Chronicles of Conan vol 9: Riders of the River Dragons

 

By Roy Thomas & John Buscema, Val Mayerik and others (Dark Horse Books)
ISBN: 1-84576-138-3

This collection of classic Conan reprints features tales from the lusty barbarian’s time as a buccaneer on Robert E. Howard’s analogue of the coasts of Africa. First up is the extended Tarzan pastiche ‘Riders of the River-Dragons’ (originally published in Marvel’s Conan #60-63) in which our hero and his first true love, the Pirate Queen Bélit, battle savage natives and a knowing knock-off of the Jungle-Lord called Amra of the Lions.

This is followed by ‘Fiends of the Feathered Serpent,’ loosely based on one of the author’s non-Conan tales “The Thunder-Rider,” and features more blood-thirsty natives and hellish magic on a mist-shrouded isle. The next story is adapted from Howard’s horror short “Out of the Deep,” illustrated by then-newcomer Val Mayerik and a score of deadline-busting inkers, as Conan recounts a truly chilling account of his younger days when a coastal village was invaded by an monstrous interloper from the briny depths.

‘The City in the Storm’ and ‘The Secret of Ashtoreth’, adapted from the novella Marchers of Valhalla, delve into the murky arenas of politics and religion to close the book, as John Buscema returns to illustrate a classic tale of lost cities and scurrilous priests. As always the guiding principle is breakneck action, beautifully drawn and engagingly written. Dark Horse’s new colouring techniques add incalculable value to the art and as always, Roy Thomas’s fascinating and informative Afterwords are an eye-opener for historians and fans alike.

These hearty slices of derring-do are classy and undemanding servings of good old-fashioned fantasy fun, always worth re-reading and a superb treat for first-time readers.

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