Conan: Returning to Marvel

[kilderkin]

completely agree, was shocked how much I enjoyed the first issue. The Novella was a pleasant surprise and was really well done for the little we got. My faith in Aaron is low though,I will say He and asrar do sound like they genuinely love the character so hopefully they avoid major changes in his character. But given how he writes Thor as an incompetent,foolish lumbering, jackass I wouldn't be surprised if Conan is dumbed down in a similar manner. Also Given how he sees Odin in the Thor books I fully expect Crom to become a villain at some point during the series. I just hope we don't get an amazing arc or two, followed by Conan being replaced by a woman who literally takes on the name Conan, somehow has all his skills, uses all his weapons and defeats all of his enemies with ease while everyone in the hyborbian age comments that she is greatest Conan of them all.

ultimately everything you said here is why I won't throw my money at this, it sounds like it started well and I'm glad if it was well received coz I like conan, but I've lost too much faith in Aaron's long term handling of characters to put money to it

I just look at his start point with thor and where the character is now and it puts me right off anything he touches really

[nnelg]

How about instead of crying about erros or fails that COULD happen we just enjoy it will it is really good? Because the first issue was really really good and if you think about the last time Aaron had a 12 part story with different eras of the protagonist in mind it will continue do be really good.

The last time Aaron had a twelve part story with different eras of the protagonist it sucked. Shit story with great art.

[Charlie_1981]

Personally this first issue at a first impression seems good but after reading a few more times, make me miss Roy Thomas style a lot.

[Hypestyle]

so who is writing the novella? Any particular reason for including prose with the comic?

[kilderkin]

so who is writing the novella? Any particular reason for including prose with the comic?

I'll admit this really interests me

[nnelg]

John C. Hocking wrote the novella. The reason for the novella being included is either to force the people to buy the comic or to market the new novellas coming out to potential customers thru Marvel. I believe it is the second scenario but complain that it's the first.

[UltimateTy]

Very solid #1. This got me to order the Conan omnibus

[Emerald]

John C. Hocking wrote the novella. The reason for the novella being included is either to force the people to buy the comic or to market the new novellas coming out to potential customers thru Marvel. I believe it is the second scenario but complain that it's the first.

The novella was included in an attempt to tie the comic Conan to his pulp roots, and maybe get a few four-color readers interested in picking up a paperback or two.
Historically here's been about zero cross-promotion between the comic Conan and the prose Conan. Perilous Worlds, the publisher for new Conan stories, is just getting started and hoped this might get them, and their forthcoming books, some positive notice.

[comicscollector]

First issue of Conan the Barbarian was great.I will be having reading the next issues for sure.

[pjerooo]

I found the first issue to be quite bland, on par with SSoC episodes written by Fleischer. The difference between Marvel's and DH's first issue (Conan #0) couldn't be greater - script, art, production value (font choices, word balloon design), the overal passion for the original material and utmost respect toward REH... it all makes me miss the glory days of DH Conan even more.

I hope SSoC will (yet once again) be the better series coming out of Marvel.

[nnelg]

DH did really bad with Conan the last few years they had the license. Brian Wood was horrible on Conan. The art was really shitty as well.

[Knockagh]

DH did really bad with Conan the last few years they had the license. Brian Wood was horrible on Conan. The art was really shitty as well.

We must be on different planets. I think DHs work was excellent, yes there have been runs better than other (and most of the early work was so good it would be extremely hard to surpass) but I would say overall DH handled the Conan legacy wonderfully. They certainly didn’t team him up with with American super hero’s. Which has to be the most hideous handling of a legacy character ever.

I think Marvel will do a good job (so long as they leave Conan in his own world and out of America) with Conan but I’m really disappointed DH didn’t get to finish the chronological series they did so well.

[Ying Ko]

The early Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord run and to a lesser degree the Timothy Truman/Tomàs Giorello run were some of the best Conan I have ever read... It was on par with the early Savage Sword of Conan for sure.

After that Dark Horse kinda lost it, bringing in subpar artists and writers to the property.

[your_name_here]

This was my first read of anything with Conan in it as I’ve never really followed him, but I gave it a go.

It’s...okay. It was good for what it was but there really wasn’t much there that blew me away. I’m unsure if I’ll want to pick up #2.

[JKtheMac]

This was always going to be a hard sell for me because I don't enjoy the works of Robert E. Howard. That's not for the lack of trying, I have read several of his stories, but they just don't grab me. Therefore much like Star Wars before it, the only things pulling me to this book are an interest in what Marvel are doing with the character and an appreciation of Aaron's writing.

I quite like this. It is inclusive of the various interpretations of Conan, with its artistic nods and the reference to the Busiek/Ruth story. It has that classic fantasy feel that is so synonymous with the character. The caption boxes, while more snappy and modern, have a good feel for the subject matter. The dual timeline story allows people new to the stories to grasp some of the concepts and choices that Howard brought to the table. The art and colour work are near perfect. Even the lettering is noticeably excellent.

However, it is still Conan, and I don't have any attachment to him as a character, so I am torn. The quality of the work here should make me want to read it, but unlike 'The Goddamned' Aaron didn't have me desperate to read the next issue.

As to the serialisation in the back I know for certain that is not aimed at me. If I was forced to appraise it I would say it seems serviceable as a Conan novella, but even if I do pick up #2 I won't be reading the back matter because it would be like scraping my fingernails down a blackboard.