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Post by mindboggled on May 18, 2019 22:24:21 GMT -5
Gerry Conway wrote an amazing multiple part epic from issue 166 to 169 illustrated by Mike Docherty. It takes place a couple of years after Hour Of The Dragon, Conan becomes lost at sea on a return trip back to Aquilona, and also to his beloved wife Zenobia, of course! Along his return journey he makes several stops at various lands he has never been to and encounters different forms of civilization that are each struggling with some sort of dilemma. He gets involved in his own way and solves there issues. I cannot praise this arc enough, or properly. If you have not read it, do yourself a favor and read it! It is contained within Savage Sword of Conan volume 16. One of the best Conan comics ever written!
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Post by stubbs on May 20, 2019 2:49:26 GMT -5
Great recommendations. Thanks everyone. Some I've read already, others I'll search out!
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Post by mindboggled on Sept 26, 2019 0:49:31 GMT -5
I have to say now that I have read a lot more of the old Savage Sword mags, that the only parts that should be avoided are issues written by Michael L. Fleisher and Bruce Jones. Those ones are practically all shit. Everything else ranges from sublime to decent. For a mag to have such a level of quality for twenty years is impressive to say the least.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2019 1:53:42 GMT -5
I have to say now that I have read a lot more of the old Savage Sword mags, that the only parts that should be avoided are issues written by Michael L. Fleisher and Bruce Jones. Those ones are practically all shit. Everything else ranges from sublime to decent. For a mag to have such a level of quality for twenty years is impressive to say the least. Yeah, I think that's about right for SSOC. The Michael Fleisher run is not that good, but there's some great Buscema art in some of those issues. Fortunately by the end of the Fleisher run we are introduced to the art of Gary Kwapisz and eventually the writing of Chuck Dixon. I like the beginning of the 2nd Roy Thomas run on SSOC, even if the book kinda lost its magic by then.
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Post by Char-Vell on Sept 26, 2019 6:47:16 GMT -5
I was going to violently oppose your criticism of the Michael Fleisher run, then I discovered the issues I was going to hold up as awesome were written by Bill Mantlo & Larry Yakata. (110 & 118)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2019 11:42:10 GMT -5
Those issues are pretty good.
Even the Fleisher run is not that bad.
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Post by wolfshead on Sept 26, 2019 12:14:52 GMT -5
Michael Fleisher was nowhere near as bad as Bruce Jones, although Fleisher always ended his stories abruptly, as if he had run out of room. I often felt as if a final page was missing. Bruce Jones, on the other hand, wrote awful stories, including the most ridiculous Conan story ever published, the Colossus of Shem in SSOC 72
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Post by Char-Vell on Sept 26, 2019 12:42:16 GMT -5
Michael Fleisher was nowhere near as bad as Bruce Jones, although Fleisher always ended his stories abruptly, as if he had run out of room. I often felt as if a final page was missing. Bruce Jones, on the other hand, wrote awful stories, including the most ridiculous Conan story ever published, the Colossus of Shem in SSOC 72
looks fine to me.
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Post by wolfshead on Sept 26, 2019 18:22:54 GMT -5
Yup, looks fine, art is great... but there's an entire, populated, walled city living inside that turtle. Really
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Post by mindboggled on Oct 1, 2019 13:36:58 GMT -5
Those issues are pretty good. Even the Fleisher run is not that bad. The Fleisher run isn't necessarily bad, but it is when compared to the other runs. If I would have read Savage Sword chronological-I would have drooped off shortly after his run begin. His and Bruce Jones are the only ones I do not feel like reading. Fleisher can write Conan adequately, but his story telling is mediocre. His stories are to random and abrupt for me to enjoy.
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Post by johnnypt on Nov 6, 2019 15:37:56 GMT -5
For those who don't want to go all in on the omnibi(buses? boo?), there will be a line of smaller trades under the Marvel Complete line. V1 will have the first 13 issues of CTB. At that rate, Roy's first run will take 9 volumes.
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Post by lordyam on Feb 2, 2020 15:19:06 GMT -5
I'm talking the ones that AREN'T adaptations of a Howard Tale but standalone
Mine are
1.) Hanumar Road (DH): A sorta sequel to the God in the Bowl Story. Not everything worked (Janissa's demon rape backstory, Hanumar being in Ophir) but overall it was a solid action adventure story with an INCREDIBLY kickass final battle. Kalanthes is a great character if only because he shows what civilization COULD be, and the buildup between him and Thoth did a great job at hinting at something deeper.
2.) Siege of Makkalet (Marvel): Easily one of the best stories Roy Thomas produced during his time. There's intrigue, sorcery, badassery, and even a great bit of commentary. The twist about the Living Tarim, while I won't spoil it, was FANTASTIC and really highlights how utterly pointless and cynical the whole conflict is. Given that Vietnam was raging it had to be intentional.
3.) The Kozaki Arc (DH): This one was a little weird due to the constant shifts in Art (for all that Tim Truman's a good WRITER his ART is for shit) but it's a very solid story. The first half shows how Conan and Yasmela drift apart, while also featuring a daring Commando raid to save Khossus. It had a great callback to Yaralet in Princess Ereshka helping Conan engineer the escape, and foreshadowing for Illbars. It even laid good groundwork for the rebel prince arc that was sadly lost in the shuffle. The second half is Conan's time in the East, where he makes a name for himself. It's not perfect but it's a solid story. We see Conan as a leader desperately trying to honor Amalric's wishes to lead the army in a way that the old man would have wanted. Sadly betrayal lays them low and they all get slaughtered save for Conan. Truman manages to take a running gag and give it a solemn conclusion, and I truly found myself caring for the companions even though I knew they were going to be worm food.
Throughout all this we get a creepy visit from spirits....but it's not clear whether they're really there or just Conan hallucinating. It's only at the very end that we learn how real they are, prompting an epic and bloody conclusion
4.) Jim Owsley's run on Conan (Marvel): This was a long run and try as it might it didn't fully capture Howard's vision. However, it WAS a good story on it's own merits and Owsley managed to do far more to honor the vision than Bruce Jones and Michael Fleischer did. The cast was likable, with each story leading into the next like in Roy Thomas's day. Issue 200 featured an absolutely epic final showdown as well. If you can get past some differences it's well worth a look
5.) Darkness of Hyperborea (DH): This was the first arc in Conan for Dark Horse and while it wasn't a typical story it made up for it by being REALLY fucking good. Conan winds up in Hyperborea due to betrayal from a jealous Aesir and has arguably his second real romantic connection in the Dark Horse verse. The darkness and cruelty of Hyperborea is well portrayed and goes a LONG way to showing why Conan detests Magic. Even the spells for sunshine and beauty are made from the souls of the injured and infirm. The Day of Farewell is suitably terrifying, and Conan, for all his badassery, fails utterly. His lover and the rest of the Aesir die despite his best efforts, and Conan can only ensure that their bodies are given a nice funeral pyre and hunt down the bastards who got him in the mess.
If anyone ever says Conan's a mary sue, just direct them to this story.
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Post by Jason Aiken on Feb 22, 2020 9:21:26 GMT -5
I've really only read all of the Dark Horse stuff and Marvel 2019+ but I agree with #1 and #5 being in the conversation. #3 isn't very memorable for me but #1 and #5 I can absolutely remember. Those were great comics and really raised the bar on any future Conan comic writers. Damn, I miss Busiek.
I think Cullen Bunn's overarching Ghoul storyline in Conan: The Slayer had a lot of potential, but sadly the license went back to Marvel.
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Post by ollonois on Jun 23, 2020 5:33:10 GMT -5
Don't be cruel!!! Colossus of Shem by Bruce Jones is not so bad, after all it was the first Conan comic I read more than 30 years ago!!!
The Jason Aaron's run on CTB 2019 is awful and absolutely anti Howardian. Issues like Dancing with picts and the one with Conan as a Vigilante with a lion sidekick are crap
My recomendations about classic Conan, the Roy Thomas-John Buscema-Alfredo Alcala adaptations of the Howard stories... Black colossus, People of the Black Circle, Iron shadows in the moon...
pd sorry about my English
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Post by kemp on Jul 12, 2020 8:53:39 GMT -5
Savage Sword of Conan for comics/mags Conan even journeys to Australia in SSOC issue 193.
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