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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 23, 2015 20:43:29 GMT -5
If you read my SSoc review thread, it will come as no surprise to learn that I'm a cranky old and capricious fan when it comes to Conan of Cimmeria. I am extremely hard to please in my dotage, and a writer must really knock it out of the ballpark for me to do more than merely like their work.
I was enthusiastic about Kurt Busiek's and Cary Nord's run at Dark Horse in the 2000s. It had the REH scholarship, the quasi-historical sensisbility and the epic feel I thought I'd never see after the mid 1970s. But alas the team left the book, and later creators (although very good at times) did not manage to elicit the same reaction from this reader. Things got worse when something resembling a Twilight-inspired version of the Cimmerian replaced not only the intriguing creation of Robert Howard, but also the comic-book interpretation we had come to know. As for scholarship, forget it... Conan was seen crossing the Pictish wilderness on foot as if nothing was more natural, as in the worst of the bad old days at Marvel in the mid -80s.
But this week, I received the latest volume in the collection of the Dark Horse Conan: The damned horde, by Fred van Lente and Brian Ching. And something happened that hadn't happened since Busiek's early days on this title: I was thrilled.
Fred van Lente has read Howard's stories; he has taken notes; and he has found a way to integrate Howard's ideas into a believable and fresh storyline that succeeds not only as a proper Conan tale, but as a self-standing adventure story. Ching's artwork, meanwhile, eschews the fantasy-world look that I abhor in Conan stories to favour a more historical-looking approach... one that still evokes worlds unkown, but unknown only because they go back far into the past; not unknown because they sprang out from someone's imagination. The last time the art worked so well in the book is when Richard Corben drew segments of it, which is saying a lot.
To the writer's further credit, he has taken two rather bland female characters from Howard's stories (the blond and so ewhat interchangeable Diana and Natala, respectively from the fragment known as "the snout in the dark" and from "the slithering shadow / Xuthal of the dusk" and has made them into capable, brave, smart and resourceful persons. The fate of one of them in this book brought a tear to my eye.
Shall I renounce my title of old curmudgeon? Well, no. Van Lente calls Conan's father "Corin", a brawny and bearded Cimmerian. That interpretation is true to the Marvel version (and to the recent movie).In the Dark Horse universe, Conan's dad was introduced as Conaldar, a rather quiet and unimpressive fellow... clearly, Conan took more after his gradfather than after his dad. But who cares? The book is excellent, and I really look forward to the next one (which will adapt Xuthal of the dusk).
Being a fan of Conan comic-books is a story of ups and downs. This one is an up. And I am very grateful for it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2015 23:32:44 GMT -5
I was less impressed than you with Van Lente's Conan, I was getting the singles for the first 4-5 issues and dropped it. I felt it was mediocre at best, Ching was solid, it was going to have the same kind of rotating art teams that plagues DH's Conan the Barbarian series and Ching was leaving mid-arc, and I found Van Lente to me read as if he owed more to deCamp/Carter pastiches than Howard originals. But tastes vary and I am glad you liked it and enjoyed it. It wasn't horrible, but after the Wood debacle I needed better than that to keep supporting the monthly.
Maybe I'll give it another chance in collected version if I find a copy at a good price.
-M
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 24, 2015 7:58:05 GMT -5
I was less impressed than you with Van Lente's Conan, I was getting the singles for the first 4-5 issues and dropped it. I felt it was mediocre at best, Ching was solid, it was going to have the same kind of rotating art teams that plagues DH's Conan the Barbarian series and Ching was leaving mid-arc, and I found Van Lente to me read as if he owed more to deCamp/Carter pastiches than Howard originals. But tastes vary and I am glad you liked it and enjoyed it. It wasn't horrible, but after the Wood debacle I needed better than that to keep supporting the monthly. Maybe I'll give it another chance in collected version if I find a copy at a good price. As far as I'm concerned, The damned horde is a lot better than shadows over Kush... and Ching is there for the entire story arc! |
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Post by the4thpip on Oct 24, 2015 10:23:15 GMT -5
I read the mini series he did first, and though I am a HUGE fan of the work he and Pak did on Hulk and Hercules, I did not enjoy it as much as Busiek's run and skipped the ongoing.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2015 14:35:59 GMT -5
I was less impressed than you with Van Lente's Conan, I was getting the singles for the first 4-5 issues and dropped it. I felt it was mediocre at best, Ching was solid, it was going to have the same kind of rotating art teams that plagues DH's Conan the Barbarian series and Ching was leaving mid-arc, and I found Van Lente to me read as if he owed more to deCamp/Carter pastiches than Howard originals. But tastes vary and I am glad you liked it and enjoyed it. It wasn't horrible, but after the Wood debacle I needed better than that to keep supporting the monthly. Maybe I'll give it another chance in collected version if I find a copy at a good price. As far as I'm concerned, The damned horde is a lot better than shadows over Kush... and Ching is there for the entire story arc! I thought Ching only did the first 3 issues of what was a 6 issue opening arc. -M |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 24, 2015 20:27:34 GMT -5
As far as I'm concerned, The damned horde is a lot better than shadows over Kush... and Ching is there for the entire story arc! I thought Ching only did the first 3 issues of what was a 6 issue opening arc. -M That is correct. Shadows over Kush was the opening arc, based on the fragment known as the snout in the dari. Ching was there for the first three issues only. The damned horde is the second arc, setting up the adaptation of The slithering shadow, and Ching is there for the entire story (much to my delight). One of the things I like most about it is that Van Lente manages to make that story into something that's no doubt different from Howard's vision, and doesn't correspond to readers' expectations... but at the same time, it doesn't contradict anything Howard wrote and it gives much more depth to characters who were originally little more than placeholders ("the girl", "the mercenaries", "the prince who failed in his attempt at a coup"). Sometimes such dancing around the core concepts grates on my nerves (as happened when John Byrne introduced Aunt Petunia in Fantastic Four) but here it really enriches the story. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 24, 2015 20:30:35 GMT -5
I read the mini series he did first, and though I am a HUGE fan of the work he and Pak did on Hulk and Hercules, I did not enjoy it as much as Busiek's run and skipped the ongoing. Enjoying something as much as Busiek's run is a tall order! Only Thomas managed to top Kurt's work, and he had the advantage of working with a fresh concept! Van Lente is quickly becoming my third favourite Conan comic-book writer. I cross my fingers for the next arc! |
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Post by senatortombstone on Oct 25, 2015 20:39:08 GMT -5
I haven't read any of the Conan the Avenger books yet. I am waiting for at least $50.00 worth of new Conan TPBs to be up for sale on instocktrades.com, so I can get the free shipping discount. However, this only makes me more excited to read those issues. For the record, I did enjoy his rendition of People of the Black Circle, so the more of that the better.
For the most part, DH has done a great job - to me, at least - with Conan. I admit that I did not enjoy the stories with belit as much as I did the previous stories, as I thought the artwork took a turn for the worse and some of the stories were just ridiculous, such as a Hyborian equivalent of Columbine shooter going on a rampage because Conan teased him as a child!?! And then there was the time Conan got high and dreamed of being a family man. But it sounds like that's in the past.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 22:16:53 GMT -5
Looks like Van Lente's run is ending, as is Conan the Avenger, and DH will launch a new Conan title with Cullen Bunn as writer called Conan the Slayer.
I like Bunn's indy stuff (HElheim show she can do a great sword and sorcery style book, and Sixth Gun has an excellent pulp feel) but I have been less enamored with most of the Marvel/DC stuff, so we'll see.
-M
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Feb 20, 2016 14:32:54 GMT -5
I'm not sure I'll be able to afford reading the series anymore... the exchange rate is making these books something of a luxury item! But I'll do an effort to get all of Van Lente's run.
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Post by senatortombstone on Feb 21, 2016 1:59:53 GMT -5
I'm not sure I'll be able to afford reading the series anymore... the exvhange rate is making these books something of a luxury item! But I'll do an effort to get all of Van Lente's run. I am sorry to hear that. Comic collecting is brutal on my wallet as well and I live in the U.S. I did manage to acquire a used copy of the first issue of this series for 1 USD and I quite enjoyed it. Still, unless I find similar deals for the rest of the series, I will just the trade when it comes out in few months. I have not purchased any of the DH Conan titles from the newsstand/comic store, as they are just too expensive. Although, I will buy back issues, when I find them for a good price. Have you ever bought from www.instocktrades.com/ ? They sell TPBs and offer a 42% discount on Darkhorse publications. I buy all of my TPBs from them. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Apr 4, 2016 15:50:53 GMT -5
Great Crom, van Lente's success with the previous collection wasn't a fluke... This new hardcover, Xuthal of the dusk, maintains the magic that made reading Conan so much fun in the 70s, only with a more modern sensibility. (I think the old version was just fine, but new and younger readers will not be short-changed here).
Two story arcs are found within, Xuthal of the dusk (previously, and probably better, known as the slithering shadow) and the oasis of Akrel. The first arc is illustrated by catalan artist Guiu Villanova, the second by Brian Ching, and colrs are masterfully handled by Michael Atiyeh. (I mean it : the color work is absolutely great)!
Villanova was a revelation; I had never heard of him, but his art is perfect for this book. I hope we'll see him again.
Xuthal of the dusk is of course the adaptation of the Robert E. Howard tale, and it is pretty faitful (down to the difficult to draw scenes where a naked Natala is whipped by a sadistic Stygian woman... how do you go at it without stepping into rated-X territory? Good job in handling that particular problem, here!) The depiction of the monstrous Thog as a semi-solid frog-like monster is very convincing, and the Cambodian look of the city fits with its builders having come "from the east".
In the second story arc, we set up the table for the adaptation of A witch shall be born. I may be puzzled by a meeting between the rulers of Turan and Khauran being organized so far to the south, but hey... small potatoes.
The return of Janissa the widow maker had been long expected, and I was very glad when the apparent continuity SNAFU early in the story turned out to be planned all along. Good job, Mr. van Lente!
Conan's relationship with Natala was also amazing. Let's face it: in the Howard original, Natala was little more than a blonde in need of being rescued. Van Lente has imbued her with a strong personality, a vivacious intelligence, and a strong moral code. And the way she and Conan decide to go their separate ways is a triumph of maturity. Yes, kids, THIS is what a mature comic should sound like!
I am disconsolate that van Lente is apparently soon to leave this title. If he manages to make the next hardcover as good as this one, he will have caught up with Kurt Busiek in my very, very short list of capable Conan comics writers.
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Post by String on Apr 4, 2016 20:08:56 GMT -5
Looks like Van Lente's run is ending, as is Conan the Avenger, and DH will launch a new Conan title with Cullen Bunn as writer called Conan the Slayer. I like Bunn's indy stuff (HElheim show she can do a great sword and sorcery style book, and Sixth Gun has an excellent pulp feel) but I have been less enamored with most of the Marvel/DC stuff, so we'll see. -M I think he's one of the better X-writers at the moment, love what he's done with Magneto. On Uncanny X-Men right now, he's working wonders in establishing and exploring the new partnership between Magneto and Psylocke. I think FVL's Archer & Armstrong run from Valiant was brilliant as was Ivar Timewalker. Good to hear some positive reviews about his Conan work as well. What's the consensus on Tim Truman's Conan efforts of late? |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Apr 5, 2016 8:19:30 GMT -5
Looks like Van Lente's run is ending, as is Conan the Avenger, and DH will launch a new Conan title with Cullen Bunn as writer called Conan the Slayer. I like Bunn's indy stuff (HElheim show she can do a great sword and sorcery style book, and Sixth Gun has an excellent pulp feel) but I have been less enamored with most of the Marvel/DC stuff, so we'll see. -M I think he's one of the better X-writers at the moment, love what he's done with Magneto. On Uncanny X-Men right now, he's working wonders in establishing and exploring the new partnership between Magneto and Psylocke. I think FVL's Archer & Armstrong run from Valiant was brilliant as was Ivar Timewalker. Good to hear some positive reviews about his Conan work as well. What's the consensus on Tim Truman's Conan efforts of late? Truman's and Giorello's work clearly has a core of devoted fans who see their King Conan string of miniseries as the best Conan available today. It's been a long while since I went to the Conan.com board, but some posters there were very vocal about their loving Tim's work. I am personally more ambivalent about it. I preferred the Busiek and Nord team to Truman and Giorello (although naturally, anyone following Busiek and Nord would have pretty big shoes to fill). Tim and Tomas's efforts were indeed the best Conan available for a while when the competition consisted of Brian Wood's Conan the barbarian book, with its bad Howardian scholarship and skinny, emo Conan. As far as I'm concerned, however, the new adaptations of the hour of the dragon, the scarlet citadel and the phoenix on the sword, while certainly looking good, didn't bring anything new compared to the Marvel '70s adaptations which I still view as superior. (Stretching short tales over a maximum number of issues does bad things to pacing, and needless to say, going up against the likes of Gil Kane or Frank Brunner is another tall order). |
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Post by Arthur Gordon Scratch on Apr 5, 2016 8:29:44 GMT -5
I think he's one of the better X-writers at the moment, love what he's done with Magneto. On Uncanny X-Men right now, he's working wonders in establishing and exploring the new partnership between Magneto and Psylocke. I think FVL's Archer & Armstrong run from Valiant was brilliant as was Ivar Timewalker. Good to hear some positive reviews about his Conan work as well. What's the consensus on Tim Truman's Conan efforts of late? Truman's and Giorello's work clearly has a core of devoted fans who see their King Conan string of miniseries as the best Conan available today. It's been a long while since I went to the Conan.com board, but some posters there were very vocal about their loving Tim's work. I am personally more ambivalent about it. I preferred the Busiek and Nord team to Truman and Giorello (although naturally, anyone following Busiek and Nord would have pretty big shoes to fill). Tim and Tomas's efforts were indeed the best Conan available for a while when the competition consisted of Brian Wood's Conan the barbarian book, with its bad Howardian scholarship and skinny, emo Conan. As far as I'm concerned, however, the new adaptations of the hour of the dragon, the scarlet citadel and the phoenix on the sword, while certainly looking good, didn't bring anything new compared to the Marvel '70s adaptations which I still view as superior. (Stretching short tales over a maximum number of issues does bad things to pacing, and needless to say, going up against the likes of Gil Kane or Frank Brunner is another tall order). Yet, those current Giorello minis (not the ones wit Truman) probably are the strongest art Conan comics ever had. But the pacing indeed is problematic. On a side note, I for one greatly enjoyed the Brian Wood Run, some great art as well! |
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