First let me say that I really don’t understand the love for Richard Corben. I often see him lauded as an amazing force in comics and a great master, but I’ve always found his work to be kind of weird and ugly, and generally not appropriate for whatever it’s attached to. Now, that said, I feel like he kind of dialed it back a notch in this volume, and its use only during flashbacks makes it compliment Giorello’s work. Also, the coloring in this volume is much better than in the previous, and makes it feel less cartoony.
WTF, Corben?
As far as the story goes, I like this volume. The old adage, ‘you can’t go home again’ rings true for Conan as he returns to his homeland to find that it hasn’t changed so much, but he certainly has. With his more worldly experience, he sees his home as less pure and idealized. He is really becoming an adult, and faces the choice of settling down or returning to the world as a sort of new man.
Along the way, we hear various tales of Conan’s grandfather, Connacht, a man who was very important to young Conan. He too had ventured beyond the borders of Cimmeria, into the greater world, and it had changed him as well. But Connacht’s journey was very different, and his choices different as well.
This volume feels a bit like a rest and reflection. My hope is that it is a calm before a storm, and that the next volume will be all the stronger for it. Another little treat in this volume is the brief adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s poem Cimmeria. Very cool.
Conan: Volume 7: Cimmeria Author: Timothy Truman Artists: Tomas Giorello, Richard Corben, and Jose Villarrubia Publisher: Dark Horse Books ISBN: 978-1-59582-283-3 Pages: 192
While I got some movie watching in, and it was an oddly busy week for me, it wasn’t an especially good week in Dorkness. Most of my movie watching was on the 4th, when I didn’t have any functions to attend, and threw myself a little party, thankful for a day of downtime. And so, the movies…
Double Indemnity: Fred MacMurray turns in a surprisingly lively performance as severely corruptible man who meets the wrong kind of woman. One of the classic Film Noir movies, it involves insurance fraud, murder, sex and all sorts of dirty deeds. Good stuff. I love that MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck are not especially attractive leads, but that works for the reality of it, even with the stylized visuals. And Edward G. Robinson is typically charming as he shifts from leading roles to supporting performances.
Lost Highway: Hands down my favorite David Lynch film, everything is just spot on here. Great characters, great performances, two tons of crazy, excellent sound track, and more questions than you can shake a stick at. Don’t ask me to explain it. Why does Frank become Pete? How? I don’t know. What’s the deal with Alice, or is it Renee (“Are both of them you?”)? Who is the Mystery Man? I know, we’ve met before…at my house. Some shocking violence, uncomfortable and somewhat creepy sex, back stabbing, murder, and super-nuts jazz sax. Don’t tailgate. Don’t murder your wife in a fit of jealous rage. Do not talk to pale guys with no eyebrows. And above all, don’t get mixed up with the scary blond trophy wife of a porn producing gangster. And never stay at the Lost Highway Hotel.
Black Panther: This animated series had a lot of potential, but generally didn’t live up. Awkwardly tied to the rest of the Marvel Universe, it never seems to give a good sense of the world it inhabits. I’d have rather the writers spent more time on life in Wakanda and the adventures of the Black Panther than on the ‘evil white man’ stories. The animation style is interesting, but weird, looking kind of like a motion comic. I’d really like to see this get a better treatment. The Panther is a cool character and I think could make a really awesome animated hero. Maybe one day it’ll get a better take.
Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde: Very low budget, and not really especially good, this movie is made surprisingly entertaining by an excellent cast, especially the always awesome Bernie Casey. For whatever reason, the mix of horror and Blaxploitation never really worked. Like Blacula and others, this is worth watching, but not a particularly good film.
The Right Stuff: THE epic of the American Space Race, The Right Stuff features a fantastic cast of actors playing an amazing group of people. Pioneers of the future, they were also just people doing their jobs. Crazy though those jobs may have been. Filled with humor, daring do, thrills, tears and joy, the movie is a grand and beautiful vision. More than worthy of its status as a film classic, it should be seen. An inspiration.
Starcrossed: A cute, if completely forgettable movie about an alien woman and a doofy young man and the romance that buds between them. There’s not much to recommend it. But if you enjoy very, very 80s films or the performances of a young James Spader, then check this one out.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Season One-Part Two: More of that particular 60s fueled DC madness that is The Brave and the Bold, if you love the madcap, Adam West type, crazy comic book stories, this is a must. Great villains, great heroes, and some super-zany antics. From space to the bottom of the sea, and everywhere else, Batman sees it all, and then some.
The God Who Wasn’t There: The interview subjects, especially Sam Harris, are interesting, but this is not a very good ‘documentary.’ It’s more of a polemic against his Christian upbringing. I certainly agree with much of what he says, and he brings up some interesting points. But you only get maybe 10 minutes of anything worth your time. And most of that you can see if you look up Sam Harris on YouTube.
TrollHunter: What is up with those crazy Scandinavians? They sure do make interesting movies. From Rare Exports to Dead Snow, they’re taking chances and making magic. TrollHunter is the best ‘found footage’ movie I’ve seen to this point. Good characters, fun story, great dark humor. It’s not as cool as Rare Exports, but it’s a sure fire cult hit.
American Experience: Riding the Rails: A fascinating, but perhaps too brief, look at a particular group of people at a very particular time in America’s history. Those young people who climbed up on train cars and rode from one part of the country to another, living a strange, free, dangerous life filled with adventure and suffering. I was impressed by the excellent interviewees, each an amazing storyteller in their own right. This is a must for someone interested in the time period. The little glimpses into the lives of such different people, all driven by chaotic times, are sometimes painful, sometimes wistful, but often tinged with a sort of subtle danger.
Watchmen: I don’t care what the purists, say, this adaptation of the classic graphic novel is frickin’ amazing. Grand in scope, gorgeous in execution, it is grim, violent, and ugly. But it’s also sad, wondrous, and strangely uplifting. Broken heroes, heroic villains, pathetic shells of former glory. It’s packed with great characters, great quotes, and amazing action sequences. And yes, the end of the graphic novel has been altered. However, I think the new ending perfectly fits with the story, and has an effect quite similar to the original. Not for the feint of heart, if you’re willing to take the challenge, this film is plenty rewarding.
Gamer: The Crank Boys take on Rollerball-type dystopian films in this extremely frenetic and bleak action film. Extreme sports and ‘reality’ TV, along with internet anonymity are mainlined into your brain. It’s brutal and nasty. And it certainly takes a grim view of our disconnected voyeuristic society. The movie has less humor than the Crank films, and feels more angry. But, perhaps that’s good for the subject matter. Great cast. Excellent action. But not for everyone.
I got in a few episodes of Stingray and watched the first disk (of three) of the old British miniseries, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. So far, to good. But the plot hasn’t really taken off yet. Hopefully have that finished by the next Week in Dork.
I grabbed the fourth volume of the Hellboy Library Edition series, but won’t be reading that right off. In fact, I got very little reading of any kind done this week. I got some biking in, but wasn’t feeling well, so didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have.
On the music front, I’m checking out Lykke Li. So far, I’m digging it, but haven’t had a lot of time to listen. And then, after hearing Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King during the credits for TrollHunter, I got the hankering for some Scandinavian orchestral music, so I started listening to some Grieg and Nielsen. Great stuff.
A major visual break from the previous volumes, The Hand of Nergal shows how much difference a colorist can make. Instead of the painterly look of the previous volume, this looks more like stills from a 70s cartoon, like Wizards or Heavy Metal. It feels less epic, and in a lot of ways, more like the 70s comic than I like.
As far as the writing, it’s not bad, but didn’t wow me, either. The story is very, very grim, and manages to wrap up several subplots that had been circling around Conan for some time, with varying degrees of satisfaction. Another thing about this volume is there’s really not much going on. It doesn’t say “and Other Stories” in the title, because the whole thing is the one tale of an evil wizard and a hoard of nasty undead.
All in all, this is the weakest volume so far. I can say that at the time of writing this, I’m a good chunk of the way through the next volume, and things have improved quite a bit. And I do like Giorello’s penciling. I think it’s just the coloring that detracts from the overall look of this book. If you’ve been reading the previous volumes, you will want to check this out because of how it wraps up a bunch of loose threads. And honestly, a first time reader could pick this volume up without too much difficulty. I just wouldn’t recommend it.
Things don’t go so well for our Cimmerian hero in this volume. He faces betrayal and loss, and one really angry ape-man. Rogues in the House takes up much of the volume, but it’s a good story with some cool Hyborian world building. It makes me want to see Conan venture into the ‘frontiers of Zamora’ and maybe face off against some more primitive beasts.
Conan’s disgust with the softness of princes and the treacherousness of priests is readily apparent, as is his sense of fairness and straight talk. If he says it, he does it.
Nord’s artwork falters a bit, but is still quite good, and Tomas Giorello does a good job filling in for a couple issues. Overall, though, the volume isn’t as rich and epic looking as earlier volumes. I can’t put my finger on it, but something seems missing, visually.
Timothy Truman seems fine so far in writing the Cimmerian. Some brooding, some anger, some disgust. The usual for Conan. This volume marks a turning point for Conan, as he moves from his wild youth into a more experienced and serious man. He gets a taste of bitterness with the loss of a good friend and the sting of a woman.
So, volume 5 is good, but not especially memorable. Rogues in the House was always an interesting idea, but not one of my favorites. That said, this is probably the best version I’ve seen. This is a transitional volume for Conan, where the last volume was kind of a transitional volume for the creative team behind this comic. Time will tell how that change effects things.
Conan: Volume 5: Rogues in the House and Other Stories Author: Timothy Truman Artists: Cary Nord and Tomas Giorello Publisher: Dark Horse Books ISBN: 978-1-59307-903-1 Pages: 160
When Zamora becomes too hot, Conan tries to move on to greener pastures and richer plunder, taking his conniving young lady friend, Jiara, for the ride. But as usual, he’s run afoul of some dastardly fellows and has a price on his head. Just another day for the Cimmerian.
Kurt Busiek’s last couple issues start this volume, followed by an interim story by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and rounded out by new series helmer Timothy Truman. I certainly would have preferred Busiek stay on for the full run of the series, not only because he has such a command of the character, but because I prefer consistency. That said, so far it hasn’t been bad. Mignola’s story mixes in some typically Lovecraftian ideas, which fit perfectly with Robert E. Howard’s original writing (Howard and Lovecraft being correspondents for several years, inspiring each other).
The art continues to be mostly excellent, though there are a few rough patches. However, the art for the Mignola written part is particularly good, especially Dave Stewart’s coloring. Sadly, Nord’s run on the series lasts only a few more issues after Busiek’s departure.
This volume isn’t amazing. It feels, and I guess is in many ways, transitional. Not only is the series changing hands, but Conan seems to be in a sort of flux, leaving one area in search of his next adventure. Making new friends and new enemies. And maybe getting some ideas about what else civilization might have to offer a barbarian. I don’t yet know how I feel about Truman. That will take at least another volume to start getting a good feel. Still, if you’ve read the first three volumes, absolutely check this one out. This is not a good place to start, however.
There is a lot going on in this third volume of Conan. We start things off with our man running afoul of some nasty demons, but quickly he faces a worse foe in the fickle hearts of women and the cunning treachery of civilized men. But the story kicks into high gear when it comes to the namesake tale.
Among my favorite Conan stories, The Tower of the Elephant was a treat to see rendered by Busiek and Nord in this volume. And the flashback art by Michael Wm. Kaluta fits perfectly. The sort of Lovecraftian bent to the tale, with intergalactic travelers landing on Earth in its pre-human days, and being worshiped as gods is very cool.
The series continues to deliver solid adaptations of Howard stories alongside excellent extrapolations. The art and writing are top notch and the spirit remains true to the original source like nothing else I’ve seen. Like the heroes of old, Conan carouses, fights, loves, hates, and generally enjoys life. It’s invigorating stuff.
Conan: Volume 3: The Tower of the Elephant and Other Stories Author: Kurt Busiek Artist: Cary Nord Publisher: Dark Horse Books ISBN: 9781593075477 Pages: 168
This volume starts out with some fantastically Conan moments. His theft and escape are both funny and brazen. Following this up, we see Conan in a classic story, The God in the Bowl, where he first runs afoul of someone who will become a long term problem in his life. After this misadventure, Janissa is introduced, and I’m not sure how I feel about her. On first appearance, she seems to be a simple substitution for Red Sonja, down to her kind of silly revealing costume.
Overall, the volume is excellent. More gorgeous artwork from Cary Nord and some crackerjack writing from Busiek, who continues to get at the heart of Conan. Conan loves what he does, even when he is disgusted by the fickle whims and petty betrayals of so called civilized people. In the shadow of ancient and corrupt magics, he is a candle of brute reason.
In rereading this volume for the first time in quite a while, I admit I’m more curious about Janissa and what will happen with that character. And I really liked the priest of Ibis, Kalanthes. I’m not sure if he returns either, but I wouldn’t mind. Can’t wait for the next volume. This is very much a series to read.
Conan: Volume 2: The God in the Bowl and Other Stories Author: Kurt Busiek Artist: Cary Nord Publisher: Dark Horse Books ISBN: 1-59307-403-4 Pages: 176
OK, so this is how I fell in love with Conan in comic form. I’d been aware of Conan comics since I was a wee lad, when my brother used to read the Marvel line. And yeah, I’d always thought the monsters and scantily clad women were pretty cool, but I didn’t really respond beyond that. In junior high, as I was discovering H.P. Lovecraft, I also began to read his contemporaries, and with the encouragement of that same brother, I picked up the twelve volume Del Rey editions of Conan that were edited by Lin Carter and crew. I was hooked. This Conan guy was awesome. I didn’t know it then, but Howard was quickly becoming my model writer. Where Lovecraft dealt with concepts about the universe that I responded to, Howard dealt with what it meant to be a man, a being, a hero; and what it meant to live. And his words were like fire. Skip ahead a year or two, and I found a copy of The Savage Sword of Conan at a corner store. It also featured Solomon Kane, who I’d come to enjoy as well. So, I grabbed it, and I devoured it and the next several issues, until the store stopped carrying it for some reason. I liked the black and white art more than I had the four color stuff from the 70s. And the stories felt a bit more mature. But they still didn’t feel right.
I wasn’t looking for Conan comics. It wasn’t something I was hoping for, or waiting for. But, I liked the Cary Nord art when I saw it. And my budding interest in comics, spurred on by the increasingly accessible trade editions, helped me lower my guard for a moment and pick up The Frost Giant’s Daughter. It had always been one of my favorite stories, anyway. So I didn’t figure much could go wrong. But I didn’t expect much, either.
Right out of the gate, I was hooked. Oh, the art was amazing. Looking almost like panel after panel of Frank Frazetta paintings, with all the savage beauty and brutal grace. But it was more than that. For the first time outside of Howard’s own work, I felt like I was reading about Conan. My Conan, not the Hollywood version we’d been fed by Marvel, movies, and TV. Kurt Busiek got it. This was the hero by his own hands and for his own goal. This was the ubermensch of Nietzsche (or at least, something approaching it). The old time American hero before Luke Skywalker and his sort made meek and mild, tossed around by fate and circumstances into heroic. This was a man, unafraid of his own desires and unashamed of his own strength. Uncorrupted by the hypocrisy of civilization but willing to enjoy its fruits.
The stories contained in this volume are of Conan’s first adventures in the greater world, crossing paths with cowardly traitors, the children of gods, and finally the very height of civilization. It is easy to see why Conan becomes so quickly distrustful of the trappings of power and the mysteries of magic. It’s a great start to a series and makes me hungry for more.
For any fans of fantasy, ripping yarns, beautiful art, and just generally good comics, this series is a must. You can now start with Volume 0 for a view of Conan before he struck out on his own, or here with Volume 1. Forget what you think you know about Conan and just read it.
Conan: Volume 1: The Frost Giant’s Daughter and Other Stories Author: Kurt Busiek Artist: Cary Nord Publisher: Dark Horse Books ISBN: 1-59307-301-1 Pages: 192
