Like the character, this comic is a force of nature.
Creative Staff:
Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Brian Ching
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
What They Say:
With an evil sorcerer standing in his way and an enemy army approaching on the horizon, Conan must make a choice with dire consequences. Was the treasure he fought so hard for worth the price he’s paid?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Dying from a mystical plague, Conan and the mute Diana rush to save her sister Natala and stop the evil Thoth-Amon from reaching a fabled treasure. However, when Conan arrives, he discovers that the lost hoard is actually a lost horde —an army of lizard men who were the first followers of Set. Thoth-Amon awoke them, and now he and the Cimmerian must fight side-by-side to survive.
Issue 12 closes the “Damned Horde” storyline, and I’m happy to say that it ends just as strongly as it began. It begins with Conan staggering to the horde’s location, supported by the mute Diana. Even dying, Conan possesses an iron will, and his dialogue is great: “Don’t worry, Natala. I’ll get right over there, slay the monster, or the wizard, or whatever it is. I always do.” For another man, this would be bragging, but for Conan, it’s just a Tuesday. His ramblings to Diana also illustrate who he is at his core—a force of nature, but also a good man. He cares for the safety of the sisters and will do his best to rescue them. Still, he’s also Conan, and as he wanders off to do battle, he says to himself: “It would’ve been nice to sleep with at least one of you…Oh well. Can’t bed them all, as much as you’d like to…just not realistic.”
Van Lente does a great job of injecting humor naturally into this story through Conan’s dialogue. As a character, Conan is typically taciturn. He can make great speeches and insults, but his dialogue in this piece is slightly different, yet keeping with the story. Perhaps my favorite interchange comes between Conan and Natala:
Conan: “I told you I would not leave you, girl.”
Natala: “You did?”
Conan: “Oh. Well, I should have.”
The dialogue certainly shines in this issue, but the other elements are just as strong. The action is great, the story resolves itself in a satisfying manner, and the art is gorgeous. I’ve become a huge fan of both Brian Ching and Michael Atiyeh because of this title. Ching’s work is fluid and expressive. He can draw objects of great beauty and great ugliness with equal skill, and it fits the story. One of my favorite panels comes at the end when we learn of the fate of Abit and Diana. The expression on their faces and their body language is excellent, and tell a story in-and-of themselves.
And Atiyeh’s colors absolutely bring Ching’s pencils to life. He knows how to use them to establish mood and propel the story, from the warm gold of crowns to the sickly green of Thoth-Amon’s magic. The two make quite a pair and I hope that they stay on the title for a while longer.
In Summary:
Issue 12 ends with a bang and opens the way for Conan’s next adventure. As Abit says, Conan is a force of nature who leaves “no path for mere mortals to follow. Just a wake.” He’s right, and it makes for a hell of a read. The writing and art have been superb for this six-issue arc, and I’m looking forward to seeing where we go next.
Grade: A
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: 25 March 2015
MSRP: $3.50
