Groo vs. Conan

It’s the crossover we never knew we needed!  That’s what I’d like to be able to tell everyone about this long-awaited team up between the legendary barbarian and the cheese-dip wanderer.  While it’s great to have more Groo comics — and see his creator, Sergio Aragones, back in action — after a lengthy hiatus, this is a mixed bag as far as these comics go.  I was prepared to enjoy seeing Conan and Groo fight, then team up to vanquish a thinly veiled version of society’s ills in Mark Evanier’s script, while Sergio displays his trademark comic genius with Groo and his supporting cast, and guest artist Thomas Yeates shows us why he belongs on one of Dark Horse’s “Conan” comics.  All told through the “Rashomon”-style plot that would allow the title characters to be suitably victorious over each other!

That is… not what we got here.  Instead, a good chunk of this miniseries is given over to Mark and Sergio’s comic avatars as they try (but mostly fail) to stop a comic book store from being torn down by a greedy developer.  That’s only part of the plot as a medical mishap has an over-medicated Sergio running wild throughout the city, hallucinating the Groo/Conan parts of the story.  For what it is, it’s fine.  If you’ve been reading “Groo” comics for as long as I have the familiarity of the comedy and storytelling here is more reassuring than annoying.  The main problem is that it’s a lot choppier than usual as the transitions between the Groo/Conan and Sergio/Mark parts don’t play off each other well and neither thread is able to build up much storytelling momentum.

Still, it’s always great taking in Sergio’s art, and Yeates’ more detailed style makes for a visually interesting contrast between the title characters.  The former artist also does a great job casting Conan as the straight man in his battle with Groo, being utterly perplexed at his opponent’s utter lack of mental acumen.  I enjoyed it all well enough, but it’s certainly not the best we’ve seen from Sergio and Mark.  I am, however, expecting bigger and better things once the first collection of their new “Groo” series, “Friends & Foes,” arrives later this year.