pit. The giant reveals his name is Gol-Thir, and he was placed there to keep an eye on the sacred stone and hawk eggs. Gol-Thir was one of the stronger guards in Harakht, and when Hor-Neb discovered the stone would accelerate the growth of the raptor eggs, the giant was placed there to stand guard. The energy of the stone caused Gol-Thir to grow to gigantic proportions within a short time. Conan requests Gol-Thir’s help out of the pit, and he agrees as long as Conan promises not to hurt Hor-Neb.

Gol-Thir assists by breaking the shackle around Conan’s neck. Using extreme strength and skill, Conan climbs the crooked, jagged rock facing back to the top of the pit. Conan creeps around the throne chamber until he enters an area where he finds Hor-Nab, Mer-Ath, Neftha, and a large number of guards high above him. Hor-Nab challenges Conan to decide he and Bêlit’s fate. There are two doors in front of Conan: one door has Bêlit and a passage to freedom, one door has certain death.

Conan refuses to pick and opts to scale the wall to attack Hor-Neb. He quickly discovers the king planned ahead –  the top of the walls are freshly greased and Conan falls to the ground. Neftha asks Mer-Ath which door would allow Conan to escape safely. Mer-Ath says Hor-Neb told him the
door on the left housed Bêlit and lead to safety. With a slight gesture, Neftha alerts Conan to pick the left door – which reveals a razor-fanged giant leopard growling and ready for the attack.

Hor-Neb reveals he knew both Neftha and Mer-Ath would attempt to warn Conan, so he intentionally told them the wrong door. Hor-Neb calls for a guard to seize them.  As a guard approaches Neftha, she grabs his sword, slicing into him and knocking him into the pit with Conan and the vicious leopard. The leopard sees the wounded soldier lying on the ground and attacks. Neftha flings the stolen sword to Conan and he opens the other door to reveal a bound and groggy Bêlit.

A third panel opens to reveal Gol-Thir, who enters the pit as Conan attempts to carry Bêlit to safety. Hor-Neb demands Gol-Thir attack Conan. The giant approaches the Cimmerian, their eyes meet and Conan realizes something is amiss. Gol-Thir grabs Conan’s arm, hurling him atop of the stone wall right in front of Hor-Neb. The giant’s legs are so weak from his rapid, uncontrolled growth, they snap beneath him.

Conan lands atop the wall and the palace guards attack. Conan seizes an opportunity to hurl his sword into Hor-Neb’s arm. The attack catches Hor-Neb off balance and he tumbles into the pit – right onto the leopard. The leopard takes advantage of another easy kill. Acting quickly once more, Conan grabs a soldier’s spear and jumps into the pit to face the leopard. The leopard springs high into the air and Conan times his attack to thrust the spear through the cat’s body. The guards once loyal to Hor-Neb now cheer for Mer-Ath as the bodies of Hor-Neb and Gol-Thir lie dead in the pit. This is a new day for Harakht – as king, Mer-Ath will transform the people from a war-mongering nation to one of peace.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Another awesome Gil Kane/Ernie Chan cover sets the stage for this action packed issue. We see many iconic covers from the Conan the Barbarian series, but this one does not get enough recognition. The perspective and intensity of the scene prepares the reader for a fun-filled comic.

Picking up where Conan the Barbarian #76 ends, Thomas gives us a cliffhanger battle between Gol-Thir and Conan before he transitions to a scene with Mer-Ath and Neftha. This cliffhanger keeps you wanting
more, wondering if the Cimmerian might be in major trouble – or worse – when we see him again..

Kudos to Roy Thomas who is credited as writer/editor and Archie Goodwin as consulting editor. Pacing like this is a credit to the comic medium! The team of John Buscema and Ernie Chan continues to impress with this issue. The intense dialogue and fighting between Conan and Gol-Thir is palpable from panel to panel. Details in the artwork like the stones, rock formations, and shadows all help set the mood and texture of the environment. The story behind the sacred stone provides some explanation for the giant raptors, but also leaves some mystery behind – where did the stone come from? Has it affected Conan or anyone else exposed to its magic? Is it in any way related to the Star-Stone way back in Conan the Barbarian #1?

On a scale of 1-10, I give this issue of Conan 8 Aquilonian Luna.

Living life my own way – Andy from Aquilonia

March 24th, 2019 By Wally Monk, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews Comments Off on REVIEW: A Fallen Star-Stone, Brother Kings & A Hawk God

REVIEW: A Fallen Star-Stone, Brother Kings & A Hawk God

(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, #76.)

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

Roy Thomas did an impressive job adapting Robert E. Howard’s stories and poems to the sequential art form used in comic books. His “Queen of the Black Coast” story arc is very good, as are later adaptations we will visit this year, including Conan the Barbarian #98 (based on Howard’s poem “Sea Woman”) and Conan the Barbarian #104 (adapted from Howard’s short story “The Vale of the Lost Women”).

While trying to remain true to the timeline established by Robert E. Howard and later authors who tackled his works, Thomas also had the monumental task of “filling in” missing years and months throughout the Cimmerian’s timeline with tales he created himself. The story arc here is one of these endeavors, and I think Roy Thomas very solidly hit the proverbial mark. This issue pushes his latest story forward.

In Conan the Barbarian #75, the Cimmerian was following the trail of his beloved Belit to the Stygian city of Harakht. The rulers of this independent city-state have been engaging in piracy along the River Styx. Using giant hawks, the Harakhian raptor riders have absconded with Belit, and now they’ve earned the ire of a certain dark-haired savage.

This tale continues the multi-issue story arc which will be concluded in Conan the Barbarian #77.

As a reviewer and long-time reader of Conan’s comic book adaptations, I must admit that I am biased toward stories that take place within Stygia. It’s a fantastic location, drawing on the darkest aspects of the Egyptian mythos to create a vivid milieu of serpent worshipers, dark magic, and  evil clerics.

In this issue, John Buscema once again shares a “co-illustrator” credit with the talented Ernie Chan. The artwork is excellent, and the two make a great pair. Lettering was done by John Costanza and the capable coloring completed by George Roussos.

This is what I call a bridge story, one of many that doesn’t tell a complete tale in itself – rather, it sets the stage for the remaining installments of what I’ll the “Harakht” storyline for lack of a better term.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #76

Conan follows his beloved Shemite hellcat to the city of Harakht!

Having fallen from the back of a dying hawk, Conan emerges from the River Styx. The body of the giant crocodile he barely was able to defeat lies on the shore, and the Cimmerian finds himself without a sword. Looking toward the south, he knows that he must travel to Harakht to rescue his beloved pirate queen.  In the brush along the river, Conan finds the hawk-shaped helmet belonging to a defeated rider. As he slides it onto his head, he heads toward the city where Belit is being held captive.

Meanwhile, Belit is in the clutches of the hawk riders, who alight atop a building in Harakht. Belit wastes no time punching her captor in the face, only to be subdued by their leader named Ator, who  happened to stop by to check on the returning riders. (As an off-topic aside, I’m curious if the name of the bad 1980s film Ator the Fighting Eagle was inspired by this character and his hawk-headed helmet). 

A hawk-helmeted rider named Ator stops Belit’s short-lived escape attempt.

Belit is taken to the throne room of Harakht’s king, Hor-Neb. The monarch determines that Belit will be added to his harem, but there is an objection. Mer-Ath, the high priest of Harakht and co-ruler of the city, enters and tells him that Belit is better suited to be with him. An angry dialogue ensues, as Hor-Neb threatens the high priest, telling him that if he does not relinquish his claim to Belit, there will only be one king in Harakht. As Mer-Ath leaves, Hor-Neb tells Belit that the high priest of Harakht and co-ruler of the city is also his brother.

Hor-Neb wins his bid to add Belit to his harem.

Conan has made his way to the city gates. Knocking on massive, wooden doors, the guards give entry to Conan. They soon realize – after observing his boots – that Conan is not a hawk-rider but an outsider. This particular series of panels is one of a few poorly written exchanges I’ve observed throughout the Roy Thomas Conan run. In a country of dark-skinned locals and inhabitants, they had to see Conan’s boots to realize he was an outsider? Apparently his bronze skin, build, complexion and accent were not enough – darn those boots!

Once inside the city, the remainder of the issue becomes a battle for Conan and Belit’s escape. Sadly, they do not. Captured and brought to Hor-Neb’s throne room, Conan is dragged to the edge of a pit as Belit refuses to join the king of Harakht in his harem or add her corsairs to his army. This month’s tale ends with Conan facing off against a massive giant at the bottom of the pit.

Will Conan survive the hulking guardian of the star-stone?

CAPSULE REVIEW – It’s easy to enjoy the Stygian setting, as I’ve said before. The fact that both rulers of Harakht are brothers adds an interesting dimension to the story. Conan and Belit’s failure to escape shows that the guards in Harakht are not just caricatures in a story line, but a formidable force with which to be reckoned.

The artwork in this issue is good, but compared to others, there aren’t many opportunities for Buscaema and Chan to draw beautiful splash panels, except for the opening page. We’re treated to plenty of competent fight scenes, but as an issue that serves to move a larger story along, it’s merely serviceable.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 6.0. Not bad, but just a cog-in-the-gears of a larger Conan story. On eBay, copies of this issue were available for less than $5.

March 18th, 2019 By Wally Monk, Classic Conan Countdown, Reviews Comments Off on REVIEW: The River Styx, Giant Crocodiles & Hawk Riders

REVIEW: The River Styx, Giant Crocodiles & Hawk Riders

(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 1993. This is a review of Conan the Barbarian Vol. 1, #75.)

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

It seems like ages ago that I shared the sad tidings that our reviews of the first volume of Marvel Conan would come to an end. In reality, it’s been a mere three months, but your letters and encouragement have prompted Paint Monk’s Library to resume the countdown – and we plan to stick it out this time until the bitter end in Conan the Barbarian #275.  

Before we begin anew with a review of Conan the Barbarian #75, I would like to thank all of you for following this blog, sharing your thoughts, and passing along kind words of encouragement both here, on Facebook and on Twitter.

A hearty “huzzah!” is also due to PM Library writers Bob Freeman, Andy Maglothin, Joeseph Simon, Troy Chrisman and Dean Plakas, who have continued to support the blog  – and who all eagerly (and enthusiastically) agreed to help continue our classic Conan the Barbarian reviews.

When we last saw our intrepid Cimmerian in Conan the Barbarian #74, he had made swift work of a massive sea serpent while the crew of Belit’s Tigress set the Stygian fleet aflame in the Port of Khemi. This issue begins with a beautiful splash page featuring Belit, Conan and a slave-girl named Neftha outside the city of Khemi, watching the Stygian fleet burn.

This tale, and perhaps parts of Conan the Barbarian #74 begin a multi-issue story arc which will be concluded in Conan the Barbarian #77. One of Robert E. Howard’s most vivid landscapes within Conan’s world, these tales take place in Stygia, a dark land full of sorcerers and ruled by worshipers of the snake god Set. Inspired by mythological Egypt, Stygia is perhaps my favorite land in the Howard mythos.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #76

Conan battles Stygian raiders high atop the wings of massive raptors!

In the Stygian city of Khemi, it’s not safe to wander the streets at night. Briefly admiring their work in setting the city’s fleet ablaze, Conan, Belit and Neftha knock on the door of an Argossian merchant. When the tradesman answers, cursing the intruders, Belit’s drawn sword ensures their entrance to his home and temporary sanctuary from the wandering city guard.

Conan and his companions make small talk with the merchant, who bemoans his bitter luck and the late night intrustion. Belit makes certain to note that they have seen the merchant’s small skiff, loaded with merchandise, asking him if he is headed down the River Styx to the great city of Luxor. When this is confirmed, Belit informs him he’ll be taking three new passengers along.

Belit wears black dye to disguise herself. This wouldn’t fly in comics today.

Morning dawns, and soon Conan, his companions and the merchant are headed to Luxor. Conan is dressed as a slave trader, and both Belit and Neftha have dyed their skin to fit in more with the locals. As they travel down the river, both Belit and Conan reflect on the crocodiles along the riverbanks and the birds who nest among them. Here, we are given a good reflection and history of Stygia – Belit notes that at one time, an Ibis headed god was prominent, but the snakes and Set are the masters of the land now.

As the sun makes its way across the sky, the merchant becomes concerned, telling his oarsmen to pick up their pace. Conan asks him why he seems so shaken, and he informs the Cimmerian they are passing the City of Harakht. A mid-point between Khemi and Luxur, Harakht is ruled by a despot whose bad behavior is largely ignored. Harakht, the merchant says, is a safeguard against the neighboring land of Shem and the ruler’s misdeeds are overlooked because of the importance of the city.

Their conversation is cut short by brigands swooping down to raid the vessel atop giant birds of prey! These thieves, sanctioned by Harakht, have been raiding merchant trading vessels, intercepting them before their luxurious goods reach the capital city.

The hawk riders strike swiftly and decisively.

The first arrow takes the merchant down, and his body topples over the edge of the boat. Crocodiles swarm in for the kill, accustomed now to fresh meals whenever the hawk-riders appear.

Belit manages to hold her own, injuring one of the hawks, but is soon grabbed in one of the massive raptor’s mighty talons. Conan helplessly watches as Belit is carried away – but he has a plan of his own. As another raptor-rider swoops in, Conan grabs the bird’s tail, losing his sword in the process. The barbarian manages to throw the rider off, but finds that he cannot control the hawk.

Mustering all the strength he has left, Conan breaks the bird’s neck and it falls to the earth.

Conan breaks the giant raptor’s neck in an effort to save himself.

Conan lands on the banks of the River Styx, the dead body of the hawk nearby. He struggles to remain conscious, drifting in and out of reality. He finally regains his senses when he hears the sound of splashing water and a flock of ibis taking wing. Having just fallen from the heights, he now has to contend with the beasts of the deep. With only a dagger in hand, Conan dispatches the enormous crocodile, setting his sights on the city of Harakht and his beloved Belit.

Belit, Conan is coming to save you, never fear!

CAPSULE REVIEW:  This was an excellent issue of Conan, both in the artwork and in Roy Thomas’ narrative. I miss the days of narration boxes, which do a great job fleshing out bits and pieces of immersive stories that artwork alone can’t express. The combination of Ernie Chan and John Buscema is a hit, and you can see the influence of Chan’s work in collaboration with Buscema’s pencils. The two make a true dynamic duo.

The action sequences within this book are first-rate; this issue contains some of the best fight scenes I’ve read in all of my issues of Conan thus far. Ironically, the cover wasn’t the strongest I’ve seen, and it certainly does not “pop” like many of the legendary covers featured on the iconic Savage Sword of Conan magazine. The final panel, pictured above this capsule review, is one of my favorite – you know that Conan is angry and ready for battle. After all, his Belit is gone, and there is no stopping the Cimmerian now.

The action sequences in Conan the Barbarian #75 are lavishly illustrated.

Conan the Barbarian #19-29 featured what we’ve called here the Makkalet storyline, involving the Turanians, Prince Yezdigerd and the Livng Tarim. Where that particular story arc got old very quickly, this one seems much more promising and certainly just as action packed. Before this 4-issue story arc is finished, we’ll be treated to more action and even more Stygian foulness.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 7.9. Copies on eBay were available in various conditions for $5 or less.