|
THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN: THE SONG OF RED SONJA AND OTHER STORIES TP
Highly Recommended (9/10)
|
Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: Barry Windsor-Smith & John Buscema
Inks: Sal Buscema, Dan Adkins, Chic Stone, Ernie Chan, John Severin & Barry Windsor-Smith
Colors: Peter Dawes, Ian Sokoliwiski, Dennis Kashton, Wil Glass & Richard Isanove
Letters: John Costanza & Artie Simek
Editor: Jeremy Barlow
Price: $15.95 US |
I've written reviews of two of the last three Conan trades, and I've greatly enjoyed both of them. I didn't cover the third because it was excellent, but not notably different from the other two beyond that. This trade, however, is notable for several reasons. For one, it introduces Red Sonja, the fiery female counterpart to Conan. For another, it features the transition between Barry Smith and one of my favorite artists, John Buscema. And for one more, it features the first reprint from Savage Tales, which I'm presuming is what became the much-beloved black and white, more "adult" Savage Sword of Conan. Truthfully, Buscema's early attempts on the book are a little disappointing when you compare him to Smith, who was hitting his stride, but there's definitely promise there, and Smith really does do some spectacular work here. The stories are also a little mixed for me, but when they're good, as with the introduction of Red Sonja or the "Red Nails" story that closes out the book, they're really good.
Although Roy Thomas is an old school writer, and his stories definitely felt like they were aimed at being wrapped up in one issue, there's also a definite arc construction to his Conan tales. The story in this trade, in particular, introduces Red Sonja and a religious war and spends four issues exploring it from different angles. While Thomas definitely hits the genre of strapping pulp fantasy in general, the themes he covers have plenty of modern applications as well, from the nature of fanatical religion to trying to choose who to fight with in a war when both sides are in the wrong. Once again, the overriding story is of Conan's mercenary sensibilities at war with a strange code of honor, and once again, I'm impressed by how he's a deeper character than I thought he was.
Which isn't to say that Thomas forgets to include plenty of action in the stories. He's a bit too fond of the word "thews" to describe Conan's muscles, but there's no denying that his flowery, often over-the-top narration really evokes the larger-than-life feel that the genre should have. In addition, he brings the touch of wicked magic to these pages that I've come to associate with the best Conan stories, whether it's the unusual prophecy of doom that dogs one priest throughout the story, the notion of a living god incarnate or the haunted city and dragons that fill the pages of "Red Nails." There's just a real nice mixture here of character, imagination and action, and if Thomas's writing is sometimes a tad on the hokey side, well, you can blame the period for that.
On top of two fascinating stories, one of a religious war and the other of a city turned against itself in what feels almost like post-apocalyptic fantasy, this is also the volume wherein Thomas introduces two of the women in Conan's life who break free of the mold of femme fatale or innocent waif that so many of them have fallen into. Red Sonja is a fantastic character, able to stand up to Conan's sexist, power-based personality with ease and very much able to prove her own worth in combat, yet showing her more human side in the way she gets along with the male soldiers in their off time or isn't afraid to use her sexuality because she knows she can fight off any unwanted advances. Valeria, the blond of "Red Nails," also fits the warrior maiden mold, but she's got a little bit more vulnerability and overt feminity about her. Both women match up for Conan with their mercenary spirit and do or die attitude, and both are fascinating characters in their own right.
Then there's the artwork, and on that subject, let me just say, wow. I've been impressed throughout with Barry Windsor-Smith as he grew out of a Kirby imitator into a stylist in his own right, and with this issue, that journey is complete. The uniquely fey yet strong forms of modern Windsor-Smith are on display to some degree in his designs for Red Sonja or Conan in the first couple chapters of this book, and even moreso in the pages of "Red Nails." The latter is probably the strongest Conan work I've seen from him, especially in terms of the "burning skull" or the spectacularly detailed jungle and city setting and it is absolutely clear that Windsor-Smith's stuff was at its best when he was inking it himself. The stunning amount of detail in the pages of his work here is worth the price of admission alone, and while the colors throughout are terrific, special mention must be given to Richard Isanove, who turns the first part of the once black-and-white "Red Nails" story into a vista of beautiful color, with especially nice work on the "burning skull," the dragon and the jungle that Conan and Valeria find themselves in.
By comparison, the early works of John Buscema come off as a little weaker, but his second issue, with inks by Ernie Chan, already shows increasing signs of strength, and the final page of "The Hour of the Griffin" is an exceptionally effective piece. As always, the volume is completed with Roy Thomas's recollections of working on the book, and the behind the scenes stories are both entertaining and revealing. In particular, Stan Lee's unhappiness at two whole pages without some sort of action sequence showcases how much times have changed between now and then in terms of editorial edicts. The Chronicles of Conan makes an excellent companion piece to the current Dark Horse Conan series, with some of the same strengths but an approach that definitely feels out of a different time and different set of creators as well.
This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
