Marvel Treasury Edition - Volume 01 Issue 04

My Rating

“An Informal History Of The Thomas/Smith Conan”

Roy Thomas provides a two-page history of his work with Barry Windsor-Smith. Without these two pioneers, surely Conan the Barbarian would never have reached the success that it did in the early 1970s. Fans of Conan the Barbarian will definitely want to read this exposé.

“Rogues In The House”

Note: Reprint of the 1st story from Conan the Barbarian – Issue 11.

Betrayed! Jenna, the woman Conan rescued from a giant bat-like monster of Shadizar, has sold him out to the Corinthian authorities. Her motives are unknown to the Cimmerian for the moment. However, circumstances will soon free Conan from the shackles that imprison him in a dungeon below the city. A young nobleman named Murilo has found himself in a bit of trouble with Nabonidus, the mysterious Red Priest. If Murilo wishes to keep his head firmly attached to his shoulders, he will need someone capable of removing the priest from this mortal coil. Who better for such dirty work than Conan of Cimmeria?

Freedom comes with a price. Murilo offers Conan a simple bargain: escape the dungeon, enter the Red Priest’s secluded estate, and kill Nabonidus before the powerful schemer can destroy them both. Unfortunately, nothing about this night will be simple. Conan soon discovers that Murilo has problems of his own, while the supposedly untouchable Nabonidus has somehow lost control of his house. Something large, savage, and incredibly strong now stalks its darkened corridors. Its name is Thak, a hulking ape-like servant with enough strength to tear an ordinary man limb from limb.

Now Conan, Murilo, and Nabonidus find themselves trapped beneath the same roof, where yesterday’s enemies may have to become tonight’s allies. Somewhere inside the mansion, Thak waits for another opportunity to strike. Can Conan survive a brutal battle against a creature whose strength rivals his own? Will Murilo escape the murderous intentions of the Red Priest? And just how long can an alliance between a barbarian, a desperate nobleman, and one of Corinthia’s most dangerous men possibly last? Collect the series to find out!

“Red Nails”

Note: Reprint of the 1st story from Savage Tales – Issue 02.

Marooned atop a rocky outcropping, Conan and Valeria of the Red Brotherhood stare down into the large reptilian eyes of a prehistoric horror. The beast’s hunger is apparent as it paces back and forth through the jungle foliage below. How will the two vagabonds slay a dragon armed solely with daggers and swords?

The monster roars up at them, displaying rows of sinister teeth. Not a single man has survived this perch and lived to tell the tale. Valeria soon discovers the bleached-white bones of their unfortunate predecessor baking beneath the tropical sun. Nearby, a fruit tree offers the promise of food, but Conan knows even that sustenance carries a deadly price. Those who eat the Apples of Derketo may never leave this place alive.

Through cunning and a little Cimmerian ingenuity, Conan finally brings down the great reptile. Yet the dragon is merely the first horror awaiting the pair in this strange wilderness. Beyond the jungle stands an enormous walled city, seemingly abandoned by the outside world. With nowhere else to go, Conan and Valeria enter its shadowy halls in search of food, water, and perhaps a little civilization. What they discover is a city very much alive. Its name is Xuchotl.

Can Conan and Valeria survive a war they never intended to fight? Will either faction escape the cycle of murder consuming Xuchotl? Or will the ancient city finally become the tomb its blood-soaked halls have long promised?

Collect the story to find out!

Review

Both stories included in this issue were a fantastic read, but Red Nails is obviously the main attraction for me. Robert E. Howard’s original tale remains one of Conan’s greatest adventures, and Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith brought the story to life in a way few comic adaptations have ever matched. The strange city of Xuchotl, its warring inhabitants, and the horrors lurking within its halls feel perfectly at home in the pages of a Conan comic.

I’m also grateful Marvel Comics decided to re-release this material. The original Savage Tales #2 has become increasingly difficult to find in the wild, especially for collectors who don’t want to spend a small fortune tracking down a decent copy. Reprinting Red Nails gave another generation of readers the opportunity to experience this classic adaptation without having to hunt through convention boxes and online auctions.

I also don’t think Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith get enough credit for what they accomplished with Conan. Without those two proving that the Cimmerian could become a successful comic-book character, I seriously doubt the Conan movies would have ever been made. Their work helped push Robert E. Howard’s barbarian back into popular culture and introduced countless readers to the Hyborian Age. For that alone, every Conan fan owes these two gentlemen a debt of gratitude. Five out of five stars.