Month: June 2024

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Conan Omnibus Volume One: Birth of the Legend

This is a review of Conan Omnibus Vol. 1: Birth of the Legend. I’ve read a fair amount of Conan comics in my youth. Back then Marvel Comics had the license, and a typical Conan story went like this. Conan kills the Monster of the Week, summoned by the Warlock of the Week to threaten the Damsel of the Week. Afterwards, he ends up with treasure and probably gets laid, although they don’t show that very last part. Conan is usually drawn looking like a ‘roided-up pro wrestler by John Buscema, one of my favorite comic artists. Most of the issues are one-shots and are enjoyable but forgettable. I recall one story where Conan is hired to escort a baby across a river to its mother or father (I forget which), and the baby turns out to be a baby monster.

This is a different Conan indeed. The opening scene of this graphic novel shows a woman, nine months pregnant, shoving a spear through the back of the warrior about to kill her husband. Conan comes into this world moments afterwards, born on the battlefield. I don’t want to get too specific, for fear of spoiling things for the reader. Suffice it to say that this graphic novel has three storylines – the first depicting Conan’s childhood, the second set in the city of Hyperborea, and the third involving Conan’s first encounter with sorcerer Thoth-Amon. Sorcerers seem to be a recurring theme with Conan, as in he doesn’t like them. And the feeling is mutual.

Unlike the comics of my youth, Conan is not written as an invincible, unstoppable juggernaut. In one scene, he comes face-to-face with a lion pride and runs away. He makes a ton of mistakes, and pays for each and every one of them. His actions – whether intentional or not – hurt other people. He has prominent strengths and weaknesses, although many of the mistakes he makes are from inexperience. But he’s a fast learner.

This is the best Conan I’ve ever read. Highly recommended.

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Batman in the Fifties

This is a review of Batman in the Fifties. I will be honest here and say that I did not expect to enjoy this graphic novel, which was purchased in a buying frenzy a few years back. DC’s Silver Age might have laid the foundations for decades to come, but it also produced a lot of dreck. When you come down to it, Batman is a crime comic and the character doesn’t do well in science fiction stories. I can prove this, having read two volumes of The World’s Finest – which features Batman & Superman teaming up against aliens, crackpot inventors with salad colanders on their heads, and traveling back in time to become the Three Musketeers.

Imagine my shock when I found myself liking the stories in this volume. This is a curated collection, which means all the content has been hand-picked. My favorite story features The Bat Ape, with Ace the Bat Hound coming in a close second. The Bat Ape lives in a circus. When his trainer is framed for stealing the box office take for the day, the Bat Ape springs into action. He follows the Dynamic Duo to the Bat-Cave, where he dons a Batman outfit and aids Batman & Robin in corralling the real criminals! Ace the Bat Hound follows the same formula.

We also meet Batwoman, aka heiress Kathy Kane, who doesn’t quite mesh with the Dynamic Duo, but paved the way for Batgirl’s arrival in the 1960’s. We witness the origins of Mr. Freeze and the mighty Killer Moth, and learn more about the Joker’s origins (he was the Red Hood). Kudos to the creative team, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, who spent well over a decade working on the same comic, and still managed to make it entertaining.

Recommended for Batman fans!

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Superior Foes of Spider-Man Volume 1: Getting the Band Back Together

This is a review of Superior Foes of Spider-Man Vol. 1: Getting the Band Back Together. There’s a scene in this graphic novel where a kid tells Speed Demon, who used to call himself the Whizzer, that he’s stupid. Speed Demon tells the kid she might have a point, and then steals her dog.

Yes, that’s right. The Superior Foes of Spider-Man are villains. I won’t say super-villains, because there’s nothing super about them. They’re all too stupid. Boomerang, who throws boomerangs and has jets on his ankles, is stupid. Speed Demon, aka Whizzer, is stupid. Overdrive, the ultimate getaway driver, and the Beetle, the only girl in the group, are stupid. The Shocker differs from the others in that he’s really stupid.

The plot is too complex to explain. It involves the long-lost head of crime-boss Silvermane and a portrait of Dr. Doom. The plot doesn’t matter, though. The fun of this graphic novel lies in watching the characters double-and-triple cross each other. It’s a funny comic. Boomerang goes to a support group for super-villains. Speed Demon asks if objects get lighter when you move faster. Collective IQs fall fifty points when the Shocker enters a room.

This graphic novel reminds me more of a Dortmunder caper than a superhero comic. For those who don’t know, Dortmunder was the unluckiest criminal mastermind in the universe. Once he stole the same jewel five times. Recommended for people who like crime in their superhero comics.