Month: August 2007

 

By Roy Thomas & John Buscema, Val Mayerik and others (Dark Horse Books)
ISBN: 1-84576-138-3

This collection of classic Conan reprints features tales from the lusty barbarian’s time as a buccaneer on Robert E. Howard’s analogue of the coasts of Africa. First up is the extended Tarzan pastiche ‘Riders of the River-Dragons’ (originally published in Marvel’s Conan #60-63) in which our hero and his first true love, the Pirate Queen Bélit, battle savage natives and a knowing knock-off of the Jungle-Lord called Amra of the Lions.

This is followed by ‘Fiends of the Feathered Serpent,’ loosely based on one of the author’s non-Conan tales “The Thunder-Rider,” and features more blood-thirsty natives and hellish magic on a mist-shrouded isle. The next story is adapted from Howard’s horror short “Out of the Deep,” illustrated by then-newcomer Val Mayerik and a score of deadline-busting inkers, as Conan recounts a truly chilling account of his younger days when a coastal village was invaded by an monstrous interloper from the briny depths.

‘The City in the Storm’ and ‘The Secret of Ashtoreth’, adapted from the novella Marchers of Valhalla, delve into the murky arenas of politics and religion to close the book, as John Buscema returns to illustrate a classic tale of lost cities and scurrilous priests. As always the guiding principle is breakneck action, beautifully drawn and engagingly written. Dark Horse’s new colouring techniques add incalculable value to the art and as always, Roy Thomas’s fascinating and informative Afterwords are an eye-opener for historians and fans alike.

These hearty slices of derring-do are classy and undemanding servings of good old-fashioned fantasy fun, always worth re-reading and a superb treat for first-time readers.

©1975, 2005 Conan Properties International, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Andersen Gabrych & various (DC Comics)
ISBN 1-84576-203-7

Following on from the events of the Batman: War Games quartet of novels, this volume sees Batgirl relocated to the notorious Gotham City suburb of Blüdhaven, for a measure of autonomy but still the same old high-octane crime-busting. Also new in town is arch Bat-foe the Penguin, who is seeking to carve himself a new criminal empire free of the depredations of the Dark Knight.

That’s pretty much all the scene setting you need for these eminently readable action romps, collected from issues #60-64 of Batgirl’s own monthly magazine. In short order she establishes her own sanctum, resources and snitches as she strives to clean up those wicked streets.

En route she tackles assorted thugs, learns a few lessons from Batman’s sometime assistant Onyx, battles the bizarre criminal band known as the Brotherhood of Evil and narrowly survives an encounter with the super-assassin Deathstroke the Terminator, who has his deranged daughter, the Ravager, in tow.

Light on plot but wonderfully packed with martial arts mayhem and snappy dialogue, this just book buzzes with simple heroic exuberance. This is a light snack to offset some of the more ponderous and pompous super-hero fare.

© 2005 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Andersen Gabrych & various (DC Comics)
ISBN 1-84576-327-0

The adventures of this particular incarnation of Batgirl (Cassandra Cain, daughter of the world’s deadliest assassin, full face mask – post No Man’s Land – if you’re keeping count) conclude with a martial arts and parental-angst ridden melee as the reading impaired super-heroine goes on a quest to discover her mother’s identity only to fall in, and afoul of, the daughter of Batman’s greatest foe and a somewhat unimpressive new League of Assassins.

Muddled and slapdash, this story (comprising Batgirl #65-73) feels as if it was axed half way through, and as the comic was cancelled with that 73rd issue that may well be the case.

For completists only, I fear.

© 2005, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Mark Evanier & Will Meugniot (About Comics)
ISBN: 0-9716-3387-8

Every twenty years, give or take, there seems to be a burst of comics creativity that raises the overall level of the industry and also helps sales. We’re about due for another any minute now, in fact.

The last time was the mid 1980s, and one of the first hits of the then nascent direct sales market was a series called DNAgents. Creators Mark Evanier and Will Meugniot told sharp superhero/sci fi tales of corporate skullduggery resulting from the creation of artificial teenagers with wonderful powers and a built-in sense of alienation guaranteed to appeal to the X-Men/Teen Titans set.

Lots of cheesy and salacious semi-nudity and Evanier’s sharp, sardonic scripting didn’t hurt either. Now the stories are being collected in black and white pocket sized editions and they actually stand up pretty well. A bonus is that this series created a true ‘lost classic’ character.

Crossfire – a shabby gumshoe/bail bondsman who stumbled into super hero-dom debuted as a support character in this series, and his own adventures – by Evanier and the magnificent Dan Spiegle was one of the high points of the decade.

Lets all look forward to the republishing of all those stories too. In the meantime you could do worse than track down these sly, sharp and savvy alternatives to the X-Men and Teen Titans.

© 1983, 2004 Mark Evanier and Will Meugniot