Conan the Barbarian #2 has the pursuit of an undead army by Conan and his Pict ally, Brissa! The second issue has a cover by Alan Quah which has Conan, scarred with countless wounds, and carrying an axe before fire in the background. “Homelands!” Is the second part of “Bound in Black Stone”! The writing is by Jim Zub and with art by Rob De La Torre. Conan is on his way to return to his homeland, Cimmeria, and ends up in the village, Hauler’s Roam. The village falls under the attack of the undead Army of the Lost. The people were warned by the Pict woman, Brissa. They escape the massacre and Conan want to find refuge in Cimmeria, but Brissa says it is already too late! A splash page starts of the story with Conan and Brissa of the Gurian Tribe. They are taking cove underneath the shadow of two fallen trees. An impressive beginning!
They have returned the next day to see the village in ruins. A single, turbaned warrior remains and the thralls tear him apart! The violence is not explicit, but is in the style of Conan creator, Robert E. Howad. The thralls have skeleton faces, hair, and bluish skin. The bodies are piled up by the Army of the Lost. It is explained that Brissa saw a simliar scene at her village three weeks ago. The bodies are tied up to be taken away. It must be to be turned into undead by some necromantic master! The corpses are dragged north up a road by the undead Picts. Brissa and Conan leave the cover of the forest to pursue the Army of the Lost. They pursue into the sunset and we see gaping mouths of the undead. Brissa wants to attack them in the night, but Conan says they should track them back to their master.
The Army of the Lost continues until they are dark figures in the setting sun. Brissa says they are already dead, but Conan says he knows male and female Cimmerians when they are on defense. Conan shows her the sword that he had found in Conan the Cimmerian #0 from Free Comics Day. Brissa sees that it is an ancient Pict weapon and wants it back! He resists her and their argument attracts the attention of a Pict thrall. Conan sees Brissa’s shocked expression. The Pict thrall snarls at him, a touch of EC horror comics!, Conan cuts through his mid-section! Then, he slices upwards ripping apart its entrails, gruesome! This is the imag for De La Torre’s variant cover. Brissa awkwardly thanks Conan and they continue on in silence. It is two days later with the Army of the Lost still dragging the corpses now through snowy Cimmerian hills.
Conan tracks them through familiar terrain, leading Brissa through a watery ravine, the undead Picts stop to stare at the moon. This gives time for Brissa and Conan to rest. Conan redresses Brissa’s dirty bandages. She tells him about her people who turned away from tribal wars. The wars corrupted the other Picts. Brissa says she feels safe with Conan and takes off her fur coat! They spend the night together. Conan was very passionate in the Howard stories. Brissa also is in the warrior women tradition like Valeria of the Red Brotherhood. Still, they don’t disturb the undead who continue dragging the bodies at first light. Conan is kissing Brissa and they share some pillow where she says Conan is a wanderer. They get dressed and Brissa says that the gods have left the Picts. Conan cares nothing about his god, Crom, and instead Cimmerians are on their own.
They trek through the snows following the Army of the Lost. There is another village destroyed like Hauler’s Roam. Conan vows revenge for them. He tells Brissa that the undead are headed to a “gathering place.” Conan says that Brissa should warn the Aquilonian capital, Tanrantia, but she says they won’t trust a Pict. His plan is to raise Cimmerian clans to fight the Army of the Lost. Conan and Brissa move through the village with more bodies. The undead are standing around waiting for their orders. An unearthly light appears from the sky and the Army of the Lost raise their weapons and cry in salute. Conan tries to cover his ears as well as Brissa from the sound.
This brings a vision shown in an epic two page spread! People turned into reptillian creatures, there were Serpent Men who were introduced in the King Kull story, “The Shadow Kingdom” (1929) or Man-Serpents in Conan’s time. This might have some connection to the Stygian god Set. This could be a continuing villain, the wizard, Thoth-amon who Conan finds his symbol in “The God in the Bowl” (1952). We see at either side of Brissa and Conan, rows of people who hurtle themselves off cliffs into what looks like the jaws a skull! Conan has to face former Cimmerians he fought next to and now are part of the Army of the Lost! A strange, bittersweet return home for Conan! There is more savage action in Conan The Barbarian #2 with more clues about the undead army!
Five Swords out of Five!
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