Creative Staff:
Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Brian Ching
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
What They Say:
Janissa the Widowmaker—one of the deadliest warriors Conan has ever met—returns and makes Conan fight for his life! Conan is a prisoner of Janissa’s all-female army, but the true threat may not be their leader, but lurking amid their ranks!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Conan has been duped by an old ally—Janissa the Widowmaker—into storming the tower of Akrel and dispatching the majority of the monks residing there. Janissa leads an all-female army composed of former slaves and desires to use the tower and the oasis it guards as a staging area for her eventual fight against the slave nation of Shem. However, the tower was too well guarded, and she knew she needed help. She knew she needed a person who, when cornered, would “become unto a whirlwind of death.” That man was Conan.
Now the Cimmerian stands at the tower’s parapet, deciding his best course of action. Janissa holds the oasis, and with it Conan’s woman, Natala, and Queen Taramis and her retinue. Janissa knows how dangerous Conan can be, and offers him a bargain: stay at the tower until her she conquers Shem. If he refuses, he will die. What follows next is one of the best battle scenes I’ve witnessed in comics for some time.
Brian Ching’s art sings in this issue. I’m a big fan of his work, and I think that his Conan issues are some of the most visually exciting and sumptuous comics on the shelf—aided by Michael Atiyeh’s brilliant colors. Conan and Janissa fight one-on-one out of her respect for the barbarian, and their fight is fluid, brutal, and exciting as all get out.
Ching’s art is enough to recommend this comic, but the story it tells is just as good. I’ve been reading Conan’s Dark Horse adventures from the very beginning, and I remember the introduction of Janissa (created by Kurt Busiek) vividly because of how uncomfortable it made me. This is not a criticism, by the way. The fact that I was disturbed just illustrates the power of the writing and art. Anyway, Janissa desired to be a powerful warrior and she went to a witch called the Bone Woman to receive training. The Bone Woman’s version of training was to give Janissa a sword and throw her into a pit full of demons. The demons wouldn’t kill her, but they would overpower and rape her. Janissa fought and fought and fought until she got good enough to slaughter the demons and crawl out of the pit.
When Conan first met her, Janissa worked for the Bone Woman, but now she works as a free agent (or at least she thinks she is). The trauma of the pit warped her mind and meeting Conan that first time instilled in her a newfound need for self-respect. She wandered for some time, killing for money, when she came across a slave girl named Sanna. Sanna became Janissa’s most trusted friend and advisor and spurs her to undertake this quest to destroy the slave trade of Hyboria.
Unfortunately, Sanna doesn’t actually exist. She seems to be a phantasm created by the Bone Woman to steer Janissa to this moment at the oasis. See, the tower serves more than just a beacon in the desert: the flame at its top also serves to keep at bay a creature from the outer dark named Nazu. Thanks to Janissa’s manipulation of Conan, the flame is extinguished.
Poor Janissa. I like how Van Lente gives the character back her agency (even if it’s only an illusion). She’s still a frightful warrior and foil/ally for Conan, but she’s changed, revealing different layers to her personality. It’s a great continuation of what Busiek started so many years ago.
In Summary:
Conan the Avenger 18 is another solid issue by this creative team. The writing and art are top shelf, and by God can Brian Ching draw a fight. Dr. Josh gives this an…
Grade: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: September 30th, 2015
MSRP: $3.50
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