Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Cary Nord
Colourist: Dave Stewart

Issue #0: The Legend (Nov 2003)

Dark Horse Comics had the enviable task of bringing Robert E. Howard’s Conan back to the comic book. The last company to tackle the property was Marvel (IIRC it was a series that lasted many years) and they did a damn good job of it.

Now it’s the turn of DHC.

And how have they done?

Brilliantly.

With the creative team of Kurt Busiek, Cark Nord and Dave Stewart the first issue, at least, is a corker. Busiek captures the world of Conan, or all that I’ve seen in this issue, very well and the Nord / Stewart team is excellent, perfectly complementing the script.

The story itself, as a zero issue, is brief. After all the issue is only a taster of what’s to come.

We begin with a caravan travelling through the desert. It is young prince, bored with his appointed task of investigating his father’s newly conquered lands. This prince is bored (have I said that already?) but fortunatly one of the handy servants finds a tomb.

Not just any tomb but that of you… know… who…

The rest of the issue is the prince’s advisor beginning the tale of just what became of the barbarian king called Conan.

BigAl