Writer: Gerry Duggan

Art: Roge Antonia, Erick Arciniega, VC’s Travis Lanham, Geoff Shaw, and Edgar Delgado

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 27th, 2019

In the far-flung future of 2099, will barbarism finally triumph over an endangered civilization? Well, when Conan the Barbarian entered the Marvel Universe with the Savage Avengers, he stayed to conquer and claim his kingship in modern times. Now cursed by a mystic to live beyond his years, when Conan’s new kingdom is threatened, he swings his blade once more! But as the calamity in 2099 bears down on his secluded realm, will the future shock unseat the barbarian king? By Crom, let’s dive into MARVEL 2099 CONAN #1 by Gerry Duggan and see what becomes of the great Cimmerian!

Readers, the very first question this critic had leading up to this issue was, how in the world does Conan make it to 2099? Is it time-travel? Sorcery? And furthermore, how would he be able to survive with the technological advancements in this time era? So, Gerry Duggan had his work cut out for him before this reader ever lunged into the issue. Additionally, MARVEL 2099 ALPHA #1, as well as MARVEL 2099: FANTASTIC FOUR #1 really left a bad taste in this reviewer’s mouth. Therefore, my expectations were pretty low going into the narrative. All of that said, this Conan fan was pleasantly surprised by this tight one-shot by Duggan.

Duggan doesn’t take the time to really centralize or elevate many characteristics of Conan BUT he does take the time to thoroughly explain how the great Cimmerian made it to 2099, which made enough sense for a comic and seemed plausible enough in the context of the story. Moreover, instead of concentrating on Conan the Barbarian, Duggan focused on the future and mixed in an intriguing concept that this comic fan would be head over heels for if a mini would branch out of this concept. Duggan’s creativity mixed with his past experience with the characters involved really reflected wonderfully throughout the issue.

Even though Duggan’s story centered mainly on the future, he still managed to pick out a few of Conan’s most noteworthy traits. Now, the facets of Conan’s character that Duggan amplified were his sheer willpower, determination, and fortitude. Conan readers know that the Hyborian Cimmerian cannot be broken by anyone. His will is too strong for any man, woman, sorcerer, or even alien to shatter. Additionally, Duggan slyly nudges the reader to see how cunning Conan truly is. Many outsider readers of the character view Conan as a strong, fierce, and crude Barbarian that’s dumb, slow, and lazy. However, anyone who’s taken the time to read or write anything about the character, like Gerry Duggan, would immediately realize that it’s these other attributes that make Conan a force for even our current Marvel Heroes to handle.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This issue is no doubt the best 2099 comic so far. Thus, if you’re invested in these 2099 related issues, snag this one and add it to your pull list. If you’re a Conan the Barbarian fan, it doesn’t resemble the exact full nature of a Conan comic BUT Gerry Duggan does a pretty good job of hitting the highlights of the character, magnifying some of his most noteworthy qualities, and cleverly ushers Conan into the future (and beyond) in such an ingenious and creative way. Take a chance on the issue and let me know what you think. It was definitely entertaining and worth the money for a quick one-shot story that this fan hopes will turn into a mini in the future!