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Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword Volume Two TPB

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    Todd Jordan
    Smut is good.

  • Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword Volume Two TPB



    Published by: Dark Horse Comics
    Released on: Jan. 21, 2015
    Writer: various
    Artist: various
    Cover: Philip Tan
    Purchase at Amazon

    The man who created Conan created a number of characters, inspiring some comic creators to throw their own spin on some material and Dark Horse gave them a place to do it. Now, issues 5 though 8 of Dark Horse's Howard anthology are collected in one place, and that's in this here volume. If you're not familiar with the series, each issue contained a number of stories, some running just one issue, other over multiple issues in parts. Here in the second volume, the stories are presented in their full length and uninterrupted. They don't appear in the order they did in the series, and not all the material from the four issues made its way to this collection. Reprinted stuff from those issues is omitted, as is part one of story called “A Book and It's Cover” (presumably will be in Volume Three along with the rest of the tale). One of the stories, Breckinridge Elkins, has a third part that is in issue #9 of the series, but is included here to complete the three part story. Makes sense. A cover and pin-up gallery end the volume, featuring work by Nic Klein, Raymond Swanland, Francesco Francavilla, Phillip Tan, and Tony de Zuniga. And now on to most of the stories…

    Bran Mak Morn: Men of the Shadows; written by Ian Edginton, art by Richard Pace. A Norseman is the lone survivor of a Roman Army battalion and captured by the chieftain of those he was slaughtering. The Pict chieftain, Bran Mak Morn, is of old blood and is destined to bring back the race of men he represents from being treated as among the worst of the human race. The Norseman witnesses a great battle between a wizard amongst the tribe and Bran Mak Morn, and it is a fight that will determine the path for the future of the Pictish Nation. The wizard loses and proceeds to give a history of the various races of the first men battling in great wars. He then tells about what the future will bring, such as the fall of Rome and Brits being invaded by Norsemen. And then it just kind of ends, leaving things open for more chapters. Kind of weak at the end but an engaging story otherwise.

    King Conan: Two Birds…; written and illustrated by Howard Chaykin. King Conan is getting ready to deflower a virgin, one who is bumping uglies with someone else on the side. And they are plotting against the king. Dumb move. And there's an older whore who has much to gain if that concubine is out of the picture, so maybe she'll confide in the king as to what that girl is really up to. Chaykin's usual amazing artwork is what really matters in this story. Without a doubt the most attractive work in the entire volume.

    Conan: Sargasso of Sand; written by John Jackson Miller, art by Phillip Tan.

    In the Forest of Villefere; written by Steve Niles, art by Chris Mitten. The team who deliver Cal McDonald's Criminal Macabre stories gives a little treat with this number about a lone adventurer moving through an imposing forest, one rumored to be patrolled by some nasty beasts. A very tall stranger meets the man and walks with him toward the other side of the forest, and has a lot to tell the man. He has something neat to show him too. It's a quick story with some nice monster work from Mitten.

    Breckinridge Elkins: Mountain Man; written and illustrated by Gary Chaloner. Big, dumb, Jethro Bodine-type lug of a brute Breckinridge Elkins gets the go-ahead from his pap to venture into the big town of Tomahawk to pick up a letter. Mounting his donkey, and armed with his sidearm and some good advice from his pappy to “don't resist no officer”, he makes his way down the trail to Tomahawk. After a meeting with the law, the idiot thinks he's in trouble, but the law thinks he's a prize fighter. It takes a while for each party to realize what the other is all about, and by then it's too late. Dumb-dumb gets himself in a heap of trouble and gains a lot of enemies. It's a fun story with cartoonish art, but art that works and fits this Podunk tale quite well. Part three should be a good one.

    Dark Agnes: Sword Woman; written by Paul Tobin, art by Francesco Francavilla and Aaron McConnell.

    Conan: The Bargain; written by Jai Nitz, art by Kevin Maguire. Conan is in Shem and gets hired to steal a dagger from the king's crypt tower. That's all he can take, and there's 100 gold pieces in it for him. But wait, someone else hires him to steal a scepter from the king's crypt tower for a dozen gems. He knows they aren't going to pay him, so he plots and wins because he's Conan. It's a nice, tight little Conan story with really nice art and coloring and great panel design.

    Daily Hyborian Life; written by John Arcudi, art by Franck Biancarelli. A group of mercenaries enters a small Hyborian village to file a complaint against the blacksmith for making him a sword that broke. One man in particular is not pleased and plans to take it out of the smith's blood. The smithy doesn't take it lying down and they settle their differences through understanding. That and a hammer. And guess who the blacksmith's son is? Yep. Lil' Conan. The artwork and colors on this story, and even the lettering, give this one serious visual appeal.








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