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“Lair Of The Beast-men!”
Conan awoke in the underground realm of the rapacious beastmen. His last memory was that of giving chase to a frightened young woman through the snow-covered countryside of Aesgaard. Then the Cimmerian was ambushed by two concealed slavers who had mastered the art of winter camouflage. It was there, in a small outcropping of trees, that Conan fell as one of the assailants struck him from behind, knocking the warrior into unconsciousness.
More stimuli began to flood Conan’s semi-consciousness. It was then that he felt the iron shackles which tethered him to the cold granite floor beneath. A primal rage filled his mind as he now realized that the woman was bait, there to tug at the heartstrings of any man who ventured into that grove seeking shelter. The beastmen had laid a trap, and Conan foolishly floundered into it. Now the son of Crom must escape the animalistic kingdom of Brutheim, or face life as a slave to the beastmen who dwell in the land of Always-Light.
Can Conan defeat the Brutorian Guards with bare hands and an obdurate determination? Why is the king of the beastmen stockpiling siege weapons in his underground keep? Will the chief thrall encourage the manlings to join in the gladiatorial games? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
Issue two of Marvel Comics adaptation of Conan the Barbarian is not an epic tale of high adventure, nor the start of a multi-issue story arc, but it does make for an entertaining read. Roy Thomas does his best to recapture the essence of Robert E. Howard’s storytelling, however, in his defense not many writers then, or even now, have mastered Robert’s unique literary style. So for those hardcore fans out there who can quote the Riddle of Steel like their own social security number, I would say be patient.
I did enjoy “The Lair Of The Beast-men!” even if the story was limited in scope. For me, the best thing about this book is the art by Barry Windsor-Smith. Even though I don’t really care for the way he draws the character of Conan in these early issues, Barry does a great job bringing the other elements of the world to life. The underground kingdom of Brutheim, in particular, is a killer sketch! Not to mention, I believe this book contains the very first map of Hyboria as it stands in the Marvel Universe. With that said, I’m giving this issue a three out five stars.
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