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The Chronicles of Conan
The Chronicles of Conan, Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth
He is known as "The Great Devil"--Heku, warlord of the eastern kingdoms, commander of a horde likened to the sands upon the earth. More than conquest, Heku desires the return of his son, Kobe, once coldly given as a gift to a king but now Conan's comrade and unwilling to return to his father's evil embrace. All Kobe has between him and Heku's host is his sword and Conan's friendship, a bond stronger than steel!
The Chronicles of Conan collects classic Conan the Barbarian tales never-before collected and unavailable for over a quarter of a century.
The Chronicles of Conan collects classic Conan the Barbarian tales never-before collected and unavailable for over a quarter of a century.
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 22, 2014
About the author
Christopher J. Priest
1,020 books197 followersFormerly (before 1993) known as James or Jim Owsley.
Christopher James Priest is a critically acclaimed novelist and comic book writer. Priest is the first African-American writer and editor for Marvel and DC Comics. His groundbreaking Black Panther series was lauded by Entertainment Weekly and The Village Voice and will serve as the basis for the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe adaption.
Besides Black Panther, Priest has written comics for Conan, Steel, Green Lantern, The Crew and edited The Amazing Spider-Man. He also co-created Quantum & Woody along with Mark Bright and co-founded Milestone Media.
After a decade long hiatus he is currently writing comic books again and recently concluded a stint writing the comic book Deathstroke (2016-2019).
In addition to being a writer, Christopher J. Priest is also a baptist minister.
Christopher James Priest is a critically acclaimed novelist and comic book writer. Priest is the first African-American writer and editor for Marvel and DC Comics. His groundbreaking Black Panther series was lauded by Entertainment Weekly and The Village Voice and will serve as the basis for the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe adaption.
Besides Black Panther, Priest has written comics for Conan, Steel, Green Lantern, The Crew and edited The Amazing Spider-Man. He also co-created Quantum & Woody along with Mark Bright and co-founded Milestone Media.
After a decade long hiatus he is currently writing comic books again and recently concluded a stint writing the comic book Deathstroke (2016-2019).
In addition to being a writer, Christopher J. Priest is also a baptist minister.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 3, 2019
3.5 Stars
While these stories lack the cohesiveness of the earlier issues, there is still continuity here and this is entertaining. The art just isn't the same since John Buscema left, but it's not bad. The stories are mainly solo Conan tales, and while those are usually my favorites, I find myself missing the haphazard band of supporting characters that had been around for the past few volumes. Right now the series feels like it's trying to find it's way, so I hope that clears up in the next volume.
One thing I will note, the very first issue of the collection says something about "Southeast Asia", and unless I'm mistaken, "Asia" is not a place in Conan continuity. I was more than a little surprised something like that got by the editor, if not the writer. I'm usually not a stickler for minor details but that one did stand out. It's nothing that hurt the enjoyment of the stories, just something unusual I noticed.
While these stories lack the cohesiveness of the earlier issues, there is still continuity here and this is entertaining. The art just isn't the same since John Buscema left, but it's not bad. The stories are mainly solo Conan tales, and while those are usually my favorites, I find myself missing the haphazard band of supporting characters that had been around for the past few volumes. Right now the series feels like it's trying to find it's way, so I hope that clears up in the next volume.
One thing I will note, the very first issue of the collection says something about "Southeast Asia", and unless I'm mistaken, "Asia" is not a place in Conan continuity. I was more than a little surprised something like that got by the editor, if not the writer. I'm usually not a stickler for minor details but that one did stand out. It's nothing that hurt the enjoyment of the stories, just something unusual I noticed.
January 25, 2026
27. cilde gelelim. 9 sayıdan oluşuyor ve en sonda muhteşem bir Conan diyarlarını ve insanlarını anlatan ansiklopedik bir çalışma var. Onlarca kişinin emeği ve çizimi ile özel bir hazırlık yapılmış Conan Handbook diye geçiyor.
Geçen ciltte kaldığımız macera devam ediyor. Dünyadaki Kumlar ilk hikayemiz ve burada başlayan Heku üçlemesinin girişinde Kobe babası tarafından ülkesinin başına getirilmek istenir. Heku oğlu Kobe’yi zamanında köle olarak satmıştı ve şimdi de Kobe’nin hayatı Conan’a bir tür yeminle bağlıydı. Bu bağdan kurtulmak istiyor. Babası ile karşılaşan Kobe onu öldürür (öyle değilmiş). Heku üçlemesinin 2. sayısı olan Toplum hikayesi güzel bir toplum çıkarımı yapıyor. Yönettiğin toplum senin her şeyindir. Conan olan biteni öğrenmek için silah tüccarı İmmurmodhu’ya gider. Oradan Kobe’yi bulur ve ne olup bittiğini çözümler. Kobe ise zehirlenmiş gibi Conan’ı öldürmek istediğini dile getirir ve bu bağı ancak böyle çözeceğini söyler. Zırvalık işte! Conan yakalanır. Heku’nun son sayısı ise Üçgen isimli bir sayıydı. Adı Kobe’nin tahta oturması için ulaşması gereken seviyeyi temsil etmektedir. Kobe ve Conan elleri birbirine zincirli olarak bu uçurumdan bırakılır. Orası ise daha önce fethettiği Maddoc şehridir. İkisine de zehir içirilmiştir ve panzehir ise kral odasındadır. Şehrin içi yağmacı doludur. Panzehiri taşıyanlar öldürülmüştür. Conan panzehiri bulur ve oradan kurtulur(lar)! Heku’yu görür. Şehir ve ordusu ortadan kaybolur. 4. sayı maceranın kendi seyrinde devam ettiği yerdi. Kara At isimli bölüm adının hakkını veriyor. Çünkü Koth şehrindeki Conan İrham’dan alacakları için gelir. Ona at da lazımdır ama bir yangında atlar ya ölmüş ya da kaçmıştır. Kaçanlar ise ölü yiyicinin kara atının kontrolü altındadır. Conan o atı bulur ve bir tür kontrolü altına alsa da şehrin girişinde at öldürülür. Nedeni ise tehdit oluşturmasıymış. Ben güzel şeyler düşünmüştüm oysaki. At bir pegasus, siz düşünün.
5. hikayemiz Fırtına. Sevante isimli bir kız Conan’ın peşine takılır. Kız bir şey yapacak diye bekledim ama şimdilik bir şeyi çıkmadı. Diğer sayılarda çıkar mı bu seride her şey mümkün. Koth şehrindeki korunma bölgesinde bir köprüyü geçmesi gerekmektedir. Rüzgarlı bir havada hiçbir tanrıya yalvarmadan geçen Conan’ın başına işte bu kız bela olur ve geçmek isterken düşmek üzereyken barbar onu yakalar. Klasik bir klişe bu! 6. sayıda nedendir bilinmez Conan’ın gençliğine gittik. Dar Ev isimli bölümde genç barbar kışın karlı arazisinde Vanirliler dövüşür. 1’i sağ kurtulur ve bir yere sığınır. Conan onu takip edip bulur ama bulduğu yer tuhaftır. Aradan 12 yıl geçer. Koth çöllerinde Turan yollarında olan barbar Ghamutlarlar karşılaşır. Gürültülü ve saldırgan insanlardır. Acayip bir kum fırtına vs. derken 12 yıl önceki o yere denk gelir. Koca bir geçmiş! Devamı olan 7. sayı Savaşçının Yönteminde Conan içeriye girer. Bir tür tapınaktır. Altın yığınlarına ulaşmaya çalışan herkesin sonu ölüm oluyor. Nedenini ise kendisi de yakından deneyimler. İğrenç ve kocaman böcekler oranın bekçileridir. Koca bir altın parçasını almış ve cebine atmıştı. Elinde oradan kurtulduktan sonra büyük bir fırsat kalır. Çölde Turan’a doğru devam etse de Koth çölleri bedenini tüketmek için yemin etmiş gibidir. 8 yani Kapı bölümdeyiz. Conan bir kent bulur. Çölde böylesi bir yer nimettir. Kapıda Ghamutlu nöbetçiler vardır. Onları alt etmek zorundadır. İçeride yemyeşil bir bahçe vardır. Garip bir yer olmakla beraber ona sadece su lazımdır. Bir tür geçidin içine düşer ve orada hiç hayal bir edemeyeceği yaşaması mümkün olmayan hayvanlarla karşılaşır. Arisnaub isimli tanrıyı bulması istense de Conan içeride sarı bir bebek bulur. Tüm şüphelerine rağmen onu oradan çıkarır. Çöllerde yola devam etmek orada kalmaktan iyidir ve son maceramıza devam edelim. Adı Işık Kenti. Barbarımız yine çöllün akıl almaz seraplarıyla ve susuzlukla mücadele ederken bir şehre denk gelir (yine)! Sarı saçlı bir cadı Conan’ın orada kalmasını ister. Özgürlüğünü hiçbir şeye değişmeyecek olan barbar bunu reddeder ve şehirdeki akıl almaz görüntülerden sonra oradan kaçmak ister. İçtiği suyun bile gerçekliğinden şüphe duyar. Kılıç, büyü ve fantezinin doruklarına ulaşırız ve esmer barbarımız oradan kaçar. Cadı ise güneş batınca şehir ile beraber kaybolur. Conan çöllerde geçirdiği günlerde aklını kaybetmediğine şükredebilir.
Geçen ciltte kaldığımız macera devam ediyor. Dünyadaki Kumlar ilk hikayemiz ve burada başlayan Heku üçlemesinin girişinde Kobe babası tarafından ülkesinin başına getirilmek istenir. Heku oğlu Kobe’yi zamanında köle olarak satmıştı ve şimdi de Kobe’nin hayatı Conan’a bir tür yeminle bağlıydı. Bu bağdan kurtulmak istiyor. Babası ile karşılaşan Kobe onu öldürür (öyle değilmiş). Heku üçlemesinin 2. sayısı olan Toplum hikayesi güzel bir toplum çıkarımı yapıyor. Yönettiğin toplum senin her şeyindir. Conan olan biteni öğrenmek için silah tüccarı İmmurmodhu’ya gider. Oradan Kobe’yi bulur ve ne olup bittiğini çözümler. Kobe ise zehirlenmiş gibi Conan’ı öldürmek istediğini dile getirir ve bu bağı ancak böyle çözeceğini söyler. Zırvalık işte! Conan yakalanır. Heku’nun son sayısı ise Üçgen isimli bir sayıydı. Adı Kobe’nin tahta oturması için ulaşması gereken seviyeyi temsil etmektedir. Kobe ve Conan elleri birbirine zincirli olarak bu uçurumdan bırakılır. Orası ise daha önce fethettiği Maddoc şehridir. İkisine de zehir içirilmiştir ve panzehir ise kral odasındadır. Şehrin içi yağmacı doludur. Panzehiri taşıyanlar öldürülmüştür. Conan panzehiri bulur ve oradan kurtulur(lar)! Heku’yu görür. Şehir ve ordusu ortadan kaybolur. 4. sayı maceranın kendi seyrinde devam ettiği yerdi. Kara At isimli bölüm adının hakkını veriyor. Çünkü Koth şehrindeki Conan İrham’dan alacakları için gelir. Ona at da lazımdır ama bir yangında atlar ya ölmüş ya da kaçmıştır. Kaçanlar ise ölü yiyicinin kara atının kontrolü altındadır. Conan o atı bulur ve bir tür kontrolü altına alsa da şehrin girişinde at öldürülür. Nedeni ise tehdit oluşturmasıymış. Ben güzel şeyler düşünmüştüm oysaki. At bir pegasus, siz düşünün.
5. hikayemiz Fırtına. Sevante isimli bir kız Conan’ın peşine takılır. Kız bir şey yapacak diye bekledim ama şimdilik bir şeyi çıkmadı. Diğer sayılarda çıkar mı bu seride her şey mümkün. Koth şehrindeki korunma bölgesinde bir köprüyü geçmesi gerekmektedir. Rüzgarlı bir havada hiçbir tanrıya yalvarmadan geçen Conan’ın başına işte bu kız bela olur ve geçmek isterken düşmek üzereyken barbar onu yakalar. Klasik bir klişe bu! 6. sayıda nedendir bilinmez Conan’ın gençliğine gittik. Dar Ev isimli bölümde genç barbar kışın karlı arazisinde Vanirliler dövüşür. 1’i sağ kurtulur ve bir yere sığınır. Conan onu takip edip bulur ama bulduğu yer tuhaftır. Aradan 12 yıl geçer. Koth çöllerinde Turan yollarında olan barbar Ghamutlarlar karşılaşır. Gürültülü ve saldırgan insanlardır. Acayip bir kum fırtına vs. derken 12 yıl önceki o yere denk gelir. Koca bir geçmiş! Devamı olan 7. sayı Savaşçının Yönteminde Conan içeriye girer. Bir tür tapınaktır. Altın yığınlarına ulaşmaya çalışan herkesin sonu ölüm oluyor. Nedenini ise kendisi de yakından deneyimler. İğrenç ve kocaman böcekler oranın bekçileridir. Koca bir altın parçasını almış ve cebine atmıştı. Elinde oradan kurtulduktan sonra büyük bir fırsat kalır. Çölde Turan’a doğru devam etse de Koth çölleri bedenini tüketmek için yemin etmiş gibidir. 8 yani Kapı bölümdeyiz. Conan bir kent bulur. Çölde böylesi bir yer nimettir. Kapıda Ghamutlu nöbetçiler vardır. Onları alt etmek zorundadır. İçeride yemyeşil bir bahçe vardır. Garip bir yer olmakla beraber ona sadece su lazımdır. Bir tür geçidin içine düşer ve orada hiç hayal bir edemeyeceği yaşaması mümkün olmayan hayvanlarla karşılaşır. Arisnaub isimli tanrıyı bulması istense de Conan içeride sarı bir bebek bulur. Tüm şüphelerine rağmen onu oradan çıkarır. Çöllerde yola devam etmek orada kalmaktan iyidir ve son maceramıza devam edelim. Adı Işık Kenti. Barbarımız yine çöllün akıl almaz seraplarıyla ve susuzlukla mücadele ederken bir şehre denk gelir (yine)! Sarı saçlı bir cadı Conan’ın orada kalmasını ister. Özgürlüğünü hiçbir şeye değişmeyecek olan barbar bunu reddeder ve şehirdeki akıl almaz görüntülerden sonra oradan kaçmak ister. İçtiği suyun bile gerçekliğinden şüphe duyar. Kılıç, büyü ve fantezinin doruklarına ulaşırız ve esmer barbarımız oradan kaçar. Cadı ise güneş batınca şehir ile beraber kaybolur. Conan çöllerde geçirdiği günlerde aklını kaybetmediğine şükredebilir.
March 9, 2021
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth continues straight after the previous book with Kobe and Anneka off entagling himself in the affairs of the Khitai empire where he grew up in and Conan in hot pursuit still not sure exactly what is going on! Conan ironically catches up with Kobe when he ascendes in rank and Kobe has apparently taken up the throne from his father and this power has made Kobe into something that he is really not! This results in Conan and Kobe having to face off through the machinations of his father and this character conflict is packed with adventure as Kobe is clearly envious of Conans abilities! This though at the same time goes to show what both characters are actually made of as the confront the tests put in front of them!
At the same time though The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth really pack in all the humour and action as Conan is pursued ruthlessly by Sevante! This paly brilliantl;y with Conan as he tries repeatedly to try and escape her! This also set up epic scenes as Conan goes across the savanna but has to deal battle thanks to Sevante advances! The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth has a visceral feel from the start with a sense of adventure that pope off every page resulting in a tale that is epic from the beginning!
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth characterisation is brilliantly handled with you really understanding with expert pacing where Kope, Anneka, Conan, Sevante are all coming from! This gives a cast of characters that are all three dimensional with their own motivations and plans! The friendship that is there though keeps them on the straight and narrow when puch comes to shove so we get to see the nature of Conan an how he eventually goes on to rule! The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth portrayl of its character is suble but at the same time all up there in a clash of weapons that works perfectly from start to finish!
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth pope off the page with bright brilliant colourrs that really serve to differentiate the characters and to provide epic vistas that the characters are travelling through! The landscapes and world building are all up there as we get to travel to Asia and across Africaneque Savanna's that are populated by wild and different creatures that really take Conan and Savante out of the city environment and test there special set of skills in epic and other ways!
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth pops of the page with rattle of swords! The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth from the start is full of daring do as Conan attempts to find out what has happened to Kobe and Anneka, rib breaking humour that will have you laughing out loud as he is pursued by Sevante who is not short on courage for example wild beasts and rope bridges, sword fights as Conan attempts to get to his friends and deal with them, world building as we are introduced to a whole of host of new loactions Asia, Bhoraji, wild life filled Savanna, epic battles as the numbers against the team continue to mount, cunning puzzles as the team face more and more obstacles epic adventre as Conan,Sevante Kobe, Anekka adventure across Hyboir and action! Brilliant Crisp High Five! Highly Recommneded! Get it When You Can! :D
At the same time though The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth really pack in all the humour and action as Conan is pursued ruthlessly by Sevante! This paly brilliantl;y with Conan as he tries repeatedly to try and escape her! This also set up epic scenes as Conan goes across the savanna but has to deal battle thanks to Sevante advances! The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth has a visceral feel from the start with a sense of adventure that pope off every page resulting in a tale that is epic from the beginning!
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth characterisation is brilliantly handled with you really understanding with expert pacing where Kope, Anneka, Conan, Sevante are all coming from! This gives a cast of characters that are all three dimensional with their own motivations and plans! The friendship that is there though keeps them on the straight and narrow when puch comes to shove so we get to see the nature of Conan an how he eventually goes on to rule! The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth portrayl of its character is suble but at the same time all up there in a clash of weapons that works perfectly from start to finish!
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth pope off the page with bright brilliant colourrs that really serve to differentiate the characters and to provide epic vistas that the characters are travelling through! The landscapes and world building are all up there as we get to travel to Asia and across Africaneque Savanna's that are populated by wild and different creatures that really take Conan and Savante out of the city environment and test there special set of skills in epic and other ways!
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth pops of the page with rattle of swords! The Chronicles of Conan Volume 27: Sands Upon the Earth from the start is full of daring do as Conan attempts to find out what has happened to Kobe and Anneka, rib breaking humour that will have you laughing out loud as he is pursued by Sevante who is not short on courage for example wild beasts and rope bridges, sword fights as Conan attempts to get to his friends and deal with them, world building as we are introduced to a whole of host of new loactions Asia, Bhoraji, wild life filled Savanna, epic battles as the numbers against the team continue to mount, cunning puzzles as the team face more and more obstacles epic adventre as Conan,Sevante Kobe, Anekka adventure across Hyboir and action! Brilliant Crisp High Five! Highly Recommneded! Get it When You Can! :D
July 22, 2014
If you’re anything like me and you grew up reading comic books through the 70’s and 80’s, then you might feel as I do: while graphic storytelling has indeed come a long way, it occasionally feels like contemporary yarns stray quite a bit away from the source material. Even in situations wherein, say, an old book or short story is only used as a starting point for modern era scribes to veer off into unanticipated directions, it isn’t all that farfetched to stumble across archetypes who bear little resemblance to those works of old. Much of this gets chalked up to ‘artistic interpretation,’ that today’s audience can no longer identify with these originals as thus they need to be updated for the sake of discerning audiences as well as pursuit of the mighty dollar (i.e. profits).
If that makes me sound like a fuddy-duddy, then so be it. Still, there’s an awful lot of sublime charm wrapped up in collections of storylines from three decades ago. No, they may not be your cup of tea. No, they may not enamor young minds with the pursuits of classic heroes. But what they retain is a sense of respect for what came before along with a heavy helping of prescience for where audiences could head when literary creations are given first-class treatment in comic books.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the product packaging: “He is known as ‘The Great Devil’ – Heku, warlord of the eastern kingdoms, commander of a horde likened to the sands upon the earth. More than conquest, Heku desires the return of his son, Kobe, once coldly given as a gift to a king but now Conan’s comrade and unwilling to return to his father’s evil embrace. All Kobe has between him and Heku’s host is his sword and Conan’s friendship, a bond stronger than steel!”
I made similar observations in a like-minded collection only the other day: the color palate used throughout much of the 80’s in the Conan books just doesn’t work thematically the way Dark Horse is penning them today. (That’s no insult; it’s only a reflection of how even graphically times change.) Back then, color choices were pretty bright, bordering on grade school primary colors. Characters tended to pop off the page whereas today’s audiences aren’t looking for so much individuation. There are only a handful of panels in these 200+ pages that lean toward the experimental or artistic (a few hint of the monochromatic), and this serves to give these issues a kind of visual consistency typified by many books of that age. Also, books were really being pushed to revolutionize storytelling thanks to the influence of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, so these adventures featuring our singular Cimmerian were still relatively kid-friendly by comparison to the full-bore bloodshed one might find in any collection today.
I’d still argue, however, that that reality doesn’t make these tales any less interesting for Conan’s audience. While younger readers might be inclined to set the book aside in favor of darker pursuits, the stories here (some of which I actually read in their original run, may even still have the issues tucked away in bags and boards upstairs) only flirted with edginess, drawing more encouragement from Robert E. Howard’s original stories as opposed to staking out boundless new territory.
The book closes with a terrific read that should be required study for every Conan aficionado: it’s an illustrated historical and geographical guide to the worlds of the strongman’s era. So far as I could tell, it’s very complete, mentioning all the main players – along with a few minor – who at one time or another have made appearances alongside our champion. It’s a brilliant addition to any fan’s library!
THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN, VOLUME 27: SANDS UPON THE EARTH AND OTHER STORIES is published by Dark Horse Comics. The volume collects material originally published in 1986, 1988, and 1989 (Conan the Barbarian issues 206-214 and The Official Handbook of the Conan Universe #1 from Marvel Comics). The collection features the talents of James Owsley, Charles Santino, Alan Zelenetz, Val Semeiks, Adam Blaustein, Geof Isherwood, Alfredo Alcala, George Roussos, Ron Wagner, John Buscema, Bob Camp, Ernie Chan, Vince Colletta, Mike Docherty, Armando Gil, Andy Kubert, Gary Kwapisz, Dave Simons, Vincent Waller, Mary Wilshire, Steve Mellor, Michael Kaluta, and Janice Chiang. And for those of you who don’t know (or grew up on an island) Conan is the creation of Robert E. Howard. It all comes with the cover price of $19.99, and that’s a bargain so far as this longtime comic book reader is concerned.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN, VOLUME 27 brings with it just the right mix of nostalgia for a time when comics told quieter, simpler tales of classic derring-do and reverence for the source material which worked to inspire generations of storytellers and artists to pick up their tools in the first place. Naturally – as much of this appeared originally in the mid-to-late 80’s – it may not make a believer out of you if you’re not already a relatively hardcore Conan enthusiast; but it’s always one more reason to get to know the quintessential barbarian if you have the time, money, and inclination.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital reading copy of THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN, VOLUME 27: SANDS UPON THE EARTH by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
If that makes me sound like a fuddy-duddy, then so be it. Still, there’s an awful lot of sublime charm wrapped up in collections of storylines from three decades ago. No, they may not be your cup of tea. No, they may not enamor young minds with the pursuits of classic heroes. But what they retain is a sense of respect for what came before along with a heavy helping of prescience for where audiences could head when literary creations are given first-class treatment in comic books.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the product packaging: “He is known as ‘The Great Devil’ – Heku, warlord of the eastern kingdoms, commander of a horde likened to the sands upon the earth. More than conquest, Heku desires the return of his son, Kobe, once coldly given as a gift to a king but now Conan’s comrade and unwilling to return to his father’s evil embrace. All Kobe has between him and Heku’s host is his sword and Conan’s friendship, a bond stronger than steel!”
I made similar observations in a like-minded collection only the other day: the color palate used throughout much of the 80’s in the Conan books just doesn’t work thematically the way Dark Horse is penning them today. (That’s no insult; it’s only a reflection of how even graphically times change.) Back then, color choices were pretty bright, bordering on grade school primary colors. Characters tended to pop off the page whereas today’s audiences aren’t looking for so much individuation. There are only a handful of panels in these 200+ pages that lean toward the experimental or artistic (a few hint of the monochromatic), and this serves to give these issues a kind of visual consistency typified by many books of that age. Also, books were really being pushed to revolutionize storytelling thanks to the influence of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, so these adventures featuring our singular Cimmerian were still relatively kid-friendly by comparison to the full-bore bloodshed one might find in any collection today.
I’d still argue, however, that that reality doesn’t make these tales any less interesting for Conan’s audience. While younger readers might be inclined to set the book aside in favor of darker pursuits, the stories here (some of which I actually read in their original run, may even still have the issues tucked away in bags and boards upstairs) only flirted with edginess, drawing more encouragement from Robert E. Howard’s original stories as opposed to staking out boundless new territory.
The book closes with a terrific read that should be required study for every Conan aficionado: it’s an illustrated historical and geographical guide to the worlds of the strongman’s era. So far as I could tell, it’s very complete, mentioning all the main players – along with a few minor – who at one time or another have made appearances alongside our champion. It’s a brilliant addition to any fan’s library!
THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN, VOLUME 27: SANDS UPON THE EARTH AND OTHER STORIES is published by Dark Horse Comics. The volume collects material originally published in 1986, 1988, and 1989 (Conan the Barbarian issues 206-214 and The Official Handbook of the Conan Universe #1 from Marvel Comics). The collection features the talents of James Owsley, Charles Santino, Alan Zelenetz, Val Semeiks, Adam Blaustein, Geof Isherwood, Alfredo Alcala, George Roussos, Ron Wagner, John Buscema, Bob Camp, Ernie Chan, Vince Colletta, Mike Docherty, Armando Gil, Andy Kubert, Gary Kwapisz, Dave Simons, Vincent Waller, Mary Wilshire, Steve Mellor, Michael Kaluta, and Janice Chiang. And for those of you who don’t know (or grew up on an island) Conan is the creation of Robert E. Howard. It all comes with the cover price of $19.99, and that’s a bargain so far as this longtime comic book reader is concerned.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN, VOLUME 27 brings with it just the right mix of nostalgia for a time when comics told quieter, simpler tales of classic derring-do and reverence for the source material which worked to inspire generations of storytellers and artists to pick up their tools in the first place. Naturally – as much of this appeared originally in the mid-to-late 80’s – it may not make a believer out of you if you’re not already a relatively hardcore Conan enthusiast; but it’s always one more reason to get to know the quintessential barbarian if you have the time, money, and inclination.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital reading copy of THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN, VOLUME 27: SANDS UPON THE EARTH by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
June 28, 2023
27 volumes down. The end is in sight.
I enjoyed this collection pretty much as much as all the others. Fun to read, all mixed up with some nostalgia. None were brilliant, none were bad. Just enjoyable.
I enjoyed this collection pretty much as much as all the others. Fun to read, all mixed up with some nostalgia. None were brilliant, none were bad. Just enjoyable.
July 31, 2014
I read these when they were new and they remain excellent entertainment.
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