Though the comic rights now belong to Titan Comics, Conan’s first appearance was in a Marvel series that ran for 275 issues with numerous annuals. Marvel has reprinted that entire run in 10 giant omnibus volumes averaging around 1000 pages each. Volume 10 was the last of these and it’s both one of the best and worst. The production value is great, equal to or better than most other Marvel omnibus editions in terms of binding and paper quality and though the retail cover price is $150, one can often find it for far less online.
Roy Thomas, the man who defined Conan at Marvel, returned to the series after a long break with the stories collected in Vol. 10. It turns out he had some fantastic Conan stories yet to tell. He teams Conan up with Red Sonja and Zula as a wandering, power trio for over a third of the stories collected. This volume also sees Conan go up against the long time Red Sonja foe Kulan Gath for the first time since the original Conan issue 14. Kulan Gath appears in more than just a single story as well. So on the writing front, Vol. 10 is among the best of the omnibus editions. What makes Vol. 10 among the worst is its art. While not horrid, most of the art is either edgy 90’s style or simply bad. Regardless though, Conan Vol. 10 is still worth picking up if you’re a fan of either Conan or Red Sonja.
