I think a better comparison would be between Sláine and Cormac Mac Art, Cormac was Robet E. Howards Celtic Barbarian-character.
I myself prefer Cúchulainn
I myself prefer Cúchulainn
Conan (at least, REH's original guy, and not the guy from pastiches and films) is cooler, as he's a normal human who survives by his wits and his supreme physical capabilities.
The Hyborian Age, as well, has some places that are relatively pleasant and free from invasion, in contrast to Slaine's world which seems besieged by enemies from all fronts.
They're... different.
Sláine mac Roth is a mythical Hero, with a capital H, especially in the Horned God arc (and especially in the gorgeous Bisley version). Conan the Cimmerian, on the other hand, is very much the opposite of myth, a superior man but still a man, all flesh and blood - a Man with a capital M.
And both are larger than life, and cooler than ice.
That said, I'd rather live in Tir nan Og than the Hyborian Age. More epic, less deadly.
Sláine mac Roth is a mythical Hero, with a capital H, especially in the Horned God arc (and especially in the gorgeous Bisley version). Conan the Cimmerian, on the other hand, is very much the opposite of myth, a superior man but still a man, all flesh and blood - a Man with a capital M.
And both are larger than life, and cooler than ice.
That said, I'd rather live in Tir nan Og than the Hyborian Age. More epic, less deadly.
Well, yeah, there's the whole flood thing... but apart from that, before or after, a minor character would seem to me to have more of a chance in Sláine's mythical Celtic Europe than in Conan's more distant but similarily antediluvian age. Or maybe it's just the different tone of the stories - Conan's world is inherently grim and merciless, Sláine's is what he makes of it (which is what the whole Horned God business is all about).
Of course, the Hyborian Age has all those gorgeous Frazetta ladies...
It's a tough choice, it is.
That was certainly my impression.
One could imagine being born and having a decent life on a farm or smallish town in somewhere like Argos, Aquilonia, Koth, Nemedia, or even Brythunia without having much to fear other than the occasional border war. REH's sketchy history of the Hyborian Age implies some of these countries had centuries of relative peace, moreso when Conan took the throne and was finished smiting all his enemies and foiling their plots of usurpation.
On the other hand, Slaine's Tir na nOg seems in constant peril from immense and deadly forces, from flying Viking sky-raiders, ancient and evil demon-gods, undead, dragons, Firbolg sea-monster oppressors, and Atlantean golem-ghosts.
Come on - they're much better than the Conan comics.
Who could fail to love Mike McMahon's work (http://www.2000ad.nu/mcmahon/com/2ad/2a7.htm for a flavour, although not quite his best) or the late Massimo Belardinelli (decent examples of whose work on this strip its nigh on impossible to find but these pages give an idea - http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryRoom.asp?GSub=36028)?
The scripts are witty and sardonic, clever and engaging. Only when Slaine drifted off for a while into some strange parallel universe with guns did they seriously stumble.
Slaine scores because the strips managed to be much more than just a Conan comic. Conan's good - but only in REH's stories.
