The classic image of the barbarian hero does not incorporate a philosophical mind. This is ironic as Conan, who defined the role in popular culture, was just as given to deep thoughts as he was berserker rage. Even the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies acknowledged this, with his Conan discussing the gods and life itself with his companions. It is in that vein that Conan the Barbarian #16 offers a thoughtful exploration of these same themes.
The issue opens with Conan pondering his encounter with Atali, who claimed to be the daughter of the god Ymir. Seized by mad lust, the barbarian grabbed at the young woman, only to be left clutching her skirt. He was discovered by his comrades in arms, who doubted the young warrior’s story. At least, until they saw his hand was still clutching a silken scrap which had no other explanation.
This leaves the young mercenary with quite a conundrum. For all his life, Conan has believed only in what he could see and touch. He doubted his father’s tales of the god, Crom, who created the people of Cimmeria. Now, faced with evidence that the gods of another tribe are real, he questions all that he knows and believes.
How Jim Zub builds on Robert E. Howard’s Conan
Robert E. Howard was rather vague about the nature of the gods in his Conan stories. More often than not, the beings called gods were monsters or magicians. Even the few instances of divine intervention could be explained as something other than a benevolent god’s will.
“The Frost Giant’s Daughter” is the closest Howard ever came to making a definite statement about any gods being real. Even then, it is just as likely that Ymir was a magic-using monster. It is fitting, then, that Jim Zub should write “The Hidden World” as a coda to that story, in which Conan reconsiders what he knows. Here, we see him move from an innocent atheism to the practical deism he would show in later years, saying of the gods that “he who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply.”
The art team offers the perfect visual accompaniment to this tale. Doug Braithwaite boasts a detailed, driven style that captures the essence of the Hyborian Age. The colors by Diego Rodriguez are also notable, with a subtle sepia hue infusing the flashbacks to Conan’s youth.
Those who would dismiss Conan as dumb muscle would do well to give Conan the Barbarian #16 a try. This is a thoughtful tale, with fantastic art that speaks to the depths Robert E. Howard plumbed 90 years ago. It is sure to please fans of the character and may even make fans of some skeptics.
Grade: 5/5
Conan the Barbarian #16 arrives in comic shops everywhere on October 23, 2024.
