REVIEW: Shipwrecked with King Conan #1
In King Conan #1 by Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar, Matthew Wilson, and Travis Lanham, we get the opening for a tale of Conan the Barbarian King. Dripping with style, this book evokes stories like the Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf to tell an adventurous tale of a warrior from a long-forgotten time.
King Conan #1
Photo Credit: Marvel Comics.
After surviving a shipwreck and crawling out of (literally) maggot-infested waters, King Conan arrives on an unexplored shore. Soon, he’s eating those maggots (the only source of sustenance) and drinking “only mildly soured rum” as he seeks some handle on what’s going on, or at least seeks to find the rest of his crew.
Photo Credit: Marvel Comics.
It’s a classic set-up for an adventure story, Marvel Blog True Believers, and it works well because both the narration and the artwork nails the tone. Conan is immediately an engaging protagonist, and only becomes more so as he engages in battle with the wizard Thoth-amon, Conan’s long-time enemy.
Photo Credit: Marvel Comics.
In addition to many awesome images, I especially enjoyed the scene that saw a shark being mixed into the battle. I tell ya, Marvel Blog True Believers… there’s something about sharks and comic books! They go together like peanut butter and chocolate.
I don’t have much experience with Conan, but I was still able to pick up this issue and enjoy it without any previous knowledge of the narrative.
One of the four incredible pages at the center of this book. Photo Credit: Marvel Comics.
A special shout-out to the four full-page splashes in the middle of the book, in which Conan reflects back on his life. These feature art and colors that are both done by Asrar, and they are arrestingly awesome images.
Available at your LCS Now
Photo Credit: Marvel Comics.
If you want to pick up a copy of King Conan #1 for yourself, one may be available now at your Local Comic Shop… and heads up, Marvel Blog True Believers: there are loads of awesome variant covers for this inaugural issue, so be sure and keep an eye out for those! Let us know what you thought of this issue in the comment section.
