Review – Conan the Avenger Bust

Last year I posted a review of the Thoth-Amon Bust* (review here) and liked the statue enough to start hunting for a Conan statue to display alongside Thoth-Amon. Eventually, after some digging, I managed to grab this Conan the Avenger Mini Bust*. And I’m happy to report that this is just as cool as Amon, but I’m sad to say that it’s a cool statue because every great work of art in a series has me searching for another part of the line.

I’m constantly impressed with the work of Dark Horse Comics’ (website, Twitter) statues/collectibles department. While I often think of the company as a comic book publisher, I usually don’t even remember that they produce statues, glasses, toys, and assorted other things until I get my hands on a piece like this Conan statue. It’s no wonder Dark Horse has a staff of about 150; I can’t imagine trying to do everything they do — comics, collectibles, a retail division, books — without a small army to execute instructions. And from what I can tell by the statues I’ve bought, they’re doing an excellent job with their statues.

A Barbaric Sculpt

And I mean that in the kindest of ways! Sculptor Tony Cipriano did a remarkable job with this Conan the Avenger Mini Bust*. About 8-inches tall, the statue presents Conan at his barbaric best; one arm stretched out holding a bloody, detailed axe while the other hand proudly holds the severed head of an opponent who took one step too close to Conan.

And as you can see in the photos, this is the rough and rugged Conan of the various Dark Horse comics and not the cleaner, smoother-featured Conan of the old Marvel works. I like both, but this was the Conan bust I wanted because it goes quite nicely with the Thoth-Amon bust that’s now in my collection. Cipriano seriously deserves praise for his work sculpting this statue, because it’s packed with details — look at that close up of the axe, below — and instantly recognizable as the barbarian.

Savage Paint

And, fortunately, Dark Horse sunk enough money into the paint apps that the work complements Cipriano’s sculpt. Again, take a look at that axe photo and you can see the blood on the axe, the weathering on the blade, and how the black wash over the shaft brings out the sculpted details. And it doesn’t stop there. This close shot of the face reveals the one painted spot that I feel is less than perfect — the eyes — but other than that I find all of the paint on the statue looks great. Hell, look at the picture of the base of the severed head and you can see the amount of work put into a part of the statue that’s almost hidden because of the placement of the piece. It’s top work from end to end.

Closing Thoughts

I’m not sure of exactly how many Conan busts Dark Horse has released over the years — that’s something I’ll look into later — but if they’re all as well-crafted as this Conan the Avenger Mini Bust* and the Thoth-Amon Bust* (review here) then it’s almost a guarantee that I’ll have more of these as the years pass by.

With the upcoming Conan movie this probably isn’t the time to try tracking down older and out-of-production Conan statues and toys — I suspect prices will climb over the summer — but if you can find this particular statue for the original retail price ($55) or less then I suggest grabbing it if you find it at all neat. Because it’s an excellent statue for any Conan fan’s collection and a must for fans of Dark Horse’s take on the barbarian.

Philip Reed still needs to get a Reading post for Conan: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Savage Barbarian* on the site. Hell, with the movie coming out maybe he just needs to run a Conan Week here at battlegrip.com