BRATH Vol. 1 Prequel, Feb. 2003 “Brath Prequel”

BRATH Vol. 1 Prequel, Feb. 2003 “Brath Prequel”
Writer:  Chuck Dixon           
Penciler: Andrea Di Vito                                           
Inker: Brad Vancata

Colorist: Rob Schwager

Cover Price: $2.95 (Current Near Mint Price $3.00)

Cast:

Brath

Antonius Casta

The Eagle of the Thirteenth…

Antonius Casta is in the army of the magnificent Quintillas Galba upon the plains of the Irisians. They stand in their ranks and watch the throngs of Irisians charge toward them who bellow war cries in a brutish tongue. The men of Quintillas Galba first use slings, then arrows, and then spears: all in attempt to slow the army of barbarian’s momentum. Much to their surprise, it did not even make the weakest of them flinch.

The leader of the Irisians, one Brath Mac Garen, rends a gaping hole in the century’s ranks that is quickly filled by the rest of his blood-thirsty brethren. The legionnaire’s captain’s were then slain, which caused the rest of the army to run rampant and without order. While the battle raged on, the Irisians began singing in unison, to shake the souls of their enemies. Antonius Casta attempts to reform his rank, but is then clubbed by a barbarian who notices his outstanding leadership skills.

When Antonius Costa awakes, he is at the Irisian camp along with a handful of his men. Brath is giving a stern talking-to to his Irisian brothers’ who obviously have a huge problem with a decision that Brath has made. Brath approaches Antonius and hands him the banner of his legion and said something in the Irisian tongue, Antonius knows Brath is setting them free. When the prisoners return to the city of Brundugnum, some nobles have problems with the return of the thirteenth legion.

Brath is then in a dream chasing a stag to a cliff that overlooks the great city of Quintillas Galba. He looks at the city with a disposition of hate, it unsettles him in a unique way. He is woken up by a smoking hot companion who asks “The dream again, Brath?”

Crom’s Verdict-

This is probably one of the greatest comic books I have ever read. Brath comics are the most stunning, graphic, crazy, and visually captivating comics around. I have read my fair share of comic books, but never have I been so intense about reading one; Brath had me fist pounding and “Whoop”-ing for more, as if I was at a metal-core concert. This deserves five swords, nothing less.

Review By: Set’s Disciple

Conan Quote of the Week ~June 24th~

"Get UP dog or, by Crom, I'll gut you where you kneel!" -Conan the Barbarian Vol. 1, No. 17, Aug. 1972

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1 No. 76, JULY 1977 “Swordless in Stygia”

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1 No. 76, JULY 1977 “Swordless in Stygia”

Writer: Roy Thomas            
Artist: John Buscema          

Inker:             Ernie Chan                
Cover Artists: Gil Kane, Ernie Chan

Letters: John Costanza                   

Editor:            Roy Thomas 

Colorist: George Roussos

Cover Price: $.30 (Current Near Mint Price $6.00)

Cast:

Conan

Bêlit

Hor-Neb

Mer-Ath

Gods fall…

Conan is haplessly chasing Bêlit, who is being taken towards Harakht, Stygia: a city that is devoted to the Stygian hawk-god. He dons the headdress of a hawk rider and enters the city only to be discovered because he is wearing the wrong type of boots. Conan dispatches those who identify him as an intruder and carries on his search. On the other side of the city, Bêlit is being fought over by Hor-Neb and Mer-ath who are the rulers of Harakht. Soon, they are interrupted by a loud commotion outside caused by none other than our Cimmerian hero. Bêlit screams for Conan’s attention, but cannot be heard over Conan’s victim’s death thralls. Hor-Neb realizes Bêlit and this intruder must know each other, so he sends Bêlit to solitary confinement while his soldiers dispatch Conan.

Conan leaps and bounds through the city, wreaking havoc and killing Stygian heroes all in attempt to free Bêlit. Conan then uses his impressive strength to topple a large statue of the Stygian’s hawk god down upon a charging group of pursuers, the others flee at the sight of their god’s earthly form being desecrated.

During all of this commotion, Mer-Ath is blabbering on and on to a slave girl about a sacred rock that fell from the sky. His brother, Hor-Neb, has kept the rock from Mer-Ath- who doesn’t appreciate it. The slave girl pays no attention but nods her head and agrees with everything he says, like a slave girl is expected to do. Hor-Neb holds Bêlit hostage at blade’s edge and Conan agrees to surrender, so long as his lover is not harmed. When Conan is being escorted to a cell, he pulls away from the guards just long enough to make a quick escape down a water-less well. When he hits the bottom, there is a faintly glowing rock on an altar. He is drawn to it, and touches it- but is stopped by a gargantuan man that attacks him for touching the “Sacred Stone”.

Crom’s Verdict-

                                

I really enjoyed this one, because it offered a chase scene where Conan literally IMPRESSED people with his agility and ability to perform under pressure. The art was fantastic, and followed up by a strong story of love. The ultimate sacrifice of Conan, in the end, was a fantastic addition to the story and it had me sitting up in my bed screaming “NO! CONAN! She’s not worth it!” In attempt to shake him out of it (If I could, I would). Definitely worth your time.

Review By: Set’s Disciple

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1 No. 86, MAY 1987 “The Devourer of The Dead”

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1 No. 86, MAY 1987 “The Devourer of The Dead”
Writer: Roy Thomas            
Artist: John Buscema          

Cover Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Ernie Chan                             
Colorist: Phil Rachelson
Letters: Joe Rosen               

Editor:            Roy Thomas 

Cover Price: $.35(Current Near Mint Price $6.00)

Cast:

Conan

Zula

Bêlit

Not your average funeral…

Conan and his Kheshattan ally, Zula, are outside of the Stygian capitol, Luxur, trading doubts and worries about their upcoming expedition. Conan wants to travel straight into Luxur and kill anybody who gets in his way of finding his she-devil pirate lover, Bêlit- while Zula, on the other hand, would like to set a plan in place before marching straight to their deaths. Conan takes the high road, quite literally, and climbs the walls of Luxur. He nabs a guard’s uniform and proceeds to a tavern with Zula posed as his slave.

Once Conan is inside the tavern, he talks to the bar tender for information about Bêlit. Conan notices the fear in some of the bar’s patron’s voices as they watch a funeral procession pass by and asks the bar tender why any would be fearful of the dead. She gives him a long story about a devourer of the dead who dwells in an un-finished pyramid to the north, and tells him that the funeral happens there. Conan believes that this is his “in” and accidently seduces the bar tender, who tells him to meet her in the back room. Conan leaves the bar, and the woman, behind and tells Zula that they must join the funeral procession if they are ever going to find Bêlit.

Conan and Zula kill some acolytes of Set and don their robes, then proceed to join the funeral acting as stragglers. When they enter the pyramid on a boat, they notice that the river entering the structure does not exit it. This disturbs Zula, who is then noticed for being of a different skin tone. Zula and Conan bash in some Set-worshiping skulls and dive into a well, hoping for an escape route. When they surface, they notice the boat they had entered on was full of corpses and that it was heading into a big chamber inhabited by the devourer of the dead. Conan kicked the coffin off of the barge and set the boat ablaze. The flaming barge entered the creature’s mouth, making it about 50 different kinds of P.O’d. Conan and Zula heard something from inside of the coffin and opened it only to find, none other than, Bêlit. Once they escaped, she gave them some unsettling news, leaving us with a cliff hanger until the next issue.

Crom’s Verdict-



I loved this one because of a lot of it’s aspects that it held high above the knee deep abundance of “oh, I saw THAT coming” moments. The art of John Buscema was absolutely fantastic, and deeply appreciated by yours truly. I always enjoy watching Conan join forces with somebody else of equally awesome background, such as Zula (who held his part as the friend of Conan very well). Again, my only stigma with this was the majority of foreseeable events.

Review By: Set’s Disciple

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1, No. 67, Oct. 1976 “Daggers and Death-Gods!”

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1, No. 67, Oct. 1976 “Daggers and Death-Gods!”
Writer:                 Roy Thomas

Artist:                   John Buscema

Cover Artist:      Gil Kane

Finishes:              No Information                               
Colorist:               Don Warfield
Letters:                                Condoy
Publisher:           Marvel Comics Group

Editor:                  Roy Thomas

Editor In Chief: No Iformation

Cover Price: $.30 (Current Near Mint Price $6.00)

Cast:

Red Sonja

Conan

Belit

Tara of Hanumar

Yusef

Cat Fight…

“Daggers and Death-Gods!” (Vol. 1 No. 66) left us with Conan and Belit seemingly pitted in a fight to the death situation with Red Sonja for possession of a page from the Iron Bound Book of Skelos.  After all, Red Sonja did say “Aye! And only one of us may leave with it—though it mean the other’s death!”  Conan, being that Red Sonja is a chick, albeit a very deadly chick, decides to use a little diplomacy.  Really though… think about it, if some guy had muttered those words to Conan he’d meet death before the words fell from his tongue.  The two exchange stories about how they came to plunder the very same  item.  It seems as though Red Sonja was employed by Karanthes a high priest of the god-bird Ibis, who offered her a priceless gem if she would retrieve the page.  Conan relates how he and Belit’s services had been procured by the Publio.  See Vol. 1, No. 66, Sept. 1976
Red Sonja and Belit trade insults which soon leads to sword play…All the while Conan stands by idly hands on hip.  I wonder what is going through his mind at that moment…I mean really, to have Red Sonja and Belit fighting over him.  It was probably some Hyborian age equivalency to “Worrrrrd!!!”  Red Sonja’s skill with the sword slowly begins to overpower Belit who concedes that she has less skill than Red Sonja with the Sword, but boasts her strength lies with the bow and the dagger.  Out comes the dagger’s and the fight begins to even up.  Red Sonja douses the flame to a torch and uses the cover of darkness to grab the loot and make her escape.

Conan and Belit split up, he chases Red Sonja while Belit heads back to her ship.  While giving chase, Conan is recognized by Tara (Vol. 1, No. 57) who begs Conan to help Yusef, her lover who is being held on less than truthful charges.  Conan agrees to help free Yusef, all the while the two are unaware that they are being watched by a Stygian sorcerer who has a strange affinity for house cats.

Conan makes way to Yusef and finds him guarded by a single guard, like taking candy from a baby…right?  Nope, not this time…That single guard is some sort of were-cat, man-beast and puts up one heck of a fight, even after Conan skewers him like a martini olive.  Conan finally bests the half man half cat beast and affects the rescue of Yusef.  Once outside Conan and Yusef’s escape is discovered and they are again striking steel and rolling in the dirt with would be killers.  Conan nearly feels the bite of cold steel had it not been for the timely return of Belit.  With Yusef and Tara reunited and safely on their way out of town, Belit and Conan resume their chase of Red Sonja.

Croms Verdict-

Good read, but it didn’t even come close to the last issue (Vol. 1, No 66).  As always, John Buscema’s art work turns an alright story into a good story, tis the case here my fellow Cimmerians.   With out Buscema this one would have only pulled two swords.  I was really expecting a little more out of this one, with Red Sonja and Belit…Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the exchange of “pleasantries” and the cat fight, but it just wasn’t as great as I had expected.  Don’t shy away from this read though, because it’s still Conan, which means it’s still good.

Reviewed by:  Crom’s Fist

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1 No. 76, JULY 1977 “Swordless in Stygia”

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Vol. 1 No. 76, JULY 1977 “Swordless in Stygia”
Writer: Roy Thomas            
Artist: John Buscema          

Inker:             Ernie Chan                
Cover Artists: Gil Kane, Ernie Chan

Letters: John Costanza                   

Editor:            Roy Thomas 

Colorist: George Roussos

Cover Price: $.30 (Current Near Mint Price $6.00)

Cast:

Conan

Bêlit

Hor-Neb

Mer-Ath

Gods fall…

Conan is haplessly chasing Bêlit, who is being taken towards Harakht, Stygia: a city that is devoted to the Stygian hawk-god. He dons the headdress of a hawk rider and enters the city only to be discovered because he is wearing the wrong type of boots. Conan dispatches those who identify him as an intruder and carries on his search. On the other side of the city, Bêlit is being fought over by Hor-Neb and Mer-ath who are the rulers of Harakht. Soon, they are interrupted by a loud commotion outside caused by none other than our Cimmerian hero. Bêlit screams for Conan’s attention, but cannot be heard over Conan’s victim’s death thralls. Hor-Neb realizes Bêlit and this intruder must know each other, so he sends Bêlit to solitary confinement while his soldiers dispatch Conan.

Conan leaps and bounds through the city, wreaking havoc and killing Stygian heroes all in attempt to free Bêlit. Conan then uses his impressive strength to topple a large statue of the Stygian’s hawk god down upon a charging group of pursuers, the others flee at the sight of their god’s earthly form being desecrated.

During all of this commotion, Mer-Ath is blabbering on and on to a slave girl about a sacred rock that fell from the sky. His brother, Hor-Neb, has kept the rock from Mer-Ath- who doesn’t appreciate it. The slave girl pays no attention but nods her head and agrees with everything he says, like a slave girl is expected to do. Hor-Neb holds Bêlit hostage at blade’s edge and Conan agrees to surrender, so long as his lover is not harmed. When Conan is being escorted to a cell, he pulls away from the guards just long enough to make a quick escape down a water-less well. When he hits the bottom, there is a faintly glowing rock on an altar. He is drawn to it, and touches it- but is stopped by a gargantuan man that attacks him for touching the “Sacred Stone”.

Crom’s Verdict-




I really enjoyed this one, because it offered a chase scene where Conan literally IMPRESSED people with his agility and ability to perform under pressure. The art was fantastic, and followed up by a strong story of love. The ultimate sacrifice of Conan, in the end, was a fantastic addition to the story and it had me sitting up in my bed screaming “NO! CONAN! She’s not worth it!” In attempt to shake him out of it (If I could, I would). Definitely worth your time.

Review By: Set’s Disciple

Momoa, Conan?

Hey I'm a local boy from the islands too...But, Momoa as Conan?  Really?  There are plenty of roles Momoa can pull off, one right off the top of my head is Mowgli from Jungle Book.  I would have never picked him as a contender for Conan the Barbarian though.

Who would I have chosen as Conan?  First off, I'd want someone who was a real warrior or at the very least someone who has been in a fight or two.  Secondly, he'd have to have a powerfuly strong physique and not one that looked like he spent 30 minutes a day on a bow-flex listening to Bob or Ziggy Marley.  Third, my choice for someone to play Conan would have to know what it feels like to rupture another human beigns spleen from one hit.So I guess that leaves me with... CLAY MATHEWS #52

The best things is that with the NFL lock out still lingering on, Clay Mathews may very well be available too.