Look at that cover, fine stuff, isn't it? Cary Nord no longer pencils Dark Horse's Conan comics, but he contributes the odd piece now and then.
I'd been meaning for a while to read more of the modern Conan comics. As I've indicated before, I have a LOT of varied interests. I sometimes let some of them lie dormant for a while, so I'll find something to start (or re-start) reading and collecting at a later date.
I bought the first Dark Horse Conan collection when it was new, and also own the first Savage Sword of Conan collection. I'm a big fan of both the Cary Nord Darkhorse Conan, and the John Buscema/Alfredo Alcala black and white Marvel version of the character. However, other things caught my attention, and only recently did the itch come over me to acquire more Dark Horse releases. I knew this time would come, sooner or later, and the wait is over.
In the meantime, I read some criticisms of the artwork by Tomas Giorello, who took over for Nord along the way. I'd see the collections in the bookstores, and, honestly, the art looked decent enough. Timothy Truman took over as writer, and I've been a fan of his since I acquired Straight Up to See the Sky, many years ago. I also remember Truman as an artist for D&D products back around 1987. Since I'm familiar with the plot to Robert E. Howard's original stories, I decided I should get a book in which Truman and Giorello were able to use a lot of their own ideas. Thus, I bought a copy of The Hand of Nergal, which is expanded from a REH synopsis.
It was a fun adventure, with plenty of bloodshed and grimness. The art is quite good, and I think complainers are only upset that it is different from Nord's work. Giorello is actually a better artist than Nord, in basic terms, but Nord has him beat in making an impact with his work. Both are fine choices for this sort of tale.
I was left with the urge for more Dark Horse Conan, and on the second purchase, I couldn't pass up Iron Shadows in the Moon, with its dynamic cover art. It isn't one of my favorite REH stories, but I was interested in comparing the Truman/Giorello take on it with the version by Roy Thomas and Buscema/Alcala. Both are equally good, overall, but Dark Horse has the advantage of not having Conan wear his notorious "fur diaper!"
I'll probably do a major purchase soon, of all the Dark Horse collections that I'm missing (I now have 1, 6, & 10, out of 10). These books are a worthy tribute to REH and his creations, done with respect and care. They are well-worth buying and reading.
Moonsorrow have long provided a great soundtrack for reading Conan and other REH material. I finally caught up with their latest,Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa, now that a legal American download has become available. The title translates as "As Shadows We Walk in the Land of the Dead," and the album is as cheery as that suggests. Their last full album, 2007's V: Hävitetty ("Chapter 5, Ravaged"), told of the end of the world, as described in Norse and Nordic legends. VKKM is a loose sequel, in that it tells the tale of the fate of a handful of survivors of the cataclysm.
My favorite Moonsorrow song remains Haaska ("Carrion") from 2005's Verisakeet ("The Blood Verses"). That album was the first time the band achieved a really tough production tone that reflected how they sound live. In particular, Baron Tarvonen's drumming was captured at its full potential. This new album essentially takes the template from Haaska, and expands it into four full songs (along with three short interludes that advance the story). This is a leaner, more muscular Moonsorrow than what was heard on Voimasta ja Kunniasta ("Of Strength and Honor") and Kivenkantaja ("Stonebearer"). The drums pummel, the guitars are aggressive, and the keyboards play only a minor role. If you're looking for the "happy" sounds of Voimasta and Suden Uni (A Wolf's Dream"), you'll be disappointed, but if, like me, you enjoy the Tama Ikuinen Talvi ("This Eternal Winter") demo, well, there's echoes of it here, twelve years down the road.
If you're new to Moonsorrow, listen to Huuto ("The Scream") to get a feel for their sound. It's the most accessible song on Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa, and also the most varied. There's some "tribal" drumming, some folk strumming, and plenty of heaviness around those moments. But all four full songs very good, and up to Moonsorrow's high standards.
Back to Conan, in the days since I first started composing this post I bought another Dark Horse collection, volume 9, Free Companions. I think Truman did a great job bridging the events of of Black Colossus (a REH story covered in volume 8) and Iron Shadows in the Moon. Truman himself did a good part of the art in this book, and Joe Kubert handled a bit too. I used to read Kubert's work extensively 25 years ago and more, in DC war comics such as Sgt. Rock. It was fun to see his first Conan work, but his scenes look out of place next to the other material. Truman does a decent job, but, ultimately, his sections and Kubert's pale next to Giorello's half of the book. The pencil samples in the back of the book really make clear how excellent Giorello is. It's good to know that Truman and Giorello are still working together, for adaptations of some of REH's stories of King Conan. The Scarlet Citadel is in-progress now, as a comic book mini-series. I'll definitely be getting the eventual trade paperback collection, whenever it is released. By that time, I'll hopefully own the other Conan volumes that I'm currently missing.
