Chaotic journeys of the barbarian – review of the comic book “Conan the Barbarian: Exodus and other tales”

Diversity or Chaos?

I must say right away that I am a bit disappointed with this release of Conan’s adventures. The main point is how unequal in reception the stories conveyed here are. On the one hand, we get masterful tales about the fight against demons made with perfect lines, on the other hand, we are afraid of dark drawings by Kevin Eastman. Diversity is most desirable in this type of collection, but here it reaches a disturbingly large scale that begins to resemble chaos.

Conan is already a few heroes

In Exodus , as usual, several different writers and several different cartoonists took the role of Conan. As a result, we get to know several different versions of the crude barbarian. This hero has long since gone beyond the character created by Robert E. Howard or presented on the screens by the Austrian Arnie. We have to get used to the fact that we will get to know how many different authors, so many Conans. In Exodus , a very large inequality of these characters and the stories themselves is visible.

Quiet comic

The first story in this volume is already unusual. Exodus is a story completely devoid of dialogue. As we learn from the map, it tells about Conan’s return to his native Cimmeria. I must admit that it is an artistic gem – the painterly-style illustrations do not let you tear yourself away from the plot and are a feast for the eyes. But how is the comic itself doing? Well, we’ll probably forget about it a moment after we flip through the last page. A plus, however, is due to the artistic setting. Another story is the barbarian sword. I have already mentioned this short story in the introduction to the review. Conan decides to save a little girl from the torturers, but as it turns out, everything in this world may turn out to be an illusion. A light, well-drawn, engaging story in the style of a barbarian adventurer.

Film after film

The other stories in the volume are typical mediocre people, showing Conan’s strength and bravery. Standard duels, women sighing at the barbarian, enemies chattering at the sight of the hero – all that we love these stories for. However, the last story in the volume, The Cursed Ship , deserves a special mention . The short storyline creates a bit more depth to the character of Conan, and also adds to the beloved Queen Belit. It is a pity, however, that it ends so quickly.

I recommend? Well, not all

The Exodus and Other Tales are not among the top volumes on this subject. His strong point is his drawings, which, apart from one story, are of a really high artistic level. The plots, which, apart from two stories, mostly duplicate the threads that we have already known through and through, are worse off. To be honest, this release can be recommended mainly to the most die-hard fans of the warlike barbarian. We get a collection of short stories about Conan, actually unrelated to each other. Moreover, some of them seem to be half-broken … The story and drawing levels are very uneven, but there are a few gems. It is for them that this volume is worth reading, and the rest of the story is worth bearing with it. I was expecting something more, but at least the atmosphere of Howard’s stories has been preserved.