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Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus
Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus, Vol. 1
The greatest saga in sword-and-sorcery history begins - the saga of Conan! Born on a battlefi eld in the frozen lands of Cimmeria, Conan fights his way through the untamed Hyborian kingdoms, sparing no man, woman or wizard his wrath. His adventures will become legend. He will become king. Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith brought Robert E. Howard's iconic creation to four-color life with work that set new standards for comic book storytelling. Marvel is honored to present each story, each cover and each letters page - all painstakingly restored to match the majesty of the original editions. In these early exploits, Conan ventures from his homeland for the fi rst time, honing his skills as a thief, mercenary, pirate and above all, warrior! COLLECTING: CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1970) 1-26; MATERIAL FROM CHAMBER OF DARKNESS (1969) 4; SAVAGE TALES (1971) 1, 4
776 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1973
26 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Roy Thomas
4,479 books270 followersRoy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.
Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.
Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 4, 2019
Cannot believe how hard it was to find a copy of this one. Just like the pair of Dark Horse Omnis from earlier this winter. This cover should have been on the regular edition. Not that crap cover no one wanted.
Regardless, BWS's initial run on Conan has been a landmark since it was first printed. It was hot back in the '70s (which I am old enough to remember well). Makes this an essential must-have for fans of Marvel and fans of Sword and Sorcery. This adaption, along with the '60s Lancer reprints of Howard's source material, saved Conan from obscurity.
The same material was reprinted by Dark Horse in 2 volumes 10 or so years ago. The Dark Horse reprints had new computerized color schemes while this new Marvel printing retains the original coloring. Hard to say which is better. The original Marvel colors are more primary and bolder. The Dark Horse colors are more realistic and muted. Rather like having both on hand.
Oh and you get Moorcock's Elric to boot! Now, if only we could see Conan meet Karl Edward Wagner's Kane...
Regardless, BWS's initial run on Conan has been a landmark since it was first printed. It was hot back in the '70s (which I am old enough to remember well). Makes this an essential must-have for fans of Marvel and fans of Sword and Sorcery. This adaption, along with the '60s Lancer reprints of Howard's source material, saved Conan from obscurity.
The same material was reprinted by Dark Horse in 2 volumes 10 or so years ago. The Dark Horse reprints had new computerized color schemes while this new Marvel printing retains the original coloring. Hard to say which is better. The original Marvel colors are more primary and bolder. The Dark Horse colors are more realistic and muted. Rather like having both on hand.
Oh and you get Moorcock's Elric to boot! Now, if only we could see Conan meet Karl Edward Wagner's Kane...
March 15, 2021
Roy Thomas' first volume of Conan is a fine adaptation of the sword & sorcery hero. There's a nice mix of original stories and actual adaptations here, skillfully woven into a story of the young Conan's life. And, there are plenty of high points, from the always-loved Tower of the Elephant, which is really nicely realized visualized, to the crossover with Elric, to the introduction of Red Sonja, to the massive Tarim War (which rather amazingly jumps back and forth between adaptations and originals).
All around, a wonderful debut for Conan and perhaps the best S&S comic of the 20the century.
All around, a wonderful debut for Conan and perhaps the best S&S comic of the 20the century.
June 25, 2019
Here we have a rather sizable compilation of Marvel's original Conan comics, started in 1970 and continued until the nineties. Most of these years, comics were primarily on newsprint, cost less than a buck and we could ride our bikes down to the corner store to get these off the rack. This tome was a huge hardcover of several hundred high-quality pages. Also, it most certainly did not cost less than a book.
Note that Robert Howard, creator of Conan, took his own life in 1936. The first Conan stories in Marvel were merely 34 years after that. I've lived longer than that. Much of the early work on this was done by fans of the original material who were familiar enough with Howard's writing that they could mostly hold true to the original characterizations. Marvel began with a chronological tale of Conan, dotted with illustrated versions of Howard's original short stories dotted with original material to show the Barbarian going his bloody way from point A to point B. Other authors have similarly sought to fill in the blanks in short stories, and Dark Horse comics would also make a stab at the task. See what I did there? Stab? I amuse myself.
If you love Conan, you'll enjoy this collection. There's much sword and sorcery action of course, and Roy Thomas' writing with Barry Windsor-Smith's art couple well together to craft great and fun stories. There's even a few lessons for the avid reader:
1- Wizards and magic are evil. Avoid if at all possible. Try to avoid even when evasion isn't exactly apparent. Get crazy-go-nuts if you can't avoid.
2- Women can be very powerful. They can also be just as nasty as any man with power. Still, it's not polite to stab them.
3- If you have to go up against Conan, go in a very large group. Then, while he's fighting everyone, knock him out from behind. Some of you will die, but still, you got Conan! Seriously, in several stories in this book, he's surrounded. He starts taking them out. Then some guy goes, "Hey, how about we knock him out from behind?" and they do and down Conan goes. This will be useful to know if you're stuck in Hyborea.
4- Ancient, unspeakable evils that have taken flesh can bleed. Even if you're terrified, it's a good idea to stab them a lot. And more, just in case.
5- If someone gets shifty eyes, they are plotting against you. Follow that instinct and don't trust them!
This was a great compilation to read. Again, if you enjoy sword and sorcery tales, this will not disappoint.
Note that Robert Howard, creator of Conan, took his own life in 1936. The first Conan stories in Marvel were merely 34 years after that. I've lived longer than that. Much of the early work on this was done by fans of the original material who were familiar enough with Howard's writing that they could mostly hold true to the original characterizations. Marvel began with a chronological tale of Conan, dotted with illustrated versions of Howard's original short stories dotted with original material to show the Barbarian going his bloody way from point A to point B. Other authors have similarly sought to fill in the blanks in short stories, and Dark Horse comics would also make a stab at the task. See what I did there? Stab? I amuse myself.
If you love Conan, you'll enjoy this collection. There's much sword and sorcery action of course, and Roy Thomas' writing with Barry Windsor-Smith's art couple well together to craft great and fun stories. There's even a few lessons for the avid reader:
1- Wizards and magic are evil. Avoid if at all possible. Try to avoid even when evasion isn't exactly apparent. Get crazy-go-nuts if you can't avoid.
2- Women can be very powerful. They can also be just as nasty as any man with power. Still, it's not polite to stab them.
3- If you have to go up against Conan, go in a very large group. Then, while he's fighting everyone, knock him out from behind. Some of you will die, but still, you got Conan! Seriously, in several stories in this book, he's surrounded. He starts taking them out. Then some guy goes, "Hey, how about we knock him out from behind?" and they do and down Conan goes. This will be useful to know if you're stuck in Hyborea.
4- Ancient, unspeakable evils that have taken flesh can bleed. Even if you're terrified, it's a good idea to stab them a lot. And more, just in case.
5- If someone gets shifty eyes, they are plotting against you. Follow that instinct and don't trust them!
This was a great compilation to read. Again, if you enjoy sword and sorcery tales, this will not disappoint.
August 19, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
Ahh, remember when comics were like this. Well I don't, cause I wasn't born then, and have only been reading them for a little over a year, but this is the pure, unadulterated essence of comics. Man, this is good. So damn good. Granted, it took a little while for me to get into it, but once I was there, this has been one hell of a ride, with only a few hundred more issues to go. Hell yeah. One of the few downsides to this, is that it amplifies just how far the mainstream comics medium has fallen. A few decades ago, books like this were mostly the norm. Nowadays... well.
The art is phenomenal throughout this run. All three artists are brilliant in their own right, and also are relatively similar in style, at least compared to some of the jarring artist changes we get these days. The stories are mature and very well written, showing a nouse for the printed word that few other authors are capable of. There is something deeply moving and poignant here, amidst all the sword and sorcery. Something that only the greatest fantasy novels are capable of evoking. This is some high concept stuff at times. And at others, its just a bloody good ride.
Sure, the lack of mature content is a bit of a downer. Yes, there is Savage Sword of Conan for the blood and boobies, although it still feels like they would have fit naturally in this world as well. Comics code be damned. The slightly watered down nature of the stories, or more accurately, the art, can be a tad grating at times, although with stories this good, you get over it pretty quick.
Conan the Original Marvel Years makes most comics look decidedly average. They really are that bloody good. The age count may be lower than a typical omnibus, although you certainly get plenty of bang for your buck in terms of content. Roy Thomas and Barry Smith (and others), take a bow. Thank you very much for creating this. Bravo. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
Ahh, remember when comics were like this. Well I don't, cause I wasn't born then, and have only been reading them for a little over a year, but this is the pure, unadulterated essence of comics. Man, this is good. So damn good. Granted, it took a little while for me to get into it, but once I was there, this has been one hell of a ride, with only a few hundred more issues to go. Hell yeah. One of the few downsides to this, is that it amplifies just how far the mainstream comics medium has fallen. A few decades ago, books like this were mostly the norm. Nowadays... well.
The art is phenomenal throughout this run. All three artists are brilliant in their own right, and also are relatively similar in style, at least compared to some of the jarring artist changes we get these days. The stories are mature and very well written, showing a nouse for the printed word that few other authors are capable of. There is something deeply moving and poignant here, amidst all the sword and sorcery. Something that only the greatest fantasy novels are capable of evoking. This is some high concept stuff at times. And at others, its just a bloody good ride.
Sure, the lack of mature content is a bit of a downer. Yes, there is Savage Sword of Conan for the blood and boobies, although it still feels like they would have fit naturally in this world as well. Comics code be damned. The slightly watered down nature of the stories, or more accurately, the art, can be a tad grating at times, although with stories this good, you get over it pretty quick.
Conan the Original Marvel Years makes most comics look decidedly average. They really are that bloody good. The age count may be lower than a typical omnibus, although you certainly get plenty of bang for your buck in terms of content. Roy Thomas and Barry Smith (and others), take a bow. Thank you very much for creating this. Bravo. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
January 27, 2023
This is a Sword & Sorcery Holy Grail. You know that already.
💀💀💀💀💀
💀💀💀💀💀
December 27, 2018
I have not read this compendium but rather, the original comics on which it is based. Roy Thomas is one of the greatest comic writers of all time and these stories, along with his work on the related Red Sonja comics, are Roy at his best. New readers may find some of the storylines derivative or dated, but don't be fooled; that's only because Roy has been copied for decades. He made a huge contribution to the sword and sorcery genre with these intelligent, exciting, and often sexy stories. Best of all, he was paired with great artists, which help to make the stories come alive. Whenever I think of Conan, I don't see Arnold, I see Buscema's scowling, raven-haired giant. It is heartening to see that these stories are being preserved and shared with new generations of readers, rather than moldering away unseen in countless drawers and comics boxes.
December 18, 2019
Great read. Come for the comics, stay for the extras: OG letter pages, essays by Roy Thomas.
High quality, beefy book. For bonus points, read in conjunction with Roy Thomas’ Barbarians Life Volume 1, but be better than me, have the second omnibus ready to go and not have to wait for it!
High quality, beefy book. For bonus points, read in conjunction with Roy Thomas’ Barbarians Life Volume 1, but be better than me, have the second omnibus ready to go and not have to wait for it!
July 26, 2019
Collecting issues 1 to 26 of the original series with the Proto-Conan story in Chamber of Darkness 4 and the Conan stories from Savage Tales 1 and 4, this is truly an ultimate edition of these comics. It's great to see Windsor-Smith growing into the character, his art getting better and better and reaching perfection by number 4, and to see how Roy Thomas both adapts Robert E. Howard's stories and interspreads his own original Conan tales in the middle.
There is much to be said about how great the comics themselves are, but what really stands out is just how well they read today. Thomas made the executive decision of not having any thought balloons or sound effects in the issues, allowing and demanding the visuals to do all the narrative work and the action to be good enough not to need "Pows or Bams"in order to land its punches. This brings the comics in line with what we have today but was a completely revolutionary decision 49 years ago. These comics still feel fresh and beautiful and don't suffer from the over-cluttering of text of many of their contemporaries.
The edition itself is amazing, running to some 750 pages in hardcover, the colors look beautiful and most importantly it is edited with great love for the original material and the history of the comics. There are some 200 pages of additional material here, all the introductions to every reprint of the comics are included, most written by Thomas, you get a history of the production of every single issue! You also get the letter pages from the comics allowing you to follow along with the issue's reception by its audience. Truly an ultimate edition and an essential buy, I can spare no superlatives. Get it.
June 8, 2019
So glad that Marvel got the rights to Conan again. Dark Horse churned out some good stories, but their reprints of the classic stories don't do the originals any justice. This is a must-have if you like the Bronze Age Marvel stuff, or if you want to see classic Barry Smith as he was basically learning how to draw while drawing this series. Roy Thomas provides some very detailed history into every issue contained and this has so much special and additional content. It's obvious that this was compiled by someone that truly loves this classic stuff. I'm very excited to pick up future collections.
March 9, 2021
I have been a fan of Conan the Barbarian ever since I picked up the Marvel CtB King-Size Annual #1 in 1973, which included Roy Thomas & Barry Smith’s adaptation of Robert E Howard’s Tower of the Elephant. After that I regularly bought all the Conan comics & magazines that followed for the next ten years. I let those comics get away, sadly. Dark Horse comics got the Conan license and reprinted them, but the coloring was atrocious. In 2019, Marvel got the license back and scheduled a series of Omnibus reprints for Conan’s 1970s comics. This first volume contains Conan 1-26, featuring not only the rise of Conan but the evolution of Barry Smith’s artwork, from a Jack Kirby inspired artist to another one inspired by more classical art styles. The reproduction in this volume is incredible and compares well with the original comics, though some may feel the colors, while faithful to the originals, are too bright for the glossy paper used in this format. It didn’t bother me at all, I appreciated seeing the line work clearly. Even if you own the 1970s comics, the paper is fading over time. Tons of extras are included in this volume, for example, reprints of Marvelmania articles where Thomas announced his plans for Conan. Thomas also wrote an extremely detailed forward about how Marvel came to publish Conan, as well as behind the scenes details on each individual issue.
April 6, 2019
As a fan of modern comics, and someone who's formative experience with comics has been much more modern works, this was stylistically jarring and a bit of a slog. However I was ultimately able to come to appreciate it on it's own terms and it is a series of enjoyable if dated action adventure fantasy romps. The writing hasn't aged well but the art by Barry Windsor-Smith is what really stands out. Even today it is remarkably detailed and ornate, and it's fascinating to see Windsor-Smith's style develop over the run. The extra material related to the history and development of Conan as a comic, is brilliant, informative stuff, especially for those interested in the work methods and professional environment of the 70s Marvel bullpen.
March 14, 2025
A great interpretation of Robert E. Howards most popular character. Barry Windsor Smith's artwork starts off good but his style develops before our eyes as the stories continue. By the end of this volume both story and art have moved from good to fantastic.
The extras, of which this omnibus is replete, are a thorough insight and history of Conan during the Marvel years as, once again, Roy Thomas give us a look at his encyclopedic knowledge of comic book history, with the focus being on Conan this time.
The extras, of which this omnibus is replete, are a thorough insight and history of Conan during the Marvel years as, once again, Roy Thomas give us a look at his encyclopedic knowledge of comic book history, with the focus being on Conan this time.
March 25, 2021
This would be a 3 star for me but I absolutely love how much extra content they added. Usually I skip over that stuff since it’s only a couple dozen pages. This time, though, there were close to 100 pages, more if you include the Savage Tales issues, and I went through each one. Really gives a good glimpse of what comics were like back in the 70’s, both producing them and advertising them.
February 15, 2024
Brutal. Con mucha info adicional, extras, bocetos, etc... Conan es Conan, si no te gusta no te acerques. Pero si disfrutas con las historias de este bárbaro no lo puedes dejar pasar. Eso sí, mejor leer poquito a poco. Yo he tardado 2 años en terminarlo pero es una forma de no saturarse ya que las historias, a pesar de que cambian muchos detalles, son muy parecidas en el fondo.
September 10, 2019
Fantastic first volume of classic Conan Stories! I can't wait for more of these volumes collecting these classic comics. If you are a fan of sword and sorcery fiction you owe it to your self to read these classics
June 23, 2019
An excellent collection with amazing art by Barry Windsor-Smith. Also full of detailed extras that only Roy Thomas, comic historian that he is, would make sure was included.
October 21, 2019
It's amazing to watch Barry Smith, a poor mans Jack Kirby, evolve into the artist of such unique energy we know now as Barry Windsor-Smith. It's so sudden a change.
April 21, 2023
Sí, es cómic y no es alta literatura, pero es entretenidísimo.
May 14, 2024
Just an amazing collection. The extras are outstanding as well as the introduction.
February 23, 2025
Claramente es un formato difícil de leer por su peso. Dejando eso a un lado, es de las mejores recopilaciones de Conan que todo fan debería leer.
December 23, 2025
I was always more of a Savage Sword fan, but what the mainstream Marvel version of Conan loses in the sanitation, it makes up for in the tighter serialization.
September 20, 2020
A nice, oversized format collection of the first 26 issues of marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian comic, which also includes a few issues from other series as well. The colorization is unfortunately a bit jarring and garish compared to the originals, but it’s nevertheless a worthwhile way to enjoy the beginnings of this great series.
Highly recommend reading alongside Roy Thomas’s “Barbarian life” series, in which he discusses the process of producing each issue.
Highly recommend reading alongside Roy Thomas’s “Barbarian life” series, in which he discusses the process of producing each issue.
March 26, 2021
Great Barbarian with great Windsor-Smith style. I can read and look these pages and stories several times and always I find something new. Like this time I find, how Conan lost his helmet or what happened to the large war necklace on his chest. Both situations are so greatly flowed as a part of story. And there are some nice irony in the way how these happens and are told. Fine book and there definitely is no lack of extras =D Happy times with sword & sorcery.
December 31, 2020
Quasi ottocento pagine d'azione hyboriana, la raccolta dei primi ventisei numeri della serie Conan the barbarian. Se si è fan dell'avventuriero cimmero nato dalla penna di R.E.H. questa raccolta (e le seguenti) sono un must. (In questi numeri poi "nasce" Red Sonja coi suoi meravigliosi hot pants!)
Si tratta di un fumetto realizzato nel 1970 per cui le regole della narrazione di quell'epoca sono molto diverse da quelle usate oggi ma alcuni racconti come "La torre dell'elefante" rimangono splendidi in ogni versione. Oltre al fumetto c'è anche un consistente commento alla genesi di ogni numero scritto da Roy Thomas, deus ex machina di molte testate Marvel ma soprattutto di Conan. Ci sono molte tavole originali nell'appendice e anche interessanti documenti del Comic code sulla censura applicata ad alcuni numeri... sa ma che vedere Conan che tocca il sedere di Red Sonja turbasse troppo i giovani americani dell'epoca.
Come nota negativa ammetto che avrei preferito la traduzione delle pagine della posta (all'epoca presenti in tutti i numeri, molto vintage) e di alcuni commenti dell'autore ma si può sorvolare.
Buona lettura.
Si tratta di un fumetto realizzato nel 1970 per cui le regole della narrazione di quell'epoca sono molto diverse da quelle usate oggi ma alcuni racconti come "La torre dell'elefante" rimangono splendidi in ogni versione. Oltre al fumetto c'è anche un consistente commento alla genesi di ogni numero scritto da Roy Thomas, deus ex machina di molte testate Marvel ma soprattutto di Conan. Ci sono molte tavole originali nell'appendice e anche interessanti documenti del Comic code sulla censura applicata ad alcuni numeri... sa ma che vedere Conan che tocca il sedere di Red Sonja turbasse troppo i giovani americani dell'epoca.
Come nota negativa ammetto che avrei preferito la traduzione delle pagine della posta (all'epoca presenti in tutti i numeri, molto vintage) e di alcuni commenti dell'autore ma si può sorvolare.
Buona lettura.
March 16, 2023
OBRA MAESTRA ABSOLUTA.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews