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Conan: Dark Horse Collection
Conan, Volume 0: Born on the Battlefield
Writer Kurt Busiek and artist Greg Ruth team up to give you the story of Conan's early life, from his birth on a Cimmerian battlefield to his coming of age as a warrior in the pivotal Battle of Venarium. Sowing the seeds of the barbarian's momentous career, this chronicle of Conan's youthful conquests—both martial and carnal—also showcases master storytellers Busiek and Ruth's work at its finest.
• "[Ruth's art] is gorgeous to look at, conveying a different but equally lush vision of Cimmeria and the rest of Hyboria."—The Fourth Rail
• Collects Conan #8, #15, #23, #32, #45, and #46.
• "[Ruth's art] is gorgeous to look at, conveying a different but equally lush vision of Cimmeria and the rest of Hyboria."—The Fourth Rail
• Collects Conan #8, #15, #23, #32, #45, and #46.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2008
4 people are currently reading
824 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Busiek
1,859 books626 followersKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
August 15, 2022
Conan's early years growing up in Cimmaria. There's some crazy stuff here like Conan tearing out a wolf's throat at 8. Greg Ruth's art is very inconsistent. Sometimes beautiful, often muddy and ill-defined to the point where you aren't even sure what you're looking at.
September 23, 2019
3.5 stars
"Hither came Conan the Cimmerian . . . black-haired, sullen-eyed . . . sword in hand . . . a thief, a reaver, a slayer . . . with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth . . . to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth." -- from the initial chapter of Born on the Battlefield
Though he was a Marvel mainstay in the 70's and 80's (plus there were Arnold Schwarzenegger's two movies from early in his big-screen career, though reviews suggest that Jason Momoa's more recent version is to be avoided), I've had absolutely zero interest in Robert E. Howard's sword-and-sorcrery hero. Fortunately, this origin story volume - hence the odd '0' in the title - seems like a very good if not great introduction (especially for those not familiar with him) to the character, outlining the life-changing experiences and exploits of his childhood / teen and young adult years. I thought the muddy, severe-looking illustrations and color palette - red is used sparingly, and not surprisingly most often for bloodshed - fit well with the depicted harsh, violent and primitive world.
"Hither came Conan the Cimmerian . . . black-haired, sullen-eyed . . . sword in hand . . . a thief, a reaver, a slayer . . . with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth . . . to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth." -- from the initial chapter of Born on the Battlefield
Though he was a Marvel mainstay in the 70's and 80's (plus there were Arnold Schwarzenegger's two movies from early in his big-screen career, though reviews suggest that Jason Momoa's more recent version is to be avoided), I've had absolutely zero interest in Robert E. Howard's sword-and-sorcrery hero. Fortunately, this origin story volume - hence the odd '0' in the title - seems like a very good if not great introduction (especially for those not familiar with him) to the character, outlining the life-changing experiences and exploits of his childhood / teen and young adult years. I thought the muddy, severe-looking illustrations and color palette - red is used sparingly, and not surprisingly most often for bloodshed - fit well with the depicted harsh, violent and primitive world.
February 10, 2022
Love this Dark Horse run. The illustrations are just so good.
April 13, 2019
So most people who follow my reviews know I read this book for a few reasons.
1- I’m a fan of fantasy and action.
2- I hear a lot of hype for this character.
3- Conan is one of the main inspirations for Berserk, which is my favorite manga and an inspiration for a series of books I write.
So why is this only getting 3 stars? Well...
What’s it about?
This comic focuses on Conan’s younger years (from birth until his late teens or early twenties I think it’s meant to be). He was basically born on a battlefield and raised to be a super bad-ass warrior.
Pros:
The story is pretty interesting. It’s kinda cool seeing the origins of this bad-ass warrior guy at a young age trying to survive in the dark world this book takes place in.
The art... holy shit, the art is amazing. This is top quality A+ art we’re talking about and it expresses the story so well. If anything I would suggest checking this out for the art.
There’s a lot of solid action. This book is intense throughout and holds nothing back. I really dig it.
Cons:
The characters aren’t very interesting. Conan, while a bad-ass warrior hero (well, mostly hero, he makes a few questionable choices) does not have very much personality aside from yelling at people and killing things with a sword. Most of the background characters seem either bland or douchey.
This book is pretty predictable. There just aren’t many major plot twists or questions the story has you looking for the answers to other than “how much blood is gonna be spilled in this death”.
The dialogue, while not terrible, isn’t good. Quite a bit of it is either cheesy or tries too hard to sound “epic” or whatever, it just doesn’t work.
Overall:
This book is fairly interesting but not particularly good.
Maybe it’s because it’s a prequel book, I know some people say prequel books usually aren’t as good, IDK for me. Perhaps I expected too much from it too, I tried not to but couldn’t help but compare it to Berserk which is in my opinion a masterpiece (I do see the similarities between Guts and Conan, Guts being MUCH more interesting though).
It’s got a neat story, some amazing art and bad-ass action however the bad-ass warrior is not very interesting, it’s very predictable and could use better dialogue.
If you’re particularly interested in checking out this character or want to see what helped inspire Berserk, this is a decent read but don’t expect Berserk levels of quality. It was certainly worth checking out of the library and I will add more of these books to my reading list but it isn’t as good as I hoped and I wouldn’t particularly recommend it.
3/5
1- I’m a fan of fantasy and action.
2- I hear a lot of hype for this character.
3- Conan is one of the main inspirations for Berserk, which is my favorite manga and an inspiration for a series of books I write.
So why is this only getting 3 stars? Well...
What’s it about?
This comic focuses on Conan’s younger years (from birth until his late teens or early twenties I think it’s meant to be). He was basically born on a battlefield and raised to be a super bad-ass warrior.
Pros:
The story is pretty interesting. It’s kinda cool seeing the origins of this bad-ass warrior guy at a young age trying to survive in the dark world this book takes place in.
The art... holy shit, the art is amazing. This is top quality A+ art we’re talking about and it expresses the story so well. If anything I would suggest checking this out for the art.
There’s a lot of solid action. This book is intense throughout and holds nothing back. I really dig it.
Cons:
The characters aren’t very interesting. Conan, while a bad-ass warrior hero (well, mostly hero, he makes a few questionable choices) does not have very much personality aside from yelling at people and killing things with a sword. Most of the background characters seem either bland or douchey.
This book is pretty predictable. There just aren’t many major plot twists or questions the story has you looking for the answers to other than “how much blood is gonna be spilled in this death”.
The dialogue, while not terrible, isn’t good. Quite a bit of it is either cheesy or tries too hard to sound “epic” or whatever, it just doesn’t work.
Overall:
This book is fairly interesting but not particularly good.
Maybe it’s because it’s a prequel book, I know some people say prequel books usually aren’t as good, IDK for me. Perhaps I expected too much from it too, I tried not to but couldn’t help but compare it to Berserk which is in my opinion a masterpiece (I do see the similarities between Guts and Conan, Guts being MUCH more interesting though).
It’s got a neat story, some amazing art and bad-ass action however the bad-ass warrior is not very interesting, it’s very predictable and could use better dialogue.
If you’re particularly interested in checking out this character or want to see what helped inspire Berserk, this is a decent read but don’t expect Berserk levels of quality. It was certainly worth checking out of the library and I will add more of these books to my reading list but it isn’t as good as I hoped and I wouldn’t particularly recommend it.
3/5
January 21, 2014
I've read a lot of Conan, from the Marvel comic books to the novels of Robert Jordan to the original stories by Robert E. Howard, but I really believe this dark coming of age story is among the finest Conan stories ever published.
For the first time readers get an up close look at Cimmeria, and Conan's childhood in the simple village. While a lot of the adventures are the usual warlike stuff -- Conan tears out a wolf's throat at the age of twelve -- there's a lot of poignant and complex issues for him to resolve. He's an outsider, but not the usual outsider being bullied who gets even. Or rather he is, but the consequences of his early triumphs in love and war are more complicated and tragic than one might expect.
I don't know how much Conan this team has written, but I would definitely like to read a lot more!
For the first time readers get an up close look at Cimmeria, and Conan's childhood in the simple village. While a lot of the adventures are the usual warlike stuff -- Conan tears out a wolf's throat at the age of twelve -- there's a lot of poignant and complex issues for him to resolve. He's an outsider, but not the usual outsider being bullied who gets even. Or rather he is, but the consequences of his early triumphs in love and war are more complicated and tragic than one might expect.
I don't know how much Conan this team has written, but I would definitely like to read a lot more!
May 15, 2021
Isterah ovaj strip na jedvite jadem više iz osećanja obaveze da ga ipak dovršim kako-tako nego da ga ostavim na polici i naprosto zaboravim.
Ovaj tom kratkih priča iz Konanovog detinjstva vrlo odudara od tona Marvelovog Konana koji je kod nas prethodno objavljivan i to ne samo zbog vremenske distance. Ove priče su prilično turobnije i mračnije, što vrlo verovatno i priliči i dolikuje našem katkad setnom a katkad raskalašnom varvarinu, ali kad se sve sabere i oduzme, ostaje utisak blage usiljenosti. Svejedno, priča je vrlo dobro ukomponovana sa crtežom i sve to skupa ostavlja na čitaoca utisak čitanja umetničkog stripa, a ne ispraznog pripovedačko-crtačkog iživljavanja kome je svrha tek puka zabava. Pastelno-zagasnuti kolorit samo doprinosi toj atmosferi simerijanske desperije, štaviše toliko da sam u nekoliko navrata umalo pa potražio u crtežu gde im je lokalna prodavnica pred kojom Simerijanci ispijaju jeftino pivo iz polakilki.
Darkvudovo izdanje naprosto je savršeno. Strip je formata taman kakav treba da bude - mada zbog prirode crteža ništa ne bi smetalo ni da je A4 ili neki veći - kvalitet hartije, štampe i poveza vrhunski. Pravo malo umetničko delo.
Nažalost, prevod pati od izvesnih materijalnih manjkavosti, koje je urednik trebalo da primeti. Tako u prevodu imamo Esire i Vanire umesto Asa i Vana, kako bi moralo da bude i prema našim skandinavistima i prema istoričarima religiije i arheolozima, a keltska boginja Morigan u ovom prevodu je u stavljena u muški rod. Ima i nekih sitnica preko kojih se prelazi dovoljno lako da bi njihovo pominjanje bilo pravo zakeranje i traženje dlake u jajetu, ali inače solidan prevod ima taman dovoljno materijalnih grešaka da mi je to omelo uživanje u čitanju. Delimično i zbog toga, 3*
Ovaj tom kratkih priča iz Konanovog detinjstva vrlo odudara od tona Marvelovog Konana koji je kod nas prethodno objavljivan i to ne samo zbog vremenske distance. Ove priče su prilično turobnije i mračnije, što vrlo verovatno i priliči i dolikuje našem katkad setnom a katkad raskalašnom varvarinu, ali kad se sve sabere i oduzme, ostaje utisak blage usiljenosti. Svejedno, priča je vrlo dobro ukomponovana sa crtežom i sve to skupa ostavlja na čitaoca utisak čitanja umetničkog stripa, a ne ispraznog pripovedačko-crtačkog iživljavanja kome je svrha tek puka zabava. Pastelno-zagasnuti kolorit samo doprinosi toj atmosferi simerijanske desperije, štaviše toliko da sam u nekoliko navrata umalo pa potražio u crtežu gde im je lokalna prodavnica pred kojom Simerijanci ispijaju jeftino pivo iz polakilki.
Darkvudovo izdanje naprosto je savršeno. Strip je formata taman kakav treba da bude - mada zbog prirode crteža ništa ne bi smetalo ni da je A4 ili neki veći - kvalitet hartije, štampe i poveza vrhunski. Pravo malo umetničko delo.
Nažalost, prevod pati od izvesnih materijalnih manjkavosti, koje je urednik trebalo da primeti. Tako u prevodu imamo Esire i Vanire umesto Asa i Vana, kako bi moralo da bude i prema našim skandinavistima i prema istoričarima religiije i arheolozima, a keltska boginja Morigan u ovom prevodu je u stavljena u muški rod. Ima i nekih sitnica preko kojih se prelazi dovoljno lako da bi njihovo pominjanje bilo pravo zakeranje i traženje dlake u jajetu, ali inače solidan prevod ima taman dovoljno materijalnih grešaka da mi je to omelo uživanje u čitanju. Delimično i zbog toga, 3*
April 9, 2017
Good art, decent writing, much better than that 2011 Conan remake movie.
November 3, 2021
Born on the Battlefield. Busiek's story of Conan's youth is absolutely phenomenal. Herein are a handful of individual short stories, each with a beginning, middle, and end, several with shocking turns. Together, they tell the story of how a youth came of age as a fighter and an individual. It's all great reading, and it all does a great job of capturing the feel of Conan [5/5].
January 26, 2016
The new Conan comic series does good justice to the Robert E. Howard stories. While the art does come and go in quality at time, overall it is a good. The adaptations of the original stories is well done. The fill in stories are also well done and follow the flow of the Character's life as written by Howard. Recommended to comic fans and Very recommended to Howard and Conan fans.
June 1, 2024
These are all early stories of Conan's youth, with fully painted art. Great quality, as has been the case with Dark Horse's Conan stories. I will say that these stories have been a little dark and sad, but Conan's world is presented as bleak and savage, so I suppose that goes with the territory.
March 27, 2019
Exactly what I wanted from a Conan origin.
March 26, 2014
Conan: Born On The Battefield (2008) by Kurt Busiek, Greg Ruth – Kurt Busiek is a writer who knows the Conan character and his environment very well. He has proven how adept he is a portraying the Conan character and his world in a story that is authentic to those that Robert E. Howard created long ago. In addition, Busiek is adept at achieving that authentic character and his adventures in a comic (or graphic novel) format. However, he has needed the work of some great artists to bring Conan and his environment to life in graphic publications, including Cary Nord and Greg Ruth. The partnership of Busiek and Greg Ruth created this very interesting and unique Conan graphic novel. It covers the barbarian’s adventures during his early years from birth until he left his homeland of Cimmeria during his teenage years. Until now there were only brief mentions of Conan’s developing years in previous tales. Busiek researched all of Howard’s Conan brief references to Conan’s past, including mentions of places he had visited, things he had done, people and creatures he had encountered, etc. Then Busiek weaved those brief mentions into this wonderful story of Conan’s origin and Greg Ruth added his superb art to bring this story to life. It’s a great addition to the Dark Horse Books Conan series.
May 5, 2016
Pretty well done with distinct, appropriate art. 3.5 stars.
March 11, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
An well told, beautifully illustrated collection of short stories, detailing events throughout the early years of Conan's life. Busiek's simple yet effective words paint a vivid picture, but it is the art of Greg Buth who truly brings these tales to life in the most sublime and spectacular of ways. Although the excellent Cary Nord was to follow, I couldn't help but lament the lack of any further Greg Buth artwork going forward. Having him on art throughout a lengthy run of Conan's adult life would have been something truly momentous. We may not have gotten much, but what we have got here is something everyone should experience for themselves at least once. If you can't track down this long OOP, hardcover, the Marvel Busiek / Nord omnibus collects it as well, and would be a tad easier to locate, though OOP as well. Hopefully Titan will reprint this at some point in the future. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
An well told, beautifully illustrated collection of short stories, detailing events throughout the early years of Conan's life. Busiek's simple yet effective words paint a vivid picture, but it is the art of Greg Buth who truly brings these tales to life in the most sublime and spectacular of ways. Although the excellent Cary Nord was to follow, I couldn't help but lament the lack of any further Greg Buth artwork going forward. Having him on art throughout a lengthy run of Conan's adult life would have been something truly momentous. We may not have gotten much, but what we have got here is something everyone should experience for themselves at least once. If you can't track down this long OOP, hardcover, the Marvel Busiek / Nord omnibus collects it as well, and would be a tad easier to locate, though OOP as well. Hopefully Titan will reprint this at some point in the future. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
February 17, 2018
A great series, and a great volume. Mostly one-shot stories covering different times in young Conan's life, and all of them very well done. I liked the sketchy/watercolor style artwork too, it really helped set the mood for these stories.
February 18, 2021
Priča kako je Konan rodjen i njegovo detinjstvo i mladost dok nije otišao iz svog plemena. Odlično ispricano i odličan crtež koji prati atmosferu price. Uklopljeno bas kako treba. Ima dosta maca i pomalo magije. Odlično
July 22, 2016
The Re-imagining of Conan's Past
While I loved the story, I have to admit I wasn't a big fan of the artwork. Not that it's bad, but it just isn't my style. I think it's because of how much I love Cary Nord's work on the other volumes that the art in this one just didn't resonate with me. Again...not a knock on the artist as the art is good...just not my personal preference.
On the other hand, the story and writing were excellent and I enjoyed the look into where Conan's wanderlust came from. I also liked the Scottish highlands feel found in the supporting cast. It paints a dark image of the brooding Conan and why he feels the urges he does. Good read and a fun look into where Conan began.
While I loved the story, I have to admit I wasn't a big fan of the artwork. Not that it's bad, but it just isn't my style. I think it's because of how much I love Cary Nord's work on the other volumes that the art in this one just didn't resonate with me. Again...not a knock on the artist as the art is good...just not my personal preference.
On the other hand, the story and writing were excellent and I enjoyed the look into where Conan's wanderlust came from. I also liked the Scottish highlands feel found in the supporting cast. It paints a dark image of the brooding Conan and why he feels the urges he does. Good read and a fun look into where Conan began.
April 5, 2015
I'm glad I went back and read vol. 0. Conan and the relationship he has with his grandfather, Connacht, is just terrific. And some people may assume that the emotions involved in a book like this must be shallow, melodramatic. Well, they'd be wrong. Conan has to deal with growing up a stranger in his community, lonely, angry and yet still loyal and mischievous. When it goes down at Valerium, Conan is in the front with his fellow Cimmerians, letting the Aqualonians have a taste of the brutal steel from the joyless, hardened hills they call home.
May 28, 2011
The artwork is not nearly as crisp and clean as the other graphic novels (although the marvelous artwork may have spoiled me), but the stories are *fantastic!* They've done a really great job of filling in Conan's childhood and providing context for how he became the man that you see in the following books.
I highly recommend this book for any fan of Conan and especially if you want to know more about his past and what led up to him leaving Cimmeria and exploring the land.
I highly recommend this book for any fan of Conan and especially if you want to know more about his past and what led up to him leaving Cimmeria and exploring the land.
May 17, 2013
Going to cheat and agree with this review - I don't have the canon background so can't comment on that, but I thoroughly enjoyed the stories, artwork and mood, and am looking forward to more. Lovely moody pulpy action. Now if only someone would redo Arthur of the Britons as a comic like this!
July 3, 2014
Unless you've been living under a rock you know what Conan is. This is great Conan. I know Conan entirely through comics and the semi-awful Arnold Schwarzenegger film Conan the Destroyer...and by reputation. This is good Conan. Slick, strong storytelling; vibrant, graphic art...Yep. This is GREAT Conan. Now where'd I put volume 1?
October 27, 2009
The story is a little too "Lord of the Rings" for me complete with a Gollum-like cameo and an epic battle or three. Still, a solid 'origin' story with surprising psychological insight of characters and the artwork is quite beautiful with frequent nods to Frank Frazetta.
February 2, 2014
Literally the best book ever! I love the entire series, but I always find myself going back to this book and re-reading it all the time. I love seeing Conan grow up from a Child and see how he developed into such an amazing person!
January 17, 2015
I love the Conan comics. A good choice for any Conan fan.
April 10, 2024
This is hands down one of the best comics I have ever read and I just love this story omg,t he foreward by brubaker is amazing and made me love the comic more and then the notes by the artist is awesome too, how he explains how he drew so many things and the thought that went into it.. thats kinda awesome and makes you love this story.
The whole story with Conan and how we see his origins from young child to young man, and then the enemy ship with Donal, becoming an outlaw in his own village, the story with Arianne and his romance and then the battle with Aquilonian soldiers in the end, the "Battle of Venarium" was so awesome and you get to see the bloodshed and how war is, and yeah the brutality of it is awesome and how Conan thrives in it and there are so many emotional points in the story and what Conan lost and gained, and then the ending with his grandfather is emotional yes, and also shows you how he was a constant in Conan's life and I like how that character was developed.
Also loved the flashback of "Battle of Brita's Vale" and the flesh eaters and bone woman and the designs and infusing that magical fantasy aspect of Conan's world and his encounter with it, so yeah there was that and awesome art really, the ghost warriors and battles and how haunting it is.
Clearly, one of the best origins and I love the way it weaves together aspect of Conan's life and its an awesome read, and please take your time with this, and appreciate what the writer and artist are tryna do here, and you are in for a hell of a ride reading this!!
The whole story with Conan and how we see his origins from young child to young man, and then the enemy ship with Donal, becoming an outlaw in his own village, the story with Arianne and his romance and then the battle with Aquilonian soldiers in the end, the "Battle of Venarium" was so awesome and you get to see the bloodshed and how war is, and yeah the brutality of it is awesome and how Conan thrives in it and there are so many emotional points in the story and what Conan lost and gained, and then the ending with his grandfather is emotional yes, and also shows you how he was a constant in Conan's life and I like how that character was developed.
Also loved the flashback of "Battle of Brita's Vale" and the flesh eaters and bone woman and the designs and infusing that magical fantasy aspect of Conan's world and his encounter with it, so yeah there was that and awesome art really, the ghost warriors and battles and how haunting it is.
Clearly, one of the best origins and I love the way it weaves together aspect of Conan's life and its an awesome read, and please take your time with this, and appreciate what the writer and artist are tryna do here, and you are in for a hell of a ride reading this!!
January 2, 2018
Brilliantly written, drawn and coloured graphic novel, I throughly enjoyed it. The last three chapters are unputdownable!
I think that Kurt Busiek's run is my favourite, his writing is tight and he captures the essence of RE Howard's hero. As part of my 2018 challenge I'm re-reading the whole series from 0-22 then I can reassess. (So sad that, at least for the moment, Conan at an end). Greg Ruth's art style is atmospheric and perfectly captures the cold grey brooding world of Cimmeria. His landscape's are so good that they actually become a major character in the story. I particularly enjoyed the 'afterward' sketch book, here Ruth demonstrates how he matured Conan's looks and evolved Conan's mood and character. I think REH would approve.
Particular art highlights for me are Conan's feral fight with the alpha wolf and the tumultuous siege of Venarium. These are drawn with real passion and feeling. Story-wise my absolute highlight is the development of Conan as a strong, aggressive, melancholic loner and the strained, complex and often poisonous relationship with Donal. The conclusion of which i found moving.
On to Volume 1 where Busiek and Nord get their Conan on!
I think that Kurt Busiek's run is my favourite, his writing is tight and he captures the essence of RE Howard's hero. As part of my 2018 challenge I'm re-reading the whole series from 0-22 then I can reassess. (So sad that, at least for the moment, Conan at an end). Greg Ruth's art style is atmospheric and perfectly captures the cold grey brooding world of Cimmeria. His landscape's are so good that they actually become a major character in the story. I particularly enjoyed the 'afterward' sketch book, here Ruth demonstrates how he matured Conan's looks and evolved Conan's mood and character. I think REH would approve.
Particular art highlights for me are Conan's feral fight with the alpha wolf and the tumultuous siege of Venarium. These are drawn with real passion and feeling. Story-wise my absolute highlight is the development of Conan as a strong, aggressive, melancholic loner and the strained, complex and often poisonous relationship with Donal. The conclusion of which i found moving.
On to Volume 1 where Busiek and Nord get their Conan on!
July 16, 2023
Intermingled into the initial Dark Horse run of Conan were a series of standalone stories written by series regular Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Greg Ruth. These one off issues are mostly set in Conan's younger days and show how he went from unassuming child to Cimmeria's most savage soldier. The stories are decent enough with a copious amount of violence and gore to really demonstrate what Conan goes through, but they can also feel a bit weightless when considered as part of a larger narrative. Very little that happens in these issues seep into the main stories contained in the run, making these pretty skippable overall. Greg Ruth's artwork bounces between striking and muddy, largely due to inconsistent application of colors. Ruth's linework is on the sketchier side, which understandably can make for some challenging color separations, but there were times where panels were just difficult to decipher. But at its best, Ruth's artwork is grandiose and epic which works well due to the scale that Busiek is trying to achieve with these stories.
December 18, 2021
Robert Howard wrote little about the origin of his most famous creation. Aside from the fact that he was born in the Northern land of Cimmeria, the inhabitants being something of a precursor to the Celts or Gaels, Conan's childhood was seldom mentioned save for hints Howard wrote in letters to some fans.
Kurt Busiek has created a background story for Conan, from his birth until he leaves home to wander the Hyborian world in his early manhood.
This graphic novel is entertaining and about as bloody as you would expect given the subject. Having read all of the Conan stories, it's nice to have someone put together a story that shows the forces that helped shape the barbarian's personality.
Kurt Busiek has created a background story for Conan, from his birth until he leaves home to wander the Hyborian world in his early manhood.
This graphic novel is entertaining and about as bloody as you would expect given the subject. Having read all of the Conan stories, it's nice to have someone put together a story that shows the forces that helped shape the barbarian's personality.
October 8, 2017
Se han escrito muchas historias de Conan, tanto en los cómics como en los libros, y no hay mejor historia de sus primeros años y sus primeras batallas que esta recopilación de los episodios juveniles de Conan escritos por Kurt Busiek. La serie de Busiek en sí ya es una joya, al intentar ofrecer una cronología completa del personaje basándose en los relatos originales de REH, pero estos episodios son lo mejor que se ha escrito de Conan en el presente siglo sin duda alguna. Un tomo imprescindible para los fans del cimmerio.
September 2, 2018
Story of the Conan's origin - from birth to the day he decides to leave his village and go out to the world. Story is good, characters are all fleshed out and they play the role in Conan's life and decisions he makes (they are not just background noise). Story gives a great view on Conan's progress to the mighty barbarian we all like.
Art is magnificent, some pages are just so beautifully composed and drawn that they could be set as paintings.
Recommended to all fans of sword-and-sorcery, Conan and in general great art.
Art is magnificent, some pages are just so beautifully composed and drawn that they could be set as paintings.
Recommended to all fans of sword-and-sorcery, Conan and in general great art.
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