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Conan: The Phantoms Of The Black Coast #1-5
Conan: The Phantoms of the Black Coast
King Conan is haunted by the ghost of his first—and some say greatest—love. If he is to ever know peace again, he must put her spirit to rest. Who is the mysterious sorceress Conan enlists to aid him in his quest, even as she secretly plots against him? And can the barbarian survive the danger-filled journey across the never-ending ocean, back to the forbidding temple on the coast, where his lost love met her end? Collects The Phantoms of the Black Coast #1–#5. * From the artist of The Lightning Thief and Scott Snyder's Severed
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2014
34 people want to read
About the author
Victor Gischler
372 books416 followersVictor Gischler is an American author of humorous crime fiction.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 6, 2014
It’s been said that only the greatest warriors truly understand what it means to love as greatly as is humanly possible. Why, who other than a mighty man or woman could appreciate the gentler, softer moments of companionship? Who else but the strongest seeks to have his (or her) heart warmed to perfection? Indeed, if great men love greatly, then no man from myth or legend but Conan has had his cup runneth over, and that’s the narrative sentiments at work in this collection from Dark Horse Comics.
(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 …)
Finally, the Cimmerian has brought peace unto the lands of Aquilonia. As our story opens, the barbarian and his army have taken control of the kingdom, wrenching it through bloodshed from those who would oppress an entire people into hopeless servitude. Still, even as king Conan finds himself suffering a restless spirit, but it isn’t long before a sorceress comes a’calling. With her, she brings word that his former love who suffered a tragic end – Belit – has not fully passed into a peaceful afterlife. Of course, the mighty Nadina knows what must be done in order for this king’s queen to finally be at rest, and the man will stop at nothing to either see beloved into the beyond or expose the witch as the evil she may be.
So far as this volume – THE PHANTOMS OF THE BLACK COAST – goes, it’s a tale told obligatorily. There’s really no grand pomp and circumstance to the entire affair; even the artwork feels a bit tired and grim. Given the fact that matches Conan’s mood throughout much of this adventure, perhaps that’s exactly what novelist Victor Gischler intended artist Attila Futaki’s work to express. Even if that is the case, would it be too much to ask for somebody to throw a light on these dark corners?
I’ve been trafficking in Conan’s graphic adventures off-and-on since the seventies, and, artistically, PHANTOMS certainly isn’t that far a cry from much of what’s been done before. At this point, one wonders how any creative team can bring something new, something special to heads being cleaved from their shoulders or intestines being hacked from their abdomens. It’s a bloody affair, indeed. I can’t help but wonder why Conan’s mood never really ticked up even on the good days brought to life in these pages; perhaps he’s grown a bit too melancholy for his own good?
Furthermore, adaptations can be a tricky thing. When one writer sticks too close to the material (as I can’t help but wonder if that’s what happened here), what ends up being accomplished serves the strengths and weaknesses of the original storyteller as opposed to highlighting something new being delivered unto a franchise. Also, if one strays too far away from the source, then the audience is left wondering what happened to the character they’ve grown to love and admire. I’d imagine a talent like Gischler would only be too happy to contribute to Conan’s expansive mythology, but an awful lot of this volume feels ‘phoned in.’ That isn’t intended as an insult – who wouldn’t want to have the ability to evoke classic Robert E. Howard tones? – rather it’s only a benign observation.
For all its narrative blemishes, quite a bit of PHANTOMS feels rushed. Days are condensed into phrases like “Conan did X for days” (obviously paraphrasing there, folks), and several different characters even remark similar storytelling sentiments. Who knows? Maybe editing this entire affair into five issues was bound to strip some of the magic from a grand adventure; still, the way this one went it felt like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were turning Conan into a Hyborean Age ‘Indiana Jones’ … and that would be a horrific development.
CONAN: THE PHANTOMS OF THE BLACK COAST is published by Dark Horse Comics. The story is written by Victor Gischler (adapted from the work of Conan’s creator Robert E. Howard); the art is provided by Attila Futaki; the colors are by Jok Coglitore and J. Blanco; and the lettering is by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt. This volume collects issues #1 through #5 previously published under the same name. It’s all available for the low, low price of $19.99 … maybe that’s a bit steep for newcomers, but you can always try to pick one up secondhand if that’s easier to fit in your budget.
RECOMMENDED. It may not be the greatest Conan tale Dark Horse has had the good graces to bring to life, but it’s still an admirable telling for anyone who follows the trials and tribulations of the world’s best known Cimmerian. In fact, there’s plenty of stuff in there that makes it uniquely Conan – damsels and ne’er-do-wells alike; all I wish is that it flowed together as seamlessly as some other graphic collections I’ve had the good fortune to read.
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 CONAN: THE PHANTOMS OF THE BLACK COAST 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.
(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 …)
Finally, the Cimmerian has brought peace unto the lands of Aquilonia. As our story opens, the barbarian and his army have taken control of the kingdom, wrenching it through bloodshed from those who would oppress an entire people into hopeless servitude. Still, even as king Conan finds himself suffering a restless spirit, but it isn’t long before a sorceress comes a’calling. With her, she brings word that his former love who suffered a tragic end – Belit – has not fully passed into a peaceful afterlife. Of course, the mighty Nadina knows what must be done in order for this king’s queen to finally be at rest, and the man will stop at nothing to either see beloved into the beyond or expose the witch as the evil she may be.
So far as this volume – THE PHANTOMS OF THE BLACK COAST – goes, it’s a tale told obligatorily. There’s really no grand pomp and circumstance to the entire affair; even the artwork feels a bit tired and grim. Given the fact that matches Conan’s mood throughout much of this adventure, perhaps that’s exactly what novelist Victor Gischler intended artist Attila Futaki’s work to express. Even if that is the case, would it be too much to ask for somebody to throw a light on these dark corners?
I’ve been trafficking in Conan’s graphic adventures off-and-on since the seventies, and, artistically, PHANTOMS certainly isn’t that far a cry from much of what’s been done before. At this point, one wonders how any creative team can bring something new, something special to heads being cleaved from their shoulders or intestines being hacked from their abdomens. It’s a bloody affair, indeed. I can’t help but wonder why Conan’s mood never really ticked up even on the good days brought to life in these pages; perhaps he’s grown a bit too melancholy for his own good?
Furthermore, adaptations can be a tricky thing. When one writer sticks too close to the material (as I can’t help but wonder if that’s what happened here), what ends up being accomplished serves the strengths and weaknesses of the original storyteller as opposed to highlighting something new being delivered unto a franchise. Also, if one strays too far away from the source, then the audience is left wondering what happened to the character they’ve grown to love and admire. I’d imagine a talent like Gischler would only be too happy to contribute to Conan’s expansive mythology, but an awful lot of this volume feels ‘phoned in.’ That isn’t intended as an insult – who wouldn’t want to have the ability to evoke classic Robert E. Howard tones? – rather it’s only a benign observation.
For all its narrative blemishes, quite a bit of PHANTOMS feels rushed. Days are condensed into phrases like “Conan did X for days” (obviously paraphrasing there, folks), and several different characters even remark similar storytelling sentiments. Who knows? Maybe editing this entire affair into five issues was bound to strip some of the magic from a grand adventure; still, the way this one went it felt like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were turning Conan into a Hyborean Age ‘Indiana Jones’ … and that would be a horrific development.
CONAN: THE PHANTOMS OF THE BLACK COAST is published by Dark Horse Comics. The story is written by Victor Gischler (adapted from the work of Conan’s creator Robert E. Howard); the art is provided by Attila Futaki; the colors are by Jok Coglitore and J. Blanco; and the lettering is by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt. This volume collects issues #1 through #5 previously published under the same name. It’s all available for the low, low price of $19.99 … maybe that’s a bit steep for newcomers, but you can always try to pick one up secondhand if that’s easier to fit in your budget.
RECOMMENDED. It may not be the greatest Conan tale Dark Horse has had the good graces to bring to life, but it’s still an admirable telling for anyone who follows the trials and tribulations of the world’s best known Cimmerian. In fact, there’s plenty of stuff in there that makes it uniquely Conan – damsels and ne’er-do-wells alike; all I wish is that it flowed together as seamlessly as some other graphic collections I’ve had the good fortune to read.
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 CONAN: THE PHANTOMS OF THE BLACK COAST 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 25, 2024
This was slightly below average for a Dark Horse Conan volume. The art was okay, story was pretty typical. Set during the King Conan days, Conan takes a journey to lay the spirit of Belit to rest. But, as usual, things aren't what they seem.
April 30, 2014
Revisitamos la costa negra, con Conan para dar descanso al espíritu de su primer gran amor y lo haremos bajo falsos pretextos y engañados al igual que Conan, por una hechicera de oscuras intenciones y su sequito. Estos días se publica “La Hora del Dragón” con el tandem de lujo Truman-Giorello, pero nunca es mal momento para ver que hace el rey Conan.
La historia no mata, pero tiene todo lo que puede esperarse, brujos, hechiceros, damas en apuros tanto vivas como muertas, decapitaciones, misterios, muertes, piratas, seres abominables y a Conan. Tampoco el dibujo está al nivel del que Tomas Giorello usa para malacostumbrarnos y que tanto me gusta, pero no por ello desmerece el conjunto. Hay que darse raciones esporádicas de Conan, eso es así.
La historia no mata, pero tiene todo lo que puede esperarse, brujos, hechiceros, damas en apuros tanto vivas como muertas, decapitaciones, misterios, muertes, piratas, seres abominables y a Conan. Tampoco el dibujo está al nivel del que Tomas Giorello usa para malacostumbrarnos y que tanto me gusta, pero no por ello desmerece el conjunto. Hay que darse raciones esporádicas de Conan, eso es así.
April 7, 2020
A great premise to revisit one of the iconic Conan stories and it starts off strong. The ending felt a little anticlimactic. A little exposition about the original story would have been good for the uninitiated and who The Bone Woman was.
August 6, 2025
The thing is I just don't see Conan being this maudlin.
June 17, 2014
You can read the full review over at my blog:
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...
As the current holder of the comics license for most Conan properties, Dark Horse Comics has done much to delve into this rich world of swords and sorcery where the heroic Conan fights against threats both magical and mundane, and sometimes both. Where tales of his heroism and his barbarity and his savagery and his vengeance are told far and wide. In addition to the various ongoings and mini-series that have been put out by DHC, their Dark Horse Books imprint has also published a fair few graphic novels and adaptations, a few of which I’ve read and been more and more interested in the source material with each.
When I read Brian Wood’s Conan the Barbarian #1-6 last year, I was really struck with the passion of the romance between Conan and his lover Bêlit. And it appears that their romance is one of the cornerstones of Conan’s legends and mythology, developed over the years first by Robert E. Howard and then by many of the writers who have followed him, be it in the novel medium or in comics. In The Phantoms of The Black Coast, Conan is haunted by her restless spirit, unable to pass blissfully into the afterlife and so Conan the King goes on an epic journey to the depths of the world itself to free her, for his love for her is undying and a strength and motivation for him as well.
Dark Horse’s most recent Conan comic, Conan the Avenger, delves into the days after Bêlit is dead and Conan is sort of a wreck of a man, but one determined to do her memory justice, to live his life the way she would have wanted him to, and perhaps even exact a measure of vengeance in her name, against any and all who have wronged her in life. It is one of my favourite new comics of 2014 so far and Fred Van Lente and Brian Ching have definitely been doing a great job on it so far. So, having read that, and Brian Wood’s first two arcs on Conan the Barbarian, going into The Phantoms of The Black Coast proved to be a bit of an eye-opener and also a tale that really increases the values of these other stories.
In The Phantoms of The Black Coast we see a King Conan who is a king and warrior without peer, able to bend and break entire armies against the strength of his will. But there is more to him than just that, for he is increasingly plagued by dreams and nightmares of Bêlit’s soul unable to move on, to find peace in death. And then appears a witch of supposedly great arts who claims to be able to help him, and so King Conan sets out on a journey of intense action and multifarious adventures to make sure that Bêlit’s passing is peaceful and without obstruction. Little does he know that there are great dangers awaiting him on this road.
Victor Gischler has recently become one of my favourite comics writers thanks to his work on Angel & Faith Season 10, another Dark Horse title. I’ve read some of his X-Men run from a few years ago and while the first arc was fairly good, the second wasn’t and I kind of lost interest. So when I saw that he had written a Conan adaptation as well (I believe this is an adaptation?), I was really intrigued to see how he’d be able to switch genres and characters like this and whether it would be good or not. Against all my expectations, The Phantoms of The Black Coast proved to be a fairly quick and easy read, and also one that is very enjoyable as far as the writing is concerned (more on the artwork later).
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...
As the current holder of the comics license for most Conan properties, Dark Horse Comics has done much to delve into this rich world of swords and sorcery where the heroic Conan fights against threats both magical and mundane, and sometimes both. Where tales of his heroism and his barbarity and his savagery and his vengeance are told far and wide. In addition to the various ongoings and mini-series that have been put out by DHC, their Dark Horse Books imprint has also published a fair few graphic novels and adaptations, a few of which I’ve read and been more and more interested in the source material with each.
When I read Brian Wood’s Conan the Barbarian #1-6 last year, I was really struck with the passion of the romance between Conan and his lover Bêlit. And it appears that their romance is one of the cornerstones of Conan’s legends and mythology, developed over the years first by Robert E. Howard and then by many of the writers who have followed him, be it in the novel medium or in comics. In The Phantoms of The Black Coast, Conan is haunted by her restless spirit, unable to pass blissfully into the afterlife and so Conan the King goes on an epic journey to the depths of the world itself to free her, for his love for her is undying and a strength and motivation for him as well.
Dark Horse’s most recent Conan comic, Conan the Avenger, delves into the days after Bêlit is dead and Conan is sort of a wreck of a man, but one determined to do her memory justice, to live his life the way she would have wanted him to, and perhaps even exact a measure of vengeance in her name, against any and all who have wronged her in life. It is one of my favourite new comics of 2014 so far and Fred Van Lente and Brian Ching have definitely been doing a great job on it so far. So, having read that, and Brian Wood’s first two arcs on Conan the Barbarian, going into The Phantoms of The Black Coast proved to be a bit of an eye-opener and also a tale that really increases the values of these other stories.
In The Phantoms of The Black Coast we see a King Conan who is a king and warrior without peer, able to bend and break entire armies against the strength of his will. But there is more to him than just that, for he is increasingly plagued by dreams and nightmares of Bêlit’s soul unable to move on, to find peace in death. And then appears a witch of supposedly great arts who claims to be able to help him, and so King Conan sets out on a journey of intense action and multifarious adventures to make sure that Bêlit’s passing is peaceful and without obstruction. Little does he know that there are great dangers awaiting him on this road.
Victor Gischler has recently become one of my favourite comics writers thanks to his work on Angel & Faith Season 10, another Dark Horse title. I’ve read some of his X-Men run from a few years ago and while the first arc was fairly good, the second wasn’t and I kind of lost interest. So when I saw that he had written a Conan adaptation as well (I believe this is an adaptation?), I was really intrigued to see how he’d be able to switch genres and characters like this and whether it would be good or not. Against all my expectations, The Phantoms of The Black Coast proved to be a fairly quick and easy read, and also one that is very enjoyable as far as the writing is concerned (more on the artwork later).
Read
March 21, 2015It was ok. A little weak on the conan style but good on the conan action.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews