Tag: Conan the Barbarian reviews

Conan the Barbarian #39 – “The Dragon from the Inland Sea” – Roy Thomas/John Buscema

This one starts with Conan riding through some wastelands on his way to Zamora. He’s waylaid by some bandits and ends up killing them all, but his horse is lamed and he’s forced to kill it. While contemplating his next move, Conan is bitten by a snake. He sucks as much poison out as he can, but succumbs to what remains inside his veins, passing out in the desert. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 39, Conan the Barbarian 40”

Conan the Barbarian #37 – “The Curse of the Golden Skull” – Roy Thomas/Neal Adams

This one starts ages ago, with a dark wizard of Lemuria (Rotath) being killed by King Kull. The dying Rotath put a deadly curse on his own bones, a curse that would affect whoever found his remains. Millennia later, a hillsman was exploring a lost valley and found a ruined city and Rotath’s skeleton, now made of solid gold. The hillsman couldn’t resist the lure of gold, but as soon as he touched the skeleton, he was taken over by Rotath’s spirit. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 37, Conan the Barbarian 38”

Conan the Barbarian #35 – “The Hellspawn of Kara-Shehr” – Roy Thomas/John Buscema/Ernie Chan

This one starts with Conan and his new companion Bourtai (who he met last issue) travelling across the desert on their way back to Aghrapur. They come upon some desert warriors harrying a lone man and Conan rides in to help. The raiders try to kill the loner, who apparently holds some kind of valuable secret. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 35, Conan the Barbarian 36”

Conan the Barbarian #33 – “Death and 7 Wizards” – Roy Thomas/John Buscema/Ernie Chan

Last issue, Conan was sent to the city of Wan Tengri in Khitai by a Turanian commander who wanted him to gather information for a possible invasion. The city is ruled by seven mysterious wizards who fill the skies with flames from a high tower. Conan ran afoul of one of the wizards and ended up fleeing the city guard, swimming through a watery tunnel where he fought an octopus-woman (which may or may not have been an illusion) before crawling out of a pool in the garden and collapsing. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 33, Conan the Barbarian 34”

Conan the Barbarian #31 – “The Shadow in the Tomb” – Roy Thomas/John Buscema/Ernie Chan

This one starts with Conan serving as a mercenary with a cohort of Turanian soldiers. They’re looking for rebel hill tribes and find them soon enough, when the hill-men ambush them near some rocky cliffs. Conan is in the middle of the fight (naturally), but the Turanians are badly outnumbered so their captain (Malthuz) orders a retreat into the rocky hills. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 31, Conan the Barbarian 32”

Conan the Barbarian #29 – “Two Against Turan” – Roy Thomas/John Buscema/Ernie Chan

This one starts with Conan arriving in Aghrapur, capital of the Kingdom of Turan, where he turns a few heads even among the jaded city dwellers. As he walks the streets, a statue of the “living god Tarim” is paraded past and the people go into a frenzy of worship. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 29, Conan the Barbarian 30”

Conan the Barbarian #27 – “The Blood of Bel-Hissar” – Roy Thomas/John Buscema/Ernie Chan

After last week’s digression into Savage Tales territory with “Red Nails”, we’re back to Conan’s regular storyline. This story begins with him riding through some desert land south of the Zaporoska River when he hears a woman scream. He comes upon a huge brute (Turgohl) menacing a Khitan woman (Suwaan) and quickly jumps in to help her. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 27, Conan the Barbarian 28”

“Red Nails” – Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor-Smith

This story originally appeared in Savage Tales issues 2 and 3 (which were published a few months apart), but I’m including it here because it’s part of the Chronicles of Conan reprints that I’ve been using … plus, it’s a really good story, based on one of Robert E. Howard’s best (and last) Conan tales. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Red Nails”

Conan the Barbarian #25 – “The Mirrors of Kharam-Akkad” – Roy Thomas/John Buscema/Sal Buscema, John Severin

This one starts in the besieged city of Makkalet, with the wizard Kharam-Akkad looking into his magic mirror again and freaking out over what he sees. We don’t get to share his vision but it must involve Conan, since Kharam-Akkad sends the guard captain (Chumballa Bey) to find the Cimmerian, knowing through his magical art that Conan is close by. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 25, Conan the Barbarian 26”

Conan the Barbarian #23 – “The Shadow of the Vulture” – Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor Smith/Sal Buscema, Dan Adkins, Chic Stone

This one starts in Pah-Dishah, a city three weeks’ ride from Makkalet, where Conan has come to deliver a plea for help to the king (Ghannif), whose daughter Melissandra is Queen of Makkalet, currently under siege by the armies of Prince Yezdigerd. Conan has a little trouble getting in to see the king, who doesn’t seem too worried to hear his daughter is in trouble. Continue reading “Conan Reviews: Conan the Barbarian 23, Conan the Barbarian 24”