‘The Cimmerian, Vol. 2’ with stories by Robert E. Howard and adaptation by Sylvain Runberg continues the graphic novel series about Conan the Barbarian.

There are two stories in this volume. Both stories also include the text of the original stories after the adaptation. The first story is The People of The Black Circle about a recently deceased king, the black prophets of Yimsha who did it, and the king’s sister who contacts a certain barbarian to help enact revenge. The second story is The Frost-Giant’s Daughter where Conan, the only survivor on an icy battlefield, finds a scantily clad redheat in the snow. He is attracted, but he is not aware that he may be under a spell or who the mysterious woman may actually be.

The art in the first story is by Jae Kwang Park and I liked it, but the colors and lines are a bit heavy. The art in the second story is by Robin Recht and it is amazing. It has a Frazetta quality that serves the story perfectly.

The Cimmerian (Volume #2). By Sylvain Runbert, Illustrators: Robin Recht. Jae Kwang Park. 2021. Ablaze Publishing (eBook ARC).

These two retellings of Robert E. Howard’s The People of The Black Circle and The Frost-Giant’s Daughter capture the essence of Conan and his world quite well. The art is good and helps the stories flow; the cover art is especially nice.

This volume includes two Conan stories: "People of the Black Circle" and "The Frost Giant's Daughter." The volume also includes the original text of Robert E. Howard's stories, so you can read the original source and compare to the comics adaptation. That is a nice touch for this volume. Furthermore, the volume includes other extras such as a covers gallery and a sketches gallery from the two stories. If you like to see how the art in the comics took shape, check out the extra material.

In "People of the Black Circle," Conan is chief of the Afghuli tribe, and a princess contacts Conan. She seeks revenge for her brother's death, but soon Conan finds himself embroiled in schemes and intrigues. However, shows he is more than a barbarian. He is daring and strong, but he is also smart and cunning as well. This comic shows Conan as a well rounded individual, strong and brave but also intelligent and with common sense. It also shows violence, sometimes in gruesome ways, and that is part of the story.

In the second story, Conan is the sole survivor of a battle in the middle of a snowy field. He then sees this semi-naked redheaded maiden, and filled with lust chases after her. He has no idea who she really is, and naturally she keeps teasing him to keep the chase going. In this story we see the more sexual Conan. Will he survive? You'll have to read to find out.

Both comics are well written and well paced. Once you start reading, you just keep going. The art is well suited to the stories, though at times some of the details may blur a bit here and there. Still, art is colorful and captures the essence of stories well.

Overall, these are very good adaptations of the story. If you enjoy a gritty style in your fantasy art, art that seems drawn a bit quickly yet captures the story well, then you'll like this. This is a series that both longtime fans and new readers can enjoy.

What is it about Conan the Cimmerian that he endures and still engages readers? I'm glad that there's still interest in reading his adventures.

This book contains two stories: "People of the Black Circle" and "The Frost-Giant's Daughter." People of the Black Circle, was adapted by Sylvain Runberg and illustrator, Jae Kwang Park, and "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" was adapted (writer and artist) by Robin Recht.

"People of the Black Circle" (or "The People of the Black Circle") is often considered to be one of the most iconic Conan stories due to a more in-depth look at magic and the magicians of the Hyborian worlds. The story centers around a princess who hopes to enlist Conan's help to defeat the Black Seers of Yimsha, who have recently killed her brother, the king of Vendhya. But Conan has recently lost some of his men, killed by soldiers of Vendhya, so Conan takes things into his own hands (as he usually does), and kidnaps the princess while also taking on the mages of Yimsha.

The art here is fine, but not particularly outstanding. It's quite detailed - I felt, sometimes, too much so. Some of the panels seemed needless busy with detail, making it harder to enjoy. I'd have to admit that I grew up reading not only the collected stories of Robert E. Howard, but the fantastic Savage Sword of Conan magazine, which featured art by some of the really great comic artists of my time: Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Alfredo Alcala, Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom, Pablo Marcos, and Walter Simonson, so almost any art today will pale by comparison (though I'm always hoping to find the next great Conan artist).

(It doesn't help that my ARC edition doesn't enlarge well and the art looks generally a bit blurry (though the word balloons are sharp and in focus no matter what size I make PDF on my computer screen)).

This is a fairly elaborate story (for a Conan story) and it would be quite a challenge to put this into a 65 page graphic novel story and Runberg does a decent job.

"The Frost-Giant's Daughter" has an interesting Robert E. Howard history (which you can look up for yourself). As a story, I think I've liked this one more that "People of the Black Circle" myself, but I tend to like this kind of mind-game story. It's also prompted some pretty incredible art of the years.

Robin Recht does a really masterful job retelling this story. This story alone is worth the price of the book.

There are the usual additional items at the end of the book - sketches of the different characters, variations on the covers of the individual comics, etc. But what I liked the most here is the inclusion of the Robert E. Howard stories on which these graphic stories are based. It would seem just a little bit bold and daring to include the original stories and let the reader compare or see who the team did in retelling these stories. And while I likely have both of these stories, in multiple editions of the Conan books, I really appreciated having them right here, at hand, so that I didn't have to dig for a different copy (which I would NOT have done).

Looking for a good book? The Cimmerian, Vol. 2 is a very well done graphic novel adaptation of two of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. Long-time readers of Conan will enjoy these new adaptations and new readers may look for more Conan based on this. The inclusion of the original Robert E. Howard stories is a treat.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Two of Conan's more famous stories adapted for comics. People of the Black Circle was set in Afghanistan actually and one of the many groups of people chasing Conan were Iraqi. That was a bit odd. This story did have too many factions involved. It was difficult to keep track of who was who and which side they were on. Still it was OK.

The Frost Giant's Daughter was better. The art was gorgeous with a sexy element to it. There was a weird moment in the story that is not in the original Robert E. Howard story where Ymir's daughter is getting herself off while Conan fights for his life. Still I did like this story better. It modernized some of the language where People of the Black Circle just pulled out the exposition verbatim.

I liked this a lot more than volume 1 - the stories were a lot more interesting. The Norse myth story was sexy and got to the core of Conan's will and the story set in an Afghanistan analog felt relevant to today's geopolitics with some nice magic interwoven in the story. The art was really engaging from both artists, but Conan's very different stature across the two stories was a bit distracting. Interesting repackaging of the original pulp stories.

Two tales of Conan the Barbarian! "The People of the Black Circle" has Conan pitted against a kingdom and a magician wielding demons. Conan has warriors to ransom, so he steals the ruler of the kingdom only to lose her to a band of evil magicians. Plenty of intrigue and magic ensue. "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" tells the tale of Conan's exploits in the Northlands when he encounters a beauty after a battle. Be very careful what you chase since you might catch it. In addition to the comics, the original prose tale is provided after the comic adaptation. A very nice feature!

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this volume!

Always enjoy any stories with Conan. This was an adaptation of two Robert E Howard Conan stories, and even included the original stories. These were great with making the two stories more visual. Loved the artwork. #TheCimmerianVol2 #NetGalley

In my youth ( long since gone ) Robert E Howard was one of my favorite three writers ... along with Philip K Dick and Fritz Leiber. Howard's signature character blossomed from his depiction of Conan The Barbarian. These stories had their origin in the coveted pages of Weird Tales. Howard almost single handedly gave rise to the subgenre of sword and sorcery. This wonderful compilation brings together two classics... "People of the Black Circle" ... a long novella originally published in three parts in Weird Tales in 1934 .... and "The Frost-Giants Daughter" ... a short story, that probably was the first story chronologically of the Conan of Cimmerian saga, that appeared in 1953. It was a great to re-read the original prose stories which accompany this volume. The power and majesty of these stories still amaze with Howard's descriptive narrative, his characterizations and high-octane actions scenes and epic battles. Including the prose stories certainly magnified the pleasure of this offering, but also reveals the excellence of the color adaptation rendered in graphic art form. People of the Black Circle, was adapted expertly by Sylvain Runberg and illustrator, Jae Kwang Park. The shorter, Frost-Giants Daughter, was masterfully adapted by Robin Recht. Extras included were a Cover and Sketch Gallery.
People of the Black Circle: a notable classic from Howard's oeuvre ... the king of Vendhya has been slained by the magic of the four evil prophets / "seers" of Yimsha, and in an effort to seek revenge his sister Yasmina tries to blackmail Conan to enlist his aid... and instead, is kidnapped by Conan, leading to a twisted chase and eventual encounters with wizards and sorcerers, and resultant epic battles in the presence of swirling miasma's of magic
The Frost-Giant's Daughter:: the setting ... Conan appears to be the sole survivor, and stands alone in the aftermath of a ferocious battle, surrounded by a legion of gore and blood-stained corpses ... suddenly a gorgeous , red-headed beauty appears, scantily clad in only a flimsy, diaphanous loin cloth .... Conan's desire is ignited.... he haphazardly pursues the supernatural beauty , only to be led into a trap ... Is she real or only imagined?
This volume proves to be a masterful addition to the Conan of Cimmeria canon. Depicted are gorgeous graphic narratives of two classic tales .... well adapted and maintaining the original intent and power of Howard's writings. Thanks to NetGalley and Ablaze Comics and Diamond Book Distributors for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date is scheduled for April 27, 2021.
( at readersremains.com )

The Cimmerian Volume 2 is ok. It’s not quite as good as Volume 1 But I still liked the second story in this graphic novel.

This volume is not as good of a read as Volume 1. The two stories in this tome aren’t as beautifully adapted as the Volume 1 stories. The Vol 2 stories are written in a way that sounds more modern and less like a Barbarian or a Sorcerer should sound. As a result of the writing I found this volume much harder to become lost in and really engross myself in the world of Conan. Volume 1 was so good so I was disappointed by Volume 2 of the Cimmerian.

The artwork in The Cimmerian Volume 2 is also not as beautiful as the art in Volume 1. The artwork in Volume 2 is way too dark and hard to follow. The artwork was so dark in some frames that I couldn’t figure out what was going on which helped didn’t help me follow the story.

The artwork in the second story in Volume 2 is much better than in the first story. The artwork in The Frost Giants Daughter can be beautiful and striking at times. The daughter is beautiful, sexual, and alluring. The art of her is much like you would picture a beautiful, alluring, and dangerous Siren from mythology. As I read the second story I found myself falling under her spell along with Conan.

I enjoyed this story very much because the artwork and story really complimented each other very well. The final frame of second story is just a beautiful and heart breaking image. I really enjoyed reading The Frost Giants Daughter.

In short I liked The Cimmerian Volume 2. The first story is not very good and is hard to understand. I would recommend skipping right to the second story, The Frost Giants Daughter and enjoy a great story full of barbarian action scenes and sorcery.

I hope a Volume 3 is published and that they try hard to keep the writing flowery and over the top. The writing and artwork are the keys to helping the readers become fully enveloped in a good Barbarian / Sorcery fantasy story. Both the art and writing need to be beautiful to help the readers become lost in a great Barbarian epic tale.

Also, the artwork needs to be big, bold, bright, beautiful, and violent to really hook the readers.

Stay awesome and keep reading!

I'm a huge fan on Conan the Barbarian, but this graphic novel was hard to get into. The writing did not flow smoothly and in some places it was hard to discern the action in the panels. Vol 1 was better. Finally, I don't think the stories highlighted were necessarily the best Conan stories,

Hither came Conan, the Colourful, Inked and Lettered, possessed of bright tableaus, with epic stories told anew, to devour upon the jeweled previews of Netgalley.

People of the Black Circle and The Frost Giant's Daughter, two of Robert E Howards more famous stories, each reimagined in the form of a graphic novel, and with the full text of the original story included so that those who have never read them can see how close they are to the originals.

Interesting way of presenting the book, with the graphic novel first, and the story second, and while I understand the inclusion of the full story so that someone new to the material could verify that all of it has been included, or so see if any nuance has been missed, it does seem strange to have essentially the same story delivered twice within the same book.

That said, good clear illustrations, a little chaotic when it came to the battle scenes (which fits well with the nature of battle in Conan), but it wasn't hard to follow the story, and while some of the language has been adapted, most of it is true to the original, and the story does not suffer for the changes made.

Certainly recommended for those new to the Cimmerian stories, but those who've been there before may not find much new to whet their appetite.

As a graphic novel, I felt the page layout was too tight for the detail shown in the closeup panels and for the scope of the large vista images. I also felt the fidelity to Howard's words detracted from the graphic medium.

NOTE: I received a free preliminary, and likely unedited copy of this book from Netgalley for the purposes of providing an honest, unbiased review of the material. Thank you to all involved.

By Crom! Conan The Cimmerian has appeared in comics almost nonstop since the 1970s (even a few appearances beforehand). Whether it be Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, or Dynamite Comics, there is always some company producing their take on the legendary, thief, barbarian and king. In the U.S., I’m pretty sure that Dynamite still has the Conan rights (I could be wrong), but in Italy, Ablaze Publishing had an interesting option: they could freely publish comics related to Conan, without specifically calling them “Conan” or “Conan the Barbarian” comics, even though that’s what they are. Thus “The Cimmerian” was born.

This series is a pretty cool alternative to the other Conan Comics out there. About half of the book is comprised of adaptations of classic Conan stories The People of The Black Circle, and The Frost-Giant’s Daughter. The rest of the book, aside from the typical art section and cover gallery, found in most trade editions, are the entire prose versions of the same stories, originally printed in pulp magazines such as Weird Tales or Fantasy Fan Magazine nearly 100 years ago. Due to the properties interesting status in Europe, they have the freedom to do something like this without dealing with multiple rights holders, and I absolutely LOVED it.

This is as true to a “true” take on Conan can be. All of the heavier stuff such as gore and sex, that other comics might avoid, is here in the open just as Robert E, Howard intended. The dialogue can be a bit verbose in places, especially in The People of the Black Circle, but that can be directly tied to the size of the comics that were published and the amount of dialogue in the original story.

I went into this without reading the first volume, but plan to go back now that I see the quality of this is en pointe. While the typical issues that arise from translating a comic are there a bit, its not bad, nor does it detract from the story. As a HUGE Conan and Red Sonja fan, I’m glad I had the opportunity to read this.

The original Conan stories can be hard to adapt because a) the writing style is melodramatic and b) there's a lot of bawdy material, not always handled in a way we find politically correct today. The adaptors find a way to translate both those elements, partly by expanding the female role in the "Frost Giant's Daughter" story, capturing the idea that Howard's stories are about a barbarian world where men and woman both feel the pull of blood, lust and brutality.
Altogether, a very good Conan adaptation.

There are very distinct differences in depictions of Conan. The first story has very slow pacing with how much they tell instead of show. Frankly looking at the original pulp texts by Robert E. Howard this is attached with was a better read. The Frost Giant's Daughter on the other hand used the illustrative strengths to its fullest to display the epic levels Conan can be depicted. The way most things are seen by the goddess' perspective is certainly good enough way to use simpler words to juxtapose so much atmospheric detail.

If you are looking for some traditional Conan material, this collection really delivers. The series has really been given a facelift with this new art style and darker aesthetic. I found the stories adequate, but nothing terribly special. I gave this five starts despite that because they are still thoroughly embrace the style of Conan stories and are what one familiar with Conan would expect. Having a narrative written out after experiencing it in graphic form was very helpful and added to my enjoyment.

Though I liked these installments, I take issue with this being designated as a Teen and YA book, especially being advertised as an "uncensored" version. The first story, "The People of the Black Circle", is somewhat acceptable, but "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" I would only give to older teens and adults. Nudity, sexual innuendo, and gore aside, Conan has always been a poster child for toxic masculinity and Conan's attitude of dominance, particularly towards women, is problematic. This has always been true for this character, but that also means it should be consumed by people who are mature enough to handle it.

This volume contains part 8 and part 5 (seriously, don't ask) of the original French adaptations of the Robert E Howard Conan novellas. Perhaps we're seeing them in the order Howard put them out, but as before we have such a jolting difference from one story to the other and I can't see that being the case. We start clearly in this universe's Hindu Kush area, where lie cities called the likes of Khorbhul, and we go from one -Stan to another, and witness a wronged princess, Conan, and some magical types who've crossed over to the dark side, all battling against each other. No sooner said that done, and we're in the icy realms where Howard was able to crib off Norse myth – although I certainly don't recognise the source of the story whose hero becomes overcome with lust for a girl with floor-length red hair wearing half a teabag round her crotch.

This latter story is certainly one where the downright unsubtle qualities of these tales come good – it's such a distinctive diversion from the usual blunt hack and slash. Also, courtesy of these books publishing the relevant original prose of Howard, we see that it's been padded out in this instance, and some quite startling things have been done to the text – she would never get away with doing that to herself on the London underground, that's for sure. It's no wonder then this is deemed to be Conan the Uncensored. And perhaps it's a good thing this story got the treatment it did, for the previous three hadn't really done anything for me, so verbose and generic at the same time were they. And through this digital file I became of the opinion that the artwork is not dreadful, and it's the reproduction us humble reviewers get stuck with that makes everything look poorly defined. So I think I will be back in the future – and of course there's always the guessing game as to what stories we'll get next time! Three and a half stars.

I was so excited to see this available here on Netgalley!
Although I enjoyed the story in true Howard's style, I did not like the illustrations as much as it made the whole atmosphere more brutal than it felt like from the other elements of the narration.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.