Anyone else growing disenchanted with the Conan comic?

[Iron_Chef]

I enjoyed Conan issues #0-1, was bored by #2 (story too familiar), and then even more bored by issue #3 --- issues #4-5 I skimmed through but didn't buy. The cover art rapidly degenerated to a new low in mediocrity with #3-4, and the interior art seems rushed. I find myself totally not caring about the Hyperborean storyline at all, and think the Hyperboreans look ridiculous with their pushed-in noses and gray skin (like shriveled apes). The gurnakhi (giant soldiers) are silly. I thought devolved humans were the product of evolution in REH's writing, not sorcery---it smacks of Saruman creating his Uruk-Hai orcs in LOTR. Did anyone else notice that that one time they are actually (accidentally?) referred to as "grishnaki" later in the comic? Grishnak being the name of an orc leader in LOTR...

I had high hopes for this comic when it debuted, but am no longer finding it inspiring or even particularly well done... it's now strictly "by the numbers" stuff. I dread the upcoming artist fill-in issue with Gary Ruth from FREAKS OF THE HEARTLAND --- his art in that comic does nothing for me, and probably will do even less for Conan and his world.

Is anyone else growing disenchanted with the Conan comic or am I just being too picky?

 

[Qjedi]

I don't think they are doing a BAD job, but I DO think they could be doing better. I found the "Two Gun Bob" bits and the background in the last couple of pages to be very good reading, and I am going to give the rest of the comic a chance.
I do like the way the plotting is done, however I am not so sure that it is "The way REH wrote it" or whatever their slogan is.
At any rate, they are fairly good yarns, if you don't think of them as "canon", but as "REH-inspired".

 

[Belkregos]

yep they should have stoped at the 3rd one,
the hyperboreans are one of my favorate to play, but come on, snaping fingers and some magick, hey this is hyboria,
hope it gets better and does not degenarate any more

 

[Möhbius of Numalia]

I agree with all of you. The series started so high, but now I am wondering whether those 'good old times' could return.

Anyway, even now those last numbers are infinitely better than the standard issue of the last 150 numbers of "Conan the Barbarian" by Marvel. Those were really crap!

 

[toscadero]

I haven't read any of them yet. I was thinking of picking some up this weekend at the local comic shop. I was really looking forward to getting them. Sometimes it takes a few issues for the writer and artist to hit their stride. Hopefully things will improve.

I quit reading the Marvel Conan's when it devolved into "kill the sorceror of the month". I don't think that REH is the only one who can write Conan, but if you are going to do it, do it right and stay with the original spirit of the stories.

 

[Möhbius of Numalia]

A complete subjective opinion: issues 0, 1, 2 & 3 are great.

I have read 4 and 5 and couldn't say "this sucks!", but... C'm on! That's NOT Howard's Hyperborea.

 

[Mijoro]

A complete subjective opinion: issues 0, 1, 2 & 3 are great.

I have read 4 and 5 and couldn't say "this sucks!", but... C'm on! That's NOT Howard's Hyperborea.

Agreed. I like the "new" Hyperborea - Busiek's writing captures Conan well, and IMO the art is superb. The problem I have is that the comic was billed as "being true to Howard's original vision". So then why'd they change that vision all of a sudden?

And if you don't like the changes to Hyperborea, chances are you won't like Kurt Busiek's The God in the Bowl - it seems Thoth-Amon makes an appearance in his version. I'll definitely pick it up, but I'm going into it somewhat skeptical.

 

[Fyrestryke]

Is anyone else growing disenchanted with the Conan comic or am I just being too picky?

Maybe you just know Conan too well to enjoy the comic? As someone new to Conan (never read any of the stories ), I am thoroughly enjoying the comics and look forward to them every month. I especially like the Robert E. Howard tidbits in the comic. I'm not a big nitpicker on artwork either. As long as I like the style and it doesn't give me a headache, I'm good with it.

 

[Belkregos]

i guess the only real thing i did not like is the way they presented the Hyperboreans,

 

[Iron_Chef]

I also enjoy the REH tidbits in the back --- unfortunately, I find I enjoy them now more than the comic itself! Which means I can't justify spending $3 an issue for a page or two of content.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the comic is excellent- writing and art and all. I would stop whining and actually read #4 and 5.

 

[akashic]

Well, due to a really crappy publishing company I could get my hands only on issue #0. Some ppl dont realise that yes, we do have money to buy comics and stuff in Brazil.

 

[Anonymous]

Can you get them off the Internet, meu filho? :wink:

 

[akashic]

I'd appreciate some directions, claro

 

[Ibram]

So far I have no complaints about the comic. I've loved every issue, the most recent ones encluded. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment as well.

The shifting quality of the art is something I have come to expect from comics, so it doesnt bother me. And the stories just thrill me (I loved "The Frost Giants Daughter")

 

[crash_beedo]

Prior to picking up the RPG book, I had no exposure to the Conan world, and was quite enjoying the comic. (Since buying the RPG, I also purchased a collection of REH stories, so I'm getting caught up).

I was actually a bit disappointed reading the RPG setting, and learning that the "canon" Hyperboreans aren't a culture of immortal, withdrawn sorcerors, with those monstrous guardians and legions of slaves.

We've gamed with Call of Cthulhu for years, and there are lots of 'Hyperborean' texts in that game filled with dark sorceries, like the Book of Eibon, so the connection seemed natural.

Anyone know where these ideas came from, if not REH? Lovecraft? I don't recall any Lovecraft tales mentioning Hyperborea, myself. Is this a case of non-canon Conan writings creeping into the comic-book?

Looking forward to picking up the next comic - and when we start our Conan game, I definitely plan on treating the Hyperboreans as a Lovecraft-Conan cross-over and going with the 'immortal sorceror' view of them.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd appreciate some directions, claro

There aren't any Brazillian versions of amazon.com or online shopping like that? Maybe eBay.com? I don't know.

 

[VincentDarlage]

We've gamed with Call of Cthulhu for years, and there are lots of 'Hyperborean' texts in that game filled with dark sorceries, like the Book of Eibon, so the connection seemed natural.

Anyone know where these ideas came from, if not REH? Lovecraft? I don't recall any Lovecraft tales mentioning Hyperborea, myself. Is this a case of non-canon Conan writings creeping into the comic-book?

A lot of that comes from Clark Ashton Smith, who wrote Hyperborean tales (non-Hyborian Age, however. Only the name is the same). One of those CAS tales, The Seven Geases, mentions the Eiglophian Mountains, which is where de Camp and Carter lifted the name and added it to the Hyborian Age.

 

[Chrysagon]

Hi all.
It is only when I read issue #4 I told myself "ahh something new" ! I know that may seem a bit hard for hardcore fans (but I think I am one for 20 years now) but rereading the same stories is not interesting in my opinion. A myth like Conan as already gone farther than a licence rights. Everyone has is own idea of Conan and I don't want to fall into an endless debate about it. I guess most people want to see NEW stuff about Conan, but with keeping the spirit of the original series. That may be very very tricky for the authors ! And it will always have people to love it and people to dislike it.
About the "borrowing" of a tolkien term, I guess we can't argue a lot as Howard himself used tons of real names (Styx, Argos, Zembabwei are the first to come to my mind) and also historical peoples (picts, hyrkanians as mongols, stygians inspired from aegyptians...), not to mention antique gods like Mithra :wink:
About ordering books and stuff directly to www.amazon.com I do it all the time and they deliver it to France. I guess they can do it to Brazil. You can also probably order directly to www.darkhorse.com .
My local comic bool store orders it specialy for me here, maybe you can ask for the same where you are.
Chrysagon

 

[Faraer]

Busiek doesn't do bad work, and I think the writing and art so far are consistently great. As for the authenticity of the comic's Hyperborea, given that REH said almost nothing about it and that Kurt drew on the same sources for it that REH read (such as Plato), it's at least as plausible a version as any other.