Conan Volume 1: The Frost-Giant's Daughter and Other Stories

by Kurt Busiek

Book Overview

New Conan stories from comics legend Brian Wood, continuing the legend begun by Robert E. Howard for a new generation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593073011
• ISBN13: 9781593073015
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Dark Horse Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.6" x 10.4"

Customer Reviews

An excellent beggining to a new Conan!

Dark Horse has outdone themselves yet again with this excellent new Conan series. In spite of the character having been around for decades and gone through many incarnations in books, comics and movies this series makes you believe you are reading Conan for the first time. The artwork is superb and perfectly captures the quality of Conan's world. A more classic style is used that will make you think of Frazzetta in some places, but is very original nonetheless. The coloring is a standout also with its painterly effect. This compilation gathers the first 7 issues of Dark Horse's Conan series, starting with the excellent "The Legend" which sets the tone for the rest of the comic using parts of Robert E. Howard's own prose. The story arc that follows has Conan searching for the fabled land of Hyperborea where all is milk and honey (or so the tales tell) on the way Conan is joined by a band of Aesir, and battles a couple of Frost Giants along the way. Upon reaching Hyperborea, Conan finds out the truth of this magical kingdom and the evil that lurks there. This story has all the elements that Conan is: savage swordplay, evil wizards, giants and of course, scantily clad babes. You just can't go wrong.

Praise to DarkHorse and Kurt

I'm not at all familer with Kurt's previous work...But, I picked up this TPB finally and wow! It seems like he's been writing Conan stories for a long time. Not since the early days of the marvel conan series or the Savage Sword has there been such grip taking stories. And the art work? Some of the best fantasy art in a comic ever! You just can't help but, check out every part of the panel. Of course some of the best stories told are but, by Robert himself but, like another reviewer said this series would be rather over quickly. Alas, some of the best points of the first 50 marvel comics was their point of view of what went on inbetween points of Conan's journey's. Kurt delivers fresh new ideas of Conan's history and mythology. I kinda like how they have it as being told from a scribe of research in some future yet ancient time.... Well, there will always be those comparing this to the old sagas but, whats the point? This is a new series with new ideas mixed with old. Unlike some other revivals in the comic industry this one seems to be a labor of love by all envolved in making this a good series instead of trying to make a quick buck. We've all been burned by a comic or two this last five years cause the old was good but, the new remake was just crap...Well, don't make that mistake on Conan you won't feel like you've been cheated instead you'll be asking for more tales and high adventure!!

Good. Good. Good.

Beautiful book. The art by Nord and Stewart is fantastic - really captures the raw nature of the subject matter. Busiek's writing is great - giving us a young Conan venturing into the world. This Conan is not the unconquerable hero we are accustomed to. He is young and naive, makes some big mistakes, and lets down everyone counting on him. His survival from this first adventure is, for him, bittersweet. Unbelievable how good the first seven issues of this new series is.

Great new look at T.H.E. H.E.R.O.!!!

Sure, this isn't Buscema's Conan nor Windsor-Smith's, but hey, who cares? Can't it just be time for a new look at things? We certainly don't need another neverending storyline about a guy from the early times who basically just chops off heads. All we need is a tight story with a hero, great art - in short, a book to get lost in, just for a few hours. If you're looking for something like that and you're open to Cary Nord's "European" style, you'll be in for a treat. If not, reread the old books and admire Windsor-Smith's artwork.

One of the Top 5 Comic Books of 2004

One of the hardest things to do in comics is taking on a well-known character loaded with history and making him seem fresh and exciting without "updating" or "ultimizing" him. Even moreso when the character isn't at least somewhat based in the world we live in. Kudos to Kurt Busiek for pulling it off masterfully. Plus, Cary Nord was born to draw Conan and Dave Stewart's coloring complements him perfectly, making this one of the best looking comics around, too. Robert E. Howard would be proud.