Back when I was a young pup, my Aunt Rudy gave me a copy of the Robert E. Howard paperback Conan the Warrior, and was I ever hooked. (By the way, she wasn't a fan - the book belonged to her son who was in the Navy.)
Not long after that, I was shocked to see that Marvel was coming out with a comic book version of the character, and I anxiously picked up each copy. It took a little while before Barry Smith's art grew on me, but he quickly became "the" Conan artist (at least in the comics - it was tough to beat Frazetta's amazing paperback covers).
The Conan comic also featured good writing - some of the best in Roy Thomas' career (which is saying something). The series enjoyed a long run under a number of artists (most notably the incredible John Buscema) and a few other writers, but eventually it faded away.
When the line was revived at Dark Horse a few years ago, they had the good sense to tap Kurt Busiek to write the thing, and he also turned in some of his best work, teaming up with a variety of (mostly) excellent artists. Eventually, Busiek was lured away exclusively to DC, and a new writer signed on - and again, the editors made an excellent choice.
Tim Truman is probably best known for his outstanding artwork on books such as Scout and Hawkworld, but he's also a heck of a writer, especially when it comes to this kind of rough-edged, hard-bitten, pulp-inspired (but with a touch of poetry) kind of prose.
Looking at the art on the book, the reader may suffer a bit of artistic whiplash, as the styles change rather suddenly. The covers are in the skilled hands of Frank Cho, and he's turning in some amazing work - but his Conan looks squeaky clean. Even his horse looks like he ran it through the car wash before hitting the battlefield - but even with that minor complaint, it's a powerful piece of work.
The interior art features two different styles. Tomas Giorello handles the "modern day" storyline that brings Conan back from his adventures to his home in Cimmeria for the first time. Giorello's art is excellent, and perfectly suited to the barbaric tale that's unfolding. The other interior artist is living legend Richard Corben, who illustrates the story of Conan's grandfather, Connacht, and his adventures in the civilized world. Corben's work is outstanding (as always), and no one has a better handle on the world of the barbarian. Brutal and expressive, his art is perfectly suited for a story like this.
To celebrate the new creative team, Dark Horse re-launched the comic under the title Conan the Cimmerian, and so far, so good.
Creating a Conan that has the same feel as Howard's Conan is not an easy task. Too many writers just try to throw a monster and a scantily-clad girl into the story and leave it at that. But this team has an excellent feel for the attitude and character one of fantasy's greatest creations. It's good to see our barbaric friend - just as he was when he first appeared in a comic book - in the best of hands.
Grade: B+
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