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The Savage Sword of Conan
The Savage Sword of Conan, Volume 5
This volume contains some of the most ambitious adaptations of Conan material to date, reprinting the epic battle that leads to Conan becoming the king of Aquilonia in "Conan the Liberator," the sword and sorcery classic "Sword of Skelos," and the exhilarating "Conan and the Sorcerer." Collecting selections from The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian issues 49 through 60, this volume also includes the frontispieces and pinups from each issue, drawn by such amazing talent as Ernie Chan, Carl Potts, and Neal Adams! As a special bonus, you'll find a companion piece to Savage Sword Volume 1's "A Witch Shall Be Born" story, which hasn't seen print since its original publication in 1980!
544 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2009
About the author
J.M. DeMatteis
1,954 books251 followersAlso Credited As:
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally
Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.
Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.
Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally
Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.
Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.
Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 28, 2015
[7/10]
WYSIWYG
What you see is what you get! One barbarian warrior with oversized muscles, one damzel in distress with as little clothing as possible covering her charms, one huge monster about to crush the duo into pulpy bits. Evil wizard with cackling laugh optional.
By the fifth collection, the adventures of the hero created by Robert E Howard have become predictable and formulaic, yet I continue to enjoy them. The artwork remains amazing, rich in details and expressivity, and I very much prefer its black and white starkness to the more colourful but sketchy and jagged recent version of the comic put out by Black Horse. The stories though have lost some of their appeal, probably because in this fifth selection, Roy Thomas has been visiting for inspiration the fanfic offerings of Offut and De Camp instead of the originals by Howard.
Still, the decision to continue with a longer storyarc format, spread over several issues, gives more flexibility and a better fleshing out of secondary characters instead of the usual monster-girl-wizard-sword fight template. My favorite in the collections are the ones featuring a younger Conan who loses his soul while trying to Rob a powerful sorcerer, and the corresponding sequel, The Sword of Skelos, in which he gets mixed up in some palace intrigues in a desert city. In both stories he has as companion a lady thief with admirable fighting skills, beside her more obvious physical charms. She's not in the class of Red Sonja, but neither is she she usual whimpering princess.
The pulp style may not be for everyone tastes, and politically incorrect on occassion, but there is something enduring in their call for exploring exotic lands and having scary adventures that still pleases my inner 12 y.o. soul. And the covers are becoming nostalgic poster material that I might one day hang in my reading den (once I get around to having one)
WYSIWYG
What you see is what you get! One barbarian warrior with oversized muscles, one damzel in distress with as little clothing as possible covering her charms, one huge monster about to crush the duo into pulpy bits. Evil wizard with cackling laugh optional.
By the fifth collection, the adventures of the hero created by Robert E Howard have become predictable and formulaic, yet I continue to enjoy them. The artwork remains amazing, rich in details and expressivity, and I very much prefer its black and white starkness to the more colourful but sketchy and jagged recent version of the comic put out by Black Horse. The stories though have lost some of their appeal, probably because in this fifth selection, Roy Thomas has been visiting for inspiration the fanfic offerings of Offut and De Camp instead of the originals by Howard.
Still, the decision to continue with a longer storyarc format, spread over several issues, gives more flexibility and a better fleshing out of secondary characters instead of the usual monster-girl-wizard-sword fight template. My favorite in the collections are the ones featuring a younger Conan who loses his soul while trying to Rob a powerful sorcerer, and the corresponding sequel, The Sword of Skelos, in which he gets mixed up in some palace intrigues in a desert city. In both stories he has as companion a lady thief with admirable fighting skills, beside her more obvious physical charms. She's not in the class of Red Sonja, but neither is she she usual whimpering princess.
The pulp style may not be for everyone tastes, and politically incorrect on occassion, but there is something enduring in their call for exploring exotic lands and having scary adventures that still pleases my inner 12 y.o. soul. And the covers are becoming nostalgic poster material that I might one day hang in my reading den (once I get around to having one)
December 5, 2021
Another great volume. These longer format stories really work for Conan. Interesting that most of the stories are adaptations of other material rather than all new, but it works. Art is top notch, stories can be a little wordy, but that's sort of a calling card for this series. The stories also work because the creative teams are allowed more freedom with mature content, which is perfect for Conan.
June 7, 2009
Artwork: 3.5 to 4 stars
Stories: 2 (2.5 on occasion)
The artwork is very good (certainly better than the stick figures I could manage) but the stories are non-Howard Conan, and suffer in the comparison.
Stories: 2 (2.5 on occasion)
The artwork is very good (certainly better than the stick figures I could manage) but the stories are non-Howard Conan, and suffer in the comparison.
October 7, 2014
Another year, another Savage Sword of Conan collection to read. All very same old, same old. This collects the original Savage Sword of Conans from #49-60 and a good number of those deal with a middle-aged Conan on the brink of Kinghood. Must admit I always preferred the younger Conan, the lonesome thief, character and found it a bit irritating that a 40+ year old Conan in a position of power is drawn pretty much the same way as the 20 year younger incarnation.
Not bad but it's starting to get a bit stale and repetitive.
Not bad but it's starting to get a bit stale and repetitive.
April 14, 2013
Habe ich da Unrecht getan?
...indem ich den letzten Band, The Savage Sword of Conan, Vol. 4, als einen den Klimax überschrittenen, müden Abgesang einer toll gestarteten Reihe betitelt hatte?
Nein. Tatsächlich sehe ich nun Band 4 immer noch als Ausrutscher, der nach Band 3 und vor Band 5 eine kreative Hängephase darstellt, wie man sie jedem Künstler mal zugestehen sollte. Denn der vorliegende Band 5 reißt viel davon wieder raus: Auch wenn mir immer noch die Kombination Buscema-DeZuniga nicht gefällt, und daher die De-Camp-Adaption des unsäglichen, weil so völlig unhowardesken Conan the Liberator mir auch von den Zeichnungen her nicht zusagen kann, so enthält der Band dann doch genug anderes Material, das dann die Lektüre doch angenehm werden lässt: Der göttliche Alfredo Alcala macht aus einer eher banalen Geschichte ein schraffiertes Spektakel, eine sehr sehenswerte Arbeit von Rudy Nebres, sowie durchaus interessante Weichzeichnungen von Ricardo Villamonte überzeugen durch ihren Abwechslungsreichtum.
Viel nackte Haut (das Wetter in Turan, Zamboula und umliegenden Orten lässt das natürlich zu, dass alle Frauen in Bikinis und weniger herumlaufen) und Brutalität unterscheiden diese Reihe von anderen Conan-Comics. Letztlich habe ich aber nun, nach 5 Bänden mit insgesamt dann fast 2500 Seiten, doch ausreichend davon gesehen, und beende nun die Lektüre der Reihe glücklicherweise nicht nach Band 4 mit einem schlechten Gefühl, sondern nach Band 5 mit einem guten.
...indem ich den letzten Band, The Savage Sword of Conan, Vol. 4, als einen den Klimax überschrittenen, müden Abgesang einer toll gestarteten Reihe betitelt hatte?
Nein. Tatsächlich sehe ich nun Band 4 immer noch als Ausrutscher, der nach Band 3 und vor Band 5 eine kreative Hängephase darstellt, wie man sie jedem Künstler mal zugestehen sollte. Denn der vorliegende Band 5 reißt viel davon wieder raus: Auch wenn mir immer noch die Kombination Buscema-DeZuniga nicht gefällt, und daher die De-Camp-Adaption des unsäglichen, weil so völlig unhowardesken Conan the Liberator mir auch von den Zeichnungen her nicht zusagen kann, so enthält der Band dann doch genug anderes Material, das dann die Lektüre doch angenehm werden lässt: Der göttliche Alfredo Alcala macht aus einer eher banalen Geschichte ein schraffiertes Spektakel, eine sehr sehenswerte Arbeit von Rudy Nebres, sowie durchaus interessante Weichzeichnungen von Ricardo Villamonte überzeugen durch ihren Abwechslungsreichtum.
Viel nackte Haut (das Wetter in Turan, Zamboula und umliegenden Orten lässt das natürlich zu, dass alle Frauen in Bikinis und weniger herumlaufen) und Brutalität unterscheiden diese Reihe von anderen Conan-Comics. Letztlich habe ich aber nun, nach 5 Bänden mit insgesamt dann fast 2500 Seiten, doch ausreichend davon gesehen, und beende nun die Lektüre der Reihe glücklicherweise nicht nach Band 4 mit einem schlechten Gefühl, sondern nach Band 5 mit einem guten.
July 2, 2011
Another great installment in the Savage Sword of Conan reprint series. This volume covers a number of pastiche novels, including "Conan The Liberator", and the linked stories "Conan and the Sorcerer" and "Conan and the Sword of Skelos."
While none of the stories in this volume are by Robert E. Howard, they're a valiant attempt by other authors to fill in some of the gaps in Conan's career. In this case, his usurpation of Aquilonia's throne and some youthful adventures in Shadizar and Zamboula. Howard's Conan is the best, but the stories were all engaging and the artwork strong and consistent throughout.
The Savage Sword of Conan remains the best comic adaptation of Conan to date. This volume in Dark Horse's reprint series is another quality installment. With well over 500 pages for $20, it's an excellent bargain as well.
While none of the stories in this volume are by Robert E. Howard, they're a valiant attempt by other authors to fill in some of the gaps in Conan's career. In this case, his usurpation of Aquilonia's throne and some youthful adventures in Shadizar and Zamboula. Howard's Conan is the best, but the stories were all engaging and the artwork strong and consistent throughout.
The Savage Sword of Conan remains the best comic adaptation of Conan to date. This volume in Dark Horse's reprint series is another quality installment. With well over 500 pages for $20, it's an excellent bargain as well.
March 31, 2019
Roy Thomas adapts all pastiche in this volume. I was eager to read the Andrew J Offutt adaptations. I found his trilogy in a yard sale when I was about 12. I still have them. They were illustrated editions and reminded me so much of my favorite magazine Savage Sword of Conan; however, they don’t hold up well. They are fun adventures, but have un-Conan like qualities that make them less than stellar pastiche.
This volume has a multi-part adaptation of the de Camp novel Conan the Liberator; perhaps the poorest pastiche de Camp wrote.
Female nudity is liberal in the 500+ pages of this book. Looking back upon the 10 to 14 year old me that read these then, that was probably one of my main reasons for adoring these comics so much.
Overall, Thomas dips from a muddy well for inspiration, but the art is still fantastic Sword & Sorcery, black and white goodness. The nostalgia holds up.
This volume has a multi-part adaptation of the de Camp novel Conan the Liberator; perhaps the poorest pastiche de Camp wrote.
Female nudity is liberal in the 500+ pages of this book. Looking back upon the 10 to 14 year old me that read these then, that was probably one of my main reasons for adoring these comics so much.
Overall, Thomas dips from a muddy well for inspiration, but the art is still fantastic Sword & Sorcery, black and white goodness. The nostalgia holds up.
July 18, 2020
I never get tired of reading The Savage Sword of Conan whether in this form or in the original magazines. This particular volume covers issue 49-60. You have adaptions of several books, the first Conan the Liberator then Conan and the sorcerer, and finally The Sword of Skelos. A couple other stories follow. The art and stories were as usual a joy to look upon and read. Fun for those Saturday reading sessions.
March 31, 2019
By Crom! Mitra! Ishtar! Set! Thor! Cthulhu! Flying Spaghetti Monster!
Read
May 6, 2020Incredible. Fantastic language, mind blowing dialogues, lovely artwork too. ! Incredible storylines
December 21, 2020
I like this series so much. I is formulated, but what great adventure.
June 13, 2016
Marvel Comics had the rights to produce Conan comics in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, and they had several titles - Conan the Barbarian, which was their main monthly four-colour comic, King Conan, which ran throughout the 80s, and Savage Sword of Conan, which was a larger size black-and-white magazine. There were also a few short-lived titles that lasted 18 months or so during the 90s. When Dark Horse gained the rights to Conan in 2003, they also gained the rights to all the work that Marvel had produced, the majority of which had been adapted from novels and short stories. This book is part of the reprints of those titles.
Savage Sword of Conan was aimed at a more adult audience, and didn't have the CCA seal of approval. This allowed it to present stories that were closer to the feel of the Conan novels and short stories and these days, it is considered to be one of the best comics adaptations of Conan. Unlike the Conan the Barbarian title, which followed in chronological order, Savage Sword jumped about throughout Conan's life. This volume reprints the Conan stories from issues 49-60 of the original (there were other comic and text stories that are not included in these compilation volumes). These issues were adaptations of the novels "Conan the Liberator" by L Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter; "Conan and the Sorcerer" and "Conan and the Sword of Skelos", both by Andrew J Offutt; and the short stories "The City of Skulls" and "The Ivory Goddess", both by Sprague de Camp and Carter.
While the Conan completist will undoubtedly want to track down the original issues - they did include some excellent articles on Conan's world - these reprint volumes provide a much cheaper means of obtaining the main stories.
Savage Sword of Conan was aimed at a more adult audience, and didn't have the CCA seal of approval. This allowed it to present stories that were closer to the feel of the Conan novels and short stories and these days, it is considered to be one of the best comics adaptations of Conan. Unlike the Conan the Barbarian title, which followed in chronological order, Savage Sword jumped about throughout Conan's life. This volume reprints the Conan stories from issues 49-60 of the original (there were other comic and text stories that are not included in these compilation volumes). These issues were adaptations of the novels "Conan the Liberator" by L Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter; "Conan and the Sorcerer" and "Conan and the Sword of Skelos", both by Andrew J Offutt; and the short stories "The City of Skulls" and "The Ivory Goddess", both by Sprague de Camp and Carter.
While the Conan completist will undoubtedly want to track down the original issues - they did include some excellent articles on Conan's world - these reprint volumes provide a much cheaper means of obtaining the main stories.
June 25, 2012
Fun adventures of sword and sorcery. The first four-part tale, featuring Conan taking the throne of Aquilonia, is the most enjoyable. The namesake barbarian strategizes with fellow commanders, makes mistakes and recovers from them, showing nuance and depth.
The rest are a little lighter--still fun, but more prone to cheesecake and stretching Conan out of character. The art throughout is excellent, with evil wizards, desert vistas and clashings of swords rendered in washes of black ink. Buscema and De Zuniga are my favorite pairing, but the rest are good too, even if Ricardo Villamonte's contributions seem a little smeary.
The rest are a little lighter--still fun, but more prone to cheesecake and stretching Conan out of character. The art throughout is excellent, with evil wizards, desert vistas and clashings of swords rendered in washes of black ink. Buscema and De Zuniga are my favorite pairing, but the rest are good too, even if Ricardo Villamonte's contributions seem a little smeary.
September 5, 2015
Some of the worst Conan stories ever.
I've always felt that De Camp and Carter (who wrote a terrible book on middle earth) did a poor, derivative job on Conan. Andrew Offut who is also represented in this volume does a poor job as well. Conan the Liberator, adapted here as an example, seems to go on forever, uses ideas Howard did far better, and has one of the most uninteresting endings ever. Only one story, the city of skulls, stands out in any way. This hasn't found a home on my kindle.
I've always felt that De Camp and Carter (who wrote a terrible book on middle earth) did a poor, derivative job on Conan. Andrew Offut who is also represented in this volume does a poor job as well. Conan the Liberator, adapted here as an example, seems to go on forever, uses ideas Howard did far better, and has one of the most uninteresting endings ever. Only one story, the city of skulls, stands out in any way. This hasn't found a home on my kindle.
June 17, 2012
Classic Black and White Conan tales from the 70's originally published in Marvel Comics legendary "Savage sword of Conan" B&W monthly magazine. Loved this stuff!
May 28, 2014
Tedious
July 4, 2014
The best in the series so far. Great story arcs even though none of them is REH's doing.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews