That’s not quite the story of Conan and the Songs of the Dead #2, but it’s close. The issue kicks off with Conan hacking his way through Stygian undead, the wisecracking Alvazar at his side. By the end, thank god, there’s another horde of zombie warriors on their way to attack Conan. Zombie hordes are like light beer: all the taste, none of the guilt. It’s the same reason the faceless stormtroopers of Star Wars make such fun baddies.

There are apparently Conan fans out there calling Songs the best Conan comic ever. While I can’t agree with that after reading the Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord Tower of the Elephant arc, this series is still quite good. What accounts for the quality? I think it’s Alvazar, the sidekick. If I could identify one thing that scares people away from Conan stories (besides the fact that most people don’t have the backbone to admit they like fantasy), it’s how seriously they take themselves. In the original Conan stories (at least, those I’ve read—which is, most of them), there’s no humor. In this series, Alvazar is a successful comic foil. If a story can identify how critics might make fun of it, and make those jokes itself, it effectively silences the critics. That’s what this series is doing, and why I hope Joe R. Lansdale gets a story in the regular Conan at least once.