Rant Review: Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus vol 9

I've been buying all of the omnibus collections Marvel has published since reacquiring (and since relinquishing) the Conan license, and enjoyed all of them, to one degree or another. Volume 9 may seem like an odd place to begin reviewing this series, but I've seen very few reviews of this book online, so I figured I'd contribute one to help anyone who may be on the fence about this one to decide whether or not it's worth adding to their collection. 

We're nearly at the finish line, but there's a rather sizeable stumbling block in the way. But just how high is that hurdle? The issues reprinted in this volume have a reputation as the absolute nadir of the entire original Marvel run of Conan, so I was interested to read them for the first time to see just how bad things got. The book is fairly strong as it kicks off, with Val Semeiks continuing his run, now co-plotting with Charles Santino. These stories are all single issue adventures depicting Conan as an unstoppable force, charging ahead relentlessly as he deals with any obstacles in his path in the most direct manner possible. These issues are fast-paced and action-packed, with energetic art by Semeiks and the legendary Alfredo Alcala providing appropriately detailed and hard-edged visuals. My favorites are #215, in which a group of Turanian soldiers very quickly learn the perils of trying to take a Cimmerian captive; #218, which follows Conan's battle for survival on a small island populated by hostile visitors; and #219, which relates Conan's efforts to escape a city on horseback. These stories are fun reads, and very entertaining, but I wouldn't want an extended run of such short, disconnected stories.

Then, we get an extended run of such short, disconnected stories, as the Semeiks/Santino team leave the book, and the editors burn through a bunch of inventory issues. We get stories by Larry Hama, Don Perlin, Michael Fleisher, and Gerry Conway. Most of these are decent stories that neither excel nor offend, though I found Conway's trio of two-parters rather tiresome. Hama's pair of done-in-one stories were probably my favorites from this batch, with "Drum Song," a tale of Conan's pirate days narrated in verse, a particular standout. There is some nice art to be found among these issues, including one fully illustrated by Alcala. Still, I was ready for the series to have some sense of direction again long before I reached the end of these short, mostly single issue tales.

That new direction kicked off in issue #232, and I wanted to slap myself for willingly inflicting this calamity on my battered psyche. "The New Conan," as it was billed, travels to a time prior to the legendary Cimmerian's birth, and covers the years leading up to his Marvel debut back in 1970. Writer Michael Higgins and Jim Lee contribute a very nice cover evoking the beloved BWS style, and the run peaks right there. Bad comics can be fun-- witness the gut-bustingly funny trainwreck of Batman: Odyssey, for example-- but these are just bad in all the right ways to make them painful to slog through. A prime example is their depiction of the siege of Venarium, a legendary event in the Hyborian world, one which showed all of the "civilized" kingdoms that the Cimmerians were NOT TO BE MESSED WITH. Here, it's reduced to a magical mishap in which the Cimmerians are barely a factor. This is emblematic of this run's poor understanding of Conan's world, not to mention the man himself. The first four issues have art by Ron Lim, and his style is really not a good fit for Conan and his world. The art improves after he leaves, particularly with #236's Rodney Ramos/Alfredo Alcala team-up, and we get a couple of very nice covers by Mike Mignola. Even so, these issues are tough to get through. Sales must not have been good, as this "bold new direction" was euthanized by a returning Roy Thomas after just nine issues. He wraps it up and accounts for its various problems in about the best way possible, setting the stage for his series-finale run, collected in the next volume.

There isn't much in the way of bonus material, but that's hardly surprising, so late in the run. The introductions are the main draw on that front, and they offer a few nice tidbits. The intro by Higgins is particularly interesting, revealing some of the thinking behind the "young Conan" run. I recommend this book for big Conan fans, but only if you can get it at a significant discount, or borrow it from your local library. Just be aware going in that you're not getting the series at its best, adjust your expectations accordingly, and you'll find some fun material among the dreck.

I'm currently working my way through volume 10, and enjoying it quite a bit more. I'll probably whip up a review about it as well, once I'm done with it. I may go back and review the earlier volumes, if there's any demand for it. Everyone take care, and I'll see you next time!

Necropost: Ten Books that Changed My Life

Okay, a bit of backstory: On request, I provided my Facebook friends with a list of ten books that have stuck with me. It was an interesting enough exercise, and a long enough post, that I figured an expanded version would make for a good post here. I copy & pasted the list, expanded on it a bit, and resolved to finish it and publish it here later. Well, as sometimes happens, I wound up forgetting about it. A chat with a friend reminded me of it this evening, so I figured I'd dig it up and finish it. The list needs a bit of updating now, but for the sake of finishing what I started nine short years ago, here are ten books that are not necessarily the best I've ever read, but that have stuck with me for one reason or another, presented in no particular order:

The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. Howard
This is my favorite REH story ever, and is the only Conan novel written by the character's creator, as well as the only novel REH ever wrote. It's baffling that no one has ever looked to this story when adapting the character and his world to film; it has absolutely everything anyone could want from a Conan story, and it's practically a blueprint for adaptation. (I know, they kinda sorta based that Kull movie on it, but eh... that doesn't count!)

The Godfather by Mario Puzo
This is one of the rare instances where the movie is actually better than the book, but the book itself is no slouch. In addition to the story used for the first Godfather film, it has all the backstory that was used in the second one.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This is one of the handful of books that anyone who can read should read, without exception. If you can't read, get someone to read it to you. (Perhaps the same person who is presumably reading this to you?) Is it overrated? Maybe. Regardless, it's still easily one of the most important books ever written.

You Only Live Twice by Ian Fleming
A slightly odd inclusion, as it's not my favorite of Fleming's works, and not even my favorite James Bond novel. (That honor goes to either From Russia, With Love or On Her Majesty's Secret Service.) As the follow-up to the devastating ending of the previous book, however, it has this weirdly fascinating morose tone as it presents Bond as we've never seen him before, and never would again. He stalks his wife's murderer through a Japan populated with ancient castles and bizarre suicide gardens, a shell of his former self who is driven only by a desperate need for vengeance. Not a bit of this, aside from Japan as a location, is in the film that uses the novel's name. It's a book that I'm always interested to re-read because it's so unlike all the other books in the series.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
This and the next entry are books I read pretty much back-to-back when I was 12 or so. I was familiar with both stories previously only from movies and comic book adaptations, so it was revelatory to read them in their original forms. They remain books I enjoy re-reading, though Frankenstein is definitely a bit of a slog for the first 100 pages.

Dracula by Bram Stoker
This novel's epistolary style definitely took me by surprise when I first read it, but it quickly sucked me in. It's definitely not without its flaws, but is compelling reading, regardless. To paraphrase Clive Barker, it's a first-rate 19th century trashy novel! (I managed to find this image featuring the same cover art on the copy I had back when I first read it. Cool, eh?)

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
This is one I picked up due to my fascination with mountaineering. I have no desire to ever actually climb a mountain, and I think I'm probably far too lazy to do it anyway, but I've always been interested in it, for whatever reason. It's the true story of the massive storm that descended on several groups who were climbing Everest in 1997, told firsthand by a journalist who was among them. It's an absolutely harrowing tale, nearly told minute-by-minute, of disaster and tragedy. It's a gut-wrenching read, but so powerful that I've found myself returning to it a couple times all the same. The IMAX documentary "Everest" was being filmed at the same time, and it makes a good companion piece to this book.

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This is the first of those stories I ever read, and it remains my go-to when I feel I need a quick Holmes fix. It's a perfect sampler for anyone interested in reading the character's stories.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Easily one of the most satisfying reads I've ever come across. It may not have actually happened, but it's true, all the same.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Well, some Twain had to be included, and this was the first of his books that I ever read. It remains possibly my favorite.

Bonus 2022 addition to the list: Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
I'd need to do a bit more tinkering with the overall list to fully update it to account for the past near-decade, but I absolutely had to add this one. I've been hearing about how wonderful the Discworld series is for many years, and I finally read the first book in the series, The Color of Magic, back in (consults Goodreads) 2011. I liked, but didn't love, the book. I enjoyed it enough that I wanted to read more, but as I often do, I kinda forgot about it for an entire decade. Early last year, something made me think of the series, and I resolved to give it another chance to really hook me. I jumped ahead to one of the most acclaimed books in the series, and damn, did it ever get its hooks in me! It's a fantastic book packed with memorable characters, humor that frequently made me laugh out loud, and a level of depth that repeatedly surprised me. Since finishing it, I've gone back to the beginning, and am currently reading the entire series in publication order. I'm making myself wait at least a couple of weeks between books so I don't blow through them all in a couple of months. I'm a Discworld nut now, and Pratchett has rocketed right into the top tier of my favorite authors, and it all started with this book.

I limited myself to one work by each author, and didn't count short stories. (Although I cheated a bit by including the Sherlock Holmes collection.) So, questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?

Armchair BEA: Novellas/Short Stories

It's day three of Armchair BEA-- day two for my late-to-the-party self-- so here is today's topic:

Now it is time to give a little love to those little stories in your life. Share your love for your favorite shorts of any form. What is a short story or novella that doesn’t get the attention that it deserves? Recommend to readers what shorts you would recommend they start with. How about listing some short story anthologies based upon genres or authors?

It will come as no surprise to my regular readers that I love short stories. There's something about a bite-size chunk of fiction that really appeals to me, and I really enjoy working in that format myself, which is why my first book was a collection of short stories. It's no coincidence that most of my favorite authors, such as Mark Twain, Ray Bradbury, and Robert E. Howard, were masters of the short story. Today, I'll be talking about one of  Howard's tales of Solomon Kane, The Footfalls Within.

I've covered REH's Solomon Kane work a couple of times before, and as with those posts, this story is found in the collection The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, which reprint all of REH's Kane work in their original form, unlike the edited versions found in some other reprint collections. The story begins as Kane runs afoul of a group of Islamic slavers, and is captured while attempting to free their captives. Their leader has heard of Kane, and has special plans for him once they reach their destination. The group encounters an ancient structure along the way, and things quickly go downhill from there. This story is a very concise twenty pages, and its relentless pace keeps it moving so quickly you could swear it was half as long. As with most fiction from the early twentieth century, there are a few cringe-inducing lines reflecting the common prejudices of the time, but REH was rather progressive in his views for that era, particularly for a Southerner. (I say that as a Southerner, where I routinely see that some of those views are, sadly, still disturbingly common. Definitely not the majority, however.) That said, this is a rock-solid adventure story with a wonderful pulpy tone, plenty of action, and some solid characterization work on Kane himself. With the religious zealotry and many of the prejudices you'd expect from a sixteenth century Puritan, Kane is certainly not the most likeable of REH's characters, but he is one of the most interesting. Highly recommended for lovers of classic adventure fiction, and these Del Rey REH reprint volumes are the perfect place to dive in!

Free Comic Book Day Fallout!

Because I am so damn prompt, here's a roundup of my Free Comic Book Day swag! Here's the whole pile!

Pretty good haul, and not too much money, either. you might notice that two of the figures are missing from that Simpsons Treehouse of Horror set; I got it for $10 by agreeing to split the figures with the guy who sold it to me. I mainly wanted Devil Flanders and Vampire burns anyway, so that worked out well. Nelson was one of the figures I never got around to picking up when the World of Springfield line was still being produced, so I was happy to snag one for $3. Here they are after being freed from their plastic prisons:

And here's an overhead shot, so you can see more of the set's detail. there are details from various THOH episodes, including a zombie from Dial "Z" for Zombie, Witch Marge from Easy Bake Coven, the crazy awesome Snowball II design from The Bart Zone, the evil talking Krusty doll from Clown Without Pity, the gemlin from Terror at 5 1/2 Feet, and Kang and Kodos! Pretty cool stuff.

Getting back to comics, here are the actual free comics I got.

Not quite everything I wanted, but our shop never gets that damn Tick FCBD issue. Ah, well. Still a very nice haul, and there were some "normal" non-free comics on the free table to choose from. I didn't wanna be greedy, so I just grabbed a copy of Batman/Superman #1. I was also very pleased to get another of Archaia's hardcovers; these little books are very nice, and I hope they keep doing them each year. There are a couple of the free comics I haven't gotten around to reading yet. Out of the ones I've read, I have a few favorites. Future's End #0 is a very interesting take on the classic"hero travels back in time to prevent a nightmarish future" plot, with a couple of gloriously twisted moments. This issue definitely got me excited about checking out the series when it continues with a #1 issue this Wednesday. Atomic Robo was decent, but not as good as past FCBD issues. The Bongo Free-For-All is a nice assortment of stories, with a great activity page by the legendary Sergio Aragones. Uncle Scrooge & Donald Duck: A Matter of Some Gravity is lots of fun, with two classic stories by the great Don Rosa. The duck comics are always very fun reads, and this one is no exception.

Here's a handful I grabbed for a quarter each:

I have an abiding love for the black & white comic magazines of the '70s and '80s, so that Planet of the Apes mag was snatched up in a blur as soon as Cindy showed it to me. That issue of Sandman is one of my favorites, so it was an instant buy when I came across it. The Fraction/Allred FF series was a fun book(though it began more strongly than it ended), so I was happy to grab this issue. Both of these will likely join the comics I have framed and hung on the wall. Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword is an excellent anthology series that comes out a few times each year, courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. Each issue is a whopping 80 pages, and the stories feature characters beyond Conan the barbarian(though he still shows up too). Howard created a good many interesting characters, and it's really nice to see them get a spotlight in this series.

I also picked up a few recent comics, some of them as recent as this past week.

All of these are series that I enjoy, and I grabbed an issue of each for framing & hanging purposes. Batman Eternal, of course, is the weekly Batman series that kicked off a few weeks ago. It's been a solid read so far, and I liked the overall design of the cover for the debut issue, with the cast spread across Batman's cape. It's a nice, striking image. J. H. Williams III & Haden Blackman's  Batwoman was one of my favorite series until the creative team got dicked around and departed the book last year, and this issue is one of the strongest of their run. DC's Masters of the Universe comic has been a good read after a somewhat shaky start, and this cover by Ryan Sook is just awesome. The fact that it spotlights the green Goddess, a character I've had a soft spot for since I was a tiny little kid, doesn't hurt. Superior Foes of Spider-Man is a great series that focuses on some of the B and C-list villains in spider-Man's rogues gallery. It's pretty much a blue-collar supervillain book, and it's great. (The issue by the regular team are, anyway; it's best to avoid the fill-ins.)

So, that's what I have to show for this year's Free Comic Book Day. We had a blast, as always, and can't wait to do it again next year!

National Poetry Month: Solomon Kane's Homecoming

In observation of National Poetry Month, I present one of my favorites: Solomon Kane's Homecoming, by Robert E. Howard. Even if you loathe poetry, read it. It's awesome.

The white gulls wheeled above the cliffs, the air was slashed with foam,
The long tides moaned along the strand when Solomon Kane came home.
He walked in silence strange and dazed through the little Devon town;
His gaze, like a ghost’s come back to life, roamed up the streets and down.

The people followed wonderingly to mark his spectral stare,
And in the tavern silently they thronged about him there.
He heard as a man hears in a dream the worn old rafters creak,
And Solomon lifted his drinking-jack and spoke as a ghost might speak:

“There sat Sir Richard Grenville once; in smoke and flame he passed.
And we were one to fifty-three, but we gave them blast for blast.
From crimson dawn to crimson dawn, we held the Dons at bay.
The dead lay littered on our decks, our masts were shot away.

“We beat them back with broken blades, till crimson ran the tide;
Death thundered in the cannon smoke when Richard Grenville died.
We should have blown her hull apart and sunk beneath the Main.”
The people saw upon his wrist the scars of the racks of Spain.

“Where is Bess?” said Solomon Kane. “Woe that I caused her tears.”
“In the quiet churchyard by the sea she has slept these seven years.”
The sea-wind moaned at the window-pane, and Solomon bowed his head.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and the fairest fade,” he said.

His eyes were mystical deep pools that drowned unearthly things,
And Solomon lifted up his head and spoke of his wanderings.
“Mine eyes have looked on sorcery in dark and naked lands,
Horror born of the jungle gloom and death on the pathless sands.

"And I have known a deathless queen in a city old as Death,
Where towering pyramids of skulls her glory witnesseth.
Her kiss was like an adder’s fang, with the sweetness Lilith had,
And her red-eyed vassals howled for blood in that City of the Mad.

"And I have slain a vampire shape that drank a black king white,
And I have roamed through grisly hills where dead men walked at night.
And I have seen heads fall like fruit in a slaver’s barracoon,
And I have seen winged demons fly all naked in the moon.

"My feet are weary of wandering and age comes on apace;
I fain would dwell in Devon now, forever in my place.”
The howling of the ocean pack came whistling down the gale,
And Solomon Kane threw up his head like a hound that sniffs the trail.

A-down the wind like a running pack the hounds of the ocean bayed,
And Solomon Kane rose up again and girt his Spanish blade.
In his strange cold eyes a vagrant gleam grew wayward and blind and bright,
And Solomon put the people by and went into the night.

A wild moon rode the wild white clouds, the waves in white crests flowed,
When Solomon Kane went forth again, and no man knew his road.
They glimpsed him etched against the moon, where clouds on hilltop thinned;
They heard an eerie echoed call that whistled down the wind.

31 Days of Halloween: The Rattle of Bones

One year ago: The Comedy of Terrors
Happy birthday to John Lennon!

Author Robert E. Howard is best known for his creation of the heroic fantasy genre and its greatest hero, Conan the barbarian. However, he created dozens of characters in his short career, and one of the most beloved is Solomon Kane. Kane is a Puritan adventurer who traveled Europe and parts of Africa, rooting out evil and corruption, and meting out justice. He sees himself as doing god's will, eradicating the malevolent forces that inhabit the dark places of the world.

The volume The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane from Del Rey includes everything REH wrote of the character, including fragments and scraps of stories that he never finished. It's also got some great art from Gary Gianni. I've selected the short story The Rattle of Bones because it serves as an excellent entry point for new readers; it's short and concise, yet delivers a chilling adventure that presents a very accurate picture of what Solomon Kane stories are like.

The story begins as Kane arrives at a forbidding inn in the middle of a dark forest as night falls. Arriving with him is Gaston L'Armon, who he has met on the road. The malicious innkeeper lets them in, but only grudgingly agrees to let them stay the night. When shown to their room,  Kane remarks that he is sure he has seen his traveling companion somewhere before, but he can't place him just yet. The door and doorjamb have notches for a bar to secure the room, but there is no bar. They set out to explore a bit to find a bar or something similar to use; in the course of their exploration, they discover a dusty skeleton chained to the floor, its skull cleft by what must have been a very powerful blow. Things immediately get even more interesting...

REH's style of writing is energetic and fast-paced, and the man writes action scenes far better than anyone else whose work I've read. Although his work is from the 1920s and 1930s, his dynamic style of writing prevents his stories from feeling dated. A few of these Solomon Kane tales rank among his best work, and this volume is an excellent entry point to REH's body of work in general. As a neat bonus, the book also includes H.P. Lovecraft's tribute to the memory of his peer and friend. The Solomon Kane saga makes for very compelling reading, and it's suitable for your Halloween reading list, as well.