A faithful and powerful adaptation, by Crom!
Creative Staff:
Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Jose Luis
Inks: Andy Owens
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
What They Say:
A false queen—the evil twin sister of the rightful ruler—sits on the throne of Khauran. After quashing Conan’s brief rebellion against the impostor, the brutal mercenary leader Constantius orders the Cimmerian to be crucified.
Now, Conan will suffer the most agonizing ordeal of his life.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Arguably, the most iconic scene in Conan history occurred in the original Robert E. Howard story, “A Witch Shall Be Born.” It’s a scene that has been played out time in again in books, comics, art, and even the first Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. I speak, of course, of Conan’s crucifixion.
Just the day before, Conan had been happy. He had a good job as captain of the guard of Khauran. He had wine, he had food, he had women, and he had plenty of opportunity to indulge in violence. His life changed when Salome, the abandoned twin sister of Queen Taramis, came home and secretly usurped her sister’s rule. Conan was the only one to see through the ruse, and for his honesty and bravery, he was crucified outside the city walls, left for the vultures.
The majority of this issue takes place on that cross, and it’s a testament to both Jose Luis’ art and Fred Van Lente’s writing that the work never became static or boring. Luis’ art reminds me a bit of Alan Davis, and he does a fantastic job with maintaining a clear and steady pace despite the fact that we stay in one location for the majority of the story. His facial expressions, his camera angles, and his panel arrangement all create a compelling narrative.
This narrative is bolstered by the writing. It’s been a while since I’ve read “A Witch Shall be Born,” and I wasn’t able to do my due diligence and read it before writing this review, but I’d wager dollars to donuts that 99% of the captions and dialogue came from Howard’s original story. Given the fidelity with which he wrote “Xuthal at Dusk,” I think that’s a fair bet. Van Lente has always done a great job of capturing Howard’s voice and adapting it to a more modern style, but there’s something to be said for the original writing. Howard possessed a red, raw, powerful style that was uniquely his own. You can imitate it or adapt it, but you can never quite touch on the vibrancy of it. That potency infuses the words on the page, making us feel Conan’s pain and sorrow just as effectively as the art.
Fair warning, though: this issue will make you thirsty. It reminds me of something my dad once said about the movie Lawrence of Arabia. He said you couldn’t watch it without a glass of lemonade. His point was the desert scenes were so striking that you couldn’t help but feel the heat, feel the moisture leave your body. I got that same feeling when I read this issue, thanks in large part to Michael Atiyeh’s colors. He makes liberal use of oranges and reds and yellows, and you practically feel the sun beating on your face. Just thinking about it makes me want to go get a cool drink.
In Summary:
Conan the Avenger 21 faithfully and powerfully depicts one of the seminal moments in Conan history. The writing, the art, and the colors all come together to tell a compelling, well-paced story; a fact that’s all the more impressive given that 90% of the tale takes place in one location with a protagonist who can’t move. So set your new year off to a red and bloody start and pick up Conan. You’ll be glad you did, by Crom. Dr. Josh gives this an….
Grade: A+
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: December 30th, 2015
MSRP: $3.50
