World Famous Comics: Conan Vol. 2: The God in the Bowl and Other Stories (v. 2)
Conan Vol. 2: The God in the Bowl and Other Stories (v. 2)
By: Kurt Busiek Publisher: Dark Horse Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Dark Horse Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 176 Publication Date: October 19, 2005
Product Description: The critically acclaimed and award-winning creative team behind the runaway-hit revival are back with a brand new adaptation of one of Conan creator Robert E. Howard's best-known tales. Award-winning writer Kurt Busiek and artists Cary Nord and Dave Stewart render the glorious suspense of Howard's beloved "The God in the Bowl" in all its terrifying detail, as well as introducing not only Conan's most famed adversary, Thoth-amon, but a new female foil to Conan's exploits - Janissa, the Widowmaker, bound by a pact to a witch who has sinister plans for Conan.
Another winner from Dark Horse's Conan Dark Horse follows up the excellent "Frost Giant's Daughter" with another outstanding adaptation of a Robert Howard Original. Kurt Busiek takes a minor Conan story and builds another epic around it. Although many fans consider Bowl to be a little slow and one of Howard's lesser works, Busiek and Nord manage a very competent adaptation which is faithful and entertaining even if you have read it before in prose form. The follow up story ties into it quite well; showing us Conan's first encounter with Thoth Amon, Conan's future arch adversary from the "Pheonix on the Sword", without tarnishing or impacting that story. Cary Nord's artwork is wonderful. Thomas Yeates steps in to help with the layouts and actually improves the already excellent artwork considerably from the first volume; Dave Stewart's coloring gets better too. Two minor faults with this story would be the introduction of Janissa, the Widow Maker, who is a little out of place, seeming too much a Busiek creation, and not quite fitting into REH's world. Also, a small dream sequence style fill-in piece from artist Tom Mandrake is not up to the standard of the rest of the art; Otherwise, almost perfect.
SNAKES! Great art and a thrilling story. I admit I still hold a candle for the original Roy Thomas story that was my first introduction to the amazing world of Conan, but this version ROCKS, too!
Man, Conan is awesome What can I say? This volume and the previous volume are, other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, my first introductions to Conan and his world. I must say that I love it. Action. Adventure. Intrigue. Magic. It's got it all. He is so simple and yet not. He is powerful, yet cunning and even, at times, wise in his native actions. Bottom line for me: it's just plain fun, exciting, and awesome. The art is really good, and so is the story-telling. Pick it up if you love sword and scorcery!
Re-worked and Re-born! Just when you think things couldn't possibly get any better, and by that I mean Dark Horse re-releasing the Conan comics into easily digestible, and fanatstically re-colored, volumes, they go and re-work all the stories with brand new artwork. This sounds sacrilegious until you actually see the artwork and read the stories. Brilliant! The partnership of Busiek and Nord is a match made in heaven, or perhaps, Hyborea. The artwork is savage and dynamic, real and yet mystical. The writing fresh and exciting, bringing these tales back to life. Howard himself would be impressed. What could be more joyous than seeing a large muscled barbarian carve his way, sword in hand, through a myriad of dark cities, hostile enemies, and evil sorcerers, while semi-naked women throw themselves at his feet. Nothing perhaps than to imagine yourself walking those jewelled thrones under your sandalled feet. There's not much more to say. Buy it and be thankful you've bought a piece of true art, by Crom!
More than excellent! This could not be better! The drawings are fantastic! Storyline is very good, great characters. Brutally fantastic! You should have this in your comic collection, it will be worth to have it.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
