To hear more about this issue and other comics we pulled this week, click here.
I’ve never been a big fan of Conan. Not that I didn’t like the character, I just haven’t taken the time to learn much about Conan and the world around him. I know the Arnold movies from the 80’s are heralded as classics, but I always thought they were goofy and not something I cared to watch again as an adult. After hearing Jarrod (my Panel Chewing co-host) talk about how great the Titan Conan comics are, when I saw this on the shelf the cover grabbed my attention. I was out visiting the comic book shop on Saturday and it was a light comic book week, so I decided to give it a try.
When I pulled the comic out of the bag, I was surprised it was full color. I didn’t realize this art was initially black and white, but Titan is reissuing these with original art and full color. Remembering Conan comics I had when I was a kid and how I would stare at the artwork, this really brought me back with a hit of nostalgia. The Art by Barry Windsor-Smith and John Buscema is beautiful. There is something to say about classic artwork and how it stands the test of time. When art is drawn in black and white, more detail is added for the foreground, background, perspective, shadows and everything else. Adding color to classic artwork like that must be done carefully, and I thought Titan did a fantastic job adding color without losing the feel of the original art.
This issue includes two stories: The Frost Giant’s Daughter and Tower of the Elephant. While The Frost Giant’s Daughter was good, Tower of the Elephant really was the draw for me here. I was surprised with the surprises and the reveal ruined my day in a good way; it was effective and soul crushing. I didn’t expect a Conan story to be one that stays with me the way Tower of the Elephant has.
Howard’s prose is poetic and moving, adding depth to not only Conan but the other factions in the world. It’s always nice having world building added to a story and not realizing it because it’s not full of info dumps. These stories are classics for a reason, and the epic sword and sorcery aspects were a treat.
The magazine size was also a plus for me, I enjoyed the bigger size and it serves this comic book well, bringing people like me back to decades ago reading Conan books. The price tag is a higher than most other comics at $10 USD, but I felt like it was worth the investment. Lots of comic book readers pay $6 for comics less than half the length, so when I hear people criticize this I’m left scratching my head. This issue is 64 pages of classic artwork and stories.
Needless to say, this was our Pick of the Week this episode and this book was added to my pull list. If you aren’t familiar with Conan and worry you’ll be confused, don’t be. This is accessible for new readers and fans alike.
