Comic: Demons of Khitai

[René]

I'm thinking about ordering the omnibus Demons of Khitai:

to avoid such a disappointment as with Daughters of Midora (worse than worst - art & story), I'd like to hear some expert opinions: is it worth the money - story, art (preview looks good), REH-purism (i.e. no heavy contradictions), S & S (i.e. no D & Dish fantasy)?

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Strom]

Hey René. I don't think it is an omnibus - it's only 4 issues. This story has King Conan and a small group of his Black Dragons - including Palantides - march into Khitai. The first issue is the strongest and then the story meanders into a less than satisfying ending, IMO. The art is good - I prefer Nord's Conan better - and the story is interesting and much better than Daughters of Midora. The disappointing thing for me was the mini starts out very good but then just doesn't deliver even though I really enjoyed the character of Palantides.

 

[thulsa]

I'm thinking about ordering the omnibus Demons of Khitai

My opinion: Stay away from this one. The art is all right, but the story sucks. It is basically "Conan goes to Khitai. Conan fights some samurai-style warriors. Conan fights big monster. The End."

Plus, the "Khitai" in this story is obviously based on Japan, not China.

- thulsa

 

[terryallenuk]

To be honest I wasn't that keen on it either , though it is better than Midora !

Terry

 

[René]

I don't think it is an omnibus - it's only 4 issues.

Omnibus regarding the Demons of Khitai series :wink:

Nonetheless, thanks for your help, guys! You saved me from wasting money. I hope, the collection "Tower of the Elephant" is good, 'cause it's already ordered.

 

[taylor]

My biggest gripe with the story is how weak Conan is. Without spoiling the story it's hard to be specific, but it seems totally out of character for him to rely on outside influence to overcome every obstacle he faces...

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Agree with all of the above- nothing new or interesting. A lot of the limited series suffer that problem The only exception is "The Jewels fo Gwafar[?]" [Please don't ask me to spell that this early in the morning]

 

[thulsa]

The only exception is "The Jewels fo Gwafar[?]"

... which is good because REH wrote it!

(It's Gwahlur, by the way )


- thulsa

 

[Thamilon]

Nonetheless, thanks for your help, guys! You saved me from wasting money. I hope, the collection "Tower of the Elephant" is good, 'cause it's already ordered.

It's good. Busiek did a wonderful job on the adaption. And the rest of the pastiche stories (including one where we learn how Conan came to hear the scholars in the squares of Zamora talk about philosophy when that's... really not something he'd do)

 

[urdinaran]

I too was disappointed with DoK.

 

[DourDeadlyPuritan]

(including one where we learn how Conan came to hear the scholars in the squares of Zamora talk about philosophy when that's... really not something he'd do)

Why wouldn't he? It's not like Conan was ever incurious.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

(including one where we learn how Conan came to hear the scholars in the squares of Zamora talk about philosophy when that's... really not something he'd do)

Why wouldn't he? It's not like Conan was ever incurious.

This also gives a possible explaination where he picks up some of the knowledge about killing demons with silver and fire and other arcane trivia he demonstrates knowledge of in other stories.

Raven Blackwell

 

[Teutonic]

There were more than one Tower of the elephant adaptions, but I think the best artwork still has the Buscema-version.

 

[Thamilon]

(including one where we learn how Conan came to hear the scholars in the squares of Zamora talk about philosophy when that's... really not something he'd do)

Why wouldn't he? It's not like Conan was ever incurious.

Incurious, no. But his interest was always in more worldly knowledge - not the ramblings of weak men in robes.

 

[Strom]

(including one where we learn how Conan came to hear the scholars in the squares of Zamora talk about philosophy when that's... really not something he'd do)

Why wouldn't he? It's not like Conan was ever incurious.

Incurious, no. But his interest was always in more worldly knowledge - not the ramblings of weak men in robes.

I don't have the comic in front of me but wasn't Conan's actions at the end a bookend to his attitude at the beginning of the story? In the beginning he hears these scholars yapping about monsters - which he dismisses as bunk. Then he fights a monster - and at the end he kinda realizes the scholars are not as worthless as he thought in the beginning.

Realizing an advantage and capitalizing on that advantage by learning from it is in line with Conan, IMO.

My only gripe would be his age - he is young and rash at this stage in his life but he does learn quick even at such a young age.

 

[Fernando]

Hey René. I don't think it is an omnibus - it's only 4 issues. This story has King Conan and a small group of his Black Dragons - including Palantides - march into Khitai. The first issue is the strongest and then the story meanders into a less than satisfying ending, IMO. The art is good - I prefer Nord's Conan better - and the story is interesting and much better than Daughters of Midora. The disappointing thing for me was the mini starts out very good but then just doesn't deliver even though I really enjoyed the character of Palantides.

The only disappointment I had with that saga was when King Conan (more than 40 years-old) said that the only creature similar to the black killed elephant in Khitai was Yag-Kosha :shock: ! There's no sense! After "The Tower of the Elephant" and before he became king of Aquilonia, the Cimmerian traveled many times, to many places inhabitads by elephants (Kush, Keshan, Punt, lands far south of Kush and once to Vendhya)...

 

[Deathdealer]

Nonetheless, thanks for your help, guys! You saved me from wasting money. I hope, the collection "Tower of the Elephant" is good, 'cause it's already ordered.

It's good. Busiek did a wonderful job on the adaption. And the rest of the pastiche stories (including one where we learn how Conan came to hear the scholars in the squares of Zamora talk about philosophy when that's... really not something he'd do)

oh really?

From The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard....

He had entered the part of the city reserved for the temples. On all sides of him they glittered white in the starlight--snowy marble pillars and golden domes and silver arches, shrines of Zamora's myriad strange gods. He did not trouble his head about them; he knew that Zamora's religion, like all things of a civilized, long-settled people, was intricate and complex, and had lost most of the pristine essence in a maze of formulas and rituals. He had squatted for hours in the courtyard of the philosophers, listening to the arguments of theologians and teachers, and come away in a haze of bewilderment, sure of only one thing, and that, that they were all touched in the head.