When the latest incarnation of the Conan comic book series began being published, I decided to read the individual issues as they came out, just like I did in the old days—the difference being that I read them digitally instead of on cheap newsprint. (For the record, I prefer cheap newsprint over digital, but I prefer digital over slick paper.) After finishing the first story arc, however, I decided to wait for the collected edition of the next arc. It just seemed simpler that way, plus I get to read the stories one right after the other.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THRICE MARKED FOR DEATH reprints issues #5-8 of the series
and deepens Conan’s involvement with the mysterious and deadly Black Stone. It’s
written by Jim Zub and the art is by Doug Braithwaite. The story begins with
Conan in the city of Shadizar, mourning the death of Belit, the pirate queen
and great love of his life, who Conan met in Robert E. Howard’s classic story “Queen
of the Black Coast”. Short flashbacks to Conan’s time with Belit run throughout
these stories. The main storyline, however, involves Conan being hired along
with several other thieves to steal an artifact from one of the local temples.
Things go wrong. Evil ensues. Lot of people die. And Conan is left in a heap of
trouble.
Despite the dreaded “To Be Continued” at the end of this book, I enjoyed THRICE
MARKED FOR DEATH quite a bit. Jim Zub’s script is fast-paced and packed with
action, and more importantly, he writes a version of Conan that is recognizably
REH’s character. Really, that’s what you’re looking for in a Conan pastiche.
Doug Braithwaite’s art is excellent, with good storytelling and a gritty quality
that really works well with the story.
All of this is leading up to a big crossover event featuring numerous Howard
characters besides Conan. I’m not that fond of the idea of doing that, but given
Zub’s track record, I’m cautiously optimistic that he can pull it off. I
certainly intend to continue reading in order to find out. In the meantime,
THRICE MARKED FOR DEATH is an entertaining yarn and is available in e-book and
trade paperback editions.
1 comment:
I like Zub's Conan. While no one writes exactly like Howard except Howard it had what I look for in a Conan story.
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