Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, Alan Zelenet, John Buscema, and Marc Silvestri, among others, bring Conan to the throne of Aquilonia in the first omnibus of the Conan Ray platform, which Panini Comics collects in a deluxe edition.
Panini Comics started a few years ago by collecting the adventures of the character Conan the Barbarian in a deluxe omnibus format to please all fans of the character, which finally represents the impossible opportunity to find all the long comics in a very beautiful edition. The journey of the Cimmerian in his first series. Perhaps due to the success of this proposal, we will now receive the first compilation of the stories of this same character in the same format, the first volume of which will be called Marvel Omnibus. Conan Ray: The Original Marvel Phase 1.
From a barbarian to a thief, to a mercenary, to a bandit and a king
We meet a young man like Shema as he leaves his native Cimmeria to embark on a journey to visit all the countries of the world, and we reach the point where he is crowned king of Aquilonia. This happened in Robert E. Howard’s first stories, and that’s more or less how this tale was translated into the comic pages.
This way, the film directed by John Milius and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger that introduced the character to the masses four decades ago can be understood, in the story we are contemplating a future where the muscle is a warrior. He saw the end of Tulsa Doom sitting on the king’s throne… “But that’s another story”…
What can a character like Conan offer to lead a country like Aquilonia? Don’t kid yourself, here we don’t see the Cimmerian racking his brains to balance his country’s economy, help his citizens get help when they get sick, and stop working before they die of old age. Establishing a profitable trade with neighboring lands (although this wouldn’t be a bad idea for a new character in the series), but we’re going to have a little politics here.
However, the title change does not reflect the character’s century-old original series, at least in this first compilation volume, a radical change in the nature of the series. Being a king who has been through so much is just another character’s passing and is perhaps the biggest flaw that can be cited in these stories: a lost opportunity to dare to do something. More interesting than what has been done with him in recent years.
For strong start story writers
It all starts with the man originally responsible for Marvel Comics’ Conan: Roy Thomas. Maybe the year When these comics began to be published in 1980, a survey was conducted among the fans of the character to write a new series about the popular screenwriter, the name of this famous author won. His work is strongly and hopefully linked to Cimmerian history for many reasons.
Not only did he come up with the idea for this new series, but he laid the groundwork for what we want to find in it. Conan is already growing some gray hair, is slightly larger than we’re used to seeing in the series, and is accompanied by his son Conn, who is still a younger clone of his father, slightly less muscular. He was blessed with a comfortable palace life.
Next to him will be the illustrator sought after by readers, the great John Buscema, with colors by Ernie Chang. Everything seemed to be going smoothly for Conan with that stellar team, and before he got to the middle of this first episode, Thomas had already achieved his personal goal regarding the character. The stories written by Robert E. Howard and the most famous novels that took on the character after his death. Maybe it made it easier for Thomas to get out of his mind then…
Perhaps the most famous event in the cases he writes about is the death of Thoth-Amon at the hands of Prince Kon (and it is not something that is particularly marked in the history of the character), but fortunately for Thomas this is not a greeting. Sure enough, a few years later, he returns to Marvel Comics to be with the Cimmerians for good…
Doug Moench will be the next coming of swords, sorcery and monsters, sticking to what should have been the story of Conan, with the most eccentric nature of his stories. On stage, cartoonist Mark Silvestri makes his debut, although he is a first artist, but he was already suggesting ways…
And in the final issues, Alan Zelenette takes the lead to reach the end of this volume and tries to look a little bit different from his predecessors in a quest to leave the comfort zone of the characters. In any case, like the others, it fails to leave an indelible mark on Cimmerian history, but it does enough to make the series worthwhile.
An edition fit for a king
As for the amazing edition, it is published by Panini Comics in hardcover with dust jacket and contains 776 color pages of deluxe size 18.3 x 27.7 cm. and includes translations of the first 19 American issues of the regular King Conan series.
In addition, this deluxe edition includes an extensive introduction by Roy Thomas and Dow Monch and a final section of bonus material that will delight even the most die-hard fans of The Cimmerian Warrior. The translation was done by Joan Josep Musara, the recommended retail price for this volume is €60 and it goes on sale in September 2023.
Fantastic Omnibus. Conan Ray: La Etapa Marvel Original 1
Conan the Barbarian…the Thief…the Mercenary…Conan the King! After Conan overthrows the tyrant Numedides and becomes ruler of Aquilonia, a new era of adventure begins. But Conan is still on the throne.
The wild action of comic book legend fills the pages, while court intrigue adds a new level of drama with Queen Zenobia and the heir to the throne, Prince Kon. Old enemies like Thoth-Amon return, and a mysterious prophecy links Conan to the kingdom’s first king. Every number is performed by legendary big names like Roy Thomas and John Buscema, and includes the arrival of superstar Marc Silvestri. If you must honor a king… let it be Conan!
Authors: Doug Moench, Mark Silvestri, Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alan Zelenetz