Savage Tales #5
Date:
July 1974
Publisher:
Marvel Comics Group
Cover Price:
75¢
Stats:
20 black and white pages (Skull River story)
Writer:
Roy Thomas
Artists:
Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom
Notable Notes:
Conan gets a new horse!
No Water
What is the longest you have ever gone without water? I once went about 30 hours, and it was terrible! I am a big water drinker, even now, since it is
suppose to be healthy
, and I do prefer it to the overly sweet sugar drinks that are so prominent these days. But I wonder if we, like Conan in this story, had gone a long time without anything to drink, would be prone to blackouts or agreeing to take on stupid jobs. Hmm, hopefully I’d die before fighting a rich prick and then giving all his gold to manipulative villagers! 😉
Synopsis:
(This issue contains three stories, but I am only reviewing the first one)
The Secret of Skull River:
Aw, poor Conan – he has been traveling a long time and is really, really thirsty. So thirsty, in fact, that he ignores the warnings of a blind prophet and makes his way to the scary “Skull River” anyway. But, before he can sate his thirst, he is offered a mercenary job by the local villagers – who tell him that the river is being poisoned by an evil ruler and his wizard upstream. Our barbarian agrees to help, but only if they will give him the one thing he wants most from the village: a nice ride! (Ha-ha, see how I made that into a vague, double entendre? I guess you’ll just have to read the story to see how it ends!)
How I Rate This Issue:
-
Story:
– A rather run-of-the-mill fantasy story that encompasses all the stereotypes: monsters, sword fighting, evil rulers and scantily-clad women.
-
Art:
– For the most part I thought the black and white art was quite good. But there were a few scenes where the men (especially our hero) looked far too gorilla-like for my tastes.
-
Fun Factor:
– Yes, it was a stereotypical fantasy story, but it *was* written in 1974. The ending was quite funny too!
Where To Get Your Own Copy:
