Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: The Legend
Written by: Kurt Busiek
Art by: Cary Nord
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Lettered by: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Assistant Editors: Jeremy Barlow and Matt Dryer
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Based on the stories, characters, concepts, and vision of Robert E. Howard
That’s one hell of a descriptive group of words concerning where the onus for the new Conan series, by Dark Horse Comics, comes from. While I’ve read some of Marvel’s Conan: The Barbarian comics over the years, I was never what you would call, a big fan. I have been meaning to pick up the “Essential†volume released by Marvel for a while now, even more enticing though are the color reprints being offered by Dark Horse. What I really should do is pick up some of the original stories written by the previously mentioned Mr. Howard. Maybe some day I’ll get around to it.
What I am trying to say is, even if you aren’t a fan of Conan, you simply have to pick up this comic. Perhaps my favorite comic of all-time, The Warlord, certainly bears some stylistic similarities to Conan. So, while I’m not a Conan fan per se, I have enjoyed my share of Sword and Sorcery comics. By no means do you have to be a fan of this type of material though. This is quite possibly, the best bang you will ever get from you comic buck.
The beginning, long after the end…
Kurt Busiek is one of the giants in the comic book industry. Issue #0 of Conan shows why he’s among the best. The comic industry has seen a lot of very cheaply priced introductory issues of; but this may be the best of all. Instead of some long, bloody battle scene, Kurt Busiek uses his sixteen pages of promotional power to whet the reader’s appetite, and then leave them begging for more.
The story concerns a prince who’s traveling with his loyal Wazir to assess the recently conquered lands of his father’s kingdom. During their journey, they come upon an underground chamber that has sat untouched for a great length of time. The chamber is in-fact a temple housing a toppled over statue of Conan. Something about the statue captures the imagination of the Prince, and he demands to know more of this man.
This mysterious six-page opening interlude immediately caught my interest; then it was time to be blown away by a stunning nine-page account of the life of Conan. There are very few words at this point; instead Kurt Busiek allows the pictures to tell the story. All is then brought to a close with a final bookend with the Prince, who like myself is not yet satisfied, and hopes to learn more of this Conan. He and I both!
Art appeal…
Well, one thing a comic book like Conan needs is great artwork. A fantastic world with larger than life characters simply demands a larger than life artist. Cary Nord was an absolutely stunning, even an inspired, choice for the penciling duties. Not only does he capture the boredom of the prince brilliantly, but also we see the change from utter boredom to a decided interest (he’s still lackadaisical but the change is afoot) in Conan as the comic progresses. The real perfection comes out of the scenes, later in the issue, with Conan himself. I would liken this amazing imagery to the work of the legendary Frank Frazetta. Each image is a magnificent single moment from Conan’s life, and while the complete story is not there, I felt like I knew the greater story going on from every single panel.
Does cheapness run in your family?
No. Then if you haven’t already, go out and buy this comic. It costs two freaking bits!
Seriously, there aren’t any good reasons for missing out on this book. This is definitely a marketing ploy by Dark Horse, to get more people interested. The big difference from other similarly priced comics the last couple of years: this is an excellent standalone tale, that won’t leave you flat.
