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Post by boot on May 8, 2020 0:47:37 GMT -5
Issue #8
Really? As I said, I loved issue #7. But, with #8, we're back to the scribblings of a writer who obviously doesn't know Conan. Why does Marvel keep trying to make Thoth Amon to be Conan's arch-nemesis? First off, old Thoth really wasn't that impressive in The Phoenix on the Sword. All of his power is tied up in the ring. Thoth seems to have none of his own.
What's Conan's only other brush with Thoth in the Howard tales? The God in the Bowl. I doubt that Thoth even knows of Conan in that tale.
Yet, here we are, with all of the Black Ring and the fierce Thoth Amon going to Conan's home village and...well, you know what happened.
If the story were set somewhere else, and Thoth had a better reason unrelated to Conan for doing what he did to the village, then it would be a serviceable story. But as is, it makes me want to roll my eyes. It is my impression that Cimmerians shun sorcerery. They're superstitious of it. Yet, in this story, there's a Bear Shaman (hmm...right out of the Age of Conan MMO) who acts like a D&D character and speculates how to break the spell. Even Conan's grandmother takes the spell that was put on her in stride.
And, Santa Conan brought gifts on the hard journey through Cimmeria, one for every clansman? Gimmie a break. Conan's gifts are from all over the known world--which means he would have been collecting the stuff his entire life, keeping it safe, taking it with him wherever he goes. Crom, this is crap.
Cut To: Thoth Amon saying, "Gaagh. Again that Cimmerian defies me." Might as well say, "Drat! Foiled again!"
At least Conan doesn't know who Thoth Amon is in the story.
The only thing I liked about this issue was the art. Thoth Amon looked cool, too. But, that ain't enough.
Thank Crom a new creative team takes over in a few issues. It's got to be better than this stuff.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2020 1:55:56 GMT -5
Issue #8 Really? As I said, I loved issue #7. But, with #8, we're back to the scribblings of a writer who obviously doesn't know Conan. Why does Marvel keep trying to make Thoth Amon to be Conan's arch-nemesis? First off, old Thoth really wasn't that impressive in The Phoenix on the Sword. All of his power is tied up in the ring. Thoth seems to have none of his own. What's Conan's only other brush with Thoth in the Howard tales? The God in the Bowl. I doubt that Thoth even knows of Conan in that tale. Yet, here we are, with all of the Black Ring and the fierce Thoth Amon going to Conan's home village and...well, you know what happened. If the story were set somewhere else, and Thoth had a better reason unrelated to Conan for doing what he did to the village, then it would be a serviceable story. But as is, it makes me want to roll my eyes. It is my impression that Cimmerians shun sorcerery. They're superstitious of it. Yet, in this story, there's a Bear Shaman (hmm...right out of the Age of Conan MMO) who acts like a D&D character and speculates how to break the spell. Even Conan's grandmother takes the spell that was put on her in stride. And, Santa Conan brought gifts on the hard journey through Cimmeria, one for every clansman? Gimmie a break. Conan's gifts are from all over the known world--which means he would have been collecting the stuff his entire life, keeping it safe, taking it with him wherever he goes. Crom, this is crap. Cut To: Thoth Amon saying, "Gaagh. Again that Cimmerian defies me." Might as well say, "Drat! Foiled again!" At least Conan doesn't know who Thoth Amon is in the story. The only thing I liked about this issue was the art. Thoth Amon looked cool, too. But, that ain't enough. Thank Crom a new creative team takes over in a few issues. It's got to be better than this stuff. Yeah, I also found the story in this issue a little disappointing - the art by Gerardo Zaffino, as always looks fantastic, I'd love see him illustrate an ol' school issue of SSOC in Black & White. I have to disagree with your comment concerning Conan's gifts for his relatives. I remember as a kid, we did the same thing when we went back home; you know, all these little bits n' pieces you take for granted at home that is incredibly difficult for the clan to get hold of out in the middle of nowhere. Of course, it has changed now, no matter where you're from, you can buy exactly the same mass produced product, all over the planet. Basically, the whole planet has sold out to so called civilization
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Post by boot on May 8, 2020 8:50:39 GMT -5
And, Santa Conan brought gifts on the hard journey through Cimmeria, one for every clansman? Gimmie a break. Conan's gifts are from all over the known world--which means he would have been collecting the stuff his entire life, keeping it safe, taking it with him wherever he goes. Crom, this is crap. I have to disagree with your comment concerning Conan's gifts for his relatives. I remember as a kid, we did the same thing when we went back home; you know, all these little bits n' pieces you take for granted at home that is incredibly difficult for relatives/clanmen to get hold of out in the middle of nowhere. Of course, it has changed now, no matter where you're from, you can buy exactly the same mass produced product, all over the planet. Ignoring the discussion of whether it is part of Conan's personality to lug gifts across the incredibly hostile terrain of Cimmeria on his long journey home (or even if Conan would bring gifts at all, even if it was easy), let's just look at the gifts themselves. He brings curry powders from Vendhya, Blowfish Grog from the Black Coast, spider web ropes from Zamora, and an invaluable crystal Rose of Lemuria. So, you are telling me that you're OK with the type gifts in the first place ("spider web" ropes? )--the fact that Conan is bringing something that is worth a king's ransom (crystal rose of Lemuria) to give to his grandmother--but you're also OK with the idea that Conan would have had to be hoarding these gifts for years before he made his trip back to Cimmeria? When was Conan in Vendhya? Did Conan carry these curry powders with him at all times? Did Conan have the spider web ropes on him when he made the desperate jump from the Messantian pier to fling himself aboard Master Tito's sail barge before spending the next three years of his life marauding the western coast and exploring the Black Kingdoms (where he got the Blowfish Grog). Or, did he keep the Blowfish Grog with him for years until he got back to Zamora to get the spider web ropes and finally haul that stuff back to Cimmeria? I can't find any of this stuff even remotely believable. But...I guess Conan could have found this stuff all in one place, stealing it all before embarking on his journey--all except the crystal rose, which the book says Conan battled sharks and men for it.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2020 12:25:09 GMT -5
I have to disagree with your comment concerning Conan's gifts for his relatives. I remember as a kid, we did the same thing when we went back home; you know, all these little bits n' pieces you take for granted at home that is incredibly difficult for relatives/clanmen to get hold of out in the middle of nowhere. Of course, it has changed now, no matter where you're from, you can buy exactly the same mass produced product, all over the planet. Ignoring the discussion of whether it is part of Conan's personality to lug gifts across the incredibly hostile terrain of Cimmeria on his long journey home (or even if Conan would bring gifts at all, even if it was easy), let's just look at the gifts themselves. He brings curry powders from Vendhya, Blowfish Grog from the Black Coast, spider web ropes from Zamora, and an invaluable crystal Rose of Lemuria. So, you are telling me that you're OK with the type gifts in the first place ("spider web" ropes? )--the fact that Conan is bringing something that is worth a king's ransom (crystal rose of Lemuria) to give to his grandmother--but you're also OK with the idea that Conan would have had to be hoarding these gifts for years before he made his trip back to Cimmeria? When was Conan in Vendhya? Did Conan carry these curry powders with him at all times? Did Conan have the spider web ropes on him when he made the desperate jump from the Messantian pier to fling himself aboard Master Tito's sail barge before spending the next three years of his life marauding the western coast and exploring the Black Kingdoms (where he got the Blowfish Grog). Or, did he keep the Blowfish Grog with him for years until he got back to Zamora to get the spider web ropes and finally haul that stuff back to Cimmeria? I can't find any of this stuff even remotely believable. But...I guess Conan could have found this stuff all in one place, stealing it all before embarking on his journey--all except the crystal rose, which the book says Conan battled sharks and men for it. Yeah, I admit Aaron's take on Conan's personality has been challenging. I think Aaron is trying develop certain characteristics, not often explored in comics. For example, the commonalities between Cimmerian & Pict. Yeah, Conan, as any good Cimmerian should do, naturally hates Picts. Still under certain circumstances, it'd be possible for the Cimmerian to live among the Picts and even fight alongside them, under certain circumstances. Civilized peoples probably despise both Cimmerian and Pict in equal measure. In Beyond the Black River and the Black Stranger Conan is more Pict, than the Picts. In a number of the issues Aaron has tried to demonstrate (at times not successfully) that the Cimmerian enjoys the companionship of others, more than he'd care to admit, but there is always a restlessness in his soul that will not allow him to settle down. That restlessness is an integral part of his character, so much so that he will eventually abdicate the Aquilonian throne to roam the earth in pursuit of further adventures. I dunno if I'm reading too much into what Aaron is trying to establish, nevertheless that is what I have been enjoying on the run. Those little touches like Conan bringing exotic gifts back home makes him a more realistic character - I can imagine him sitting by the campfire spinning yarns about the soft civilized folk, and relating his adventures to his clansmen and probably lying about how he got hold of the items.
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Post by boot on May 8, 2020 14:51:38 GMT -5
Those little touches like Conan bringing exotic gifts back home makes him a more realistic character - I can imagine him sitting by the campfire spinning yarns about the soft civilized folk, and relating his adventures to his clansmen and probably lying about how he got hold of the items. I've enjoyed different versions of Conan. I love Howard's original vision, but I also like the roguish hero that Robert Jordan makes of him. I like much of what I read in the Dark Horse stuff. I like the L. Sprague de Camp & Co. take. I like the John Maddox Roberts version. I like much of the original Marvel stuff, and I mostly love the original Savage Sword stuff. All of those takes are different. But, this Aaron take on him is too far from the original mold. I did like issue #7. Conan carrying a grudge over decades for his lost love, Belit, I bought into. But, Conan carrying gifts home to his people. And, Thoth Amon caring so much about this barbarian that he works great magic to turn the clan into Conan-hating zombies is just too much to me. Even the spell work used here doesn't feel like it should be part of the Hyborian Age. It feels much more like a high magic, D&D-ish universe.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 4:17:37 GMT -5
Those little touches like Conan bringing exotic gifts back home makes him a more realistic character - I can imagine him sitting by the campfire spinning yarns about the soft civilized folk, and relating his adventures to his clansmen and probably lying about how he got hold of the items. I've enjoyed different versions of Conan. I love Howard's original vision, but I also like the roguish hero that Robert Jordan makes of him. I like much of what I read in the Dark Horse stuff. I like the L. Sprague de Camp & Co. take. I like the John Maddox Roberts version. I like much of the original Marvel stuff, and I mostly love the original Savage Sword stuff. All of those takes are different. But, this Aaron take on him is too far from the original mold. I did like issue #7. Conan carrying a grudge over decades for his lost love, Belit, I bought into. But, Conan carrying gifts home to his people. And, Thoth Amon caring so much about this barbarian that he works great magic to turn the clan into Conan-hating zombies is just too much to me. Even the spell work used here doesn't feel like it should be part of the Hyborian Age. It feels much more like a high magic, D&D-ish universe. Gotta admit, I agree with a lot of what you've posted recently. It's kinda difficult finding a reason to continue following the recent Marvel relaunch. I dunno... probably just trying to find something good about this new stuff, I guess. I hope that Aaron can tighten it up a little bit in the upcoming King Conan series - he has potential. Zim Zub is doing fine with his take on Conan, but it is still incredibly average.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2020 12:38:49 GMT -5
ComicsSchool Live - Writing Conan the Barbarian by Jim Zub
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Post by Von K on May 19, 2020 14:22:19 GMT -5
ComicsSchool Live - Writing Conan the Barbarian by Jim Zub Thanks Hun. Very interesting to see the process presented visually. I was on Jim's webpage checking out some of those links a couple of months ago.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2020 15:00:56 GMT -5
ComicsSchool Live - Writing Conan the Barbarian by Jim Zub Thanks Hun. Very interesting to see the process presented visually. I was on Jim's webpage checking out some of those links a couple of months ago. Yeah, very interesting to see Jim Zub's creative process. As Zub mentions in the video he has not forgotten his training in animation, you can really see it with how he develops the pitch, treatment, synopsis, page breakdown, and depending on the familiarity with the artist a further breakdown from panel to panel for each issue. Of course in animation that would be the storyboard and animatic (storyboard on a timeline). He can also discern the difference and qualities that can only be found in comics. Impressive stuff by Jim Zub.
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Post by Jason Aiken on Jun 27, 2020 13:42:58 GMT -5
Read #14 today and it was pretty good. I still think Conan is too young to be this far east, his dialogue during the fight scene was a little to modern, but other than that this is readable Conan. That's all I ask for from Marvel, my expectations are low.
I don't mind the artwork but it doesn't knock my socks off either. I really hope we see more of Zaffino in action in the future. He's probably my favorite Conan artist since Giorello.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2020 2:14:26 GMT -5
In the video below the Uncanny Omar has a butcher's at the Marvel solicitations for graphic novels in October. A collection of all 12 issues by Jason Aaron will be available in hardback in February next year. In the solicitations they acknowledge the 50th anniversary of Conan - hopefully we get a few Conan comics in October. We'll have to wait a couple of weeks before the official solicitations for the comic books are available.
The Jason Aaron/Mahmud Asrar hardback collection can be found at the 19min 30 sec mark.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2020 1:17:21 GMT -5
Fredrik Malmberg confirms the return of Conan the Barbarian in November! But don't tell anyone, Marvel have not confirmed it yet. Keep very, very, quiet
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Post by Jason Aiken on Jul 21, 2020 11:08:34 GMT -5
November?! That's nuts, then again Zub did receive a "pencil's down" fairly early during the pandemic.
It's good that we have a return date, though. November's a long ways off, but that's how it goes I guess.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2020 22:30:09 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2020 17:43:30 GMT -5
Here's another YouTube video by Fórum Conan o Bárbaro with Jim Zub:
Bate-Papo com Jim Zub
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