Published On: 2021-07-14 by Marvel
Artist: Cory Smith
Colorist: Israel Silva
Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham
Catch-up on Last Issue
HUNTER OR HUNTED? CONAN has been framed for the murder of the emperor and is hunted by the Imperial Guard. But Conan has not survived the Hyborian Age without learning some hunting tactics of his own… The dramatic conclusion to the Nightstar saga!
In This Issue of Conan The Barbarian #23
By Crom, the Land of the Lotus Part 5: Escape from the East starts off running and never stops. In this final chapter to the Tooth of the Northstar story, we see the bigger picture surrounding the demon blade. Like usual, Conan is swept up in events beyond his control. That is until he picks up a blade with revenge on his mind. An assassin of the Fifth Circle or not, don’t get between Conan and his prize. I really hope the closing scene was foreshadowing of more Meiwei in Conan’s life.
How's Conan The Barbarian #23's Writing?
The Dialogue
Jim Zub has these characters down. From the opening page of the comic “Know, oh prince,” to the final page, fans of both the movies and the original Robert E. Howard stories will be reading the words in the voices of the actors. Conan speaks as if he jumped directly from a classic short story to this new tale.
Comic Art Review
Cory draws a great Conan. Watch the eyes of his characters. The expressions are a master-class in conveying emotion without speech ballons. Israel Silva’s colors set all the scenes. It’s the big things like Conan running through the shadows, the fire from the Tooth of the Nightstar, and the magic energy from the God-emperor’s magic. It’s also the small things like the ambiant light from the lantern in Meiwei’s apartment that casts Conan’s face in shadow.
Meiwei’s face changes a lot from panel to panel. It’s a small thing and won’t detract from your enjoyment of the story.
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- Conan 23 Page 01
The Comic Panel by Panel
What I really like about the panel work in Conan the Barbarian #23 is the sense of depth conveyed in each panel. It’s like we’re looking into a 3D space with visual treats in the fore, middle and background.
World Building
We start the adventure with a map of Hyrkania, Khitai, and surrounding lands. Khitai’s Capital City is lushly illustrated from the Emperor’s temple to Meiwei’s room to Maltus’ pagoda to the coastal village and boat. All the environments in this story are united by a consistent architectural style. The warrior’s armor and weaponry is exactly what you’d expect.
The original Robert E. Howard story, The Tower of the Elephant, may have a bit of information about Khitai.
Who's In This Issue of Conan The Barbarian #23
Lord Maltus-rai
Meiwei
Boquin
Tooth of the Nightstar
God-Emperor
The Big Question for Next Issue
What's next for Conan?
"With your spells and my sword arm…"
Who Will Like Conan The Barbarian #23?
Barbarians, adventurers, sorcerers, and sword wielders will like Conan the Barbarian #23. It reads like a classic Robert E. Howard tale down to the description of Crom’s children, the Cimmerians.
I Need More Content like Conan The Barbarian #23
If you haven’t read the other four parts of Land of the Lotus, start this adventure with issue #19.
Jump on YouTube. A quick search for “Conan The Barbarian (1982)” or “Basil Poledouris” will have the soundtrack you need.
LibriVox has the original Robert E. Howard Conan tales available as audio book downloads. LibriVox recordings are Public Domain in the USA. The Hour of the Dragon might fit as a follow-up quest.
More Reviews
Conan The Barbarian #24Should You Buy This Comic Book?
I jumped into Lotus Part 5: Escape from the East in the last chapter of the story and had no trouble getting caught up on what problems Conan had gotten himself into this time. It felt like I was reading a classic Robert E. Howard Conan story.