Erwin Rafael
Feb 28, 2004, 04:05 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0204/conan1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dh/0204/conan1t.jpg" align=left alt="Conan #1"></a>Reviewer: Erwin Rafael, 3rdsummers@edsamail.com.ph
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Out of the Darksome Hills
Heads and limbs fly as the king of barbarians makes his return.
Scripted by: Kurt Busiek
Cover by: Joseph Michael Linsner
Art by: Cary Nord with Thomas Yeates
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Lettered by: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Designed by: Darin Fabrick
Assistant Editor: Matt Dryer
Edited by: Scott Allie
Publisher: Mike Richardson
Little is known, as yet, of the Cimmerian's early days, in the dark, forest-locked reaches of his native land. He had some sixteen summers when he first ventured beyond its borders, into the lands of the Aesir...
And the legend of Conan lives once again...
Darn it. Somewhere deep inside, I do not want to like reading this book. You see, with my *ehem* "upbringing", seeing a man chopping heads off with a big grin on his face while enjoying the company of scantily clad females is not supposed to be something I should be enjoying. The problem is I am totally in love with this book. I'm so in love with this book that, as of this writing, I've already read it more than ten times, and I can't seem to put it down. Ah...maybe this is what people call a really guilty pleasure. Emphasis on the word guilty. :p
When I did an interview with Kurt Busiek (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22077) last September, I asked him about the apparent death of the barbarian genre and how it has already outlived its appeal. Busiek answered, "I think Conan is absolutely timeless...the core appeal of Conan is that he's his own man: passionate, powerful, unfettered and untamable. He's the pure barbarian, unsullied and uncorrupted by the taint of civilization, and he goes up against entrenched power, and he wins. Is that something that gets outlived? I don't think so. I think Conan taps into human nature, into that part of anyone who feels pushed around, controlled or compromised, and provides a release of that frustration."
With this first issue, I finally understood what Busiek said. While other barbarian stories like Crossgen's Brath left me quite cold, there's something special about Conan. Conan's on-page presence and appeal is very powerful. When he made his grand entrance this issue with a vicious sweep of his long sword, something stirred inside me. A primal spirit begging - no, fighting - to be released. For a long while, I was transfixed with the image of a brutal decapitation, muttering to myself, "Man...what I would give just to be able to chop off a head like that...". I know that really doesn't sound right, but hey, I'm just being brutally honest here. :LOL:
Of course, the powerful potential of Conan's character is only as good as the talent of the creative team that's handling him. I've been a fan of Kurt Busiek for quite some time now, but I really had doubts about his ability to write a good barbarian story. After all, Busiek made his name writing books in the "classical superhero style" (think Avengers) or utilizing a "man on the street" approach (think Astro City). Shame on me for pigeonholing Busiek's writing style. Just like in Arrowsmith, Busiek proves once again with this issue that he can write in other genres and even excel in it.
I guess a large part of Busiek's success with this issue is his faithfulness to the vision of Conan creator, Robert Howard. As Busiek once said, "We're not going to be messing with the legend, reshaping what REH wrote _to fit a WB sensibility. _We're treating those stories as the foundation, the core, the gospel, and building from them, not changing them." I haven't read any of those original stories by Howard, but judging from the reaction of the Conan faithfuls in their discussions (http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?act=SF&f=7), Busiek did a pretty good job channeling Howard's spirit in writing his first original Conan tale. Still, the story is rife with Busiek-isms, specially the narration. As a result, we get a story that maintains the power of the original source but with enough modern sensibility to relate to today's audience. And I do hope that this book would indeed find its audience because it deserves to be on the comic book shelf for a loooong time.
A review of Conan #1 would not be complete without commenting on Cary Nord's art, but words really escape me. Just look at the pictures and marvel at such savage beauty. Dave Stewart also deserves a lot of credit for the wonderful art. This guy is a master of colors, and I really wish that 1602 is colored this way. Oops, off topic! :LOL: This early on, I really hope that the art team on this book would at least be nominated for an Eisner. :clap:
Actually, I would pay full price for this issue even if you take the words out. The pictures were just that pretty.
As an added bonus, Dark Horse also provided enjoyable extra materials this issue. There's Part 1 of Robert Howard's biography, as written by Mark Finn. Then there's also a biographical comic strip based on Howard's letters, written and illustrated by Jim and Ruth Keegan. The ads were also good as they provide product information on Conan releated stuff. I just wish that Dark Horse's ad placement would be better next time as some ads really disrupt the flow of the story.
Next issue, we finally get to see Busiek and Nord's first adaptation of an original Robert Howard story - "The Frost Giant's Daughter". For somebody like me who's fairly new to Conan, I guess that piece of information wouldn't really matter. What would matter to me, though, is that Busiek, Nord and Stewart would be able to sustain the momentum they have already started with Conan The Legend and with this issue. By crom!!! Should I even doubt? Bring on the Frost Giants!!! And keep those decapitated heads coming!!!
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/conhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/connone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/conhalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=919&cat=CONAN)
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Out of the Darksome Hills
Heads and limbs fly as the king of barbarians makes his return.
Scripted by: Kurt Busiek
Cover by: Joseph Michael Linsner
Art by: Cary Nord with Thomas Yeates
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Lettered by: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Designed by: Darin Fabrick
Assistant Editor: Matt Dryer
Edited by: Scott Allie
Publisher: Mike Richardson
Little is known, as yet, of the Cimmerian's early days, in the dark, forest-locked reaches of his native land. He had some sixteen summers when he first ventured beyond its borders, into the lands of the Aesir...
And the legend of Conan lives once again...
Darn it. Somewhere deep inside, I do not want to like reading this book. You see, with my *ehem* "upbringing", seeing a man chopping heads off with a big grin on his face while enjoying the company of scantily clad females is not supposed to be something I should be enjoying. The problem is I am totally in love with this book. I'm so in love with this book that, as of this writing, I've already read it more than ten times, and I can't seem to put it down. Ah...maybe this is what people call a really guilty pleasure. Emphasis on the word guilty. :p
When I did an interview with Kurt Busiek (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22077) last September, I asked him about the apparent death of the barbarian genre and how it has already outlived its appeal. Busiek answered, "I think Conan is absolutely timeless...the core appeal of Conan is that he's his own man: passionate, powerful, unfettered and untamable. He's the pure barbarian, unsullied and uncorrupted by the taint of civilization, and he goes up against entrenched power, and he wins. Is that something that gets outlived? I don't think so. I think Conan taps into human nature, into that part of anyone who feels pushed around, controlled or compromised, and provides a release of that frustration."
With this first issue, I finally understood what Busiek said. While other barbarian stories like Crossgen's Brath left me quite cold, there's something special about Conan. Conan's on-page presence and appeal is very powerful. When he made his grand entrance this issue with a vicious sweep of his long sword, something stirred inside me. A primal spirit begging - no, fighting - to be released. For a long while, I was transfixed with the image of a brutal decapitation, muttering to myself, "Man...what I would give just to be able to chop off a head like that...". I know that really doesn't sound right, but hey, I'm just being brutally honest here. :LOL:
Of course, the powerful potential of Conan's character is only as good as the talent of the creative team that's handling him. I've been a fan of Kurt Busiek for quite some time now, but I really had doubts about his ability to write a good barbarian story. After all, Busiek made his name writing books in the "classical superhero style" (think Avengers) or utilizing a "man on the street" approach (think Astro City). Shame on me for pigeonholing Busiek's writing style. Just like in Arrowsmith, Busiek proves once again with this issue that he can write in other genres and even excel in it.
I guess a large part of Busiek's success with this issue is his faithfulness to the vision of Conan creator, Robert Howard. As Busiek once said, "We're not going to be messing with the legend, reshaping what REH wrote _to fit a WB sensibility. _We're treating those stories as the foundation, the core, the gospel, and building from them, not changing them." I haven't read any of those original stories by Howard, but judging from the reaction of the Conan faithfuls in their discussions (http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?act=SF&f=7), Busiek did a pretty good job channeling Howard's spirit in writing his first original Conan tale. Still, the story is rife with Busiek-isms, specially the narration. As a result, we get a story that maintains the power of the original source but with enough modern sensibility to relate to today's audience. And I do hope that this book would indeed find its audience because it deserves to be on the comic book shelf for a loooong time.
A review of Conan #1 would not be complete without commenting on Cary Nord's art, but words really escape me. Just look at the pictures and marvel at such savage beauty. Dave Stewart also deserves a lot of credit for the wonderful art. This guy is a master of colors, and I really wish that 1602 is colored this way. Oops, off topic! :LOL: This early on, I really hope that the art team on this book would at least be nominated for an Eisner. :clap:
Actually, I would pay full price for this issue even if you take the words out. The pictures were just that pretty.
As an added bonus, Dark Horse also provided enjoyable extra materials this issue. There's Part 1 of Robert Howard's biography, as written by Mark Finn. Then there's also a biographical comic strip based on Howard's letters, written and illustrated by Jim and Ruth Keegan. The ads were also good as they provide product information on Conan releated stuff. I just wish that Dark Horse's ad placement would be better next time as some ads really disrupt the flow of the story.
Next issue, we finally get to see Busiek and Nord's first adaptation of an original Robert Howard story - "The Frost Giant's Daughter". For somebody like me who's fairly new to Conan, I guess that piece of information wouldn't really matter. What would matter to me, though, is that Busiek, Nord and Stewart would be able to sustain the momentum they have already started with Conan The Legend and with this issue. By crom!!! Should I even doubt? Bring on the Frost Giants!!! And keep those decapitated heads coming!!!
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/conhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/connone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/confull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/conhalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=919&cat=CONAN)