Conan #50
Conan Wraps up it's Current Run With an Exciting Conlcusion
Conan #50
June 4th, 2008 - When you’re reading a Conan comic there are a few things that you’re expecting to find. First and foremost you want to see Conan kicking some ass–or, more to the point, slaughtering some bad guys with a fair share of guts and gore. Slashing and hacking are certainly the order of the day. Next, you figure there should be a few fair maidens–okay, actually sexy, half-dressed, nubile young girls–running around. Finally, you’re going to want some sorcery and monsters along with your swords.
Dark Horse’s run on the book has given us that, and more. Now, with the current series running to its final issue at #50, before a reboot, we come to the conclusion of the four- part story arc, “The Hand Of Nergal.” Working from a story fragment by Conan’s creator, Robert E. Howard, veteran comics writer (and artist) Timothy Truman’s take on “The Hand of Nergal” delivers on all these counts, in a fast-paced, exciting story.
A little background information is necessary to gain a full appreciation for what Truman has done here. “The Hand of Nergal” was originally a Conan short story penned by fantasy author Lin Carter, based upon an unpublished story fragment by Robert E. Howard. Only a few elements of the final story were in the original pieces he had written, with Carter adding much to flesh it out, including the title. Later, when Marvel went about adapting Conan stories for their comics, original Conan scribe Roy Thomas wanted to adapt everything that Robert E. Howard had written, as well as the new tales of Conan written by authors like Carter and L. Sprague DeCamp. Unfortunately, after a deal was in place with DeCamp to allow these adaptations, he reneged, but Carter, who partnered with DeCamp on Conan stories, worked out a deal with Thomas, where the only story that included the credit “By Lin Carter and Robert E. Howard” on it, would be translated into comics form in Conan The Barbarian #30. That story was of course, “The Hand Of Nergal.” I’ve never read the original prose version of the story, so can only go on the reprinting of Conan #30, included as a backup here, but, even using this as a basis, Truman has added much to the tale. As Roy Thomas himself states in his foreword to the reprint, only a very few panels from the original Conan #30 telling of “The Hand of Nergal” can be directly attributed to Howard.
This issue #50 of Conan, though part four and the conclusion of the “Nergal” story arc, begins with a bit of backstory, so that a reader just picking it up without having read the previous three issues will have some idea of what’s going on. Still, I recommend that you get the full enjoyment out of the story by going back and picking up those books.
The story concerns Prince Than of the Kingdom of Yaralet who—in a pact with the city’s so-called philosopher and kingly advisor (but actually more evil sorcerer), Atalis--has sacrificed his entire army to the God of Death and Destruction, Nergal, so that he and his betrothed, the Princess Ereshka, will be granted immortality and the rule of their kingdom forever. As issue #50 begins, Conan, along with the Princess, the young sorceress Iniri of Kiresh and the spy, the blind Jerim, whom Conan has met along the way, are entering the city of Yaralet to find Prince Than and discover the secret of the Hand of Nergal. All Conan really wants, though, is some gold so that he can continue his journey back to his homeland of Cimmeria, which is where the series has been headed all along. With the re-launch of Conan, starting with issue #0 in June and continuing with #1 in July, it will be retitled Conan of Cimmeria and concern itself with tales of Conan in his homeland (along with flashback sequences). Still, aside from the seeming material interest of Conan, the human side of him is revealed, as he is not one to let the weak be trampled upon; if needed, and he is able, he will come to the aid of those less fortunate.
Tomas Giorello contributes the beautiful pencils for the story, while J.D. Mettler and Tony Shasteen (issues #47 and #48) and Jose Villarrubia (#49 and #50) provide the colors, which preserve Giorello’s pencils and retain the looseness that is sometimes missing once pencils are inked. There’s a European flavor to the art, but I also see hints of very early Mignola, in some of the crosshatching and stippling. A debt must also be paid to one of the most well-known Conan artists from the Marvel days, John Buscema, in the design and execution of Conan himself. A special mention must also be made about the stunning cover art by former Conan cover artist Tony Harris (with colors by Jim Clark and J.D. Mettler), making a welcome return engagement here for this final issue.
Coming into this issue, I’d only read a handful of Dark Horse Conan books. As a kid I’d collected almost all the Marvel Conan comics up through the late 200’s (including the first ten or so issues, which I was lucky enough to be given by an older neighbor), but my memory of his exploits has been clouded with the advent of time. Reading through these new Conan books has given me a fresh excitement for the character and revealed a richness in the mythology and world that Robert E. Howard created that I didn’t fully remember. There really is a depth to the character that might not have been as apparent in the old Marvel comics. I’ve now got renewed interest in following the Dark Horse Conan--all the way to Cimmeria and wherever else it may take me.
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