Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: Out of the Darksome Hills
Written by: Kurt Busiek
Art by: Cary Nord with Thomas Yeates
Color Art by: Dave Stewart
Lettered by: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Associate Editor: Matt Dryer
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Sword and Sorcery, how I’ve missed you.
The sword and sorcery genre has, largely, fallen from favor in today’s comic book scene. While CrossGen has had a modicum of success with the genre, the rest of the major publishers have made few recent efforts, and had no real successes in a long time. Considering that the monumental popularity of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s surprising that there hasn’t been a surge of projects similar in ilk.
The 70s and early 80s were the last time that sword and sorcery comics were around in any numbers and very popular. At one time The Warlord was DC’s top selling book, and Marvel’s Conan: The Barbarian was a monster seller in its own right. As the 80s led into the 90s superheroes took a stranglehold on the comic industry and we’ve been left with precious little when it came to barbarians and sword fights. Thankfully that is changed in a big way with Dark Horse’s new incarnation of Conan.
Rebirth
I have never been a regular reader of any of the Conan series that were previously published. So, I have read some stories with the character, but I am in no way an expert. Dark Horse Comics has made a number of inspired choices as they have begun the process of relaunching the world’s most famous barbarian. The first sound move was a .25 cent #0 issue, which allowed a wider audience to sample the book for no real financial outlay. Secondly, in Kurt Busiek, they grabbed one of the best writers working in comics. The final piece was, with Cary Nord, finding an artist that brings the beautiful, but deadly world of Conan to life.
I don’t know much about the history of Conan, but Kurt Busiek is laying the foundation for a reader like me, perfectly. The book begins with a village under siege. A damsel, and her child, is distressed by a brutal warrior. A young Conan happens upon the scene causing the villain to lose his head before he can complete his evil deed. After a few rough moments, Conan is befriended by the townsfolk and asked to stay around for a time. Conan and the villagers band together to go after the invaders, and thus begins Conan’s first quest in his new title.
Busiek crafts a fast paced, action packed story that quickly brings us to the world of Conan. We get a look at his aspirations as well as his amazing mettle for battle. There is a bit of the past touched upon and a variety of tidbits for the future. I especially enjoyed the text boxes which seems like they’re right out of one of the original novels by Robert E. Howard. They offset the fantastical nature of the comic and ground it, so it’s more like you’re reading a novel with amazing pictures.
Cary Nord – An inspired choice.
The text piece in issue #0 chronicled a bit of what went into Cary Nord getting the job as artist on the book. After seeing the work thus far, I couldn’t imagine anyone else working on the Conan. Nord’s artwork captures the fantasy world of Conan and lends it the timeless quality that it demands. The style gives the impression that you’re looking at paintings, which chronicle the exploits of this great warrior.
I wasn’t sure that Conan was going to make it on my pull-list, but the stunning work by Busiek/Nord has made it a point that I can not even argue. The story is a wonderful introduction to the classic character, has the mythic scope required of such an undertaking, and features amazing artwork. I still love reading superhero themed books more than any other in the realm of comics, but comics like The Walking Dead, Fables, The Losers, Human Target, and Conan are sure making my pull-list far more diverse than its ever been.
