By Crom, I'm a Conan Fan

Sometime last fall, I was in the middle of an email exchange with my good pal Jason Bovberg. We were talking books and comics, and at one point I asked him if he's ever read any pulpy adventure books like Conan, either as an adult or as a kid. He didn't take much interest in the topic and sort of brushed it off with a "I don't get into that stuff the way you do."

At the time I didn't know what he was talking about. I'm not a sword and sorcery fan. Sure, I've read a few comics, I've read a few books, but that doesn't mean I "get into that stuff."

Flash forward to last night. It's half time of one of the most thrilling Monday Night Football games in recent memory, and I'm sitting on the couch reading my third hardcover Conan collection in three nights. I'm eating it up, soaking in Cary Nord's art and enjoying the hell out of Kurt Buziek's version of the barbarian. Then it hits me: I'm reading Conan. Then again: I'm a Conan fan. Then again: I am so totally a fan of sword and sorcery stories.

It's funny, I've always loved Edgar Rice Burroughs and comics like The Warlord and Conan The Barbarian, yet I never considered myself a fan. I've always marveled at Frank Frazetta's art. Hell, I even dabbled in comics like Arak, Son of Thunder. With all the evidence stacked against me, how could I just now be realizing I love this stuff?

I have no idea why I never really put two and two together. It's not like adventure stories would be considered a guilty pleasure. There's no shame in the idea. I've never looked down on the stories or their fans. But for whatever reason, I'm just now figuring it all out.

And of course, knowing me, this new knowledge can only lead to one thing: a shopping spree. Yep, it's time to look for other books in the genre. I'm debating diving into Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja series, or possibly checking out their reprints of the old Marvel books. Or maybe some older Marvel Conan books are in order, or even some Tor, Ka-Zar, or even Jungle Girl action?

I've heard mixed reviews on all of these characters and titles, but at this point, I just want to devour some adventurous sword and sorcery books, and knowing me, my wallet will take the brunt of the chaos that's about to ensue. Actually, the more I think about it, I feel an eBay search coming my way...I think I found my niche.

Yorick Wouldn't Stand a Chance

I Am Hercules over at Ain't It Cool News posted a rumor about the forthcoming Y: The Last Man film. While I've always been behind Shia Lebaouf playing Yorick, I'm wasn't sold on Alicia Keys as Agent 355. That is, not until I wrote 500 words on why she wouldn't work. The more I wrote, the more I realized she would kick so much ass in that role.

I totally dug Keys in Smocking Aces. Let's face it, she can certainly handle herself as a beautiful killer. Agent 355 is a lot more than just a killing machine, however, and Keys didn't show off enough acting in Aces for me to feel totally confident in her ability to nail the more complex 355 character.

But let's imagine for a moment that she can. If so, I can see all sorts of great moments in the film. I mean, seriously, Yorick's the last man on Earth and for years he abstains from sexual relations as he searches for his long lost girlfriend. How hard would it be to stay the course if he's walking the Earth with 355/Keys, who, let's face it, is absolutely gorgeous? I can only imagine the great one-liners both characters would use in the film. Y features great dialog (which I hope would be carried over to the film), and I think a more attractive 355 could open the door to some great humor during those quiet moments between disasters.

Even more important is the Yorick/355 relationship. It starts with endless banter and random quips and sarcasm, then slowly turns into a solid friendship, and then turns into sexual tension you can almost feel. This slow build leads to one of the best, most bittersweet finales I've ever read. Damn, what a great series that was!

So yeah, if Keys can handle 355's more subtle attributes and can create some serious chemistry with Lebaouf, then my expectations will be through the roof for this one. I try not to get my hopes up for any movie, particularly before there's even a hint of a script or true casting calls, but with Y: The Last Man and names like Labeouf and Keys, it's hard not to get excited.