Conan the Barbarian #7: Only The Lonely

I think I’ve nailed down a major complaint about this series I’ve touched on but couldn’t quite put my finger on. The generally stoic and fairly solitary (not that he always traveled alone, but he didn’t have this zeal for companionship) Cimmerian seems to have a relentless lust for friendship that feels so very off for him. From the Picts to the pirates, from a damned lion to the Turanian Army, Conan seems desperate for companionship. My thinking is the idea is that as much as he’s seasoning his blood for Razazel (their words, I think) maybe he is also building friendships and allies to help him? Total guess because if this trend doesn’t have a point beyond the immediate and obvious it’s a huge black mark on the series. The girls at least serve a definitive purpose in the story and I don’t hate it.

That said can we get this Razazel business over with and move on to something different? I understand Aaron likes to carve his place in a characters mythos but beyond that this blood witch feels flat and uninteresting. A good Conan story doesn’t require the reinvention of the wheel, as Meredith Finch showed in Savage Sword #6 a good story can stand on it’s own without grand gestures and redefinition of the character.

The by Mahmud Asrar seems to get better every issue with a big chunk of the issues action taking place in a very brief fight with wolves. Conan looks great, I actually really like him with the beard for whatever reason. If I have a major complaint too much action takes place off panel including an escape from Alligators I’m FURIOUS I didn’t get to see. Obviously this isn’t really Asrar’s fault so much as Jason Aaron’s, but it is a scripting problem masquerading as an art complaint.