Conan The Slayer #12 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 12, August 2017

Whether or not “Dark Horse Comics” knew that “Marvel Entertainment” and “Conan Properties International” had agreed “to bring Robert E. Howard’s famed pulp hero back to the comics publisher” at the time this particular twenty-two periodical went to print isn’t clear. But what is arguably evident is a palpable lack of appetite on behalf of the book’s creative team to print either a fitting end to its multi-part adaption of “The Devil In Iron”, or indeed, any sort of satisfactory conclusion to the series whatsoever.

For starters, Cullen Bunn’s script makes very little sense and whilst inspired by Conan’s exhilarating battle with “the seemingly indestructible Khel”, doesn’t actually add anything to the August 1934 pulp adventure other than to drag the eighty-year old short story out well beyond its natural ending. This unwise decision creates no end of problems for the Cape Fear-born writer’s narrative, as it resultantly relies entirely upon the comic’s audience to believe that having survived “the cursed isle of Xapur”, both Ghaznavi the Wise and the “savage barbarian” would merely ‘flee’ “through yet another of the Vilayet islands” rather than escape the place entirely by sea. Worse, Conan also brings the utterly useless Nemedian Princess Octavia with him on this perilous mission simply because he feels she “should want retribution as much as I do” against the royal advisor for using her “as bait for the snare.”

Sadly, such illogical lapses in the GLAAD Media Award-winner’s narrative are just the beginning, as the Cimmerian soon finds himself embroiled in a bizarre fight-to-the-death against a tribe of cannibal dwarves whose mission in life appears to be to corrupt children into drinking human blood. Quite how this tale supposedly brings a resolution to Howard’s original work is mystifying, especially when the titular character would have been ‘gutted’ on the Sin-Eater’s sacrificial altar if he hadn’t been rescued by the Ghul; a creature who Bunn would have his 7,230 readers believe forever follows (and protects) Conan in order to feast upon the bronze-skinned warrior’s bloody victims.

Equally as alarming as this magazine’s abysmal storyline is Dheeraj Verma’s ill-disciplined artwork. Having been depicted as a brawny, thick-set, steely-muscled barbarian in this adaption’s previous instalments, the “internationally renowned Indian comic book” creator’s decision to sketch the Cimmerian as a fresh-faced adolescent is utterly bewildering... Unless of course it was his hope to imply that the barbarian’s inexperienced youth was the reason behind why the “sword and sorcery hero” was so easily out-fought by a rag-tag group of pygmies; “How could this fool have caused us so many problems?”

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Dheeraj Verma, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #11 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 11, July 2017

There’s undoubtedly plenty for fans of Robert E. Howard’s creation to enjoy within the covers of Issue Eleven of “Conan The Slayer”, for whilst Cullen Bunn’s adaption of “The Devil In Iron” contains the usual mix of ferocious swordplay and murderous bloodlust, the script also provides the Cimmerian with an opportunity to demonstrate his shrewd, sound-thinking too. In fact, both the lives of “the new Kozaki hetman” and “the beautiful Nemedian princess Octavia” entirely rest upon the so-called barbarian using his intelligence to discover the location of a secret door and rationalising that “a knife that fell from the heavens” is probably the only weapon capable of hurting Khosatral Khel.

Similarly engrossing, is the change that this title has brought upon the “Turanian lord of Khawarizm”, Jehungir Agha. Seemingly all-powerful and arrogantly confident in his ‘sovereignty’ at the beginning of this title’s run, this particular twenty-two page periodical now depicts the coastal town lord as an utterly terrified fleeing fellow, whose sole goal is to escape “the doom that overtaken his warriors” and the “iron giant [that] had sallied suddenly from the gate battering and crushing his best fighters into bits of shredded flesh and splintered bone.”

So wide-eyed and open-mouthed a coward really is unrecognisable from the “villainous Turan governor” the North Carolina-born writer has previously depicted, and yet quite wonderfully, the American author then has him suddenly switch back to the boastful Agha of old when he surprisingly spies Conan and Octavia, and allows his hatred of the pair to overshadow his terror of Xapur’s demi-god, Khel. Indeed, not only does Jehungir immediately forget his flight from the “ancient fortress city”, but unwisely lets loose an arrow at the leader of the Vilayet kozaks before charging him with his unsheathed sword; "One of us, wastrel, will not leave this place alive!”

Of course, Conan’s demonstration of his often-hidden deductive powers and Agha’s sudden reassertion of his wits, are merely forerunners to this comic’s cataclysmic conclusion as “the Hell-spawned giant was upon them once again.” Disappointingly however, the highly anticipated rematch presented between the Cimmerian and Khosatral is inauspiciously swift as Sergio Davila pencils the Kozak hetman effortlessly dispatching his foe within a matter of moments, thanks to the “great dagger of the Yuetshi” which he now wields. With hindsight, Bunn seems to have perhaps missed an opportunity here to at least extend (if not arguably improve) an element of a story which “some Howard scholars claim… is the weakest of the early Conan tales.”

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #10 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 10, June 2017

Selling some 7,520 copies in June 2017, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, Issue Ten of “Conan The Slayer” contains a Cullen Bunn storyline which frankly never stops from the moment Jehungir Agha decides to take “ten mighty archers of Khawarizm” on to “the isolated island of Xapur”, up until the book ends with “that inhuman juggernaut”, Khosatral Khel, literally tearing the coastal town lord’s men to pieces with his bare hands. Indeed, such is the velocity of the North Carolina-born writer’s break-neck narrative, that at times it’s hard to momentarily catch one’s own breath before plunging back into either Conan’s desperate, head-long charge through the corridors of the ancient fortress, or the barbarian’s unbelievably bloody battle with a giant deadly fanged snake.

Fortunately however, the American novelist doesn’t simply rely upon a carousel of action-packed set-pieces in order to retell Robert E. Howard’s “The Devil In Iron”, but impressively manages to include plenty of thoroughly enjoyable narration whenever his cast are too busy fighting for their lives to actually produce any dialogue. These insights into the Hyborian Age hero's thought processes are particularly engaging when the Cimmerian finds himself hurriedly bolting the solid steel door shut to the demi-god’s own chambers, and later as he silently pads his way up to a dais with his “eyes glued on the sleeping reptile” whilst searching for a hidden “magic Yuetshi blade that laid Khosatral low once before!”  

Unhappily though, there seems to be little that Bunn can do to improve the likeability of the enslaved Nemedian princess who accompanies the blacksmith’s son throughout almost the entirety of the twenty-two page publication. Open-mouthed with terror and predominantly impotent with fright, Octavia seems to do very little in this tale except hinder the titular character, and even criticises his numerous efforts to keep the “girl” alive, such as when he temporarily befuddles Khel by throwing a tapestry over his head or categorically states she is not to follow him into the lair of an oversized venomous serpent; “Crom! When I tell you to stay put -- stay put!” 

Wonderfully keeping stride with all these scintillating shenanigans is Sergio Fernandez Davila’s lavishly pencilled drawings. The Spaniard’s understanding and ability to sketch surging muscle is really put to the test throughout this comic’s entirety, and although he occasionally seems to struggle with the consistency of Conan’s facial features, there can surely be no doubting the vibrant life which he brings to the two lead combatants as they continually beat away at one another from scene to scene. 

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #9 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 9, May 2017

Wisely sticking predominantly to Robert E. Howard’s Thirties script, the success of this “Dark Horse Comics” adaption of “The Devil In Iron” arguably rests far more upon the shoulders of its artist than Cullen Bunn’s pen. In fact, the book’s weakest moment, when Conan stumbles across one of Khosatral Khel’s “shaven-headed priests” emerging from a secret tunnel and spouts a mercifully short-lived nonsensical soliloquy, appears to be the only time the Cape Fear-born author ill-advisedly steps markedly away from the adventure’s original text; “Is my fortune good or bad? Bad. Always bad. Except when it is not. Heh. And then it is worse.”

Fortunately, such a heavy reliance upon the pencilling ability of Sergio Davila is not, for the most part at least, misplaced, with the Spaniard’s rendering of the “deserted Dagor” reborn into a green-stoned city, proving to be a particular feast for the eyes. Similarly impressive, is the Cataluna-born illustrator’s rendering of Khel himself. Phenomenally physiqued, being more than a muscular match for the Cimmerian, the red-hued giant appropriately dominates every panel in which he appears and actually seems more formidably alive within Issue Nine of “Conan The Slayer” than he actually does on Howard’s printed page.

Indeed, considering that this particular instalment not only covers “the transmutation of the being men called Khosatral Khel” from out of the Abyss and his subsequent creation of the City of Dagon, but its bloody fall at the hands of its slaves, the Yuetshi as well, it is disappointing that the ancient demon isn’t given more ‘screen time’. Certainly the subjugation and subsequent revolt by the “fierce and brutish people [who] appeared on the shores of the sea” would have been a more interesting area for Bunn to explore, rather than his ham-fisted aforementioned attempt to depict Conan supposedly philosophising over his poor luck.

Sadly however, Davila does seem to struggle to consistently pencil the barbarian’s savage facial features, and resultantly, more than once portrays the incredulous adventurer as some sort of doe-eyed caricature that would not look out of place within the pages of a manga magazine. These momentary lapses are thankfully only occasional, yet disappointingly permeate the entire publication and only seem to disappear as the artist reaches the periodical’s epic conclusion when the Cimmerian hurls his sword point at Khel’s exposed chest and disbelievingly watches his blade shatter upon contact with Khosatral’s impenetrable flesh.

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #8 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 8, April 2017

Regarded by some Robert E. Howard scholars as “the weakest of the early Conan tales” due to its “plot loopholes and borrowed elements”, “The Devil In Iron” still earned its author $115 when it was first published in “Weird Tales” in August 1934. Sadly however, it is doubtful the adventure’s narrative would have generated quite so much financial reward if it had followed the lines of Cullen Bunn’s adaption for Issue Eight of “Conan The Slayer”. For whilst the North Carolina-born writer’s script initially follows Khosatral Khel’s awakening on the remote island of Xapur by “a greedy fisherman”, it soon disappointingly degenerates into depicting a non-canon brawl between Conan and Gilzan during “a parley with the Kozaks in regard to a prisoner exchange.”

Such a disorientating diversion from the original text, does admittedly provide some semblance of action, as the Cimmerian brutally bludgeons Jehungir Agha’s heavily-muscled retainer into unconsciousness with his bare fists. But ultimately, Octavia’s feigned play at being a “trollop with this barbarian”, and her subsequent successful attempt to have the titular character become the Nemedian’s “instrument of revenge against her torturer” merely proves to be little more than a rather tiringly inferior delay in the storytelling process; “This not a war… But a disagreement between a man and a coward who torments women for sport.”

This displeasing interruption also seems somewhat self-defeating later in the twenty-two page periodical, when the GLAAD media Award-winner supplements Octavia’s speechless escape from her master’s castle and harrowing headlong flight towards the deadly island, by populating each panel with Howard’s original narration. This suspenseful scene is followed by Conan’s own arrival at Xaphur, yet because Bunn has already explained the Adventurer’s presence as a result of his ‘parley punch-up’, the reader is disconcertingly subjected to two simple pages of dialogue-free, unatmospheric tedium. 

Interestingly, the inconsistent quality of Sergio Davila’s artwork for this magazine would also seem to suggest he himself felt some modicum of displeasure at Cullen’s somewhat forced additional scenes. Why else would the “Dark Horse Comics” illustrator one moment dynamically pencil a hapless fisherman, who had climbed the cliffs of Xaphur, being dramatically crushed to death by a huge bronzed giant, and then in the next offer a dearth of poorly sketched lack-lustre panels concerning Conan’s fisticuffs? Indeed, it could be argued that the Spaniard’s drawing only noticeably picks back up to its high standard once the comic book returns to Howard’s published manuscript.

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #7 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 7, March 2017

Considering that at the start of this twenty-two page periodical Cullen Bunn reaffirms that as a result of “their former [dead] leader’s intervention” during an attack by Turanian assassins, the titular character has become the horse-riding Kozaks new hetman, the GLAAD Media Award-winner’s swashbuckling sea-based script for Issue Seven of “Conan The Slayer” arguably makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Indeed, in many ways this particular tale, initially situated within the cursed ruins of an ancient island and then later entirely focused upon two sea-faring vessels sailing across the Vilayet Sea, would seem far more in keeping with the Cimmerian’s time alongside “his demon Queen of the Black Coast” than during his tenure championing Taraslan’s tent-dwelling, desert raiders.

Admittedly, this opening instalment of “The Devil In Iron” story-arc does seemingly appear to fit in quite well as a forerunner to the 1934 Robert E. Howard penned adventure of the same name, by depicting the well-muscled barbarian once again turning his hand to the grim “business of killing Turanians” and looting their ships. But even if this publication’s audience are appreciative of the tale acting as a sort of prelude to “one of the [franchise’s] original stories”, it is hard to imagine many were particularly enthralled by its somewhat simplistically contrived plot of having the former pirate battling a silverback gorilla, who just happened to have “lived as a caged novelty” below decks.

In fact, in many ways the “Superstar” writer’s narrative is painfully unremarkable, and brings absolutely nothing new to the leather-booted adventurer’s party, except perhaps Conan’s melancholic acceptance that the formidably-sized royal pet should simply be allowed to escape its captivity by drowning, just because he feels “the beast has suffered enough.” Certainly, the Cimmerian has been seen many times before battling the savagely dangerous inhabitants of the natural world and triumphantly leading boarding actions against a well-armed foe; “You seem to know your way around a ship. Have you sailed before..?”

Quibbles as to the unremarkable nature of its penmanship aside however, this comic does boast some terrific illustrations by Admira Wijaya. Lank-haired, sinewy and scar-crossed, the Indonesian artist’s excellent pencilling of the lead antagonist genuinely imbues him with all the deadly ‘pantherish’ grace Howard’s numerous descriptive texts speak of, and one can truly feel the raw power of their contest when the man later matches his might against that of an enraged primate.

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Admira Wijaya, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #6 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 6, January 2017

Enjoyably ‘down to earth’ and non-fantastical, at least until the comic’s rather grandiose finale as a fiery Taraslan returns from beyond the grave to burn alive the leader of a Ninja clan who has set his assassins upon the dead hetman’s tribe, Cullen Bunn’s script for Issue Six of “Conan The Slayer” brings the titular character’s journey to become head of the Kozaks to a somewhat satisfactory conclusion. Indeed, the American author’s script is arguably packed full of the seemingly endless blood-letting and savage swordplay one has come to expect from a publication featuring the barbaric creation of Robert E. Howard; especially an officially licenced one.

Fortunately, such a torrent of ‘thrills and spills’ is tremendously well-paced, and instead of simply being an unendingly empty gratuitous depiction of campsite carnage, the GLAAD Media Award-nominee manages to imbue the numerous combatants with a genuine sense of malice, panic, terror and determination, courtesy of a thoughtfully emotional beginning which sees a frustrated Jehungir Agha angrily give orders to have the horsemen dispatched, and a lamenting Conan honouring his fallen friend. Such character defining scenes are admittedly somewhat dialogue-heavy, but the barbarian’s anguish, in particular, is so well delivered that at one point it appears that the Cimmerian’s belief he is “haunted by the spectre of death itself” will lead him to just impotently walk away from the sorrowful broken wastrels and into the surrounding melancholic wilderness.

Rather enjoyably however, the “sword and sorcery hero” is never given the opportunity to make such a depressing exit, as an assassin’s arrow suddenly fizzes past his head and pierces the chest of a nearby Kozak. This bloody death, one which comes at the simple turning of a page, immediately alters the entire dynamic of Bunn’s narrative, and swiftly sees artist Sergio Davila not only pencilling black-clad ninjas, “their armour… padded and oiled so as to be silent”, mercilessly murdering any of the tribesmen who haplessly stand within reach of their dead throat-slitting knives. But Conan and Iksana gustily ridding the silent intruders of their innards, arms, throats and brains in all manner of macabre mutilations; “Take up arms, Kozaks! This is your Hetman’s funeral! Teach the dogs to respect the dead!”

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #5 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 5, November 2016

In many ways one could argue that this particular instalment of Cullen Bunn’s “Blood In His Wake” story-arc sadly unravels throughout Issue Five of “Conan The Slayer” just as badly as the traitorous Kyrlo’s plans do to replace his brother as Hetman of the Kozaki raiders. It’s certainly hard to see any logical justification as to why the murderer’s demonic mentor has been helping Taraslan’s impotent, though undoubtedly “villainous sibling” rise to the chiefdom of a settlement of horsemen... Unless of course the decaying entity simply takes pleasure from instigating such random acts of “despicable treachery”; arguably a somewhat lazy motivation for a Hyborian Age character which hardly befits a script inspired by the carefully considered literary works of Robert E. Howard - “The father of the sword and sorcery subgenre.” 

Fortunately however, what the Cape Fear-born author’s narrative lacks in rationale, it more than makes up for with horrific action, as the Cimmerian faces a fortress filled with the walking, rancid corpses of undead warriors. Indeed, just as soon as the barbarian starts scouting the water-logged ruins of Gorey Castle, the pace to this twenty-two page periodical’s plot increases exponentially and packs almost every frame with as much gut-wrenching bodily mutilation and disembowelling swordplay as presumably “Red Sonja” artist Sergio Davila’s pencil can muster.

This incredible ‘torrent’ of violence simply doesn’t stop until the comic’s very end, and resultantly it’s hard not to imagine at least some of this book’s 8,326-strong audience wincing as the Kozaks gruesomely fall “victim to these restless dead”, or disconcertingly blanche as Conan momentarily stumbles before a ‘supernaturally fast’ weapon blow, having had the debilitating wound draw “the very life out of me!” But whilst such intense and unending bloodshed could potentially prove rather wearisome, Bunn’s decision to have the blacksmith’s son realise the desperate futility of his situation, and the need for his companions to retreat making “as much noise as you can”, provides at least a little thinking behind the muscular mercenary’s determination to reach the haunted keep and rescue Mykylo’s stubborn-headed son; “We cannot win a standup fight with these things! Force your way past them! These grounds are bedevilled -- We must flee before we’re overrun!”

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #4 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 4, October 2016

Whilst undoubtedly this comic’s 8,657 quite rightly expected Issue Four of “Conan The Slayer” to feature a plot within which the titular Cimmerian was the central focus, Cullen Bunn’s narrative for “Blood In His Wake” does so in a somewhat illogical manner. For having previously shown Kyrylo selling out his brother to the Turanians, as well as murdering his father in order to attain the title of Kozaki hetman, the Bram Stoker Award-nominee disconcertingly pens for the overly-ambitious traitor to attain his thoroughly deserved come-uppance via a certain black-haired barbarian, rather than his rival sibling, Taraslan.

Admittedly, the “inexperienced” horseman is still carrying a somewhat debilitating arrow wound courtesy of his younger counterpart conspiring “with the Turanians to assassinate” him, and additionally, is evidently exhausted from his flight on foot from “a pack of hideous troll brothers and their amorous sea-witch mother”. But surely it would still make much more sense for the true heir to Mykylo’s chieftainship to boldly “stride into the funeral of a great man while brandishing a weapon” and face the monster who had “slain his own flesh and blood out of arrogance and jealously", rather than the mercenary outlander; especially when Taraslan is still aided by “the battle-proficient Oksana”..?

Equally as implausibly lazy as the North Carolina-born writer’s ‘excuse’ to have Conan stride into the midst of the Kozaks and mutilate a handful of them, is the American author’s highly questionable plot-twist concerning the captive conspirator’s unfathomable release by the Eater of the Dead and subsequent escape in the pincer-like arms of several flying demons. Just why a deity who has haunted the wastes “for boundless centuries” has decided to aid a failed usurper of a small horse-faring tribe is never explained, nor why he determines the smartest way to extract Kyrylo from his imprisonment is to conjure a flock of noisy, winged creatures and thereby risk his ignoble pawn's safety at the hands of an enraged Cimmerian..?

Enthusiastically pencilling all these dubious ‘goings-on’, Sergio Davila’s breakdowns are as refreshingly raw as his figures are well-muscled and dynamically drawn. Indeed, it is hard to pick out which is the commissioned artist’s best work within this twenty-two page periodical; the phenomenally gory head-removing sweeps of Conan’s infamous broadsword or the characters’ wonderfully dramatic facial features.

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #3 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 3, September 2016

Predominantly focusing upon the Cimmerian’s captivity within the lair of “a monstrous Sea Troll”, such is Cullen Bunn’s marvellously atmospheric writing for Issue Three of “Conan The Slayer” that it is hard to imagine the vast majority of this twenty-two page periodical’s 8,879 followers actually not smelling “something rotten that had been cast up by the sea” whilst reading the comic book. Indeed, one can almost taste the stinking salty aura of the reeking clam-festooned she-hag who holds the barbarian prisoner before “the croaking, guttural voice” of “Mother” has even been heard, or her ‘terrible countenance’ seen; “What manner of nightmare hellspawn are you?”

Disappointingly however, this pungently disconcerting confrontation, made all the more unnerving by the warty woman’s desire to “breed” with her heavily-muscled prize repeatedly until he lives “long enough to see the sons you sire born”, is frustratingly ruined by the North Carolina-born novelist’s decision to abruptly switch the narrative’s attention away from the squirming warrior’s predicament and instead momentarily centre upon the fate of Conan’s comrades tied up outside. This temporary respite from the skin-crawling machinations of the protagonist’s ‘less than pleasing’ captor is admittedly just as tensely scripted as its predecessor set within ‘ a sea vessel which hasn’t been seaworthy in many years’, especially when three hungry Sea Trolls tell the bound humans they’re next as the monsters hungrily tear great chunks out of a dead horse’s carcass. But the timing of such a gruesome sequence leaves a lot to be desired and perhaps unkindly could be criticised as lazy penmanship on behalf of the GLAAD Media Award-nominee’s part as it allows him to subsequently avoid explaining just how Conan slipped his heavy shackles and “spurned” the “Hagmother’s advances.”

Fortunately, once Robert E. Howard’s creation does re-appear Bunn’s incredibly wordy, yet thoroughly enthralling narrative, certainly picks up pace, and within moments of the unarmed Cimmerian crash-landing onto the beach’s surf, Sergio Davila is dynamically drawing roaring charges, monstrous weapon swings and plenty of severed limbs. In fact, whilst depicting the Barbarian and his friends gorily dispatching the She-Troll’s three formidable-looking sons, the Spanish artist seems to somehow increase the amount of blood on show per panel just as Cullen diminishes their dialogue.

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #2 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 2, August 2016

It would certainly seem clear from the plot to Issue Two of “Conan The Slayer” that Cullen Bunn evidently sees the titular character’s tales as having “always been a fusion of sword and sorcery and horror.” For whilst this second instalment of his “Blood In His Wake” narrative primarily focuses upon Krylo’s ambitious plot to murder his father and become the leader of some Kozaki tribesmen, it also features the disconcerting presence of a skeletal Hellspawn who literally decays before the readers’ eyes, and a pair of fantastically formidable-looking sea trolls who seemingly ‘truss up’ their victims as “a totem of some sort” in order for their stench to hang “so heavy in the air, it feels as though it slickens my skin like sweat!”

Sadly however, the simple inclusion of these differing elements within the self-same twenty-two page periodical is not necessarily conducive to creating a smooth-flowing storyline, and despite the North Carolina-born writer’s intention to “bring those sensibilities to this series in a big way”, he does so in such a choppy, haphazard manner, that arguably many of this publication’s audience probably felt almost as if they’d missed out on an issue somewhere. It’s certainly seems rather odd that this comic inexplicably starts with Taraslan’s ambitious brother bargaining with the cadaverous Ghul over the Cimmerian’s murder during the middle of the night, when the series’ previous edition ended with Conan simply being freed and his “cunning enemies” slaughtered… And just how has the Kozaki Hetman’s youngest son managed to additionally barter with the Turanian cutthroats in order for them to kill some of his father’s scouts and “plant the tracks that led” the former Zuagir warlord into an ambush?

What Bunn’s narrative does appear to be good at though, is depicting plenty of Robert E. Howard-inspired pulse-pounding action once Krylo’s trap is sprung halfway through the magazine, and the barbarian’s party start to fall beneath a flurry of deadly arrows. Indeed, Sergio Davila’s breakdowns, which up until this juncture have arguably been competent at best, suddenly leap into dynamic life and quite breathlessly convey all the savagery of the protagonist’s fight for his life as he bravely charges straight into his aghast foes, dismembering and beheading them as he implacably goes; “I had thought you were more hunters sniffing after me… But it sounds as if you had another victim in mind. No matter -- you’ve found me nonetheless!”

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Conan The Slayer #1 - Dark Horse Comics

CONAN THE SLAYER No. 1, July 2016

Cullen Bunn’s narrative for Issue One of “Conan The Slayer” certainly seems to be “one that fans will no doubt be familiar with” as the Ghastly Award nominee undoubtedly manages to capture the mood and feel of Robert E. Howard’s writing with this story of animalistic human savagery, gruesome mutilation and Turanian affairs of state. In fact in many ways “Blood In His Wake” actually reads like an adaptation of one of the Cimmerian’s genuine novels rather than simply a twenty-two page officially licensed comic book.

For starters the American author immediately replicates the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre’s writing technique by ‘picking up’ the “brazen” fighter’s adventure part-way through its telling and introducing the “black-haired, sullen-eyed” titular character literally just after he has single-handedly survived a large-scale battle in which the barbarian’s “proud desert wolves” have been slaughtered to a man by an all-encompassing Turanian host. As a result this publication’s audience are instantly thrown into a compellingly dramatic action sequence which follows the bloodied and bruised blacksmith’s son as he ambushes his heavily-armed pursuers with extreme prejudice and finds safety within the tent of a Kozak settlement; “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about them, Cimmerian. I have less use for Turanians than I do for warlords and even less for those who refuse to show respect to their betters.”

However Bunn’s script doesn’t simply rely upon providing plenty of panels depicting grisly decapitations and dismemberment in order to tell his tale. But instead additionally weaves the primal political machinations of the Hyborian Age into his work; something which gives a smattering of depth to Mykylo’s motivation for sparing Conan’s life after the bandit Hetman’s reputation is arrogantly insulted by three “Turanian bloodhounds.”   

Sadly Sergio Davila’s breakdowns for “number one hundred and thirty eight in a series” are not quite as good as the plot, and at times disappointingly appear both rushed and almost unexpectedly amateurish in their execution. There is little doubt that the former “Dynamite Entertainment” artist can produce some outstanding illustrations, as his double splash of the sinisterly shadowy Ghul menacing “the uncountable dead men” the Cimmerian “left in his wake” attests to. Yet his rather anatomically correct, distinctive drawings become increasingly less disciplined in their pencilling, as the comic progresses…

Script: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Sergio Davila, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh