Conan #9

[The Warlord]

I don't know about ya'll, but the latest issue by Busiek and Nord has quickly moved up to one of my favorite all time Conan stories ever. I know it's a little soon, and not even by Howard, but this one issue embodies everything that is Conan. I'm gonna buy extra copies to give to the players in my group, as this issue, moreso than any of the others, really has the feel I'd like to have in my game.

Busiek has always produced quality work, from Marvels, to Astro City, then Avengers, but Nord is really showing me something else. Love the ink-less work of the series. The panel where Conan is sitting at the table, foot on the 'treasure', and hand on a pint, is now my defining image of the man.

Howard would be proud.

(Even though not too popular, I did like Busiek's take on the Hyperborians as well. I'll porbably use them like that in my game. Very creepy.)

 

[Jason Durall]

I've quite enjoyed the run as well, and do think the artwork is right-on.

The art is to me a highlight - I like the rougher, softer look that the colored pencils give. It's almost painterly, and reminds me a lot of Frazetta's work in the minimalism.

I'm a bit less fond of Busiek's inventions to the Hyborian World - his Hyperboreans were not the ones Howard wrote about (their magic was almost mundane where in REH it was always scary), and the Janessa character strikes me as too much an Elektra clone.

 

[The Warlord]

True, that's the one low point. Janessa seems way to cliched, especially her introduction in #7. She even looks to be dressed in a super-heroine outfit.

I do think the bone-woman has potential though.

On the Hyperboreans, I liked how they're 'gods' looked to be 'ancients' of some minor degree. I can expand on that in my game and make them a little more lovecraftian or howardian. Again, I liked the concept.

 

[Mijoro]

I like it too. I'm a little less than thrilled that Thoth-Amon is going to make an appearance in Busiek's take on The God in the Bowl, but I love he way he's setting up the story.

And yeah, the tavern scene was classic Conan. I'm still laughing over the title - "Two Nemedians Walk Into A Bar" indeed...

 

[Anonymous]

Finally got this one and it's the best issue of any Conan comic since the late 1970's.
I've been lukewarm about the series thus far. It's been way better than NO Conan comics, but I couldn't quite see why so many readers were raving about it. Seemed like pretty standard stories with pretty blurry art to me.
But Conan #9 has strong art and an absolutely beautifully-made story. Even Roy Thomas at his best would have been hard put to match the slick assembly of Howard's elements with new material.
If you haven't been reading, or if you found the comic disappointing, you ought to give this issue a try.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I thought the comic started off with a bang, then turned into hackneyed garbage plotwise from issue #4 and up, and even the art took a nosedive in quality (too rushed looking). I'll check issue #9 out but am not expecting a miracle... :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Give it a try, Chef.
You sound like an old-school fan, so I bet you'll appreciate both the handling of Conan's character and REH's story elements.
Please let us know what you think.