How would you redo Road of Kings and QOTBC (DH)
Aug 3, 2017 18:05:53 GMT -5
Post by lordyam on Aug 3, 2017 18:05:53 GMT -5
Okay, it's pretty accepted that Black Coast was where DH went down hill. While the writing has improved, Black Coast was such a dumpster fire that it permanently turned off a lot of people off (the bad art in Avenger later didn't help). Road of Kings wasn't bad but it's where things began to spiral.
So how would you have done both?
As for me (assuming the non filler stories from the first two series were canon)?
Road of Kings
Issue 1: Largely the same except that Olivia's father isn't calling her back. She's still wounded by the betrayal and feels somewhat dissatisfied with Pirate Life. Things go wrong, but she and Conan end up getting separated in the chaos. Ivanos goes overboard too
Issue 2: Conan falls in with a tribe of Hyrkanians. As luck would have it these are Afreet's old tribe, and when Conan explains he knows Afreet they hear him out. He spends time with them, and in the process he learns the bow some more from them, and picks up their language. At the same time he feels rather sick for the west. He leaves after a while and makes his way West.
Issues 3-6: The Aquilonia Story; I rather liked this story, albeit thinking it needed some changes. Conan gets involved in some intrigue and in the process gets dragged into a conspiracy.
Issues 7-8: Buildup to Queen: Conan meets Ivanos and Olivia, who are alive and well and have become a couple. Conan helps them escape and goes on the run after splitting the judge's skull
Queen of the Black Coast
Issues 1-3: Essentially Chapter 1 of the original tale, but also keep the scenes of Conan bonding with the Black Corsairs and getting to know them (I adore the scene where Conan and N'Gora have a one on one)
Issue 4: Conan and Belit pirate tale: Conan's still new to the whole Pirate thing so they raid a stygian galley loaded with treasure. Since this assumes the previous main stories (the ones in the main tpbs) are canon Conan has a shudder remembering his run in with Thoth. This is his first in depth experience with the culture. Conan faces a Stygian warrior and wins. It shows them getting closer to each other. In the end they
Issues 5-6: Belit's origin story; this fleshes out some of her past and background. Why she's the way she is. This is told through flashbacks mostly. We learn that N'Yaga was the man who raised her and taught her the customs of the Black Kingdoms.
Issues 7-9: Sack of Khemi: During a stop in Argos Conan meets Kalanthes again (it's a way of bridging the busiek series with this one), who asks Conan to assassinate a high ranking member of the Black Ring and steal an artifact from him so that Kalanthes can destroy it. Conan and Belit prowl around in the cove for a few days until the guy shows up. Conan Belit and the corsairs infiltrate the city; they create a distraction by burning Stygia's fleet (and looting a great deal of gold from it) while Conan and a few others sneak into the house and assassinate the wizard and make off with the artifact. Despite Belit's wishes Conan hands off the artifact to Kalanthes, who takes it back to Hanumar.
Issues 10-12: The Death. Flesh from their triumph in Khemi Conan and Belit come across a derelict wreck, that soon infects most of the crew (basically the Death arc from the original).
Issues 13-15: Sack of Abombi: Three part story; in the aftermath of their unborn child's death the relationship between the two is on the rocks. They decide to sack Abombi as a way of therapy. Conan faces his doubts during the battle and saves Belit.
Issues 16-18: Fires of the Ultimate South: Story that takes place on a volcanic island very far south
Issues 19-21: Treasure hunt: Conan tangles with Thuthmekri for a treasure on the Stygian coast. Thuthmekri double crosses them, but as it turns out the treasure is a book (or something else that's fairly worthless).
Issues 22-25: Song of Belit: The final chapters: Belit's death
So how would you have done both?
As for me (assuming the non filler stories from the first two series were canon)?
Road of Kings
Issue 1: Largely the same except that Olivia's father isn't calling her back. She's still wounded by the betrayal and feels somewhat dissatisfied with Pirate Life. Things go wrong, but she and Conan end up getting separated in the chaos. Ivanos goes overboard too
Issue 2: Conan falls in with a tribe of Hyrkanians. As luck would have it these are Afreet's old tribe, and when Conan explains he knows Afreet they hear him out. He spends time with them, and in the process he learns the bow some more from them, and picks up their language. At the same time he feels rather sick for the west. He leaves after a while and makes his way West.
Issues 3-6: The Aquilonia Story; I rather liked this story, albeit thinking it needed some changes. Conan gets involved in some intrigue and in the process gets dragged into a conspiracy.
Issues 7-8: Buildup to Queen: Conan meets Ivanos and Olivia, who are alive and well and have become a couple. Conan helps them escape and goes on the run after splitting the judge's skull
Queen of the Black Coast
Issues 1-3: Essentially Chapter 1 of the original tale, but also keep the scenes of Conan bonding with the Black Corsairs and getting to know them (I adore the scene where Conan and N'Gora have a one on one)
Issue 4: Conan and Belit pirate tale: Conan's still new to the whole Pirate thing so they raid a stygian galley loaded with treasure. Since this assumes the previous main stories (the ones in the main tpbs) are canon Conan has a shudder remembering his run in with Thoth. This is his first in depth experience with the culture. Conan faces a Stygian warrior and wins. It shows them getting closer to each other. In the end they
Issues 5-6: Belit's origin story; this fleshes out some of her past and background. Why she's the way she is. This is told through flashbacks mostly. We learn that N'Yaga was the man who raised her and taught her the customs of the Black Kingdoms.
Issues 7-9: Sack of Khemi: During a stop in Argos Conan meets Kalanthes again (it's a way of bridging the busiek series with this one), who asks Conan to assassinate a high ranking member of the Black Ring and steal an artifact from him so that Kalanthes can destroy it. Conan and Belit prowl around in the cove for a few days until the guy shows up. Conan Belit and the corsairs infiltrate the city; they create a distraction by burning Stygia's fleet (and looting a great deal of gold from it) while Conan and a few others sneak into the house and assassinate the wizard and make off with the artifact. Despite Belit's wishes Conan hands off the artifact to Kalanthes, who takes it back to Hanumar.
Issues 10-12: The Death. Flesh from their triumph in Khemi Conan and Belit come across a derelict wreck, that soon infects most of the crew (basically the Death arc from the original).
Issues 13-15: Sack of Abombi: Three part story; in the aftermath of their unborn child's death the relationship between the two is on the rocks. They decide to sack Abombi as a way of therapy. Conan faces his doubts during the battle and saves Belit.
Issues 16-18: Fires of the Ultimate South: Story that takes place on a volcanic island very far south
Issues 19-21: Treasure hunt: Conan tangles with Thuthmekri for a treasure on the Stygian coast. Thuthmekri double crosses them, but as it turns out the treasure is a book (or something else that's fairly worthless).
Issues 22-25: Song of Belit: The final chapters: Belit's death
