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The Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus
The Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus, Vol. 5
New writers Michael Fleisher and Bruce Jones join Conan legend John Buscema to drive the barbarian's black-and-white adventures into savage new directions! To topple a decadent royal, Conan must brave a moat of blood filled with gruesome monsters! And the barbarian survives a ship capsizing in storm-tossed seas only to awaken on the shores of an island filled with beautiful but deadly tiger-riding women warriors! Then, sadistic King Razak lures Conan into a death-filled maze! And writer Roy Thomas returns for a locked-door mystery set at sea, with Conan playing the sleuth! Plus: Comic-art master Alex Toth delivers a stunning Conan art portfolio, and Gil Kane and John Buscema both write and draw their barbarian backup features 'Chane' and 'Bront'! Collecting SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN (1974) #61-72.
768 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Michael Fleisher
552 books12 followersMichael Lawrence Fleisher's comic-book writing career spanned two decades in which he authored approximately 700 stories for DC, Marvel, and other comics publishers. His work on series such as The Spectre and Jonah Hex is still highly regarded, as is his work on the Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes. After a widely reported libel case his comic output declined, with his last published comic assignment appearing in the UK anthology 2000AD in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 2, 2023
By Crom what a fantastic collection of the comic series Savage Sword of Conan.
When I was a young adolescent and browsing in our local bookstore I came across the comicbook section which was ordered especially for the US soldiers stationed in our region. The b/w copy of SSOC drew my attention and a lifelong fanship of a certain Barbarian started there and then.
I found this copy secondhand which means affordable. And made me enjoy this fantasy of the sword and sorcery in Black and White once again.
This is Conan at his best when you talk comics, and its format b/w does draw its attention to the formidable artwork. The stories all non Robert E Howard are mostly good to very good.
I do hope to return to this hardcovered reprinted comics, they are a workout reading them. Are by no means PC when it comes to the world Conan lives in but certainly a shedload of adult entertainment.
Well advised reading and enjoying.
When I was a young adolescent and browsing in our local bookstore I came across the comicbook section which was ordered especially for the US soldiers stationed in our region. The b/w copy of SSOC drew my attention and a lifelong fanship of a certain Barbarian started there and then.
I found this copy secondhand which means affordable. And made me enjoy this fantasy of the sword and sorcery in Black and White once again.
This is Conan at his best when you talk comics, and its format b/w does draw its attention to the formidable artwork. The stories all non Robert E Howard are mostly good to very good.
I do hope to return to this hardcovered reprinted comics, they are a workout reading them. Are by no means PC when it comes to the world Conan lives in but certainly a shedload of adult entertainment.
Well advised reading and enjoying.
April 11, 2025
(Zero spoiler review)
I'm pretty sure I said I was going to give the Conan omni's a break after reading one a month since the start of the year, and yet here I am again. After all, it's hard to resist the call of the Barbarian. And just like last time, we have another strong collection of Conan stories, if one that once again comes up just a little short when compared to the first three offerings. But when the bar is set so unbelievably high, then coming up ever so slightly short of greatness can't help but feel ever so slightly underwhelming.
Roy Thomas doesn't feature much on writing duty here, but Fleischer and Jones comport themselves commendably, as does John Buscema, Ernie Chan and Alfredo Alcala, but then again, there is nothing even remotely surprising about that. Really could have done without the Gil Kane issue though. His style continues to elude me, and with good reason.
The only other downside beyond a couple of blandish stories would be the considerable reduction in chestal nudity from the bevvy of beautiful ladies Conan comes across with near impossible precision. Only one in the whole book! Or should that be two?
The disappointing dearth is boobies aside, this was still damn good stuff, as one would expect of early 80's Cimmerian stories. 4/5
OmniBen.
I'm pretty sure I said I was going to give the Conan omni's a break after reading one a month since the start of the year, and yet here I am again. After all, it's hard to resist the call of the Barbarian. And just like last time, we have another strong collection of Conan stories, if one that once again comes up just a little short when compared to the first three offerings. But when the bar is set so unbelievably high, then coming up ever so slightly short of greatness can't help but feel ever so slightly underwhelming.
Roy Thomas doesn't feature much on writing duty here, but Fleischer and Jones comport themselves commendably, as does John Buscema, Ernie Chan and Alfredo Alcala, but then again, there is nothing even remotely surprising about that. Really could have done without the Gil Kane issue though. His style continues to elude me, and with good reason.
The only other downside beyond a couple of blandish stories would be the considerable reduction in chestal nudity from the bevvy of beautiful ladies Conan comes across with near impossible precision. Only one in the whole book! Or should that be two?
The disappointing dearth is boobies aside, this was still damn good stuff, as one would expect of early 80's Cimmerian stories. 4/5
OmniBen.
December 26, 2022
I have enjoyed reading Conan since I was a young man, and Savage Sword has always been a great part of the history of the character. As a teen the black and white oversized magazine had some incredible art but also the stories seemed right out of REH’s work and many were.
This the book 5 in the collection and I have not been disappointed.
This the book 5 in the collection and I have not been disappointed.
July 31, 2024
Collects 61-72. Roy Thomas is no longer the main writer but he does dip in to write a few stories. The movement seemed to be to have more original stories and less adaptations of the lesser Conan novels. But this is a bit inconsistent with Thomas coming back in with an adaptation or two. John Buscema is still the main artist but there's a lot more variety than the previous volume. Overall its very inconsistent, some really good stuff but a ton of bad stories full of tropes - super repetitive and dull after a few thousand pages of this stuff!
61 The Wizard Fiend of Zingara - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema
Also includes a portfolio by Gene Day.
Cool to have Buscema inking himself. Typical castle, wizard, pretty girl story.
62 Temple of the Tiger - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Illustrated Solomon Kane poem by David Wenzel
Conan as a pirate. Lots of silly tropes here including a village of women warriors. Conan as a slave.
63 Moat of BLood - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Conan in the dessert as chief of the Zuagirs. We set up a villain king who is a major piece of shit and later get to see Conan kill him. Cool monster with a tentacle plant thing in a moat.
Back up story Gil Kane - Andrax. Awful stuff.
64 Children of Rhan - Bruce Jones and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Cool magical story of Conan runnign away from picts finds a girl who grows up quick. Gross he has sex with her... after she was a child like 3 days beforehand. A pirate ship under the dessert. Pretty fun RPG style adventure.
Alex Toth Conan pinups. Pretty wild stuff. I did not have Toth doing Conan in 1980 on my bingo card.
Back up story Gil Kane - Chane. I'm not a fan of Kane's artwork. I feel like he's done good stuff, but this just feels slapped together.
65 Fangs of the Serpent - Michael Fleisher and Gil Kane
Not Kane's worst drawn work but it's nothing special. Conan fights some snake goddess.
back up story John Buscema writing and illustrating some sci-fi barbarian story Bront... badly written.
66 The Sea of No Return - Roy Thomas and Ernie Colan with Ernie Chan
Adapted from a story by Danette Couto. It's bad - doesn't feel like SS Conan at all. Overwritten locked room murder mystery on a boat.
back up story John Buscema writing and illustrating Bront... better than the first half, but not very memorable.
67 Plunder of Death Island - Roy Thomas and John Buscema with Alfredo Alcala
Sequel to Isle of the Black Ones (#22-23) Conan is a captain of a ship with a princess. Pretty fun pirate adventure with Conan being controlling of the girl then realizing his mistake after an attempted mutiny.
In the Desert of Dreams - Bruce Jones and Baron Yoshimoto
Very different artwork by this "premier Japanese artist"
Back up story by Gil Kane - Deliverance.
68 Black Cloaks of Ophir - Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan
Adapted from a Andrew J Offutt story (argh!) Full of Conan tropes.
Back up stry Lost Race by Roy Thomas and Gene Day. Really nice artwork. Gene Day died young at just 31 in 1982. Its nice to see one of his few comics here!
Pablo Marcus pinups - super cool
69 Eye of the Sorcerer - Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan with Alfredo Alcala
Best story in the book. Classic Thomas story - Conan teams up with a father/son duo to transport cargo. Its actually got some character development! Conan briefly gets inslaved and pushes a mill press like he does in the Conan movie. Ends with a battle with a wizard.
Back up story Lost Race (part 2) by Roy Thomas and Gene Day
70 Dwellers in the Depths - Bruce Jones and John Buscema with Steve Mitchell
Hmm very inconsistent inking job. Pretty alright story - Conan battles some ant monsters.
Promos for the movie begins here.
71 Lurker in the Labyrinth - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
72 The Colossus of Shem - Bruce Jones and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Jones really likes telling these more fantastical stories. I rather my Conan stories be a bit more grounded - with just one or two fantastical elements. Here some city sized mechanical Tortoise is terroizing Shem turning it into a dessert.
61 The Wizard Fiend of Zingara - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema
Also includes a portfolio by Gene Day.
Cool to have Buscema inking himself. Typical castle, wizard, pretty girl story.
62 Temple of the Tiger - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Illustrated Solomon Kane poem by David Wenzel
Conan as a pirate. Lots of silly tropes here including a village of women warriors. Conan as a slave.
63 Moat of BLood - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Conan in the dessert as chief of the Zuagirs. We set up a villain king who is a major piece of shit and later get to see Conan kill him. Cool monster with a tentacle plant thing in a moat.
Back up story Gil Kane - Andrax. Awful stuff.
64 Children of Rhan - Bruce Jones and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Cool magical story of Conan runnign away from picts finds a girl who grows up quick. Gross he has sex with her... after she was a child like 3 days beforehand. A pirate ship under the dessert. Pretty fun RPG style adventure.
Alex Toth Conan pinups. Pretty wild stuff. I did not have Toth doing Conan in 1980 on my bingo card.
Back up story Gil Kane - Chane. I'm not a fan of Kane's artwork. I feel like he's done good stuff, but this just feels slapped together.
65 Fangs of the Serpent - Michael Fleisher and Gil Kane
Not Kane's worst drawn work but it's nothing special. Conan fights some snake goddess.
back up story John Buscema writing and illustrating some sci-fi barbarian story Bront... badly written.
66 The Sea of No Return - Roy Thomas and Ernie Colan with Ernie Chan
Adapted from a story by Danette Couto. It's bad - doesn't feel like SS Conan at all. Overwritten locked room murder mystery on a boat.
back up story John Buscema writing and illustrating Bront... better than the first half, but not very memorable.
67 Plunder of Death Island - Roy Thomas and John Buscema with Alfredo Alcala
Sequel to Isle of the Black Ones (#22-23) Conan is a captain of a ship with a princess. Pretty fun pirate adventure with Conan being controlling of the girl then realizing his mistake after an attempted mutiny.
In the Desert of Dreams - Bruce Jones and Baron Yoshimoto
Very different artwork by this "premier Japanese artist"
Back up story by Gil Kane - Deliverance.
68 Black Cloaks of Ophir - Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan
Adapted from a Andrew J Offutt story (argh!) Full of Conan tropes.
Back up stry Lost Race by Roy Thomas and Gene Day. Really nice artwork. Gene Day died young at just 31 in 1982. Its nice to see one of his few comics here!
Pablo Marcus pinups - super cool
69 Eye of the Sorcerer - Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan with Alfredo Alcala
Best story in the book. Classic Thomas story - Conan teams up with a father/son duo to transport cargo. Its actually got some character development! Conan briefly gets inslaved and pushes a mill press like he does in the Conan movie. Ends with a battle with a wizard.
Back up story Lost Race (part 2) by Roy Thomas and Gene Day
70 Dwellers in the Depths - Bruce Jones and John Buscema with Steve Mitchell
Hmm very inconsistent inking job. Pretty alright story - Conan battles some ant monsters.
Promos for the movie begins here.
71 Lurker in the Labyrinth - Michael Fleisher and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
72 The Colossus of Shem - Bruce Jones and John Buscema with Ernie Chan
Jones really likes telling these more fantastical stories. I rather my Conan stories be a bit more grounded - with just one or two fantastical elements. Here some city sized mechanical Tortoise is terroizing Shem turning it into a dessert.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews