This was a wonderful collection of early Conan's adventures. It starts with exquisite introduction given through small group of foreign conquerors (unfortunately Stygia - or some elements of it - seems to be in full force yet) roaming Cona's remote lands hundreds of years after his death. While investigating the newly conquered lands this group comes across what looks like to be Conan's final resting place and story starts.

And what a story. We follow Conan as he seeks adventure in the far north seeking the ancient world of Hyperborea. We follow him as he assists Aesir against Vanir warrior bands that ravaged Aesir's land during the ever lasting feud between two. In these stories Conan meets the true Northerners, their way of life, meets strange monstrous giants in the far north and gets enchanted [to border of madness] by beautiful yet bloodcurdling daughter of the ancient gods and finally reaches the mythical Hyperborea where he will learn that myths and stories are sometimes so different from the reality.

Stories are usual Conan action story, we follow him as he makes pacts with honorable men and fights the treason and cowardice, suffers from the betrayal and great loss and has one of his first encounters with the magic that ends especially bad for him (which explains his dislike for magic and wizards). I especially liked the story arc placed in Hyperborea, land of dark-magic immortals that have grown tired of .... life itself.

Entire story is full of links and references to ancient myths and people and these just add to the [already great] overall experience.

Art is excellent and what is more important consistent throughout the story arcs. Panorama's of the wild North and various creatures - be it ones encountered by Conan or those we learn about from the stories about creation of Hyperborea - are so wonderfully drawn, they are truly epic.

Recommended to all fans of heroic fantasy and Conan in particular. ( )

1727 ( )

This definitely catches the spirit of Robert E. Howard. If you are expecting the Conan of the films, this is not it (although it is said the films do catch a bit of the ambiance, but I digress). The compilation is divided in short chapters, which make it very easy to read, and the art just works well to bring Conan's world to life. The main story is Conan's search for the land of Hyperborea, which his grandfather told him about, describing it as a paradise on Earth. Of course, as often happens, when you get there, paradise is not quite what it seems. Overall, a pretty good fantasy story. I am glad Dark Horse is bringing these new compilations of their updated Conan series. Busiek is adapting and expanding on Howard's work, and it works well. I will definitely be looking for other volumes. ( )

Most readers of my generation first learned of Conan and Robert E. Howard from the popular 70s Marvel comic book Conan the Barbarian and its companion magazine The Savage Sword of Conan. Initially written by Roy Thomas with elaborate art by Barry Windsor-Smith (and later John Buscema), the series ran until the mid-90s, when Marvel dropped the property due to lagging sales.

With Del Rey's recent best-selling, definitive reprint volumes of Howard's works (the fourth is due this summer), persistent rumors of a new film, and the 2006 centenary celebration of Howard's birth, Dark Horse Comics smartly acquired the comic book rights to Conan. Dark Horse has previously enjoyed successful runs with former Marvel hit licensed properties Star Wars and Godzilla. In the late 80s they began their long string of lucrative franchised properties with Aliens followed by Predator, Planet of the Apes, Betty Page, Tarzan, and others. Conan and Dark Horse are a natural fit.

Conan: The Frost Giant's Daughter and Other Stories collects the first seven plus issues of the comic book (issues zero-six and part of seven). At first glance, "The Frost Giant's Daughter" is an unusual piece to adapt. While potentially visually exciting, the story is one of Howard's weaker (and earliest) Conan tales. Unlike most of Howard's other Conan stories, it is basically just a fight scene containing little substance or plot. By using elements found in Howard's essay on the world of Conan ("Nemedian Chronicles" aka "The Hyborian Age"), Kurt Busiek expands the scope of the original to place the events in the context of Conan's life. Busiek develops Howard's version to incorporate other elements of the Conan mythos.

Contrary to popular misinterpretation (thanks primarily to the Marvel comic books and two feature films), Conan, as presented by Howard, is much more than a fighter. He is a thinker, a tactician, a lover, and a loyal friend. Conan is a barbarian, a thief, a mercenary, and ultimately, a king. The tales are full of political intrigue, romance, swordplay, magic, mythology, and more. Like all of Howard's work, Conan was a vividly imaginative interpretation of a young man's West Texas world.

In the graphic novel, a young Conan has journeyed north in search of the legendary kingdom of Hyborea with its riches and immortals. While saving a young woman's life, he gets embroiled in a confrontation between the warring peoples Aesir and Vanir. Through a series of fights and political machinations, events eventually lead to the frost giant's daughter and eventually Hyborea.

Busiek's masterful manipulation of Howard's playground is supported and supplemented by the artistic talents of Gary Nord, Thomas Yeates, and Dave Stewart. Robert E. Howard was a master of action, who wrote some of the finest and most influential fight scenes ever produced. Reminiscent of Frank Frazetta, the art manages to translate the intensity and flow of the source material. Nord's interpretation of the frost giants is original and inspired.

Similar to DVDs, graphic novel compilations must have extras. The highlight of this section is Robert E. Howard scholar Mark Finn's enlightening and entertaining overview of Howard's life and work, illustrated with Nord's original concept sketches. (This certainly bodes well for Finn's forthcoming literary biography of the author.) Other bonus materials include Nord's audition pages and Joseph Michael Linser's chapter breaks.

Unlike most previous attempts, the handsome Dark Horse package is a welcome addition to the Conan mythos. With Busiek, Nord, Yeates, and Stewart at the helm, I'll be back for the next installment.

(The review originally appeared on SF Site)
Link: [http://www.sfsite.com/04b/fg198.htm] ( )

This graphic novel was my first. Wow it opened my mind to graphic novels. I loved it, i felt like i was there.... I picked it out becasue I used to watch Conan as a kid on sunday morning cartoons. The entire story is very adult themed, conan is on an epic journey of exploration, he makes a wake of bodies along the way. The fight scenes are amazing,,, the artist does a great job creating movement on the page.. the art blew my mind, ( )