Conan The Barbarian #7
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Becky Cloonan (cover by Massimo Carnevale)
Colors: Dave Stewart
There comes a time in every young man’s life, when he must introduce his girlfriend to his mother. Yes, even if you’re a savage like Conan. Alright, well, that’s not the only reason Conan and Belít have come to his ancestral home. It seems that there is a murderous, rampaging lunatic on the loose in Cimmeria, and he’s going by the name of Conan. Obviously this is something that a red-blooded warrior like Conan cannot allow to go unanswered, so he and his main squeeze head to his home to find out the “who” and “why” to this latest chapter in the life of a young fighter named Conan. Oh, did I forget to tell you that Conan’s mom doesn’t like his new woman? Yep, sounds like a recipe for quite a weekend back home, doesn’t it?
Up until now, this series has been OK, and sometimes good, but this issue was fabulous. When a writer takes a character out of his/her comfort zone, like Wood did in this issue, and makes it work well, that is the textbook definition of a home run. He took the blood soaked, battle hardened Conan and made him look afraid of his mom. Not only that, but the classic parent versus new girlfriend element was incredible. It really will resonate with anyone that’s been through that or even just heard of it. Fantasy character meets reality situation. Well done, Brian Wood.
OK, it’s no secret that the artwork is done by Becky Cloonan who is a newcomer to this genre, but her previous working relationship with Wood shows that she does understand exactly what he wants to portray. Everything about this book is spot on, and it seems as though she’s even getting better at drawing Conan, too. He looks a bit more rugged in this issue as opposed to previous ones (where she was the artist), so that’s a big plus. The ultimate professional, Dave Stewart, rounds things out with his normal display of brilliant colors that match the tone of the book perfectly. Honestly, he’s the best guy for these types of books (along with BPRD, Baltimore). The cover by Massimo Carnevale rocks too, and there is nothing new about that either. Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
