Intertextuality and Reflexivity in Aaron and Asrar's Conan the Barbarian #1

Intertextuality and Reflexivity In Aaron and Asrar’s Conan the Barbarian #1

Writers of the now venerable Conan series, which has passed between Marvel and Dark Horse since beginning in 1971, have always been aware of the literary tradition started by Conan creator Robert E. Howard in the 1930s. Further complicating the realm of intertextual signification are the two cult Conan movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1980s. Therefore, Jason Aaron had three legacies to draw upon when writing the new volume of Conan: those of the original short stories, the older comics and the films. Aaron's writing and Asrar's artwork succeed in drawing together all three in the first issue.

 On the cover a bubble is placed just below the right hand side of the sword that contains the subtitle, and just to the right of king Conan’s head, advertising the inclusion in this issue of “an all-new Conan novella.” This placement makes sure that the bubble catches the eye of the reader. The inclusion of this novella, written by John Hocking, works as a promotion for the revival of Conan literature that Marvel appears to be affecting. The inclusion of Hocking’s novella also draws attention to the differences between the two dominant mediums utilized by Conan authors. This would be an example of reflexivity, by allowing the reader to experience Conan in both the visual and literary mediums, without privileging the older medium or the, admittedly still rather old, medium of comics. This is also an intermedia approach, if we view the novella chapter and comic as inseparable due to their paratextual connection as part of the same physical book.

The opening spread begins with a collage of older Conan comics with the opening words from Howard's "The Phoenix on the Sword" imposed over the images. For a long-time Conan fan such as myself, these images serve to immediately connect this new run with the old tradition, while also transforming the old stories into a mass of primordial stuff from which the new series has essentially evolved. Using the findings of Matthew Jones, I can argue that through my having read Howard’s work and many of the subsequent comics I get more from the experience of reading, as every one of these tactically placed establishing panels acts as a signal that what is coming in the following panels is going to be similar to what I am used to. Using Groensteen’s iconic solidarity, I will relate these images to those following largely unconsciously. In fact, the image of Conan on his throne, resembling a scene featured in the beginning of 1982’s Conan the Barbarian, is in iconic solidarity with a film almost 40 years old! Other panels stand in relation to panels in comics that are roughly 50 years old. Therefore, despite being a reboot of the Conan franchise, Aaron and Asrar’s Conan the Barbarian #1 feels like a sequel as well.