Even as an old man Conan still finds himself in the presence of more adventure than most people (and many fictional characters) will ever find themselves in. It’s a good thing too, because no one wants to see an aging Conan as he withers away on the throne. Really the only difference between King Conan and younger Conan is his wisdom, he no longer rushes immediately into battle but rather waits just a little longer before doing so. In reality there is just as much action and violence, and as few words, as there are in a comic based on a younger version of the character. It’s a Conan comic and fans of the series come expecting escapist fantasy, and King Conan #4 delivers, as it has been its entire run.
In the aftermath of a battle Conan and the witch Nai look down upon the Wolf Tribe’s standing chieftain, Bril’s limp corpse. Casting spells upon him to keep him among the living they discuss what to do next. The heir to the tribe has been captured by the villainous Kwarada and action must be taken. Luckily for them (and for us) Bril recovers quickly and it’s off to battle once more. Meanwhile Brune is tossed into a sacrificial pit by Kwarada in order to summon some type of ancient darkness upon the land. Yeah, it’s all very Conan, but like I said in last month’s review this is a comic that benefits from a little cliche. You can probably guess how this issue and arc ends, yes, Conan hacks and slashes his way to victory yet again. But the ending itself isn’t as important as how Giorello and Truman pull it off. I constantly sing their praise, but honestly these comics are so fun to read, and they go down so easy, they’re hard not to enjoy.
Four issues, or four hundred, I could binge read Conan comics and not get bored. It’s the simple nature of the character and of the setting that make returning to his world so easy. Sure, Conan has been parodied over and over again, but his hold on pop culture still stands as testament to his legacy. Conan is familiar, he is the original soul searching warrior, seeking peace and contentment, it just so happens that he does these things through sword and axe rather than say, reading a book or taking a walk. In the worst hands he is a thick musclehead who slings a nearly-nude woman across his shoulder. In the best hands he is a mirror of the reader, just an everyman seeking things that we all quest for in our own ways. Conan has outlasted many comics and as his legacy reaches its 100 year anniversary (he is currently 83 I believe…) it just goes to show how powerful a character he truly is. Many great comic writers and artists have traveled with him, Truman and Giorello will definitely go down as some of the best. Wolves Beyond The Border is fun, fast, and full of adventure and action. This time around Truman may not leave you soul searching, but there is always something exciting to be found in an issue of Conan, and this miniseries is no different.
[button btn_url="" btn_color="teal" btn_size="large" btn_style="default" btn_outlined="no" link_target="blank" link_rel="" icon_left="" icon_right=""]Score: 4/5[/button]
King Conan: Wolves Beyond the Border #4 (of 4) Writer: Timothy Truman Artist: Tomas Giorello Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: Print: $3.99 Release Date: 3/30/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital