REVIEW: CONAN THE BARBARIAN No.300

For those who have been on the ride since the first issue and for people like myself who have been in and out of this series periodically, “Conan The Barbarian” No.300 is a treat unlike any other on stands. Conan gets the anthology treatment as noteworthy scribes Larry Hama and Dan Slott accompany Zub’s already storied run and James Owsley kicks things off to build anticipation for a new “King Conan” series.

To celebrate the landmark legacy number, Zub makes Conan take up his sword against his past, present and future (with an assist from Belit) in the mystic ruins that were previewed in the previous issue. Hama’s story has Conan at odds with a warrior representing Viking society: a so-called civilization. Conan puts that civility to the test and ends up disproving the theory that barbarism is the lowest form of human decorum.

Slott ends up writing the best tale I’ve ever read from him and the funny part is, this tale is void of word bubbles ! Here, Slott recounts a night of Conan doing average Conan things, though inebriated as ever! So the audience only gets flashes through Conan’s “Hangover”-styled adventures.

Then comes the Owsley’s finale with the “Black Orchid”, featuring another appearance of King Conan and another glimpse into a future of what could be. The most important takeaway gleaned from Owsley’s story here is that even the Barbaric must value the connections forged throughout his lifetime. This isn’t Red Sonja, Conan’s power does not arise from his chastity, and it shows even in his more wizened age. With Owsley’s tale as the end cap and a new King Conan series on the horizon to succeed this Conan run, Marvel does it again by providing further interest for new and old readers ready for the next chapter of this Cimmerian’s adventures.

Score : 5/5

(W) Jim Zub, More (A) Cory Smith, More (CA) Geoff Shaw