The Savage Sword of Conan #1 has all of the brutality of Robert E. Howard's stories with a host of talented writers and artists! Titan Comics has begin publishing Conan the Barbarian comic books since August of last year. Now, it has been producing The Savage Sword of Conan as a black and white magazine from 1974 to 1995! The magazine was able to tell sword and sorcery tales that had violence and sensuality that were not permitted in comic book. They were more in line with Robert E. Howard’s stories. These stories are an anthology of a 47 page comic story, Howard poem, a short story, and comic of Howard’s Puritan swordsman, Solomon Kane. The main cover has a painting by Joe Jusko with Conan standing over dead Stygian soldiers and a beautiful woman.
Jusko also provided covers for the Marvel Comics magazine, so this is a perfect Conan cover! There is an introduction by Roy Thomas, who is the long time Conan scribe for the comics, and also promises a few stories for the magazine! We get a two page map of the world of Hyperborea. Then, the long form story, “Conan and the Dragon Horde”, by John Arcudi, who contributed stories to the first Savage Sword of Conan magazine, and Max Von Fafner, a French artist who worked on Carthago Adventures for Humanoids Publishing. It is set in the Great Hyrkanian Steppes where we see an army cross a field; soldiers, siege machines, and elephants. The elephants have a pattern like digital art. We see that Hyrkania is to the east of Conan’s Cimmeria, just west of Khitai. There is also a lion walking next to Prince Zaahid on his elephant mount.
He is headed to the city state of Ul-Dalkhana, it is explained that it is a fortress above a gold mine! A splash page introduces, General Conan, horned helmet almost like Elric of Melnibone, scaled armor, and riding before archers. The dark pencils of Von Fafner is almost like Richard Corben. We also have a female part of the army of two hundred men. She has a pony tail and revealing amor. Her face reminds me of one of my favorite European artists, Massimiliano Frezzato. A soldier gets too close to Ineah and tries to reach out for her. He is snatched off his horse by one of the burly guards for daring to annoy the army’s engineer. Ineah rides on, expressionless, then Prince Zaahid calls a halt to the army to set up camp. The soldiers gossip while Conan just sits there.
Prince Zaahid walks up with his lions, but Conan doesn’t move. The prince mentions the foolish soldier who he says works for the general. Conan corrects him that he was paid by Prince Zaahid. The other soldiers joke about Conan and point out Ineah. Then, we see her full figure as she checks a ballista. Conan has brought two cups of ale, one for her, Ineah smiles. She asks him about the question of a woman with an army. Conan says he’s known other warrior women, we know Valeria and Red Sonja who comes from Hyrkania. Ineah says that the prince requested the ballista. The two guards walk in to warn Conan about talking with Ineah. We see a closeup of Conan’s eye warning them. The engineer calms down the situation.
It is almost a week’s journey when they come to the gates protecting Ul-Dalkhana. Prince Zaahid sends his elephants to break down the wooden gate. Conan is suspicious, but Ineah riding behind Conan says she owes him a flagon of ale. The elephants are about to breach the gate, Conan is about to send in his soldiers, but the prince stops him. Then, we see a mauled elephant! Then, there is a two page spread of the dragon of the title, it roars clawing the other elephant! An insert panel has Conan’s stunned expression. The horsemen archers loose their arrows, then a shadow falls on them, as the elephant’s corpse crushes them! The violence is intense for this title. A one and half page splash as the dragon roaring as the soldiers start to run!
It crushes a warrior in its jaws. Then, the dragon opens its maw for Conan before taken out by the ballista! He turns and sees Ineah by her siege machine. Conan realizes that the prince had planned for the dragon without telling him. He turns to kill Prince Zaahid, but he sends his lions! Dragon, lions, and guards, oh my! There is still a weird mysteries to Ul-Dalkhana and only Conan’s sword with Ineah can face its dangers! Howard’s “The Road of Kings” poem follows. Then, a short story, “Sacrifice in the Sand” by Jim Zub. The writer also co-wrote with Gail Simone the Dark Horse Comics limited series, Conan/Red Sonja. It is basically the story seen in the cover with Conan fighting the Stygian guards of Captain Nkosi.
His battle is to save the beautiful girl who is taken to be sacrificed! Zub has a touch of Howard to his prose and has a twist ending that is a welcome surprise. The last story is the first part of “Master of the Hunt” by Patrick Zircher who handles art and writing duties. Zircher provided artwork for Marvel’s Savage Sword of Conan comic book. There is a splash page profile of Solomon Kane, slouch hat, coat, pistol, and rapier. Howad created the character in “Red Shadows” (1928), before Conan, there was a Solomon Kane movie (2009). At night, in the rain, there is a three story tavern in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is in the southern tip of Wales. Inside the Ox Knuckle Inn, a blind man, Wilkin, tells the story of All Hallow’s Eve. It was called Samhain and tells about the “veil” between the otherworld is weak.
He mentions all manner of creatures which is scoffed by the other patrons. In the night, sheep fall into panic, as Wilkin tells about if the monster from the other world comes into their land! A sheep is skewered and then we see a large panel of a dark, hairy creature like a werewolf. The tavern, night, and werewolf creature make me think of An American Werewolf in London (1981). The next day is bright and we se closeups of Solomon Kane until there is a large panel of Solomon reigning in his horse, Nicodemus. He sees the body of the dog and then a large pawprint! Solomon approaches a farm of Gwenllyan Maddocks, her son, Roland, and her ax-wielding husband, Edmund. He is taken in and told about the bodies of the sheep. Solomon Kane’s mission is to hunt supernatural threats. The Savage Sword of Conan #1 has a number of hard edged sword and sorcery tales that are in the best tradition of Robert E. Howard!
Five+ Savage Swords out of Five!
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