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Post by paulie on May 12, 2014 10:56:46 GMT -5
Savage sword of Conan #12, June 1976 issueAnother beautiful Boris cover adorns this issue, and although the hooded figure is an invention, the skeletons do have a role to play in the main story. The frontispiece is another Tim Conrad illustration, again in a style evoking Barry Smith… or even, in this case, Dave Sim's impression of Barry Smith as seen in the early days of Cerebus. (I like the hairy knuckles… that's a detail we didn't see very often, if ever, in a Conan comic). Table of contents: The haunters of castle crimson, a Conan adventure Chivalry is alive and well and living in Berkeley, an article about the society for creative anachronisms The hyborian kingdoms, a new chapter in the adaptation of REH's essay the hyborian age. The haunters of castle Crimsonscript by Roy Thomas Artwork by John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala adapted from the unfinished story the slave princess by Robert E. Howard. Robert Howard wrote for a living, but since the late 20s and early 30s were a hard time economically in the US, he had to write a lot and try to diversify his output as much as he could to make ends meet. His talent for crafting historical adventure stories somehow (and oddly enough) never managed to get him into the pages of Adventure, a high visibility magazine where his prose would not have put the works of Harold Lamb to shame… but luckily for us, a new magazine published by Farnsworth Wright (or Weird Tales fame), Oriental stories, accepted many of Howard's historical tales. (Oriental stories became The magic carpet after nine issues). These non-fantasy stories were often turned in Conan yarns by later writers, either in the Lancer paperbacks or in Marvel comics.Most of them work very well, as is the case here. The main character, Cormac FitzGeoffrey, has many character traits in common with Conan. He may be more taciturn, but overall it's quite easy to substitute one man for the other. Another Cormac Fitzgeoffrey story, The blood of Belshazzar, was successfully adapted in CtB#27 (June 1973) as the blood of Bel-Hissar.A third Cormac tale, Hawks of Outremer, has (as far as I remember) not been Conanized). Here we are told the story of Castle Crimson, a fortress in the barren triangle, the desert region between Koth, Turan and Zamboula. It has been built by Kothic adventurers a long time ago, and is apparently under Khorajan jusrisdiction. Following the events of Black colossus and At the mountain of the moon god, seen in SSoC #2 and #3, the castle has been given as reward to Malthom, who led the mercenary forces that ensured victory over the hordes of Nathok the veiled one. The castle's name comes from a gory part of its history, twenty years prior: its lord at the time had been besieged by a superior force, and after a traitor had opened the castle's doors, the lord had accepted to surrender if his men were spared. But after the surrender, all had been slaughtered anyway. Their bones are still piled up in the lowest dungeons. Conan, fresh off his career as leader of the desert-dwelling Zuagirs, happens upon a city in the process of being plundered by other desert raiders. There he saves a slave girl named Zuleika whom he takes with him. He takes her to Castle Crimson, having heard that his erstwhile commander and friend Malthom now rules there; he has a plan that may mean a lot of money for the two men. As it happens, Zuleika bears a striking resemblance to the daughter of a certain sheik who, three years before, had sent her to be married to a powerful local lord, one Khelru Shan, to cement an alliance. Only the girl had disappeared and was presumed dead. Conan means to ransom the girl by having her pass for the actual princess. Conan goes to Khelru Shan first, since the man has more money than the lost princess's father. He brings him and his army to Castle Crimson, where Khelru Shan can see (from afar) that Zuleika indeed looks a lot like his fiancée. It looks like everything's going to work out, when Malthom reveals that he has fallen in love with the strong-willed Zuleika. The two men fight but are interrupted by bad news: first Zuleika has been abducted, and second Khelru Shan has decided that taking the castle would spare him from paying a ransom for the girl. Matlhom and Conan get to business: one to defend his castle, the other to catch whoever has taken Zuleika. The abductor hadn't gone far, and the Cimmerian sees him making his way (with a bound Zuleika on his shoulder) towards the castle's dungeons. He catches with them right in the chamber where the skeletons are still piled up, and there the abductor reveals his infamy: he is the same traitor who, 20 years ago, opened the castle's gates to the invaders. He has now done the same service to Khelru Shan, whom he expects to reward him handsomely for having secured the princess. The two men fight, and in the process the traitor is lightly cut; drops of his blood splatter the skeletons, who magically come to life to take their revenge! What they failed to do 20 years before, they mean to do today: push back the would-be conquerors of Castle Crimson. Leaving Malthom's men alone, they cut Khelru Shan's forces to pieces. Then they collapse. All's well that ends well? Not quite! The princess's father has come calling with his own army! But before fighting can resume, Zuleika walks out of the castle, goes to her "father" and reveals herself as his daughter. As was the case with Khelru Shan, the father isn't quite sure this is actually the right girl… but who's to say what three years of slavery will do to a person? And so he accepts Zuleika as his lost daughter, and furthermore agrees (as per her request!) to have her wed Malthom, with whom she's also fallen in love. (Was Zuleika really the princess? Roy cunningly suggests that it might not be the case! But since everybody's happy, why make a fuss?) And so things work out in the end. A Wedding! I love weddings! Drinks all around! Notes: - Conan is 31 during this adventure. - Malthom will cause a terrible continuity problem in the Conan comics, as we've mentioned in the Conan the savage thread. His retiring to Castle Crimson after his days in Khoraja make sense, and we will later see how his family eventually falls into the clutches of political opponents who murder him, and how Conan avenges his death. But wait! The name "Malthom" had been given to a character originally called Amalric in the REH story Black colossus, a name change justified by a surfeit of Amalrics in Conan stories in the mid 70s. But when Black colossus was readapted in the pages of CtB in the early 90s, the name Amalric was used again… no more mention of his being called Malthom. No sweat, because a guy can easily have many names; I even remember seeing somewhere (but I forget where) the expression "Amalric, sometimes named Malthom". Except that this Amalric dies before he has any chance to reside in Castle Crimson! The best explanation fans came up with was that the mercenary company to which Conan belonged in Black colossus was led by twin brothers named Malthom and Amalric. Not perfect, I now, but this is comics! One of my favorite issues of the series. Love the title: The Haunters of Castle Crimson. It is fun to type. |
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Post by benday-dot on May 12, 2014 22:13:55 GMT -5
You write damn well, do you know that, b-d? It's always interesting to hear your impressions on Howard and his work. Thank you for the kind words RR. Although, the two are so intrinsically linked, I have always had as much interest in the biography of Robert E. Howard as I have in his most famous character. I find the story of the man's too brief life, though not so extraordinary on the surface, so very fascinating and considerably poignant. If I might return the compliment, I've read a lot of reviews and commentary concerning the many appearances of Conan in comics, literature, film and beyond, but no author presents as knowledgeable and encyclopedic as yourself. Your retention of the material is phenomenal, and your awareness of the various competing viewpoints on the subject is astounding. I have a hard time keeping track of which story was it with Olivia in and which was it with Natala? Or substitute whichever name of whichever damsel in distress. Or was it Zingara or Zamora from which all those master thieves come? Hmm...Zamora, right? You are in such staggering possession of the Hyborian world that whatever account you have on offer comes with a seal of surety as far a I'm concerned. After all is said and done we have the right person doing these reviews. No doubt about that! |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on May 18, 2014 11:18:48 GMT -5
Savage sword of Conan #14, September 1976 issue Cover by Earl Norem, featuring a scene inspired by the main story. Contents: Shadows in Zamboula, a Conan adventure The worms return, a book review A Kull glossaryThe silver beast out of Torkentown, a Solomon Kane story Frontispiece by Frank Brunner, and I suspect that this was first a study for the cover of issue #8, painted by Brunner (same subject, same composition but with a different angle). Controversy time! This issue finally presents the story first promised for issue 12 (where it was replaced by "Hauters of Castle Crimson") and then 13 (where it was replaced by a reprint). Unfortunately, instead of a full Neal Adams production, the tale is partly pencilled and inked by Tony DeZuniga and The Tribe (and although the latter people are good artists in their own right, they are not Neal Adams). Roy has this to say about the situation in the swords and scrolls section of this issue: The editor's frustration at the situation was further expanded upon in issue 16's lettercol, after a reader commented that the inking watered down Neal's magnificent pencils: Years later, in an article from Comic Book artist #3, Neal himself had this to say about that issue and the controversy surrounding it: Here is an example of a panel inked by Neal and inked by DeZuniga, from the same Comic Book Artist issue:  (I actually don't think it's a good comparison, because the difference between the two panels is not massive; other pages of SSoC#14 show more pronounced differences betyween the Adams and deZuniga styles. More on that below). So… Miscommunication? Chronically late artists clashing with the realities of periodical publishing? It's not for me to say as I wasn't there and have no weight on the matter anyway. All I can say is that in hindsight, this issue's main story is not as good as it could have been, art-wise, but is still a damn fine comic-book story.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on May 18, 2014 12:49:30 GMT -5
Shadows in ZamboulaScript by Roy Thomas, adapting a Conan story by Robert E. Howard Artwork by Neal Adams, Tony DeZuniga and The Tribe. Shadows in Zamboula, the original title of which Howard had meant to be "the man-eaters of Zamboula", saw print in Weird Tales in its Nov 1935 issue. It got the cover spot, with a pastel piece by Margaret Brundage illustrating a famous scene from the story… the cobra dance!!!  The story begins as Conan reaches the city of Zamboula, a desert outpost founded by Stygians but now under Turanian rule. It's the kind of place where very different cultures meet and trade and where you expect people to tend to look the other way when their own community is not involved in some new development. Conan is warned by a retired Zuagir that "peril hides in the house of Aram Baksh", a tavern and sleeping house on the outskirts of town. It sounds as if wayfarers have disappeared from the place in the dead of night, never to be seen again. And charred human bones have been found in a pit in a palm grove not far away!  (Neat art by Adams, eh? I'm sure the top left and bottom right panels are by him alone. Unsusual composition, masterly rendering… As good as Adams is as a penciller, I like him even better as an inker). As it happens, Conan paid for a room in Aram Baksh's tavern and he means to spend the night there. During that very night, someone silently enters his room, using a door that he had himself bolted shut. Good thing that Conan is a light sleeper. Not taking any chances, he strikes down the intruder who, when a lamp is lit, turns out to be a Darfari man with teeth filed to sharp points… a cannibal! Taking a better look at his room's outer door, Conan sees that the bolt can be moved from the outside as well as the inside… this room is a trap! At night, the Darfari slaves are allowed to roam the streets of Zamboula unhindered… and men like Aram Baksh must sell them human flesh in exchange for the hapless travelers' belongings. A resounding scream then brings Conan to leave the relative security of his room and brave the benighted streets; a few corners away, he interrupts the abduction of a woman by more Darfari.  Making short work of the men, Conan asks the girl what she was doing outside at such an hour. She claims that it was the spite of Totrasmek, high priest of the ape-god Hanuman, that led her to this predicament: the lecherous old man who desires her gave the girl's lover, a humble Turanian soldier, a drug that made him mad. The soldier then tried to kill the girl (Zabibi by name, and a dancer by trade, apparently) and she had to flee into the streets. The pair stays hidden while more Darfari pass by, talking among themselves; they say that Aram Baksh has promised them a man, and that he can be relied on. Conan asks Zabibi why the Zamboulans allow such a ghastly custom; she explains that the Darfari are valuable slaves, and that being numerous they might revolt if denied the human flesh they crave. Better to let them feast on strangers passing by from time to time. The two of them are then met by the girl's lover, who is clearly deranged and in a murderous mood; Conan knocks him out. Zabibi then asks the Cimmerian for help in slaying Totrasmek, hinting at a definitely not-PG13 reward should he succeed. (And again we are offered what looks like a great all-Adams page).  The sick soldier is brought home, and Conan makes no mention of the fact that his and Zabibi's house seems to be well outside the means of a simple soldier and a humble dancer. Then he and the girl make for Hanuman's temple. Anyone could tell you that it's a bad plan to walk into the temple of a human sacrifice-craving ape god in the middle of the night, but hey… in any case, Zabibi is quickly captured by strong arms emerging from a hidden door, leaving Conan alone. Looking for the girls, he happens upon a herculean man who introduces himself as Baal-Pteor, a sacred strangler also gifted with hypnotic skills. (That's him in the two panels inked by different hands, in the post above). After Baal-Pteor plays with Conan using hypnotic illusions, he tries to strangle him; but the Cimmerian can play the same game and the two giants squeeze each other's windpipe until the northerner, who broke a bull's neck before he was a full-grown man, does the same to his opponent. Meanwhile, Zabibi has been brought to the high priest Totrasmek and we learn more about their business together: the girl had previously asked the priest for a drug that would make her lover sleep for a few hours, not drive him mad; the priest, however, knew that she wanted to take advantage of that sleep to steal a certain ring from the lad: a famous ring called the star of Khorala, stolen from the queen of Ophir, and supposedly giving women the power to enslave hearts of the opposite sex. According to Totrasmek's deductions, Zabibi feared her lover would learn of the ring's power and forget her; she therefore intended to sell the ring back to the queen of Ophir who would use its magic to enslave Totrasmek. (Note: that link between a queen of Ophir and Totrasmek, or between Ophir and the cult of Hanuman, was never exploited again). Zabibi, who did not find the ring on her lover's body after Conan decked him, assumes that Totrasmek has it -something he denies. He then taunts her with a phial containing an antidote to the poison he gave the girl's lover, but before she can take it from his hand a few globes fall from the ceiling and crash to the ground, revealing lethal cobras that force her to start a horrifying dance! (This scene is the one chose for the Weird Tales cover, and here it looks like almost pure DeZuniga art).  Totrasmek has his perverse fun until a sword emerges from his chest, and the snakes are revealed to have been more hypnotic illusions. As for the blade, it was of course handled by Conan who disposed of the priest by stabbing him in the back without any dramatic monologue. Zabibi searches the corpse for the ring, but doesn't find it… and Conan persuades her to let it go, and to return to her lover's side while the going is good. Luckily, the antidote seems to work on the demented man, who falls into a gentle sleep. Zabibi then reneges on the deal, explaining that the man is not a simple soldier, but the Zamboula's satrap, Jungir Khan, while she is no mere dancer but Nafertari, his beloved. Conan accepts a pouch of money instead of the more voluptuous reward he had been offered, and walks off into the night to settle things with Aram Baksh. He first goes to the palm grove where the Darfari are supposed to meet, and tells them that Aram Baksh will, after all, offer them a man… all they have to do is wait outside a certain door of his tavern. He then goes to the tavern, attacks Aram Baksh, cuts off his beard and his tongue, and delivers him to the Darfari. Bon appétit. The next morning sees the Cimmerian riding towards Ophir; he is the one who got the ring after all! Having recognized both the satrap and the famous jewel, he pocketed it when he first tangled with the man. Notes: - This story is set sometimes after the Zuagirs have been disbanded, an event first chronicled in SSoC#9. So Conan would likely be 32 at this time. - Zabibi/Nafertari would be seen again during the last few years of SSoC. She was first met by Red Sonja and Zula, in SSoC 194 and 195, in a tale explaining how she first gained the favours of Jungir Khan. She would then be a prominent character in the final two issues of the series, 234-235, after she had left Zamboula (and revelead that Zabibi was, after all, her real name). - Jungir Khan gained his position as satrap of Zamboula thanks to the actions of Conan and Isparana in a story retroactively inserted in the early days of the Cimmerian career; that particular tale was seen in SSoC #58. - The star of Khorala was indeed brought back to the queen of Ophir, but by Conan himself; that story (written by de Camp and Carter and published in the book "Conan the swordsman") was adapted in SSoC # 44.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on May 18, 2014 13:25:18 GMT -5
The worm returnsan article by David Anthony Kraft, reviewing the softcover book The worms of the Earth, published by Donald M. Grant. Grant had published a $6 hardcover version of this book years earlier; this is an even more affordable version (were books really $1.50 once? I hardly remember those days). The book has a new cover by Jeff Jones but retained inside illustrations by David Ireland. 
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Post by Roquefort Raider on May 18, 2014 13:28:26 GMT -5
A King Kull glossary is exactly what the title says. As there were relatively few Kull stories, it is not very long. The silver beast of Torkentown is a Solomon Kane story, scripted by Doug Moench and illustrated by a young Mike Zeck.  Werewolves and swords and the kind of enthusiastic energy that only young cartoonists (even with little experience) can put into their work!
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Post by benday-dot on May 18, 2014 17:27:29 GMT -5
That's fascinating stuff RR. And such unusually frank and forthright words appearing in a letter column, it not being often that dirty laundry gets openly aired like this in a comic book.
On the one hand Roy pretty much gave it to Adams, throwing him under the bus, while beseeching the forgiveness of angry fans. On the other hand it seemed, and probably was, altogether unacceptable to have another reprint book, one debacle following another as it were.
But what a missed opportunity! I like deZuniga's work, the economy of it as well as the harsher texture he brings to Conan's world. Still I can only imagine how different would the rendering of the Cobra Dance be if Adam's had been able to finish what he begun. The panels would have been so much richer and sensual, as was called for by this evocative sequence, if Neal could have concluded his "definitive" vision.
What could have been done? Who knows... maybe an all portfolio issue with a few "new" inventory stories thrown in (it seems those are always lying around). Whatever, Roy could have done, it is always a shame when quality is laid down at the alter of exigency.
But it was a different time back then, so wistful fans are only left to look back, way back now, and dream what might have been.
Thanks again RR!
(Go Habs Go!... Saturday night never happened, Saturday night never happened...)
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Post by paulie on May 19, 2014 10:14:50 GMT -5
Savage sword of Conan #14, September 1976 issueCover by Earl Norem, featuring a scene inspired by the main story. Contents: Shadows in Zamboula, a Conan adventure The worms return, a book review A Kull glossaryThe silver beast out of Torkentown, a Solomon Kane story Frontispiece by Frank Brunner, and I suspect that this was first a study for the cover of issue #8, painted by Brunner (same subject, same composition but with a different angle). Controversy time! This issue finally presents the story first promised for issue 12 (where it was replaced by "Hauters of Castle Crimson") and then 13 (where it was replaced by a reprint). Unfortunately, instead of a full Neal Adams production, the tale is partly pencilled and inked by Tony DeZuniga and The Tribe (and although the latter people are good artists in their own right, they are not Neal Adams). Roy has this to say about the situation in the swords and scrolls section of this issue: The editor's frustration at the situation was further expanded upon in issue 16's lettercol, after a reader commented that the inking watered down Neal's magnificent pencils: Years later, in an article from Comic Book artist #3, Neal himself had this to say about that issue and the controversy surrounding it: Here is an example of a panel inked by Neal and inked by DeZuniga, from the same Comic Book Artist issue: (I actually don't think it's a good comparison, because the difference between the two panels is not massive; other pages of SSoC#14 show more pronounced differences betyween the Adams and deZuniga styles. More on that below). So… Miscommunication? Chronically late artists clashing with the realities of periodical publishing? It's not for me to say as I wasn't there and have no weight on the matter anyway. All I can say is that in hindsight, this issue's main story is not as good as it could have been, art-wise, but is still a damn fine comic-book story. Just read this last weekend via Conan Saga. It's nice to read these full-size as opposed to the Dark horse reprints.
I knew about the Adams deadline debacle but I'll have to admit... I see a lot of his figures and sense of design throughout the story. It is quite difficult to tell who did what on this story.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on May 19, 2014 12:11:44 GMT -5
Just read this last weekend via Conan Saga. It's nice to read these full-size as opposed to the Dark horse reprints.
I knew about the Adams deadline debacle but I'll have to admit... I see a lot of his figures and sense of design throughout the story. It is quite difficult to tell who did what on this story.
Some images are more revealing than others, but it's true that creators are often far more sensitive about their work than readers would be. John Buscema would often say that Alfredo Alcala ruined his pencils, and I'm sure the final result was not at all what John had envisioned, but as a reader I just thought the team's work looked beautiful. I don't think DeZuniga mishandled Adams work. Sure, it's doubtless not as good as pure Adams would have been, but it's still quite serviceable even when the penciller's work is less apparent. All props to creators who take their work very seriously, but still… These are mass market comic-books published on a schedule, not the Sistine chapel's ceiling… nor even original graphic novels. At some point one has to decide that the quest for perfection has gone as far as it could before the deadline is blown. |
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Post by paulie on May 19, 2014 14:09:19 GMT -5
Ok. So I'm not alone in seeing lots of Adams in the pages 'completed' by DeZuniga?
It's more a case of Neal not liking the inking job.
I like this issue of SSOC a lot but I really don't like DeZuniga at all so it's why I'm turning the 'what exactly did Adams do?' question around in my head a little bit.
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Post by Rob Allen on May 19, 2014 14:31:48 GMT -5
Sounds like there was some serious miscommunication - Roy had Neal's story on the schedule but Neal thought it wouldn't be scheduled until he finished it. Neal missed the deadline because he didn't know there was a deadline. Really unfortunate.
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Post by berkley on May 19, 2014 22:21:12 GMT -5
My memory of that Neal Adams story in SSoC is that the parts he didn't ink himself did stand out, and not in a good way. I've never liked DeZuniga all that much as an inker, though I've since come to appreciate some of his own solo work. I wouldn't say work on SSoC was bad, but it just never appealed to me as a reader, whether it was with Neal Adams or with John Buscema. I was always a little disappointed when I saw his name on the credits of a new issue of the series.
I wasn't a great fan of Earl Norem, either. His work always felt a little bland to me. Again, I've since seen other things he did that look better to my eyes, so it could be that I just don't like him as a sword and sorcery artist.
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Post by foxley on May 20, 2014 2:49:01 GMT -5
DeZuniga did some awesome inks over Dick Ayers in Jonah Hex. But I'm not sure he's suited to Adams.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 1, 2014 10:02:56 GMT -5
Savage Sword of Conan #15, october 1976 issueCover by Boris Vallejo, inspired by a scene from the main story.  There weren't that many more covers by Boris in the future of SSoC; Earl Norem would soon replace him for a few years as the most regular cover artist. (Joe Jusko would also have a very long run later on). It has a clear Frazetta influence, and few will begrudge that. This issue's content: Frontispiece by Mike Zeck The devil in iron, a Conan adventure Arms and the manner, an article on the Society for Creative Anachronisms A portfolio of Robert E. Howard by many artists Conan in the city of blood, a book review The beginning of the end, a new chapter of the adaptation of The Hyborian Age An interview with Conan artist John Buscema
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 1, 2014 10:36:08 GMT -5
The devil in iron Script by Roy Thomas, from a Conan story written by Robert E. Howard Art by John Buscxema and Alfredo Alcala. This story, although one of the "minor" Conan yarns, still deserved the cover treatment when it first appeared in the August 1934 issue of Weird Tales (pastel art by Margaret Brundage).  You may remember that it is the very issue that Howard shows to Novalyne Price in the movie The whole wide world. Conan is 32-33 at this time, and once again operating in the east, making the Turanian authorities anything but happy with his presence. This tale is set during Conan's second stint as a Kozak, and therein lies a continuity puzzle. The Kozaks or Kozaki are inspired by the real-life Cossacks and by the work of Harold Lamb, whom Howard much respected. I am convinced that Howard must also have read Nikolai Gogol's Taras Bulba, also a Cossack character, because there are many parallels to be drawn between this particular novel and several scenes also found in Conan stories (most notably the crucifixion). In the Hyborian age, they seem to be a loose-knit coalition of local peoples and foreign, horseback-riding warriors turned plunderers who mostly operate in the lands between Zamora and the Vilayet sea, but also around the southern end of that body of water. The Zaporoska river, which lows from east to west and empties in the Vilayet near its southern tip, is home to the "Zaporoskan Kozaks" (who remind us of the "Don Cossacks", also defined by a river). There are two Conan tales directly dealing with the Kozaki: this one, and Iron shadows in the moon (adapted in SSoC#4). A major character from A witch shall be born, adapted in SSoC#5, was also an ex-Kozak: Olgerd Vladislav had met Conan when both men were working further east. For parcimony's sake, it would be great if Conan had had only one career as a Kozak. Unfortunately, it is very hard to reconcile many story elements to make it so, and we must accordingly accept that Miller and Clark were right to postulate two separate Kozak episodes in Conan's life. The end of the first one is described in flashback in Iron shadows in the moon: Conan was one of the only survivors of a Turanian attack that had destroyed the Kozaki at the battle of the Ilbars river, west of the Vilayet. Right after that, Conan became a pirate on that selfsame sea, so we can't simply assume that he went on as a Kozak after finding some of his old comrades. Furthermore, in this tale, nothing is said about Conan being a leader of the Kozaki; from his own words, he was just "one of those dissolute rogues". And the king of Turan at the time is named Yildiz. In The devil in iron, Conan is a chief (or hetman) of the Kozaki, but much further south, close to the mouth of the Zaporoska. The king of Turan is Yezdigerd. Since Yezdigerd was written as Yildiz's son in the Marvel universe, this places Devil at a later date that Iron Shadows, although I didn't find anything in Howard's work proving that this was the case. I would however be tempted to make Devil the later story anyway for other reasons: Conan being a leader being the main one. (I just can't imagine Conan accepting a lesser rank than one he would have occupied before). The destruction of the Kozaks in Iron Shadows would therefore not have been that of the entire population, but that of a specific group among the coalition. The devil in iron also presents us an all too rare bit of chronological information: in it, Conan refers to events that occurred in the story The slithering shadow (which will be adapted in SSoC#20), making that tale anterior to Devil. Oddly enough, Miller and Clark missed that one and placed Devil before Slithering Shadow.
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