Conan has come to Shadizar to get a drink. He gets involved with a lotus addict named Jasmine. Jasmine with her lotus addicted husband try to rob Conan. Instead, the husband accidentally kills Jasmine. Conan decides to get revenge on Yatha the main lotus dealer in the city. He goes to his warehouse and barricades the door. Then climbing the roof, he sets it on fire and drops in. Conan kills all of Yatha’s men then beats Yatha to death.
This was a fun and offbeat issue. Conan takes a break from his Free Companions to get a drink. He reminisces with an old acquaintance from the early issues. As the title says, this is a Hyborian Punisher style story. A very just say no to drugs issue. The early nineties had a big drug problem, and it was a timely story.
Writer: Sylvain Runberg adapted from story by Robert E. Howard
Artist: Jae Kwang Park
The Devi Yasmina is now a prisoner of the Seers. The head one has plans to use her as his slave. Meanwhile, Conan, Kerim Shah and his Irakzai are going to rescue her. They are assaulted by flocks of birds and deadly mist that turns one into a raving killer. Conan remembers advice from Khemsa and they follow a golden rope. They confront the Seers and Conan manages to destroy magical golden globes which then kills the Seers. He confronts the master who tears out the heart of Kerim Shah. Then turns into a giant snake which Conan fights off.
He rescues Yasmina and they escape. They find his Afghulis fighting her Vendyans. Yasmina has her followers stop fighting and the Afghulis accept Conan as their chief again. Conan has to kill the master who is now a giant hawk. Conan and Yasmina part company with the promise to meet again.
This ends the final part to one of Howard’s longest Conan stories. The adaptation was very brief and seemed to sacrifice much of the story to end. There is none of the battles with the acolytes and magic that Conan and his companions faced. It also left out the part where we see that Conan loves Yasmina and she loves him. Yet their duties to their respective followers dooms this love. Marvel did a much better job of adapting this. Still, it was fun to reread it again and even an abridged Howard story is still enjoyable.
Sonja seems to be dead and having a conversation with her goddess. Only it is an illusion for the spell on her still works. She survived the lava and after it cools, she busts out. Tuma arrives and takes her to a place where she can bath. She is attacked by a giant lizard which Sonja kills. After cooking it, she makes some clothes from its skin. Later the two find Prince Ederak and Princess Zaria are captive of some savages. The savages have two female cat creatures that track Sonja and Tuma. Hiding in a tree the savages release two large spiders with human female heads.
OK so this series is getting really weird. It seems to be all over the place. Sonja is still invincible enough to survive lava. She also is developing feelings for Tuma the winged guy. Ederak and Zaria are also developing feelings. Then they find some savages with all these freaky creatures. Weird but I will say interesting.
Tristan decides to accept Le Fay’s offer to turn her back to a man if she betrays Arthur. She is supposed to destroy a talisman that Merlin has. It is destroyed and Merlin’s lover Nyneve comes and takes Merlin away. An investigation reveals that Tristan didn’t have time to destroy the talisman, but Arthur’s brother Kay did it. Kay wanted to stir his brother out of his heartache. He is sentenced to death. Only before it is carried out the aliens attack New Camelot. Kay and Tom both shield Arthur. Kay dies and Tom is seriously wounded. Arthur vows to look for the Holy Grail to save his life.
This issue had a lot of stuff to absorb. Tristan was going to betray Arthur but didn’t have the time as Kay beat her to it. Kay dies and there is a quest for the Holy Grail. Morgan wants the Grail herself since it can cure her alien disease she has. Which is way she called off the alien attack. Lancelot and Guinivere are back with the Round Table. Merlin is also gone now. I wasn’t really familiar with the lore about his lover, but I assume it is part of the lore. An enjoyable and fun series.
An article on how writing is becoming obsolete in favor of computers.
“The Sacred and the Profane: Chapter VII”
Writer: Dean Motter
Artist: Ken Steacy
The St. Catherines is doomed. A guy goes insane, and the ship’s self-destruct is set. Sister Marianna and one other escape but the pod is captured by the alien entity. On Earth the crusade is halted.
“Apocrypha: Part II”
Writers and Artists: John Lakey and Laura Lakey
The ape hybrids are waging a genocidal war against the other animal hybrids. The others manage to destroy a dam and flood a valley destroying the ape hybrids. At the end on Christmas a fully human child is born.
“Indecision”
Writer & Artist: Rick Geary
A psychic dentist sets up practice in the small town of Indecision, Kansas and uses his psychic abilities to help the local residents.
“The Gardener”
Writer & Artist: Michael Kaluta
A gardener delivers a princess who just turned 16 back to the castle.
“Cerebus: His First Fifth”
Writer: Dave Sim
Artists: Dave Sim and Gerhard
Cerebus the Aardvark is cleaning the cellar and gets into a bottle of booze. A boy comes and gets convinced to also partake. An old man comes along and tosses the boy into the furnace.
“The Last Galactus Story: Part I”
Writer: John Byrne
Artists: John Byrne and Terry Austin
Nova comes on a deserted planet that has a massive fleet of ships build but never used.
“Toadswart: Part II”
Writer & Artist: Tim Conrad
The troll artist finds out the lord of the manor has built a statue that comes alive to punish the king.
“Mediaview”
by Dennis O’Neil
Reviews of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
“Bookview”
by Jo Duffy
Reviews of Prince Valiant: An American Epic and The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov.
“Landed”
Writer & Artist: Keiichi KIoike
An astronaut goes into space and dies. He come back as energy to visit his family.
This issue was a very mixed bag. It first had two great endings for The Sacred and the Profane and Apocrypha. It also had the beginning of an actual Marvel property. They only did this once at the beginning of the series and it was also a Galactus story. Otherwise, I can’t say much for the other short stories although the artwork was very beautiful. Tim Conrad is a very talented artist but his writing leaves much to be desired. He way way overwrites stuff when just looking at the picture would be enough to carry a story.
Conan is in a void filled with stars. He has no memory and is attacked by squid like creatures. Back on Earth, Isparana and the Free Companions are prisoners of Wraal. He uses them for souls to eat. Conan manages to fight his way back and battles Wraal. Isparana joins in and it is her presence that wins the day. Acheron is still inside Wraal and manages to assert his presence enough to dissolve Wraal. Conan and Isparana bury the armor and Conan wonders if Isparana is pregnant.
This was an interesting story. I loved the full-page drawings of Conan floating in space. There was also some good large images of Wraal. Wraal gets defeated fairly easily. Isparana clearly loved Acheron and now there is the possibility of a half-demon child that Isparana might be carrying. Plus, the letters page had the sad news that this title is being cancelled. Although it would be some time until Marvel was finished with Conan.
Writer: Sylvain Runberg adapted from story by Robert E. Howard
Artist: Jae Kwang Park
Conan has found shelter at the village of a friend. Only Khemsa uses his magic to turn the friend against him. Conan and Yasmina have to flee the village. They run into Khemsa and his lover who try to take Yasmina. Only four of the Black Seers come to confront their former servant. The Seers win and both Khemsa and his lover go over the cliff. Then they take Yasmina. Conan vows to get her back and finds his Afghuli tribesmen. Only the Afghuli are mad that the seven headmen were killed, and they blame Conan. Conan runs and comes on Kerim Shah and his Irakizai followers. They form a truce to get Yasmina back from the Black Seers.
Another fun entry in this adaptation. Conan finds himself isolated from allies by the machinations of various wizards and magic users. We also see a growing bond between Conan and Yasmina. There is some stuff left out in the adaptation like the more intricate way Khemsa killed the chieftain Yar Afzul. Having the original story at the end does help point that out. I do love having the original story to compare the adaptation with the original. Plus, it is always a welcome excuse to read the master’s work.
The land is literally blowing up after the wizard’s death. Sonja gets Tuma to take the royals to safety as she fights Bahira. The two have an epic fight that goes back and forth between the two. Finally, Sonja gets trapped under a tree and Bahira wants to draw out the torture. Only the land gets swallowed up as a volcano forms. Tuma with the prince and princess arrive and the three get surrounded by lava. Bahira gets crushed by a flying rock. Tuma finds out his wings really work and take the royals to safety. Sonja stays behind as the lava closes in.
This issue seemed to be all about a fight between Sonja and Bahira. They have a lot of discussions about their feelings while the fight goes on. I have to say that I found it amusing. Everyone has a laugh when Bahira gets crushed like Wiley Coyote by a flying rock spewed from the volcano. I would assume Sonja is still invincible so will survive. The story goes keep you curious to see where it goes.
Arthur leads his knights on their first mission. It is to liberate the Neo-men at the facility that creates them in Australia. They succeed and now have recruits for the war with the aliens. They have to fight off some more aliens which they easily do. There are also problems with the knights. Tristan has found his love Isolde but can’t except the fact she is now a woman. Young Tom has an infatuation with Tristan which clearly doesn’t get reciprocated. Lancelot and Guinivere still have the hots for each other and continue to sleep together. Arthur catches them and banishes them from New Camelot. Finally, Tristan decides to take up the offer of Morgan Le Fay and betray the Round Table to become a man.
This issue had a lot of soap opry stuff going on. Tristan can’t except being a woman although she was born one in this life and had no problem with it. Also, Isolde is clearly a lesbian. She has a mohawk so that is quite obvious. Yet she is going to betray Arthur. Lancelot and Guinivere are still at it which makes you wonder why they try to keep pretending that Guinivere should marry Arthur. An interesting story that I look forward to the next issue to see how it continues.
Sister Marianna writes about how the crusade began and events on Earth in 2040’s. While this goes on, a mutiny occurs with a faction wanting to abandon the crusade and head back to Earth.
“Space Cruiser Yamato”
by Jo Duffy
An article on the popular cartoon Star Blazers.
“The Potty’s Over”
Writer & Artist: Berni Wrightson
A woman accidentally kills her husband in the bathroom. She cuts up the body and flushes it down the toilet. Only the body in the septic tank reforms to a blob and comes up and flushes the wife down the toilet.
“Mediaview”
by Dennis O’Neil
A review of exploitation cinema.
“Landmass”
Writer & Artist: Rick Veitch
An island grows into a giant robot and battles another robot. The destroyed robots form a new island.
“Apocrypha”
Writers & Artists: John Lakey and Laura Lakey
In the future a virus makes all humans sterile. They engineer new humans with the DNA of animals. Now the hybrids are left and two factions battle for control.
“Images Epic”
by Archie Goodwin
An article on various Epic comic series coming out.
“Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Ogre and the Mayor’s Daughter?”
Writer: Jo Duffy
Artist: John Bolton
Two Ogres are approaching a village, and the mayor sends his daughter Minerva out as a sacrifice. The ogres fight and one kills the other. The surviving ogre is very pleasant and takes the daughter on his travels.
“Bookview”
by Jo Duffy
Reviews of The Last Cat Book by Robert E. Howard and the Dragonrider series by Anne MacCaffey.
“Toadswart: Chapter I”
Writer & Artist: Tim Conrad
A traveling artist arrives at the castle where another artist mysteriously died.
I enjoyed this issue. The regular Sacred and Profane gives us some backstory on the origins of the crusade. It is coming to an interesting conclusion. The new Apocrypha story is also an interesting one. The Potty’s Over was a fun EC type horror story. Every story except the Toadswart one was good. I didn’t like it for it was wordy and didn’t make much sense. Unfortunately, it will continue for another issue.
Comic book cave of awesome 