Not a huge amount of stuff to review this week, but that’s partially because I’m making a conscious effort to not say anything at all about a book if I don’t have anything new to say about it. For example, Game of Thrones condenses almost 100 pages of novel into 22 pages of comic book, so a lot is left wanting, and I can’t see fans of the book or the tv show being thrilled by the skimming — I’ve said that every month, there’s no point saying it again.

Herc 10, however, is a whole new can of worms. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente continue the story of Hercules and his now-mortal dad, Zeus, attempting to bust up the Russian mob. I really enjoy the light-hearted tone of this book, and Pak/Van Lente have an entertaining take on Zeus as a mortal — he’s basically a blue-collar dad in interested in booze and loose women, and he’s somehow the king of the gods. Oh, and he expects more from his son. It’s a very human story, as tag-along dad offers all sorts of unwanted advice to his boy. The problem here is the art. David Hahn can’t string together a cohesive action scene — I kept thinking pages were stuck together as someone like Herc is being blasted stupid by a ray in one panel, and then in the next he’s punching his tormenter out. It’s a visually confusing issue, and it lessened my enjoyment. Still, Herc has become one of my secret favorites – can you see where this is going? That’s right, Herc’s canceled. Maaaarrrr-vel (shakes fist wearily in direction of NYC), why do do you do this to me?

I’m surprised to be saying this, but I was also disappointed by Green Lantern the Animated Series 0. Art Baltazar and Franco do the script, and I love them. Dario Brizuela does the art, and I don’t know him, but I know I’m not keen on this barrel-chested Hal Jordan — Hal’s always been a slimline superhero, if you know what I mean. There’s stuff I like about this, such as the fact that Baltazar and Franco skip the idea of origin story or set-up to instead throw us right into the action; it also co-stars Kilowog, which is perfect as far as I’m concerned. The story just left me cold however. There’s some Red Lantern scheming, a high-tech piece of equipment the bad guys are misusing, and that’s about it. There’s little of the humor or high-octane action I expect from a Baltazar/Franco team-up, and Hal seems borderline stupid. I was hoping for pure superheroics from this, like what the DC Kids line has done with Batman Brave and the Bold; instead, it’s just a standard GLs in space story, with no flair or big moment. But I guess there’s nowhere to go but up with this, so I’ll give it another shot.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 however is right on the money, right now. The Kevin Eastman/Tom Waltz/Dan Duncan team wraps up their first major arc in style, as Casey and Raphael face off against Hob’s gang in the park, while Raph’s three brothers head out into the night in search of some action. These two plot points converge, by the way, but I don’t want to ruin anything for you. I will say that the Casey & Raph Royal Rumble is well depicted — there’s a kick to the face that’s just brutal — and the heroes behave in a suitably heroic manner. There are also more flashbacks to what was going on in Baxter Stockman’s lab, and we’re well set-up for the eventual (and impending, I hope) reunion between the turtles and April O’Neal. Oh, there’s also a catchphrase shouted by one of the turtles that made me cringe and laugh at the same time; it’s not “Cowabunga, Dudes!,” but it’s awful close (I kinda liked it). I definitely like this series. It has a lot of the energy and vibe of the original run, but it’s been updated and — dare I say — improved in several ways. Next month is a new arc, so jump on now if you haven’t already.

FF 12 is a puzzler. In the wake of Fantastic Four 600 last week, we have a lot of background (in the book’s continuity) and real-world stuff to piece together. *SPOILERS* abound from here on out, so be careful if you didn’t read 600.
Ok, we know Johnny’s alive and coming back. We know Marvel’s resuming Fantastic Four with issue 601, and that FF is continuing in some format, most likely as a book focused on the kids of the FF — that’s all fine, except that Johnny’s death meant absolutely nothing. Go figure.

This issue has very little to do with any of that, however. Instead we have the FF kids translocated to Latveria and planning a team-up with Doctor Doom and the last surviving alternate timeline Reed in order to bump off the invading bug army of Annihilus. Jonathan Hickman is working many angles and plots at the moment, and the book feels as grand and sweeping and important as it did more than a year ago. Issue 600 seems to have righted the ship, and now we’re racing to a glorious future. Except that Doom is clearly planning something terrible … and the success of Val’s plan rests on Doom, so maybe that terrible thing will be beneficial … and Val has something up her sleeve and planted deep in the lab, as well … and I’m not sure we can trust Nathaniel Richards as the happy, helpful grandpa he’s playing at (remember about 14 months ago when older Future Franklin kicked him back to the point of universal creation?). On the whole, I really like this issue. In fact, I’m prepared to name FF 12 the best thing I read this week. My problem with doing so is this: I resent the fact that the “death” of Johnny Storm derailed Hickman’s magnificent run for a full year. What’s happening right now in this book is great, don’t get me wrong; I just wish I didn’t have to wait 11 months to get to this point. Johnny’s death didn’t help Reed come to grips with his fallibility or his own mortality, it didn’t make Sue a more protective mother or a more determined superhero, it didn’t make Ben reassess his life or approach to fighting evil. It changed nothing at all in their lives or characters, it just put an 11 month hiccup in the story. Also, if this is your first issue of the book – say you picked up Fantastic Four 600 last week and it inspired you to buy this one – I’m sorry that this makes no sense. That’s the main problem with Hickman’s intricate, clockwork plots. If you come to the party late, you have a lot of required reading to plow through to get up to speed.

Ah, well. I’m a grudgeholder, but I’m also a comic lover. FF 12 is a great comic, and it is the best thing I read this week. Now let’s see how this big bad story finally shakes out.

-Paul

Looking for a new a comic that’s loaded with extreme violence dolled out by a teenager that isn’t called Kick-Ass? Look no further, because Luther Strode is here. Written by newcomer, Justin Jordan, we have a story about some sort of nerd-type guy, who lives with his mother as they’ve been living in fear of his abusive father who appears to have been recently locked-up from beating on the mother. Luther gets picked on in school, has a little nerdy buddy, and has a crush on a redheaded girl who is probably out of his league. So life is fairly stressful for the guy. But he’s fed up with that life and wants to make a change, so he sends in for a copy of the “Hercules Method,” which is essentially the Charles Atlas workout book that used to be advertised on the back of comics back in the 1940s. When Luther gets the book, he starts following the books instructions, and soon enough, he starts getting results far greater than he expect. Stronger, faster, and awesome guns! (The guns are his arms) He starts pulling a Toby Maguire-Peter Parker, catching falling items, talking back to bullies, and eventually humiliating bullies. But then it gets better. But before we see all of that, we see him a little bit in the future.

We see that he’s been shot a few times, blood is everywhere. His solution? Flex his muscles until the bullets fall out of his body. Because that’s just what you do when you’ve ripped a bunch of criminals apart with your bare hands. At least, that’s what I’d do. It totally sets the tone of the story. But what gets me most excited is that the writer created this character with inspiration from Charles Atlas and Jason MF’n Voorhees. There’s an interesting article about that and his break into comics HERE. But long story short, I share Justin Jordan’s opinions on his comparison between Jason Voorhees and Superheroes. And it’s cool to see someone put those ideas on paper and transform them into what we here and now. And I haven’t even talked about the art yet. Tradd Moore, the artist, was found on deviantart, How cool is that? And unlike a certain company that farms deviantart for artists who are OK at drawing real people and awful at backgrounds but are just happy that someone wants to use their art in a biographical comic, there’s nothing here that’ll make you feel like you’ve wasted your hard-earned money on slop. No sir. This guy was the correct choice. He has a distinct style and I’ll tell you what; this guy sure can draw some awesome violence. it’s just so… BEAUTIFUL.

Anyway. This is certainly a new title that deserves some of your attention and your money. I look forward to the next issue, which is due December 7th. And if you’re one of the lucky folks who have already had the privilege of reading issues #1 and #2, tell your friends. Support this creative team. They’ve created something awesome.

-Fleet

Man oh man, what a big bunch of comics this week. Making that walk down the Star Clipper aisle of single issues took me quite a bit of time. So many new issues (FF! Amazing Spider-Man!); so many one shots (The Jack Kirby Omnibus Sampler!); so many variant covers (Incredible Hulk #1 times eight!); and Tank Girl, too (Tank Girl!). Let’s get right to it.

Tank Girl: Carioca was just plain terrible. I know, I can’t believe I wrote that either. I love Tank Girl, I love Alan Martin’s oddball scripts, but Mike McMahon’s art stinks. Again, I can’t believe I wrote that either. I’ve enjoyed McMahon’s style on various 2000 AD characters, but the faces in this, ugh. It’s not just that everybody he draws is ugly — although they are all eye-bleedingly ugly — it’s that his lay-outs are so staid and his panels so stilted that Martin’s script comes across as one-note and unfunny. The whole issue reads like it’s in slow-motion. Alan Martin is brilliant, but his luster is tarnished to a dingy glimmer by McMahon’s boring art. That’s unconscionable.

Savage Hawkman 2 is also dismal. In just two issues, Tony S. Daniel and Philip Tan have made me nostalgic for that stretch of time when Hawkman was dead — any of ‘em. The art is monotonously unimaginative and Daniel has no handle on who Carter Hall is. Is he a brooding tough guy? Is he some sort of Indiana Jones-esque scholar/adventurer? Is he a bird, or is he dancer? The “plot” (do you like those sarcasti-quotes? I bought them just to use in this “review”) is impenetrable, but it has something to do with Hawky fighting Morphicius (isn’t that a lyric from Dee-Lite’s “Groove Is In the Heart”?), a big, pointy-eared guy who loves Nth metal. Or maybe he hates Nth metal, I’m not really sure. If you held a gun to my head, I couldn’t tell you what Morphicius’ motivation is or what his powers are. Sucking? I dunno, I’m just spitballing here. If nothing else, I’ve finally figured out why the book is called Savage Hawkman; it’s because reading is it is a savage assault on my sensibilities. Easily the worst book in the New 52, and yes, I’ve seen Red Hood and the Interstellar Hoochie Mama. That’s at least prurient trash — this is like reading someone’s coma diary.

So after that mess, I read FF 11. Me and FF have a prickly relationship at this point. I really, truly loved Jonathan Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four, but everything since the death of Johnny Storm has been pretty rough going. The past two issues of this series have made great strides towards repairing the damage, so this one is important. Is the book ascending again, or does the nosedive in quality continue? On the plus side, Hickman had the Thing return from his period of morning; that’s good. But all Thing does is sit around and provide some light comic relief; that’s bad. However, Hickman solved his multiple-Reed Richards-problem by dramatically altering the landscape of the Marvel Universe; that’s astounding. I mean it, this issue’s *SPOILER REDACTED BECAUSE YOU REALLY OUGHTA SEE IT, NOT GET IT SECOND-HAND FROM A COMICS BLOG* and I kinda peed myself a little bit. No fooling. This is the stuff I expect not just from Hickman (the huge swoop of a narrative arc changing direction and shocking you), but from the Fantastic Four. This is the book Marvel should use as their difference-making engine; the FF should always be the biggest, most cosmic, mind-blowing comic in Marvel’s stable. This issue certainly fits that bill. But I must note again: It’s been 11 issues of this book and probably five of its predecessor since I’ve seen the Thing punch anything, and that is inhumane.

Butcher Baker, The Righteous Maker 7 inches the book ever-so-slightly towards some sort of resolution. That’s progress, right? I love Mike Huddleston’s art — the cover homage to Bill Sienkewicz’s cover for the Elektra miniseries (itself an homage to the theater poster for “Prizzi’s Honor”) is worth the price of admission alone — but I’d be hard pressed to think of a writer more in love with the smell of his own farts than Joe Casey. OK, maybe I am. But my point is this: I’m seven months deep in this book and the Jackie Gleason sheriff from issue one still hasn’t caught up to Butcher, Butcher himself is still trying to complete his mission of “killing these bad guys for Dick Cheney and Jay Leno” and — wait, that’s it. This whole series thus far is just two converging points never converging. It looks so good though. I think Huddleston should get on Tank Girl and solve two of my problems.

Game of Thrones 2 has the opposite problem, pacing-wise. George R.R. Martin’s book is dense and character driven, but Daniel Abraham is racing through it all at blinding speed. That’s one of the difficulties of trying to adapt a 700-page book; if you really want to do it justice, you’d need 300 issues or so to fit it all in. I have a hard time comprehending how fans of the book will be satisfied, or how fans of the TV show will be satisfied by this ultra-lite version of the story. It’s not bad by any means, although Tommy Patterson’s version of Ned Stark looks a touch creepy here and there, it just feels so skimpy.

The Incredible Hulk 1 marks (another) new direction for ol’ Jade Jaws, one of Marvel’s most simple characters who happens to be one of the most complex to write. Jason Aaron and Marc Silvestri have him hanging out with the Mole People deep inside the Earth’s crust, and once again, Banner is separate from Hulk. In theory, I don’t know that I’m ready to begin another storyline that exists to unite the two, and honestly, that’s the only outcome I see for this. You can either have them trapped inside the same body and the conflict is one trying to free himself from the other (the Stan Lee), you can have them integrated into a super-smart, super-strong super-human (the Peter David) or you can have the Hulk-dominant version who never changes and conquers an entire alien world (the Greg Pak). You can’t kill Bruce Banner and you can’t kill Hulk, so these are the ground rules. I’ve seen this game played many times, and a talented creative team can make it work and feel new. I think Aaron and Silvestri are off to a pretty good start, because at least Aaron is opening with a new gambit: Banner’s gone nuts, and he’s the dangerous one now thanks to his super-science experiments. Sold, I’m in. See? Simple, yet it has to get complicated before it’s all over. I really do like Silvestri’s art, but his female anatomy is egregious, even for a comic book. Government agent Amanda von Doom either defies the laws of spandex and gravity, or she has the worst pair of bolt-ons ever purchased.

Kirby Genesis 4 is a big ol’ pile of “huh?” Not necessarily in a bad way, there’s just a lot happening in this one. Galaxy Green, Captain Victory, Silver Star, Tiger 20 and I may be missing a few others get together to hash out who’s in charge, who’s going to save Earth from the alien invaders and who’s going home empty-handed. Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross and Jack Herbert have jammed this issue with colorful characters and movement, which is very Kirby of them. If you know your Kirby, you know that once everyone meets and tussles for dominance, the next step is to go after the bad guys. The final page of this issue implies that’s exactly what we’re getting next month — I eagerly await lots of Kirby crackle and mayhem.

Planet of the Apes 7 maintains its course as a solid, dependable action comic. Sullivan, the mayor of the human community in Ape City, has given up on pacifism and tolerance in favor of guns and lots of ‘em. Alaya, the ape leader, sinks deeper into madness and hypocrisy, forging documents in the name of the apes’ deceased spiritual leader in order to consolidate her power base. It’s a lot of exposition and political maneuvering, which doesn’t always make the best comic book. As part of the ongoing series, however, it’s a nice breather before what’s sure to be a civilization-wrecking battle. I’m primed for a cataclysmic ape v. human confrontation, and I hope we’re entering that end-game.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 is — wait, really? We’re only up to issue 3? Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz have packed each issue with plenty of story and old-school Turtle magic, so it feels like this book has been going on for longer three months. Casey Jones shares more of his background with Raphael, who has no idea who he is or what he’s doing in New York, while the three remaining Turtle Bros argue about the futility of continuing the search for their missing Raph after a year of frustration. The latter is particularly effective as character building, as Leonardo’s commitment to duty and following orders runs headlong into Donatello’s pragmatism. Neither brother is right or wrong, it’s just a conflict of personalities, and it shows us who these guys are rather than telling us. This one ends with the implication that the next issue will be a royal rumble between the three turtles and Hob, a mutated cat who owes Splinter some eye-for-an-eye payback. And who knows, maybe Raph and Casey show up on cue to pitch in?

Batman the Brave and the Bold 12 guest stars Zatanna in a special Halloween issue. Bats and Zats go to the House of Mystery to investigate some trouble Cain and Able got into, namely, Abel is now a tree. Who’s responsible for this and how can Batman make them pay for being a scofflaw? It’s awesome the way Sholly Fisch works obscure (by today’s standards) characters into this title and makes them all come across as cool and interesting rather than devolving into a bunch of ham-handed, “I’m Cain, I’m an evil immortal storyteller and I’m constantly killing my brother” type description. This is always a fun read, but the sheer number of classic DC horror characters who appear in this lift it up to a new level. This may be the best Halloween story you’ll read this Halloween — just saying. And I don’t even like Zatanna.

Now, about Amazing Spider-Man 672. Oh, ASM 672. This penultimate chapter of Spider Island really and truly teams up Spidey and Mary Jane as a super hero power couple, and the two do amazing things together. Sure, Pete’s the brains and the “true” super hero, but Mary Jane has been infected by the Spider Virus so she’s got the same powers, plus the benefit of common sense. Her ability to boost Pete up, focus him on the problem at hand and believe in him while also busting his chops a little is exactly what wives do to you. I say that with respect, because as smart as Pete is, it’s Mary Jane who believes in his intelligence and decency, and it’s a combination of those two things that makes a real difference during this crisis, not his proportionate spider-strength or the ability to walk on walls. Dan Slott has made Spider Island the first multi-part/big event book I’ve enjoyed in years – like, decades of years. Slott writes a great Spider-Man, sure; there’s also lots of action and quips, there’s science, there are plentiful nods to the character’s long history, and that’s all part of the comic fan experience. But his vision for Spider-Man is very simple, and unusual for a modern book: Spider-Man’s not the hero, Peter Parker is. His spider powers give him an edge, but what makes him a super hero is the same stuff you and I have. Heart, guts, a belief in the goodness of humanity, a sense of justice – these are the elements of a super hero, not the ability to spin a web. Also, there’s a final page development that will make you scream, and it’s either because it makes you believe Pete and Mary Jane are getting back together (yay!) or because it reminds you of how fantastic they were as a team and you’re mad that they’re no longer married. Dan Slott is crafting a masterpiece not just of Spider-Man stories, but of comics themselves. I’m convinced that in 10 years, all us old guys will be telling the young guys to pick this run up for its historical import, and because it’s exactly the type of book you should give to kids. It’s a story about a decent guy who’s trying to do right in the world, and sometimes his part-time job gets a little crazy, but he doesn’t let it get him down. Amazing Spider-Man continues to be inspirational, classic storytelling in the Mighty Marvel Manner, and it’s undoubtedly the best thing I read this week.

-Paul

A huge week for me this go ’round. Seven single issues plus two of Dark Horse’s plump anthologies makes the equivalent of fifteen comics. And you know what? I really have no major complaints with any of ‘em. It’s weird when that happens. I mean, I try not to buy any crappy books on a regular basis, but if you’ve been buying comics for any length of time, you know that you not infrequently have complaints with the storytelling, or the fill-in artist, or the characterization, or the coloring — there’s a lot that can and does go wrong. Those weeks when nothing goes wrong with any of your books are a happy surprise every time.

Savage Sword 3 is one of those plump DH anthologies I mentioned, and it really feels like they’re making this book just to please me. I’m a devotee of the works of Robert E. Howard, so I’m definitely the target audience, but each issue of this is stronger than the last. I think the diversity of the stories is the source of that strength. We get a nice Conan adventure, the start of a western starring the Sonora Kid, a self-contained detective story starring Steve Harrison, the first of a serialized Brule the Spear Slayer tale and a classic reprint from the Marvel days of Alan Zelenetz and Tony De Zuniga that’s absolutely gorgeous. Jeremy Barlow and Tony Parker also do a bang-up job on that Sonora Kid story, which is nothing more than set-up and the preamble to a saloon-clearing brawl, but their story has the spark and speed of the best of Howard. I’d love to see these two take on the picaresque adventures of giant cowboy, Breckenridge Elkins.

Herc 9 marks the start of a new arc for everybody’s favorite Greek demigod/bartender, and it’s also quite entertaining. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, with penciler David Hahn, are free of their Spider Island obligations so they start something that begins with Zeus being reduced to a fat and sloppy drunk mortal by his vengeful wife Hera, and ends with Herc fighting ninjas in Brooklyn with Elektra. It’s a fun story, particularly in the interplay between Herc and Zeus; Herc’s the last person you’d expect to be scandalized by his father’s behavior, but it just goes to show that even demigods can be embarrassed by the things their father says in mixed company. This has grown into one of the most consistently enjoyable books in my rotation — I actually did a little hop of joy when I saw it in the racks this week. I maybe hopped a little more when I read a drunken Zeus slurring “You can’t please ‘em, but I sure love watching them go,” at Herc’s maybe- girlfriend Rhea as she stormed out. This could be the beginning of the first successful father/son comic in … maybe forever. Hercules works best with an intelligent partner, and who knows more than the father of the gods/his dad?

Legion of Super-Heroes 2 is another action-packed chapter of Paul Levitz’s ongoing run. Phantom Girl, Ultra Boy and Chameleon Boy and their new recruits Dragonwing and Chemical Kid discover a rogue Daxamite behind last issue’s troubles on a watchworld, and he (Res-Vir of Daxam) intends to lead his people out into the larger universe (Daxamites are allergic to lead, and so are quarantined on their own planet for their safety). We get quite a bit of action, more development of Brainiac’s role as leader of the team and a further sense of how complicated the 31st century is in terms of socio-politics. The Legion really is its own thing in terms of continuity and background, and you either embrace the diversity or get lost in the complexity. I’m in the embracing camp, so I’m pleased to see that Paul Levitz has already left the ugly seam imposed on the story by the New 52 far behind.

Warlord of Mars 11 is also exhibiting a bit more complexity than it once did. Arvid Nelson and Stephen Sadowski have our titular warlord, John Carter, back on earth and out of the picture at this point. Instead, Dejah Thoris and Carthoris, her teenage son with John, are attempting to get to the bottom of some funny business at Barsoom’s atmosphere plant. Carthoris is a slightly-less confident John Carter, but he’s growing into the mantle of being the great man’s son, especially with the mighty Tars Tarkas acting as mentor. This arc is leading up to John Carter returning and taking on the gods of Mars, and is suffers a bit because we don’t have his narration explaining how death works on Barsoom and why everyone’s seemingly immortal until they’re not, and why they’re all so fatalistic as a result. We’re getting there though, and this issue’s not terrible, just a little talky and lacking in John Carter action.

Dungeons and Dragons 12 is back on the shelves, so I feel safe reviewing it — some of you fine folks might even consider buying it. Our brave dwarven paladin, Khal, suspects his sweetie back at home is in some trouble, so he drags the party back to his place to sort it out. The dwarven stead has a serious bug problem (kruthik, for you gamers), Khal’s prospective mother-in-law hates him and wants him dead, and it turns out Khal is something of a rock star poet to his people. I’ve praised John Rogers’ strong characterization and sense of D&D party dynamics before, but I’ll do it again because he’s so good: Rogers writes these characters so well that you can tell who’s saying what without the word balloon tails. Andrea Da Vito is sadly not the artist on this one, but his fill-ins (Andres Ponce, Nacho Arranz and Vicente Alcazar) do a fine job carrying the load. I miss Da Vito’s expressive art, but it’s still a great comic and a fun read.

Sergio Aragones’ Funnies 4 is another brilliant example of cartooning in the traditional sense. Aragones relates another tale from his youth, explaining his enduring love of marionettes, and a offers a brief re-telling of the Pinochio story with his usual flair, plus a couple of spot-the-difference pages and pantomime stories. I dunno how to explain it. Aragones puts a lot of heart and soul into these funny stories, offering his view of the world with humor and a sense of wonder. The guy’s a treasure, and his book is like nothing else out there — if you’re not picking this up, you’re missing out on one of the most unique, pure comic book experiences.

Tiny Titans 45 is the Batgirl issue, which is a timely reminder that there are a lot of Batgirls in the DC universe, and they’re all kinda boss. Also totally boss is Pantha, the soccer-loving cat-girl who thrashes Lobo’s Secret Six in a game. Then the Robins lose a game to the Just-Us League Cows by a huge margin — ’tis a silly book, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Pantha is just about the cutest character I’ve ever seen in Tiny Titans, and I want her featured more prominently in further issues.

Dark Horse Presents 5 is a big, fat book full of great stories. I praised Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder in an earlier installment of this, and now I think I’m hooked. Our man decides to go through the dead letter office and return all the abandoned mail he possibly can, because he can. It’s a straight-forward, slice-of-life story that hangs together very well. Eric Powell’s “Isolation” is also kinda epic, a classic sci-fi story about a robot sent on a five-century journey to a nearby planet to aid humanity, and how the solitude and his only diversions — religion, a gun and porn — help to humanize him, which helps him slip into dementia and drug abuse. It’s like an Asimov Foundation short story, but with Powell’s demented sensibilities, which is to say, highly enjoyable.

And then comes Conan: Road of Kings 9. I’ve like the stories but grumped about Mike Hawthorne’s pencils for eight months. This month, I get to like Roy Thomas’ story and like Dan Panosian’s pencils — it’s a jarring change of pace, but I’m all right with it. Conan and a gang of would-be assassins of Nemedia’s king fight their way out of the catacombs the king’s men have trapped them in, which results in a very solid story with art that finally matches the mood. Panosian’s Conan is far less pretty than Hawthorne’s, his action scenes are more dynamic and better laid-out, he knows how to scale a sword in comparison to Conan — everything is better with Panosian on the pencil. It’s like I’m getting a whole new Conan book unexpectedly in the middle of an arc. No longer burdened by sub-par art, I can fully appreciate Thomas’ story, which seems much more vibrant and less static than what’s come before. I’m sure a lot of that is to Panosian’s credit, and some of it is because Conan has to hack his way through an army of hungry undead, which is pretty metal. I’d love to see Panosian finish this arc up.

So there you have it. Conan: The Road of Kings is the best thing I read this week, which I don’t think has ever happened in its nine month run. That’s crazy, because I love Conan, but that’s how much affect the wrong artist can have on a book. I’d been tolerating Conan: ROK up to this point, but now I’m enthusiastic about it. Thanks, Dan Panosian. Thanks, Roy Thomas.

-Paul