Born on the Battlefield

[Supplement Four]

We spoken a lot on The Savage Sword of Conan. Now, I've branched off and started the new Darkhorse series.

Folks, it's fantastic. The art is amazing. The stories have grit and feel very "Howard".

Check it out. Use the "Search inside this book" link to get an idea. These things are well worth the money.

Book 0: http://www.amazon.com/Conan-Born-Ba...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250911319&sr=8-1

Book 1: http://www.amazon.com/Conan-Giants-Daughter-Stories-Graphic/dp/1593073011/ref=pd_sim_b_5

Book 2: http://www.amazon.com/Conan-Vol-Bowl-Other-Stories/dp/1593074034/ref=pd_sim_b_6

Book 3: http://www.amazon.com/Conan-Vol-Tower-Elephant-Stories/dp/1593075472/ref=pd_sim_b_3

You can find the rest on your own.





I'm almost done with Book 0. It's an excellent read. And, the art is so good at capturing the flavor of the Hyborian Age that I feel as if I've seen a short film.

Well researched. Excellent writing. Fantastic atmosphere.

Highly recommended.

 

[flatscan]

It started off great. Kurt Busiek's writing, Cary Nord's pencils, Dave Stewarts colors. Wonderful stuff! Unfortunately, like all good things, it doesn't last. First Cary Nord leaves, then Dave and Kurt. Dark Horse decides to stop that series and start a new one with, IMO, a vastly inferior crew. Tim Truman as the writer doesn't do half the research that Busiek did. His worst offenses are when doing adaptations of Howard stories. He changes dialogue, gets details wrong, writes characters out of scenes. The new artist's pencils lack any sort of dynamism. And with a character like Conan who has been brought to illustrative life by a master of dynamic painting, Frank Frazetta, that's a travesty. Then you have the new editor, who isn't an REH fan and does a piss poor job of keeping Truman in line.

<sigh> :?

Anyhow, enjoy the good stuff. Dark Horse really started something great. Sadly, when the chips were down they brought in second stringers.

 

[Supplement Four]

Anyhow, enjoy the good stuff. Dark Horse really started something great. Sadly, when the chips were down they brought in second stringers.

I've only read the first half of Book 0, but it is exceptional. I hope I have a better opinion of the later stuff than you do, as I bought the entire run. All of it, as they're starting to go out of print.

 

[flatscan]

Like I said, enjoy the first 5 volumes (0-4). It's all downhill from there, especially when Truman has Conan return to his home village. What Busiek had done so right in representing Cimmeria is completely undone by Truman's take, which is more like a traditional fantasy village than anything else. This was a big realization point for me, as I was willing to give the guy a chance. He blew it. Instead of barbarians who live life day to day, we have Cimmerians squabbling over love triangles, that somehow have vineyards (when REH established in Phoenix on the Sword that Cimmerians other than Conan, "drink naught but water"). Just saddens me to think about it. Frakkin' Dark Horse. :evil:

 

[Hervé]

Like Flatscan, I think the DH serie made a wonderful start but grew dull with the passing of time.

Overall, I think I still prefer Roy Thomas and his work for Marvel, especially on SSoC, when assosiated with the tandem Buscema/Alcala.

 

[Supplement Four]

Like Flatscan, I think the DH serie made a wonderful start but grew dull with the passing of time.

Overall, I think I still prefer Roy Thomas and his work for Marvel, especially on SSoC, when assosiated with the tandem Buscema/Alcala.

Well, I bought them all. I've got all the Savage Sword reprints, plus the new, unpublished one coming. I've got the Marvel Conan series, plus the new, unpublished one coming, and I bought all the Darkhorse Conan plus mini-series.

I'll read them all.

I just finished Born on the Battlefield, just minutes ago. Man, what a book! Fantastic!

 

[Hervé]

I still own the original Savage Tales, Savage Sword and Conan the Barbarian original issues. They have kind of followed me all of my life.

It's good a good thing to see them reprinted at reasonable prices.