#IReadsYou Review: CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 (2023)

TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub

ART: Roberto de la Torre

COLORS: José Villarrubia

LETTERS: Richard Starkings of Comicraft

EDITOR: Phoebe Hedges

COVER: Dan Panosian

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Roberto de la Torre; Artgerm; Patch Zircher; Mike Mignola; E.M. Gist, Dan Panosian; Jae Lee; Colleen Doran; Chris Jones; Dave Wilkins; Mark Schultz; Junggeon Yoon; Ian Nicholls; Eric Ray; Jay Anacleto; Chris Ehnot

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2023)

Suggested for mature readers

“Bound in Black Stone” Part I: “Scourge of the Dead”

Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard (REH), first appearing in the magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books via the title, Conan the Barbarian. With only a few pauses, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are the new producers of Conan comic books, and they start with a new Conan the Barbarian series.  It is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Roberto de la Torre; colored by José Villarrubia; and lettered by Richard Starkings.  The new series finds Conan returned to his homeland of Cimmeria just when it faces a terrible new threat.

Conan the Barbarian #1 (“Scourge of the Dead”) opens in Northern Aquilonia, specifically at the outpost known as “Hauler's Roam.”  Recently arrived, Conan the Cimmerian is the closest that he has been to his homeland of Cimmeria in eight years.  But first, he must extricate himself from “the Bleeders,” the band of mercenaries of which he has been a part.

A weary Conan has returned to his homeland to seek rest and solitude, but a mysterious scout, Brissa, rides into Haurler's Roam” with a warning of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness.  Will Conan and his new ally be able to hold off this new horde of invaders?

THE LOWDOWN:  Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now.  Their debut Conan title, Conan the Barbarian #1, is the latest.

When Marvel Comics resumed publishing Conan the Barbarian comic books in 2019 – for the first time since the late 1990s – I was somewhat exited.  I read a few issue, and while they did recall some of the best of classic Marvel Conan for me, I saw no reason to keep reading past the first six months of the revival.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' debut Conan the Barbarian #1 seems a bit edgier than Marvel Comics' 2019 Conan the Barbarian... at least, in hindsight to me.  Part of it may be that writer Jim Zub's introductory story fits itself in with some of the literary Conan chronologies.  For instance, “Scourge of the Dead” references the “Sack of Venarium,” also known as the “Battle of Venarium,” which is depicted in the 2003 Conan novel, Conan of Venarium, written by Harry Turtledove.

Conan is apparently 14 or 15 at the time of the battle, but Zub may be setting his age at 16.  Eight years later, this story, “Scourge of the Dead” begins, and Zub references Conan's “twenty-four summers.”  In an interview, Zub said that this story takes place after the original Robert E. Howard Conan short story, “The Frost-Giant's Daughter.”  In some Conan chronologies, Conan is almost 30 at this point.

That said, by firmly planting Conan in a literary tradition, Zub makes this story feel like something substantial in the catalog of Conan fiction and storytelling.  This is something more than just another licensed comic book tie-in.  Also, having Conan face a seemingly unstoppable horde of ravenous killers also gives the story a kick.

The art and storytelling by artist Roberto de la Torre is what really sells Zub's script.  De la Torre's art here resembles of mix of the late John Buscema's Conan the Barbarian comic books and the late Joe Kubert's Tor comics.  De la Torre makes me feel the blood, violence, and the heat of bone-breaking, and he creates a sense of foreboding and then, terror when the horde strikes.

The art looks even more gorgeous under the colors of José Villarubia, one of the best and most skilled comic book colorists working in American comic books over the last three decades.  Richard Starkings' lettering is the cherry on top of this excellent graphics package.

Will I lose interest in this new series?  There is a good chance that I will, eventually, but I may stick around for longer than I did with the Marvel relaunch.  This new series is not standard Conan the Barbarian, and I like Conan enough to have watched three Conan films:  Conan the Barbarian (1982), Conan the Destroyer (1984), and Conan the Barbarian (2011), many times.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Conan comic books will want to try Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “Robert E. Howard and His Ages Undreamed Of,” by Jeffrey Shanks.]

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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Comics Review: THE STRAIN #6

THE STRAIN #6
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: E.M. Gist
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (July 2012)

Part 6: “Dear Ones”

Some time ago, Dark Horse Comics made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available to its media mailing list.  This was part of DHC’s promotional effort for the follow-up series, The Strain: The Fall.  Between those PDFs and hard copies, I was able to review all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my reviews of The Strain, issues #1 through 5, here on the “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 6 to 11 on this blog in conjunction with the broadcast of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the novel that is the source material for both the TV series and Dark Horse’s comic book.  The first episode aired on Sunday night, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX, with each new episode airing the following Sunday.

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The Strain is an 11-issue comic book adaptation of The Strain, a 2009 vampire novel from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan.  The adaptation is scripted by David Lapham, drawn by Mike Huddleston, colored by Dan Jackson, and lettered by Clem Robins.

In the story, Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) heads the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.   With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, Eph has found such a threat at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City.  There, a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing, while inside, almost all the passengers and crew were dead.

As The Strain #6 opens, Eph and Dr. Martinez tentatively take Professor Abraham Setrakian’s claims seriously.  Someone is going to use the “v” word.  The scientists go to Setrakian’s antique shop, where they visit his basement and see the thing the old man keeps in a jar.

Next, Eph, Martinez, and Setrakian search for the “dear ones,” in a bid to track the path of the strange virus that could destroy life in New York City.  Meanwhile, Eldritch Palmer, CEO of the Stoneheart Group, tries to resolve some loose ends in the part he plays in the growing horror.

It has been two months since I last read the fifth issue of The Strain, and it is still good as I remember.  By now, this series is a back issue, with second trade due to arrive and the second series (entitled The Fall) preparing to launch.  New release or back issue, The Strain is a great read.

If The Strain does not become a perennial or backlist favorite, then, the comic book gods must be crazy.  Lapham and Huddleston’s efforts have earned readers’ notice.  Fans of horror comic books should get The Strain.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: THE STRAIN #5

THE STRAIN #5
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: E.M. Gist
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (June 2012)

Part 5: “Origins”

Dark Horse Comics previously made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available to comic book reviewers on its mailing list.  This offer was part of DHC’s promotional effort for the follow-up series, The Strain: The Fall.  I took up that offer and reviewed all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my reviews of The Strain, issues #1 through 4, here on the “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 5 to 11 on this blog in conjunction with the broadcast of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the original novel.  The first episode aired on Sunday night, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX, with each new episode airing the following Sunday.

Thus far, I think the first two issues The Strain comic book were better than the first two episodes of “The Strain” TV series.  However, I found that the third episode, “Gone Smooth,” (Sunday, July 27, 2014) matched the intensity of the comic book.

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Published by Dark Horse Comics, The Strain is an 11-issue comic book adaptation of the 2009 vampire novel, also entitled The Strain, from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) and novelist Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves).  The adaptation is scripted by David Lapham, drawn by Mike Huddleston, colored by Dan Jackson, and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Strain’s lead character is Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  Eph heads the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.   With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, Eph has found such a threat.  It begins at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, where a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing, while inside, almost all the passengers and crew were dead.

The Strain #5 opens at the 17th Precinct Headquarters in a holding cell.  There, Professor Abraham Setrakian tells fellow cellmate, Gusto, a story that takes them back in time.  It begins in 1927 in Romania.  Young Abraham is a woodworker whose life is about to be turned upside down by the Nazis.

Moving forward to 1942, Abraham is imprisoned at the Treblinka Death Camp.  His skills keep him alive, but he discovers another threat – the monstrous Sardu.  That’s where the battle between good and evil really begins, and where Abraham’s bid for freedom will determine the fate of many.

Writing comic book reviews of the various issues of The Strain have been easy.  Writer David Lapham and artist Mike Huddleston are a good team.  Lapham decompresses the story, but the narrative pace moves with ever increasing urgency, heightening the sense of drama, especially the moments of violence.  Huddleston brings it to life with compositions full of details that create atmosphere, but most especially embody what each moment is supposed to be.

Lapham and Huddleston’s efforts have earned readers’ notice.  Fans of horror comic books must try The Strain.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: THE STRAIN: The Fall #1

THE STRAIN: THE FALL #1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: E.M. Gist
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2013)

Part 1

Guillermo del Toro has directed such movies as Blade 2, the Hellboy movies, the Oscar-nominated Pan’s Labyrinth, and the new release, Pacific Rim.  Chuck Hogan wrote a novel entitled Prince of Thieves, which Ben Affleck took and adapted into the Oscar-nominated film, The Town (2010).

In 2011, Dark Horse Comics began an 11-issue comic book adaptation of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s 2009 vampire novel, The Strain, the first book in The Strain Trilogy.  Now, the second book in the trilogy, The Fall (2010), is also getting the comic book treatment.

The Strain: The Fall is produced by the same team behind The Strain comic book series.  David Lapham is writing the comic book adaptation.  Mike Huddleston is the artist with colors by Dan Jackson and letters by Clem Robins.

The Strain’s central character is Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather, head the CDC’s Canary Project.  Eph began tracking a mystery illness at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, after a Boeing 777 landed with everyone aboard dead, except for three individuals.  That was the beginning of a plague of vampires.

In The Strain: The Fall #1, the war against The Master, the dark lord behind this vampire invasion continues.  Eph, Nora Martinez (his second-in-command), Professor Abraham Setrakian (an aging Holocaust survivor familiar with The Master), and Vasiliy Fet (the rat exterminator) prepare to make their next move.

The Professor tells Vasiliy the centuries-spanning tale of the Occido Lumen, the book that might have the answers to stopping the Master.  Meanwhile, Eph’s ex-wife, Kelly, now a vampire, stalks her “dear one,” their son, Zack.  Eldritch Palmer, the CEO who helped the Master, makes his strongest demand yet for his reward.

Not that it is a bad thing, but The Strain: The Fall simply continues the earlier series.  In fact, The Strain: The Fall #1 could well be The Strain #12.  But that is a good thing.  The Strain is one of the best comic books of the last two years and is also a superb horror comic book.

David Lapham and Mike Huddleston are maintaining the high-quality that has become a hallmark of this comic book adaptation of The Strain Trilogy.  I will say that this first chapter seems like too small a slice of a larger story, as if issue #1 was holding off before beginning the real drama of this new series.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux