Conan Omnibus Volume 6: Savagery and Sorrow TPB Review
Summary: Conan's love story comes to an end, but Crom isn't done with him yet.
4.3
Conan tested
The conclusion to the Queen of the Black coast starts this collection pitting Conan against an enemy he cannot defeat. But grief is something Conan cannot afford, battles are yet to be fought and lands are yet to be conquered.
Writing
Conan is frequently portrayed as predominantly a violent force moving through the world seeking battle and standing up for his beliefs. It is not often we get to see the deeper Conan explored so fully as we have with the tales of his time with the Black Queen Belit. Not only did he find someone to match him on the battlefield, but also someone with the same fire within. But as with entering any battle… there is always the danger of being hurt and Conan may have felt no greater pain than love. Before this collection ends, we will have seen Conan seemingly live a full life in the span of a very short time.
Artwork
There are an interesting collection of styles in the art throughout this collection, from pages that are full of detail, grit and grime, to pages that are light and more simplistic… looking very much like they could have come from an animated series (that could be interesting to watch actually). As always there are some lovely story break art pieces with wonderful colouring and lighting effects. I’m very pleased to see Conan back to looking like the solid character I think of him as (that is a subjective view of course… but to me it makes sense that a barbarian look very strong and not lithe)… there are a few images in which he looks a bit “soft” and not as battle worn but he is a lot younger in these stories so it’s reasonable that he doesn’t look as world weary. Then we also have the lovely set shot images… the heroic pose, the dramatic perspective… these are the images that can really jump out at you and draw you into the world you are reading about.
Final Thoughts
It’s an interesting experience to go on an emotional ride with Conan… especially an emotional ride that involves such heartache… but it is woven into the story so well that it just seems right. The passion of true love mixed with the heady confidence of youth and a world that seems like yours for the taking… then the sudden change in circumstances that bring that world crashing around you. We can all understand that crushing feeling… to be able to share that in a Conan story is quite surprising but also very satisfying. The end result is we have more layers added to the character of Conan… more stories of his youth that go to explain the man he becomes and it’s an entertaining ride along the way.
Publisher: Darkhorse
Writer: Brian Wood, Fred Van Lente
Artist: Paul Azaceta, Brian Ching, Davide Gianfelice, Ricardo Burchielli, Eduardo Francisco
Colourist: Dave Stewart, Michael Atiyeh
Cover Artist: Massimo Carnevale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy
Format: 448pgs, FC, TPB
Release Date: 5th September, 2018
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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