If I were asked to recommend one graphic novel that would introduce the character of Conan to a curious reader, then Conan the Reaver would be it.
King Of Thieves
This Conan tale is set in Turan, during a time when he is the master of the Thieves Guild and has his eye on stealing the contents of the old King, Yildiz III, treasure chamber.
He isn't the only one with designs on the treasure however, and decides to join forces with a Damonides a senior officer in the kings' guards and his fellow plotters.
Things are complicated by a band of ruthless freedom fighters called the 'Red Mist', an illegitimate heir to the thrown and Lord Shaid, fearsome swordsman and keen practitioner of the 'priests robe cut'. A move that will end any sword fight swiftly! Oh, and there is a small matter of an increasingly ravenous monster that rooms the tunnels in which the vast treaure chamber is situated!
Far from crowded
The team of John and Marie Severin do a great job of helping to bring this story to life. The artwork is deceptively simple, clean and precise. Conan is portrayed as a powerful, yet agile figure. We are shown that he is strong, without the need to make him look musclebound. There is a level of detail in the frames that is marvelous to see. Whether it is from the images of the baying crowd in the thieves domain, or scenes in the royal court, to close ups of characters deep in conversation...the artwork is a joy to behold and the use of colour throughout compliments the art perfectly.
And they all lived happily ever after. Well,
almost all!
All in all, this is a very entertaining read and as I stated previously, would be a fine introduction to the character of Conan.
On a 'Crom!' scale of 10, I'd give this a solid 8.
Mary Jane # 1-4
For those unaware, this teenage cast was first developed by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and is now updated for a 21st Century readership
Mercy Sparx #0 (of 4)
While we wait for new installments of Josh Blaylock’s rockin’ Mercy Sparx series, let’s take a look back at her first few issues…
Wolverine: First Class #3
Animal farm! Wolverine and Kitty travel to Wundagore searching for Magneto.
Daredevil Volume 1 # 353-365
This particular run of Daredevil is recommended for purists who were fond of the character “in the day”, as well as any who simply enjoy well-done superhero fare
