How does Conan hold up?

[Jeffro.]

Everyone goes ga-ga over the BWS issues, even though the early ones are, imo, a bit crude. Barry got better later. However, after he left you get dozens and dozens of issues featuring John Buscema greatness.

[shadroch]

Neal Adams

[VintageComics]

Conan is a terrific run for reading. I really enjoy it.

[Stronguy]

Conan is a solid run through the '70s. There are very few low points but a lot of highs. Overall I would say it was the most consistently well written and illustrated comic Marvel produced in the Bronze Age.

[the blob]

It is a good run to get to actually read and it will not cost you an arm and a leg and none of the issues (even 275) is particularly hard to find. I think Big John B might have gotten a little tired of illustrating the title at some point in the 80's, but it's not like he pulled a Sal B of Peter Parker Spectcular proportions, just not as terrific as the stuff from the 70's.

 

Savage Sword is pretty great, but might require some more work hunting down the issues at shows/shop and the postage can add up buying them on line. I don't see them too often in 50 cent boxes unless in tatters, occasionally in a dollar box, but every shop in going to be different. a place with no market for them will price them differently. whenever i bid on lots of these in half decent looking shape it always winds up getting up to or past $2 an issue when shipping is factored in.

 

Koch used to have hundreds of SSOCs up for $1-$3 but they seem to all be gone and the few he has left are all $6.95.

[kimik]

Conan is a solid run through the '70s. There are very few low points but a lot of highs. Overall I would say it was the most consistently well written and illustrated comic Marvel produced in the Bronze Age.

 

I will second that, but there are some cool storylines in the 80s that I first read as a kid as well.

 

It must have been brutally difficult to maintain the consistency in the book. You had to mix in a huge number of different elements to the story: beautiful girl, fights with some bloodshed, some sort of task/adventure, a monster or two, success and alcohol/treasure. Sounds similar to the Kirk formula on the original Star Trek series - introduce attractive female, problem arises (may be before female intro), kirk lands female, battle (kirk's shirt optional), success and fond farewell.

[VintageComics]

Conan is a solid run through the '70s. There are very few low points but a lot of highs. Overall I would say it was the most consistently well written and illustrated comic Marvel produced in the Bronze Age.

 

Likely because it was older than comics itself and so many of these writers and artists felt that they had a standard, or a level of quality to uphold. A lot of them probably read about Conan as they were growing up making them emotionally invested in the title.

 

 

[Stronguy]

Conan is a solid run through the '70s. There are very few low points but a lot of highs. Overall I would say it was the most consistently well written and illustrated comic Marvel produced in the Bronze Age.

 

Likely because it was older than comics itself and so many of these writers and artists felt that they had a standard, or a level of quality to uphold. A lot of them probably read about Conan as they were growing up making them emotionally invested in the title.

 

Through the end of the '70s (that's as far as I've read) it's all Roy Thomas. In the early days Roy spent a bunch of time getting up to speed on Conan, talking to various writers and getting a lot of early plot help from Lin Carter. It's very obvious that he put in a lot of work on the long-term plot of the book. He was able to keep a solid sub-plot running for nearly 4 years with the Belit issues.

[Park]

I'm two books away from finishing my BA X-Men run and I am looking for another title to work on after I finish and pay off a large GA purchase.

 

I have never read a single Conan story, but I have always been a fan of the "sword and sorcery/fantasy" genre.

 

I was wondering, how well does Conan hold up? Are the stories good? Do you feel it is as good today as it was when it was published? Some titles do not age well. I would like a title I enjoy reading as much as collecting.

 

Just looking for some friendly advice.

 

Thanks

 

I had never read a Conan book until about a year and a half ago. It just wasn't my thing as a kid. I picked up a bunch of them and they are a fantastic read. It was not hard to find everything raw for cheap as well.

 

Being that they were fresh and new to me, I enjoyed the heck out of reading and collecting them. I think the first one I read was 38 or 39.

 

Find a decent batch between 1-100 or get a hold of a few trades and give it a whirl. (thumbs u (thumbs u

[the blob]

Conan is a solid run through the '70s. There are very few low points but a lot of highs. Overall I would say it was the most consistently well written and illustrated comic Marvel produced in the Bronze Age.

 

Likely because it was older than comics itself and so many of these writers and artists felt that they had a standard, or a level of quality to uphold. A lot of them probably read about Conan as they were growing up making them emotionally invested in the title.

 

Through the end of the '70s (that's as far as I've read) it's all Roy Thomas. In the early days Roy spent a bunch of time getting up to speed on Conan, talking to various writers and getting a lot of early plot help from Lin Carter. It's very obvious that he put in a lot of work on the long-term plot of the book. He was able to keep a solid sub-plot running for nearly 4 years with the Belit issues.

 

I wonder how much of that stuff as well as SSOC once they went beyond the howard and other already written material is conan-ized sword and sorcery or influenced/copied from what was out there. between CTB, SSOC and King Conan, as well as various odds and ends out there, we're talking about approximately 500 issues of Conan stories just up through the early 90s.

[Stronguy]

Conan is a solid run through the '70s. There are very few low points but a lot of highs. Overall I would say it was the most consistently well written and illustrated comic Marvel produced in the Bronze Age.

 

Likely because it was older than comics itself and so many of these writers and artists felt that they had a standard, or a level of quality to uphold. A lot of them probably read about Conan as they were growing up making them emotionally invested in the title.

 

Through the end of the '70s (that's as far as I've read) it's all Roy Thomas. In the early days Roy spent a bunch of time getting up to speed on Conan, talking to various writers and getting a lot of early plot help from Lin Carter. It's very obvious that he put in a lot of work on the long-term plot of the book. He was able to keep a solid sub-plot running for nearly 4 years with the Belit issues.

 

I wonder how much of that stuff as well as SSOC once they went beyond the howard and other already written material is conan-ized sword and sorcery or influenced/copied from what was out there. between CTB, SSOC and King Conan, as well as various odds and ends out there, we're talking about approximately 500 issues of Conan stories just up through the early 90s.

 

Just speaking of the '70 CTB run there was some of that (and they were up front about it) but, by in large, it was original. I think some of the stories may have been inspired by some existing material but once they hit the Belit story line it was all original for the most part.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Everyone goes ga-ga over the BWS issues, even though the early ones are, imo, a bit crude. Barry got better later. However, after he left you get dozens and dozens of issues featuring John Buscema greatness.

If you compare John Buscema`s first 10 issues to Barry Smith`s first 10 issues. Big John is clearly the winner.

(thumbs u

[ComicConnoisseur]

Neal Adams

Jim Starlin

[Stronguy]

Everyone goes ga-ga over the BWS issues, even though the early ones are, imo, a bit crude. Barry got better later. However, after he left you get dozens and dozens of issues featuring John Buscema greatness.

If you compare John Buscema`s first 10 issues to Barry Smith`s first 10 issues. Big John is clearly the winner.

(thumbs u

 

Yeah, but Big John had about 20 years of experience on him. When BWS started he was just creating his "style" (remember, he was a Kirby clone before that). Once he got things refined it was almost like he was a different person. I just wish he had found his stride from page 1.