Conan the Merciful?
Mar 17, 2023 12:53:47 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2023 12:53:47 GMT -5
...CBR article on the merciful characteristics of the Cimmerian in the recent renditions at Marvel:
Conan The Barbarian Proves The Warrior's Greatest Strength Lies In His Mercy
Marvel's Conan the Barbarian has a sense of mercy that adds depth to his character and elevates him from his previous depictions
By Thomas Panter
Conan of Cimmeria is known as many things -- Barbarian. Reaver and Slayer, but he is known above all for his strength. However, despite the impressive tally of gods and demons he has slain over the many years, Conan’s greatest strength lies not in his knowledge of when to swing his blade, but in his knowledge of when to hold back.
Envisioned originally by Robert E. Howard all the way back in the 1930s, Conan was a far cry from the uncomplicated barbarian depicted in the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger movies 50 years later. Fortunately for the character, Marvel's modern comics have brought back a sense of the character’s true depth. Presenting the Cimmerian not as a simple killer, but as a complex human being whose existence makes a statement on how much mankind has lost in the transition to sedentary, post-agricultural life.
“Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian… Black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand… A thief, a reaver, a slayer… With gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth… To tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.” This quote from the Nemedian Chronicles began Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian #1 (by Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar, Matthew Wilson, Travis Lanham and Esad Ribić). Though it merely established the tone and gave a brief introduction, it already pointed toward a character almost unrecognizable from his more well-known depictions. While the majority of this description presents Conan as a bloody-handed killer, the most important element is that alongside his melancholies is mirth. That is to say, Conan isn’t just a man who kills. He is a man who laughs, who loves, who has friends and joys. That there is far more to him than his work.
Though he will slaughter for profit, need, or even vengeful desire, Conan has a sense of honor and kindness that stays his hand in a multitude of situations. The whole run is littered with examples that prove that Conan is far from barbaric. Whether it is his refusal to kill a caged lion who sees in him an equal, or his rescue of Yohnic of the Oaks because the man did not unjustly treat him as an enemy, Conan demonstrates that great strength doesn’t just come as the ability to kill, but the ability to save.
Of course, this sense of mercy isn’t just in the service of adding complexity to what could be a simple, straightforward character. It is also part of Robert E. Howard’s original thematic statement. While Conan comes from a wild world of blood and violence, he and his kind are truly noble people. It is a proclamation that with civilization comes money and debt, persecution and oppression, and even slavery and coercion. To a man like Conan, there are no gods or kings, only men. And that a man is only worth what his own strength can provide.
So while Conan may be stained red with the blood of thousands, he, as demonstrated by his great melancholies and great mirths, represents a truer kind of human being than the backstabbing, double-dealing, so-called civilized men he so often finds himself pitted against. He is a savior as much as he is a killer, and it is for this reason that the character is strong enough to still be known half a century after his introduction to the audiences of the civilized world.
Source:
www.cbr.com/conan-the-barbarian-strength-mercy-marvel/
Conan The Barbarian Proves The Warrior's Greatest Strength Lies In His Mercy
Marvel's Conan the Barbarian has a sense of mercy that adds depth to his character and elevates him from his previous depictions
By Thomas Panter
Conan of Cimmeria is known as many things -- Barbarian. Reaver and Slayer, but he is known above all for his strength. However, despite the impressive tally of gods and demons he has slain over the many years, Conan’s greatest strength lies not in his knowledge of when to swing his blade, but in his knowledge of when to hold back.
Envisioned originally by Robert E. Howard all the way back in the 1930s, Conan was a far cry from the uncomplicated barbarian depicted in the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger movies 50 years later. Fortunately for the character, Marvel's modern comics have brought back a sense of the character’s true depth. Presenting the Cimmerian not as a simple killer, but as a complex human being whose existence makes a statement on how much mankind has lost in the transition to sedentary, post-agricultural life.
“Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian… Black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand… A thief, a reaver, a slayer… With gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth… To tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.” This quote from the Nemedian Chronicles began Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian #1 (by Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar, Matthew Wilson, Travis Lanham and Esad Ribić). Though it merely established the tone and gave a brief introduction, it already pointed toward a character almost unrecognizable from his more well-known depictions. While the majority of this description presents Conan as a bloody-handed killer, the most important element is that alongside his melancholies is mirth. That is to say, Conan isn’t just a man who kills. He is a man who laughs, who loves, who has friends and joys. That there is far more to him than his work.
Though he will slaughter for profit, need, or even vengeful desire, Conan has a sense of honor and kindness that stays his hand in a multitude of situations. The whole run is littered with examples that prove that Conan is far from barbaric. Whether it is his refusal to kill a caged lion who sees in him an equal, or his rescue of Yohnic of the Oaks because the man did not unjustly treat him as an enemy, Conan demonstrates that great strength doesn’t just come as the ability to kill, but the ability to save.
Of course, this sense of mercy isn’t just in the service of adding complexity to what could be a simple, straightforward character. It is also part of Robert E. Howard’s original thematic statement. While Conan comes from a wild world of blood and violence, he and his kind are truly noble people. It is a proclamation that with civilization comes money and debt, persecution and oppression, and even slavery and coercion. To a man like Conan, there are no gods or kings, only men. And that a man is only worth what his own strength can provide.
So while Conan may be stained red with the blood of thousands, he, as demonstrated by his great melancholies and great mirths, represents a truer kind of human being than the backstabbing, double-dealing, so-called civilized men he so often finds himself pitted against. He is a savior as much as he is a killer, and it is for this reason that the character is strong enough to still be known half a century after his introduction to the audiences of the civilized world.
Source:
www.cbr.com/conan-the-barbarian-strength-mercy-marvel/
