The Cimmerian Vol 4 by Mathieu Gabella; Julien Blondel

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Thank you NetGalley for access to this early copy in exchange for this review. 

All opinions here are my own about the book.



Description

ABLAZE is back again, adding to its bestselling line of UNCENSORED Robert E. Howard Cimmerian graphic novels, with The Cimmerian Volume 4!

Discover the true Conan, unrestrained, violent, and sexual. Read the story as he intended! Vol 4 includes two complete stories, Beyond The Black River, and Hour of the Dragon, plus bonus material, including the original prose stories, in one epic hardcover collection!

BEYOND THE BLACK RIVER: The Picte country is an obscure jungle where the border between civilization and barbarism is thin. Only one thing symbolizes it: the Black River, which it is claimed that no white man was able to cross and come back alive.

None, except Conan. It is in the heart of this green hell that the Cimmerian meets Balthus, a young voluntary peasant whom he saves at the last minute from the clutches of fierce Pictish warriors. Together, they will try to lend a hand to the colonists who have established themselves here, on these hostile lands, in the last bastion of civilization.

With a dozen men, they will have to find the powerful sorcerer Zogar Sag before he succeeds in uniting the clans and initiating his bloody invasion... HOUR OF THE DRAGON: Under the funeral vaults of the mausoleum belonging to the ancient and cruel Emperor Xaltotun of Python, three men devoured by ambition come to offer to the inert body of the deceased sovereign the heart of Ahriman, a source of immortality which once belonged to him.

Taken away at the cost of his life. In exchange for this offering, the three men claim a single thing: the world. However, there is only one person able to stand in their way, a Cimmerian who seized the throne of Aquilonia: Conan!



The Cimmerian Vol 4

Conan the character that is now into its 10th decade. The character has changed over the decades in various publications, books, movies and this slugfest series shows us an unfettered raw and rough Conan who is judicious and blunt on the use of force but shows discretion where necessary and fights hard with the objective of winning and not bothered by use of underhand techniques. In many ways this character reverts and stays true to Robert E. Howard's original which over the decades of use and rewrites was transformed into a hero. The use of Howard's original storylines too help. The authors need to be commended for bringing these stories to life and into the modern era where even rough characters are polished to a shine and sometimes appear as chocolate versions of their original self's.


The stories show loud doses of magic and the stories are dark. The action set pieces are brutal and filled with blood and gore just as the creators had claimed and quite close to what Robert Howard had envisaged.


There are two story arcs with a jungle romp starring a favorite adversary the Picts. The adventure is dark and filled with action. the art is dark and excellent in patches. In some places the art leaves the reader unsatisfied. Conan himself looks a bit decrepit and way different from the image that one harbors. But over all the story is interesting.


The second ark is a time when Conan is a king and is about his efforts to reclaim his kingdom after it has been snatched by an ancient malevolent wizard.

The story canvas is huge and features armies and fantastic creatures of magic coupled with a grounded Conan who evokes loyalty and devotion from his subjects.

The art work in this story is of a superior level and with the story delving in fantasies the art takes on various tones of light and shimmer which are extremely pleasing to look at.


The book is of medium length for a graphic novel and with the story and art is a decent read.


4 stars for this book and I would recommend this to readers.


I thank NetGalley for providing an advance copy for review.

This review is based on my reading of this book. All views are my own and based on my experience while completing this volume.


This review for the ARC has been published earlier in NetGalley and Goodreads. 

Please do not forget to post your comments. I am an equal opportunity person so would love to hear your love or your hate for the review or book in any order. Please write what you did not like or whether the book was an absolute disaster for you and why.


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https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/60334831

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