#125-#128 = ROBERT E. HOWARD’S SAVAGE SWORD #6 (Dark Horse Comics, November 2013) While I believe Marvel was the first comics publisher to create a Conan comic, the rights to Conan and other creations of pulp writer Robert E. Howard have to be licensed from the property owners. Other companies have taken a shot at the character of Conan. Currently, Titan is doing a good job with both comics and a black-and-white magazine.
Dark Horse Comics enjoyed a long and successful run with the character from 2004 through 2017, publishing 38 original series & mini-series, along with some reprints from the Marvel days. While I read only a small selection of these, I found them to be extremely well done.
I recall the days when Conan The Barbarian (from Marvel, by Barry Windsor-Smith, later Roy Thomas/John Buscema and others) was a really unique sword-and-sorcery fantasy title among the glut of superhero fare. I read Conan every month for the first five years, and then burned out a little. How many stories with a barbarian fighter do you really need to read? Also, how can they still make them seem fresh?
Nevertheless, when Disney/Marvel re-acquired the rights to Conan (and Star Wars, another licensed property that Dark Horse did a bang-up job with) in 2017-2018 - - I was unhappy and felt that Dark Horse’s efforts were not appreciated. Long story short, ROBERT E. HOWARD’S SAVAGE SWORD, which released 10 issues from 2010-2015, is a testimonial to how good the Dark Horse work was.
These 80-page anthologies of short stories and serialized tales featuring Conan and other Howard creations. Each first-class quality issue sold for $7.99.
Issue #6 contained three Conan stories = “Conan:Sargasso of Sand” by John Jackson Miller and Philip Tan, "Conan: Demons of the Summit” by Roy Thomas and Tony DeZuniga, and “Conan:Child of Sorcery” a reprint by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colon. All three are stand-alone stories and feature great scripts and dynamic art.
“Dark Agnes: Sword Woman” (Part 2 of 3) by Paul Tobin and Aaron McConnell feature a red-haired swordswoman making a reputation for herself amongst a society where only men are considered powerful enough to carry weapons.
“Bran Man Morn: Men Of The Shadows” (Part 2 of 3) by Ian Edginton and Richard Pace showcase the Pictish King facing a mystical nemesis.
Overall, a FOUR STAR issue.
#129-#132 = ROBERT E. HOWARD’S SAVAGE SWORD #7 (Dark Horse Comics, January 2014)
Another great offering of short stories and serialized installments from various top shelf writers and artists.
The highlight this time is the 41-page Conan story "The Island Of Pirates' Doom" by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.
Two tales conclude this issue: "Dark Agnes: Sword Woman, Part 3" by Paul Tobin and Aaron McConnell, leaving the door open for another team-up; and "Bran Mak Morn" Men of the Shadows, Part 3" by Ian Edginton and Richard Pace - a very mystical/cosmic ending to the Pict King's encounter with a wrinkled but crafty mage.
"Breckinridge Elkins: Mountain Man" with story and art by Gary Chaloner debuts, a youthful but backwards mountain man sent to the big city for the first time to retrieve a letter for his father.
There's a shorter Conan tale this time in "The Bargain" by Jai Nitz and Kevin Maguire featuring some creative art and a twist ending. FOUR STARS overall.
#133-#136 = ROBERT E. HOWARD’S SAVAGE SWORD #9 (Dark Horse Comics, September 2014) The stand-outs for me across the three issues of SAVAGE SWORD that I’ve read have been the Roy Thomas-scripted Conan stories. This issue my favorite is “Black Colossus” by Thomas with art by John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. A mysterious temple. A resurrected demonic sorcerer. A besieged queen appointing Conan as commander of her army.
The other Conan story here, “Den Of The Pleasure Goddess” by Jim Mitchell and art by Freddie Williams II revolves around Conan and his lover attempting a dangerous theft.
Sailor Steve Costigan debuts in “Paper Tiger” by Arie Kaplan and Douglas Franchin about a sailor with boxing skills.
The issue is rounded out by the final chapter of Gary Chaloner’s tale of Breckinridge Elkins, Mountain Man and the mystical wanderings of an adventurer’s club in the Conrad and Kirowan story by Paul Tobin and Alberto Alburquerque. Another FOUR STAR effort overall.
#137-##140 = DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH trade paperback by Stan Lee, Bob Harras & Michael Higgins with art by Alex Saviuk (Mad Cave Studios, 2024) This reprints the short-lived four-issue 1987 series from Star Comics, an imprint of Marvel. This was an effort to make a super-team out of popular licensed characters from newspaper comic strips owned by King Features Syndicate: Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and his muscle-bound assistant Lothar, and The Phantom. There was also a 65-episode television cartoon series from 1986-1987. Currently, Mad Cave Studios have revived the Defenders Of The Earth with a mini-series available. Curious readers should start here with this collection.
While this original offering is an enjoyable effort, with the series being discontinued before resolving the main conflict, it doesn’t do anything to set itself apart from the mainstream of super-hero titles except put these classic characters together in a battle against Ming The Merciless, Flash Gordon’s primary foe.
During the four-issue duration, there were side stories involving The Phantom and Mandrake The Magician that were more interesting than the struggles against Ming.
The mini-series also introduced some younger players, including Rick Gordon (son of Flash), Jedda Walker (Phantom’s daughter) and Kshin (adopted son of Mandrake). Another surprising event during the series is the death of Dale Ardden, Flash’s wife, at the hands of Ming. Her soul is incorporated into a large crystal, and Rick Gordon later transfers her psyche into a supercomputer, renaming her Dynac X. THREE STARS.
#141-#145 = JACK OF FABLES, VOLUME 3: THE BAD PRINCE by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges with art by Tony Akins, Russ Braun and Andrew Robinson (DC/Vertigo, 2007, second printing) Reprints JACK OF FABLES #12-16
Someday, I will tackle the entire FABLES library. While I’ve only read Volume One and a smattering of random stories, I believe my impression would benefit from appreciating the work in full. Same goes for JACK OF FABLES. This is the first volume of that series that I’ve read but it wasn’t hard to pick up on the themes. In short, I consider JACK OF FABLES an equally engaging work compared to FABLES but a less-serious, less-mysterious one - - and definitely funnier. The spin on many of the now-public-domain fairy tales and legends in this volume is clever and entertaining.
Jack - a.k.a. Little Jack Horner, Jack B. Nimble, Jack The Giant Killer, etc. - and his companion Gary, the Pathetic Fallacy (with the power to persuade inanimate objects) have recently escaped from the Golden Boughs Retirement Village (where sinister experiments occur on the patients/inmates). They hit the road and end up in the Grand Canyon, only to be captured by the Page Sisters (from Golden Bough) and then bonded together by surviving a devastating car crash into the canyon.
Before that, they meet up with Wicked John and learn the history of John’s accomplishments, which are the real fables. Jack is the copy, only given credit for all those deeds due to a typographical error in the written chronicles. (It was really John and the Beanstalk, etc.)
While trapped in the canyon a wrinkled old man resembling Merlin meets them and recreates the legend of Excalibur, sticking the sword into Jack’s stomach (instead of The Sword In The Stone). Jack doesn’t die (he’s immortal, or maybe just an imaginary fable after all) and manages to extricate the sword and transfer it to John’s body.
The volume is taken up with the re-telling of various legends, including how Jack once became Jack O’Lantern after making multiple bargains with various devils.
The side stories revolve around the real identity of Kevin Thorn (the fables whistle-blower) and his connection to Mr. Revise (who wants to capture fables and experiment on them). Paul Bunyan plays a role, and both he and his companion Babe the Blue Ox have been shrunken to normal sizes. Throughout the volume, Babe has hilarious daydreams where he envisions himself in numerous heroic roles. Thoroughly enjoyable, lots of fun, and only semi-serious so I don’t have to remember anything if I continue reading these series. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#146 = MINE IS A LONG, LONESOME GRAVE #1 by Justin Jordan and Chris Shehan (Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, February 2025)
“These are crossroad spikes from when the rail went through . . . They say if you pound them through the eyes, the soul can’t leave the body . . . Just an eternity trapped in dark and decay.”
I found this to be a dreadful tale of crime shaded by witchcraft and hexes in this promising debut issue. Too soon to be certain, but this could end up as one of those memorable folk horror epics like Cullen Bunn’s HARROW COUNTY. I, for one, intend to find out.
Chris Shehan’s atmospheric art is very evocative and engaging. Justin Jordan builds a lot of character and back-story and slowly incorporates it into the story in a savory way.
The back country town of Briar Falls, West Virgina is decrepit and on the decline. Harley committed a serious crime that is not fully defined just yet. The dark markings on an old tree and memories of a wife lost and eyewitnesses by his 4-year old daughter haunt him. Twenty years in prison, and now he’s back in town to make amends. His daughter ended up being raised by the local pastor since her family (the mysterious and influential Weavers) shunned her. Their re-union doesn’t go well.
He’s trying to provide for her future, but a group of young thugs want to escort him out of town. They underestimate his abilities, but the seeds of trouble for Harley have already been planted.
“That thing is a curse. Hard to make. Hard to take. Always lethal. Either I die, or I kill the person who laid it.” FOUR STARS.
#147 = CRUEL KINGDOM #2 (Oni Press/EC Comics, February 2025) Three more fantasy and sorcery stories done in the EC style featuring peasants, knights, and castles.
The standout this issue is “Hammer of Witches” by Steve Niles and Andrea Mutti. There may be various species of witches, so persecutors and protectors need to be careful.
“A Rare Immunity” by Chris Condon and PJ Holden tells the tale of a conquering king who comes into possession of a legendary sword granting immunity to its’ wielder. He fails to heed the surgeon general’s warning.
“Seat Of Power” by Cameron Chittock and David Lapham details the competition between two brothers over the vacant throne of their deceased father, the king.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS OVERALL.
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