Meanwhile, you're also launching "Conan the Avenger" come April. I wanted to start by asking you about that title. Robert E. Howard's character has had a number of sobriquets over the years. What made "Avenger" the one that worked for your take on Conan?

The reboot/renaming was an internal Dark Horse decision -- I thought I was writing "Conan the Barbarian" #26! But I don't mind it. I think renumbering is going to be the New Normal, just like a TV show renumbers the episodes with each new season. And definitely, as we transfer from Brian's vision to mine, it's enough of a tone shift to warrant the new #1.

The last Conan series was a longer adaptation of a single tale from the original canon. How are you looking to switch things up here? Does this take place at a definitive point in the Howard timeline, or are you branching out a bit?

EXCLUSIVE: Ian McCaig covers Van Lente's new "Conan the Avenger" series

Ever since Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord began the Dark Horse "Conan" series years and years ago, the series has followed the "Dark Storm" Chronology of Conan's life as determined by REH scholar Dale Rippke (you can check it out here). My story is the one that direct follows "Queen of the Black Coast" on the timeline, an untitled fragment usually called "The Snout in the Dark." What Dark Horse creators have tried to do is to weave from these disparate stories a comprehensive narrative of Conan's life.

So when my first arc, "Shadows Over Kush," opens, Conan is broken-hearted and wallowing in booze in the capital city of the Black Kingdom, mourning the lost of his pirate queen. But he doesn't have too long to mope about because he's quickly dragged into palace intrigue involving scheming noblewomen, terrifying witchcraft and a loathsome monster that will test his fighting skills to the utmost.

Oh, and there are zombies. Lots and lots of zombies.

Overall, what's your general history with Conan, and how does that inform this run? Is there an ideal Conan story for you?

You know, I had never read a single Robert E. Howard story before Dark Horse asked me to adapt "People of the Black Circle" with Ariel Olivetti. But I quickly devoured them, and fell completely in love. Once I got hired to do the regular series, I read the entire Dark Horse run. There are some great comics in there.

I also really enjoyed Brian Wood's run, his emphasis on giving Belit and Conan equal weight. She'll still be a presence in this book -- how, I probably shouldn't give away for fear of spoilers -- so fans of that run should definitely stick around for this one.

That said, however, Brian is obviously no big fan of monsters and magic. I love monsters and magic, so there's going to ample helpings of both in these arcs. And, of course, the kind of exciting action and swordplay we've come to expect from a "Conan" comic.

On the collaborator front, I'm not very familiar with Brian Ching's work. What's he bring to the table in terms of hard drinking, sword swinging monster fightin?

He really brings the gritty primitiveness of Conan's world to life, and he's doing a great job with the acting, as well as some terrific character designs. I love comics artists who provide a lot of personality to their creations -- and that definitely describes Brian to a T.

Year of the Horse: Van Lente On "Project Black Sky," "Conan the Avenger" & More! - Comic Book Resources

I'm really going to miss Brian Woods on Conan but hopefully Van Lent can keep up the same quality.

Le Boomp?

@jonny_anonymous: FVL is a fantastic writer. He is really big with past continuity and than brings it up for stories. Anytime I see FVL name I usually buy it and Im not disappointed.

@boschepg: I haven't read a lot of FVL's stuff but I do read Archer and Armstrong which is great but man, I really LOVED Brian Woods run.

@boschepg: @bigcimmerian DId you guys check it out?

@jonny_anonymous: not yet. I tend to read my books "online" so I give some time to build up and then have a marathon read

@boschepg: Aw well it's pretty good anyway

@jonny_anonymous: I just read it, and I think it's much better than QotBC, and personally I liked this issue. Art is still much worse than in Conan and Conan the CImmerian ongoings, but it's decent.

@bigcimmerian: I really like the art, what don't you like about it?

Conan is still too scrawny and small compared to the original descriptions Howard gave about him. Beside this I like the art.

This is a young Conan and Howard always described him as being lean like a wolf.

Waiting for the trades before buying as always.

He's atleast 25 years old. In the scan bellow he's 17. It's my opinion that he's still too skinny in Conan - Avenger :D

@bigcimmerian: That's a pretty massive 17yo

Howard actually never describes the younger Conan as being "lean like a wolf". Solomon Kane is described like that however. Conan is always described as being "pantherish" or "tiger-like", "massive" in his motions, build, and suppleness. Howard also states that Conan is six foot, 180 pounds at the age of 15 (Battle of Vanarium), and still "lacking much of his full growth". A man (or teenager) who is that height and weight with a muscular build would look pretty impressive. Even more so at the age of 17. I personally don't care for the interpretations where Conan is depicted as having the skinny build of a typical teenager, even if the stories chronicle his younger years.

@amratheking: He was also described as "big but not the biggest, strong but not the strongest" but regardless all I want is good stories and I'm absolutely sick of every Conan depiction being the hulking moron in a loin cloth. Everything is Schwarzenegger Conan and that's always been the worst Conan.

@jonny_anonymous: I get your point about wanting good stories; as a long time fan of the character, I want great stories as well. Obviously, storytelling is paramount. However, really the only instances of Conan being depicted as a "hulking moron in a loincloth" that I can recall are the Arnold films. Maybe the '90's cartoon series as well. As far as his size/strength, Conan is big, but not the biggest human; however, there were no humans depicted as stronger in the original stories.

@bigcimmerian: @amratheking: Did you read this weeks issue?

Not yet, I'm picking it tomorrow.

@jonny_anonymous: I haven't either. I've been waiting for the trades and purchasing the big Savage Sword reprints lately.