Conan The Slayer #1 –
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Sergio Davila
Colors by Michael Atiyeh
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover by Lee Bermejo
Over the years, Dark Horse Comics has told many great stories that would make Robert E. Howard proud. When you see that Cullen Bunn will be writing the world’s most famous Barbarian, how can you not take a look? Conan The Slayer #1 doesn’t come out until July 13th, but let’s take an advanced look.
When we first see Conan, he is in dire straights. He is also alone in the desert, which is a recipe for disaster in itself. It’s only the first issue, and you actually get the sense that this could be it for the great warrior. As he stumbles forward, things take a bit of a turn for Conan. The question you keep asking yourself is: Is this for the better or the worse? It may be too soon to answer that question, but we get a little bit of an idea towards the end of the issue. Without going into spoiler territory, the issue ends with a sign of what may be ahead and a choice that could change things in a big way for Conan.
This book had the action that you expect from a Conan title, but it also had something else…a legitimate and interesting prologue. It’s easy to dismiss a book with a lot of narration, but Bunn uses it so skillfully to bring the emotion forward and put the focus on every page that you are currently on. The way he writes Conan may also be the closest you can get to perfectly capturing the barbarian that I have seen in a long time. Davila’s art is solid, and Lee Bermejo’s cover makes you want to grab this book with both hands and rush to the register of your local comic shop. If you’re a Conan fan, you will be very pleased. If you’re not a fan, this book could very well make you one.
RATING: PULL / BUY