Sunday, September 5, 2010

Conan the Cimmerian #23

I'm sad to see this incarnation of Conan the Cimmerian coming to an end, but it's good to know that there's even more of his adventures on the way.

Dark Horse has announced that this series will end in two issues as the Iron Shadows in the Moon adaptation wraps up, and after that writer Tim Truman and artist Tomas Giorello will move over to the King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel mini-series, while the timeline from this issue will be continued in Conan: Road of Kings, which will be written by a writer familiar with that character - Roy Thomas.

But that's all in the future. For now, let's focus on the second chapter in the "Iron Shadows" adaptation, which is based on an original story by Robert E. Howard.

I'm always impressed with how well Howard's stories adapt to comics - no doubt because they're a great mix of action, horror, great characters, implied sex, heroism and terrific storytelling.

This issue picks up with Conan and the beautiful Olivia exploring a mysterious island. They discover a number of demonic iron statues, and Olivia has a vivid dream that the full moon will bring the statues to life.

They have other problems to deal with, as a monster seems to be watching from the jungle, and pirates are also on the way. Oh, and the moon is about to rise...

It's yet another gripping story by Howard, brought to vivid life by this amazingly talented creative team. The art is lush, with amazing detail in evidence, strong layouts and powerful emotions written on the faces of the characters.

I believe Thomas and the legendary John Buscema tackled this story in The Savage Sword of Conan magazine, and this version may be even better - and that's saying something!

As I've said before, this comic is highly recommended - one of the best on the stands!

Grade: A

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3 comments:

Nate said...

It is sad that Truman and Giorello's run is coming to an end on this series. I have enjoyed their hard work and excellent stories.

I look forward to getting this issue on Friday!!

Giorello's cover is fantastic.

Chuck said...

Nate, I agree completely, although it's encouraging that Truman and Giorello are working on a Conan mini-series. Hopefully more will follow!

Nate said...

Got the comic. Loved it. Every month this is the best $2.99 and tax I spend. This creative team continues to impress and deliver every month. I really enjoyed the red coloring for the pirates.