Conan The Barbarian #6
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: James Harren (cover by Massimo Carnevale)
Colors: Dave Stewart
As Conan stands bewildered in the middle of Messantia, he remarks to N’Yaga that all of this city wide destruction was for a robbery. N’Yaga tells him that is the way of Bêlit. Conan begins to make his way through the city to meet up with his lover, but he is opposed by some of the king’s guards. He dispatches them with a ferocity like never seen before. He’s having a moral dilemma, though, in the fact that he wonders if his new life style is fitting for a man of his upbringing. Conan is no choir boy, but he was taught not to kill for the sake of killing; but his new lover doesn’t quite feel the same way. He does, however, love Bêlit, and that is enough for him to slice his way through an entire army if necessary!
Brian Wood is definitely picking up speed with this newest installment from Robert E. Howard’s library. Conan is showing signs of the man he’ll be in the future, and you can tell that he’s really settling in nicely with this title. It’s been the typical action packed Conan book as far as action goes, but it really is gaining its own identity with each passing week. How? Simple, by showing Conan as being young and vulnerable. He has great skills, but his youth really shows here, and it makes the book its own separate thing.
James Harren was on duty in the art department, and he did a fantastic job again. His best scenes are certainly the ones where Conan is fighting. One scene in particular, where one of the guards has aroused Conan’s wrath. The guard is on horseback, and Conan reaches out and puts his sword right through the beast’s neck! It was quite exhilarating indeed. As usual, Dave Stewart on colors only adds to the pencils tremendously. He makes sure to startle you when he gets the chance by really throwing a vibrant color (usually red) at you when it means the most. He always delivers no matter what book he’s on. Massimo Carnevale put a nice finishing touch on the book by giving us a great cover. My only single complaint is that Conan’s hands look slightly too large compared to the head on the cover. Other than that, it was fantastic! Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
