Comics Corner: Savage Sword of Conan #1 (Published 2/13/2019)
Like so many fans of this legendary character, I rejoiced when I heard that Conan would be returning to Marvel. To be clear, Dark Horse did a fine job with the property, but it never spoke to me in the same way. Maybe it's sheer nostalgia, but when I think of the way Roy Thomas handled our favorite Cimmerian back in the day, or the damn near mystical appeal those eye-popping Savage Sword magazines held for me, I can't help but be a bit underwhelmed by Conan's comic book exploits elsewhere. Anyway, the first issue of the second coming of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian registered as big winner, but I found the second issue to be more than a little disappointing--and the recently published third issue is a full-on disaster. So, my enthusiasm had waned a bit when I visited Fanboy Comics to scoop up my copy of this fresh take on Savage Sword of Conan. A single glance at the magnificent cover from the one and only Alex Ross was enough to scatter my misgivings. Seriously, I'll put this beauty up against anything Frazetta ever composed, and that is not hyperbole. Sign me up for a poster, please! And the comic itself is stellar from cover to cover, with excellent plotting from Gerry Duggan and glorious art courtesy of Ron Garney. The pencils are bold, the story is robust, and this stands as a brawny and richly compelling comic--in other words, it's a perfect take on Conan. I now find myself hoping that Conan the Barbarian rebounds while praying (not to Crom, who doesn't heed prayers) that the next issue of Savage Sword of Conan doesn't falter. This is a grand start and an absolute must-have for any fan of Robert E. Howard's timeless hero.
Final Grade: A+
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