Conan the Barbarian: Exodus #1

“Exodus”

Writer:  Esad Ribic

Artist:  Esad Ribic

Cover Art: Esad Ribic

Conan the Barbarian has been consistently one of the best characters at Marvel since the Cimmerian returned to the comic company.  The reason is the creative forces behind the barbarian have not been restrained to tell the same stories that we have seen.

This is a beautiful example.  Written and drawn by Esad Ribic, Exodus tells the story of a young Conan who left his homeland for the first time, traveling across the frozen land of Cimmeria.  The story  is told through the beautifully rendered art and the wonderfully colored pages.  There is little to no dialogue (and what there is, looks to be in non-English) and no boxes of text.  Esad Ribic has chosen to tell this story, almost exclusively, from the images on the page and the breathtaking art.

The story is full of dramatic tension and it builds it honestly, with each visual the pages displays.

This shows how powerful art can be.  You do not need to have words to tell a story when you can present a masterful piece of art as this.  I really loved this comic.  It may be my favorite Conan story to the current moment.