Review: Conan and the People of the Black Circle #2

Since I missed reviewing issue #1, I’ll begin this review with a bit of background on this series. People of the Black Circle is a four-part miniseries adapted from one of Robert E. Howard‘s more unusual Conan stories. It’s no secret that the settings of Howard’s stories were often thinly-veiled versions of real times and places, but this story is a change from the more European feel of many other Conan stories, as it’s set in Vendhya and Afghulistan, and this story uses much more magic. This comic is written by Fred Van Lente with artwork by Ariel Olivetti, and at the halfway point this series is looking pretty good.

It’s interesting to see Fred Van Lente writing this comic, since he’ll be taking over writing Dark Horse’s ongoing Conan series once Brian Wood’s run is over in a few issues. People of the Black Circle is probably a good example of what to expect from Van Lente in the ongoing series, but then it’s more or less a direct adaptation from Howard. For his run in the ongoing Conan, he’ll be using one of Howard’s unfinished stories as a framework and adding his own material from there, and he’s said that it won’t be as direct an adaptation.

I’m torn about Ariel Olivetti‘s artwork though. He draws his characters in a very detailed, realistic style, and the artwork is very sharp and clean. I like that. But I can’t get past the backgrounds. While the characters are drawn so well, most of the background art is composed of computer-generated textures and objects, and it’s a pretty abrupt disconnect between the detailed characters and the flat backdrops. They don’t look like they belong in the same image. The rest of the comic is good, but that contrast kept jumping out at me while I was reading.

People of the Black Circle has all you expect from a Conan story, but with a few interesting additions. The setting makes a nice change of pace from most of the other stories, and there’s a more in-depth look at magic in the Hyborian world than we usually see. If that sounds interesting and what I’ve said about the artwork doesn’t bother you, this issue is worth the $3.50 cover price. People of the Black Circle shows how Van Lente handles Conan, but his ongoing run might look a bit different, as he’ll be using less of Howard’s original work in those stories. People of the Black Circle is a good series so far, with the one exception being the background artwork. It’s a standalone story, so you don’t need to know Conan’s backstory to make sense of it, but in any case you should start with issue #1 of this series if it interests you.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He never uses his magic for evil, unless you ask really nicely. You can follow his trail through bandit-infested mountain passes on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #22

Finally, here it is. I’ve been waiting for this since Queen of the Black Coast. This month’s issue is part one in the Song of Bêlit, adapting the second half of Robert E. Howard‘s original Queen of the Black Coast. Issue #25 will end this story and Brian Wood‘s Conan run, and I might just forget about some of the weaker issues he wrote in between this and Queen of the Black Coast if he can make this last story work. He’s sticking pretty close to Howard’s original in this issue, and I can only hope that he’ll continue that way. How Wood ends the Song of Bêlit will make or break his entire Conan run. It’s all been leading up to these last four issues, and I really hope the end will be worth the wait. If you’re not up to speed on this series and you want to know what I thought of other issues, check out my earlier reviews here.

Dark Horse’s Conan comics have always aimed to adapt Howard’s stories and present the Cimmerian’s adventures in chronological order, with original stories to fill the gaps in the timeline. Brian Wood’s run expands on Conan’s time with Bêlit between the two main parts of Howard’s Queen of the Black Coast. The beginning and end of Wood’s run are direct adaptations from that story, but the rest of the comics are new stories. In those, Brian Wood has tried to explore different sides of Conan’s character, with varying success. Bêlit is one of the most important women in Conan’s life, and Wood’s stories have gone to great lengths to show that. Sometimes he manages it pretty well, but his ideas often fall flat.


But the first few issues of Queen of the Black Coast were excellent, sticking close to Howard’s original while adding a new side to the story. That’s what I’m hoping for in these last four issues, but there isn’t enough in this issue for me to make that judgment yet. If you’ve read Howard’s original, there’s not much to surprise you in this issue, and that’s generally a good thing, but there’s still room for the story to take an unexpected turn. 

Riccardo Burchielli‘s artwork is alright, but there isn’t really anything remarkable about it. Most of the other artists that have worked with Brian Wood on Conan had distinctive styles, but there isn’t anything that stands out about Burchielli’s art here, and that’s a bit disappointing. 

The ruined city looks about how I expected it to, but the river and the serpent don’t have the kind of impact that they should. Maybe the color of the river doesn’t indicate its sinister qualities, and the snake shows up for all of two pages before it’s gone, but I was expecting more from that encounter. And for all the space it takes up on the cover, we only get one good look at the “devil ape” up close in this issue, and it’s a bit underwhelming. It looks more like a dog or a hyena than an ape, but maybe that’s just the angle it’s drawn at. We’ll see much more of it in the next few issues, so hopefully my first impressions are wrong. 

taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

I can’t say much more about this comic without talking about the events of the next three issues, so I’ll leave that for those reviews. This issue is a good start to Brian Wood’s last Conan story, but the artwork isn’t as interesting as it has been in previous issues. But if you want to know how the story of Conan and Bêlit comes to an end, this issue is worth the $3.50 cover price.

Also out this week is the Colossal Conan, a collection of issues #0 to #50 of Dark Horse’s Conan. That encompasses the entire Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord run to the beginning of the Timothy Truman/Tomás Giorello run, and all the stuff in between, in one book. The comics included are some of my favorite Conan comics, period. I’ve read and re-read some of them several times. If I didn’t already have them I’d think about buying the book, but at $150.00 it’s a lot for something I already have. But if you’ve somehow missed those comics before, it’s pretty cool to have them all in one volume. 

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He thought he saw a winged ape once, but figured it was probably on account of that poisonous river water he drank. You can follow him into the dream-haunted slumber of the black lotus on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: King Conan – The Hour of the Dragon #6

This is the last issue of the Hour of the Dragon, but this issue keeps adding to the story, instead of concluding it. Of course, this is really just the halfway point in Dark Horse’s adaptation of Robert E. Howard‘s Hour of the Dragon. The story continues in February as King Conan: the Conqueror, and I can’t wait. I may have expressed some doubts in previous reviews of this series, but this issue does not disappoint. This series is a classic Conan story from the team of Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello, and José Villarrubia.

In this issue, King Conan sneaks out of Aquilonia into the still-loyal province of Poitain, just to take off alone again in search of the Heart of Ahriman. This month’s comic has ancient superstitions, magic and treachery, and even some undead for Conan to fight off. It ends the six-part miniseries on a high note, and I imagine the next six issues will be just as good.

The writing and artwork are just as good as before; if you’re already keeping up with this series you don’t need me to say it again. The team of Truman, Giorello, and Villarrubia is one of the better creative teams in recent Conan comics, and it shows in this series. The Hour of the Dragon is not an easy story to tell in just twelve issues, but judging by the first six, I think they’ll do a good job.

There isn’t much left for me to say about this issue except to recommend it. As always, the cover price is $3.50. Definitely pick this one up if you liked the previous issues. This goes without saying, but if you just now found out about this series, the first issue is a better place to start. The Hour of the Dragon is a classic Conan story filled with violence, magic, and even some political intrigue, and Truman, Giorello, and Villarrubia are well on their way to creating an excellent adaptation of it.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He stole the Heart of Ahriman and fenced it to a wandering merchant. You can follow his boat down the Khorotas River on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: King Conan – The Hour of the Dragon #5

Those seemingly unconnected plot points in the earlier issues of Hour of the Dragon finally start coming together in issue #5, and yet this issue still manages to introduce new characters and intrigues. Also, this issue has settled those doubts about this series that I raised in my earlier reviews. The story of Hour of the Dragon is fast-paced and full of rival characters all vying for Aquilonia and Nemedia, but in this issue it doesn’t seem as rushed as it was in the previous ones. The most important exposition has already been told, so this issue gets a chance to move the plot forward. King Conan: the Hour of the Dragon #5 is another great issue from Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello, and José Villarrubia. 

So far, the Hour of the Dragon has featured Conan escaping from prison with Zenobia; in this issue we see the flipside of that, with Conan helping an Aquilonian noblewoman flee from what were his own prisons. Of course, this time he’s more prepared and better armed. But before that, there’s a brief but unusual scene when Conan re-enters his capital city in disguise. Not to spoil it further, but the little exposition that is delivered this issue comes from a secretive priesthood and a certain rival to Conan’s throne who show up towards the end of the comic. They don’t say much that readers don’t already know, but it’s important stuff nonetheless.

There’s plenty of blood in this issue too, and of course to go with it are those grotesque faces that only Giorello can draw. The faces of Giorello’s characters are always distinctive, and he’s one of the few artists who really gets Conan’s features right.

If there’s one complaint I have about the artwork in this series, it’s that Villarubia’s color choice is sometimes odd, especially for backgrounds. Many scenes in this issue feature no background aside from a color or a gradient, and it’s a bit jarring to see bright blue, followed by dimmer olive green in a scene that talks about the “dim light” and shadows of the night. Like in the last issue, the dark environment doesn’t really come through in the artwork. But the action in this issue does all take place under what appears to be a full moon, so I guess it shouldn’t be all that dark anyway.

That’s a minor complaint though, more just artistic choice toward bright colors and contrast than anything else. If you’ve been keeping up with King Conan, you can be sure that this issue doesn’t disappoint for the $3.50 cover price. The story is finally going somewhere, but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing even more new characters in the next issue. Only one more issue remains in the six-part Hour of the Dragon, but the story won’t be over until the next six-issue series.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He misplaced the Heart of Ahriman when he reorganized his shelf, but he’s yet to be free of its sorcerous powers. You can follow him through Khitan jungles on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: Conan – The Phenomenon TPB

I should start this review with a quick clarification. Conan – the Phenomenon isn’t a comic, but a book primarily about the history of Conan as a character, in all his forms and in different media. It also includes a brief biography of Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan. This volume lists almost every publication, film, and even video game the Cimmerian has ever appeared in (the book ends in 2006), and discusses each in turn, sometimes offering an insight into the contributions that the different authors, artists, and filmmakers have made to help create the popular conception of Conan the Cimmerian as he exists today.

The book is written by Paul M. Sammon, and is divided into five chapters, each with a different focus but presented in roughly chronological order. The first chapter is a biography of Robert E. Howard; the second and third chapters go over his Conan stories, as well as the books and comics published up until 1980 or so. Chapter Four talks in great detail about the two Conan films in the 1980’s – it helps that the author actually worked on the marketing for both movies. Sammon talks about their production, as well as their critical reception, and he discusses a few reasons why the films were flawed. There’s even a part at the end of the chapter where he talks about possible Conan films in the future, mentioning the 2002 attempt at King Conan specifically. The last chapter goes into newer Conan comics, as well as role-playing games and video games.

If anything, the sections towards the end point to the biggest flaw in a book like this: it was written in 2006, but some of the information is already outdated. The Conan MMO isn’t new and exciting anymore, and there’s been another Conan film since this book was written. But I guess it’s for the best that the film isn’t mentioned… but that’s because this book was first published in 2007, but it’s only now getting a paperback release. I would’ve liked to see an updated version of this book with more current information for this new release; I’m not sure why it’s taken so long to release this in paperback, but a few parts of the book could use updating.

If you can ignore the gap of the last seven years or so, there’s a lot of good information in Conan – the Phenomenon. The book goes into detail in a few sections, but it also directs the reader to other sources for further information about Conan. For example, it doesn’t have the most in-depth biography of Robert E. Howard, but it tells you about the more detailed ones if that interests you. Of course this book only briefly mentions Solomon Kane, Kull, or Howard’s other works, but this is a book about Conan.

And in the end, it’s a history book. It’s in the nature of history books to become outdated, but Conan – the Phenomenon is still an interesting read. It’s a great jumping-off point for learning more about Howard or the Cimmerian. Even though you can find most of this information online, this book does a good job of presenting it neatly in one volume, and Sammon does occasionally try to analyze why and how Conan’s legacy developed the way it did. The cover price of the new TPB release is $19.99; if you don’t mind the few outdated sections and missing information from the past few years, this book is a great collection of information about the Cimmerian. I just wish there was more current information in it.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He actually does like to read history books occasionally. You can follow his rise to a pop culture phenomenon on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #20

Brian Wood had a promising start to his Conan run with Queen of the Black Coast. The first three issues stayed remarkably close to Robert E. Howard‘s original story, and the next three established the tone of Conan’s future adventures with Bêlit. However, everything past those first three issues has been new material written by Wood, instead of adapting anything from Howard. Admittedly, Howard’s Queen of the Black Coast isn’t long enough to fill 25 issues, but Wood’s original stories have been somewhat hit-or-miss. I enjoyed most of them, with a few exceptions. You can read my earlier reviews of this series for more details, but I think Black Stones is turning out to be one of those exceptions.

But before I get to what I didn’t like, I’ll talk about what this issue does right: the artwork. As in the previous issue, the artwork is done by Paul Azaceta and the colors by Dave Stewart. But in issue #19, there wasn’t a lot going on visually; in issue #20 Azaceta gets a chance to show off his unique style with a haunting full-page image, a few action sequences, and even some ancient magic. 

The artwork is great, but I can’t say the same for the story in this issue. It picks up with Conan and Bêlit fleeing from a fanatical cult after stealing a precious relic from them. They fight with the cult members a few times, then Bêlit accidentally finds out what the relic is for in the first place. I won’t spoil any more than that, but I find myself wondering what the point of this adventure is. After all, there’s only one more issue for Black Stones to conclude. I was almost worried that Brian Wood’s Conan run wouldn’t end by adapting the last half of Howard’s original Queen of the Black Coast, but then I saw the cover of (spoilers in the link) issue #22, and now I can’t wait for that issue. 

But what I’m trying to say is that Black Stones just seems like a story to fill issues until the finale. At the end of the current issue, the story takes an unusual turn, and I’m not sure how that will resolve into a meaningful plot point in just the next issue. So far, Black Stones has just been Conan and Bêlit investigating, then fighting against this cult, and it doesn’t seem to have much significance in the bigger picture, aside from perhaps the magic that we see used at the end of this issue. Brian Wood’s Conan stories have always been about the relationship between Conan and Bêlit, but Black Stones hasn’t added or changed much between the two of them. Will the next issue prove me wrong? Maybe, but I have the suspicion that the end of this story arc will feel forced or just weak, like the story about the impostor in Volume 14: the Death. 

I hope that won’t be the case, but the first two issues of Black Stones haven’t been very promising. Still, if you’ve been keeping up with Conan, this issue is worth the cover price of $3.50 just for Paul Azaceta’s artwork. If that doesn’t interest you, I have higher hopes for the upcoming Song of Bêlit. Brian Wood’s start to Queen of the Black Coast was excellent, and I’m really hoping that the end will be too. 

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He’s played enough D&D to know you should never open ancient relics just to see what happens. You can follow his trail through the Forest of Ghouls on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: King Conan – The Hour of the Dragon #4

I should apologize that in my previous reviews of this series, I never mentioned the excellent cover art by Gerald Parel. I’ll try to make up for that here. The cover of King Conan: the Hour of the Dragon #4 shows Conan fighting a giant wolf. It’s pretty awesome, and in a perfect world, that would be all you need to know about this issue. Unfortunately, the comic only features a wolf that’s slightly larger than average, certainly not big enough to hold a man in its jaws. Still, the rest of the issue is great. The last issue ended with King Conan riding off into the sunset to reclaim his kingdom, and in this one we finally get to see what’s happened in Aquilonia because of his absence. This issue introduces several new characters and sets up challenges for the Cimmerian, left “a king without a kingdom” after the battle at Valkia.

There’s some action in this issue, but for the most part it gives us backstory and informs events to come in the next few issues. Issue #3 ended without much direction, so it makes sense that this issue introduces some new events, but there are several new characters as well. This makes the story a bit more complex, but there are only eight issues left to tell it. I’ve said it before, but I’m still worried that this adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s Hour of the Dragon will lose a lot by being compressed into so few issues. There’s not much room for pause in this series; events fly past in just a few pages, but Timothy Truman does manage to highlight the most important parts of the story.

In this issue, the focus is once again on Conan dealing with magic, as well as political struggles. On one hand, there are at least three sorcerers trying to influence the outcome of his quest. On the other, the rival nobles of Aquilonia threaten to split the kingdom. King Conan has a lot to deal with before he can make good on his promise to return for Zenobia, but he’s faced worse before. At least this time, he might find allies in the loyal nobles of Aquilonia. Speaking of Zenobia, she, Tarascus and Xaltotun show up only once in this issue. They’re all still important, but I have a feeling we won’t be seeing much of them for the next couple of issues.

The artwork and colors are just as good as I’ve come to expect from Tomás Giorello and José Villarrubia. Like the previous issues, the artwork is dark and evocative. Giorello’s work always gives these comics a unique atmosphere, and this one is no different. 

If you’ve enjoyed this series so far, King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #4 is definitely worth the $3.50 cover price. Sure, it doesn’t have the giant wolf that the cover promises, but you won’t want to miss this issue if you’ve been following the story. I just hope that the rest of the story fits in the relatively few issues remaining. This series is already one-third of the way done, but it still feels like the story’s just beginning. 

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He thinks all comics should have giant wolves on the cover. You can use sorcerous powers to follow him through the eyes of a raven on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: Conan the Barbarian #19

The latest issue in the monthly Conan the Barbarian series continues the story of Conan and Bêlit that started in Queen of the Black Coast. I didn’t write a review of issue #18, but you can read my combined review of issue #17 and the TPB release of Queen of the Black Coast if you want to know what I thought of those. While the Brian Wood run of Conan has had its ups and downs, Conan’s adventures with Bêlit are shaping up to be one of the more memorable Conan story arcs in recent years. Brian Wood continues to prove that he can write good Conan comics, even though he often strays very far from Robert E. Howard’s original work, and the ever-changing lineup of artists keeps the series interesting. Paul Azaceta does the artwork, with colors by Dave Stewart, as Conan and Bêlit wander into a mysterious village and encounter a bloodthirsty cult in issue #19: Black Stones – Part One.

What makes Brian Wood’s Conan so different isn’t just the style and his interpretation of the character, but how his work has successfully diverged from Howard’s established story. In previous Conan comics, other characters only appear for a few issues before their path takes them elsewhere, or they die (mostly the second option). In the current series, readers can become more invested in characters other than Conan himself, as Bêlit and her crew are presented as fully-formed characters that lend their own perspective to the Cimmerian’s travels. 

Actually, these comics take place in the middle of Howard’s original Queen of the Black Coast; only the first three issues of Brian Wood’s run are directly adapted from Howard’s work so far. The rest is original material, though I imagine that the final issues of the series will conclude the adaptation Howard’s story. Brian Wood’s stories have been a mixed bag, but they stay true to the spirit of Conan for the most part. He clearly knows the character, and he wants to present those sides of Conan that haven’t been explored before. I didn’t really like the subplot with the impostor in Volume 14: the Death, but Conan’s ongoing relationship with Bêlit is always interesting, and from the first issues she quickly became one of my favorite characters in this series.

Paul Azaceta’s artwork in this issue is excellent. As with many of the other artists that have worked on the current Conan run, his style is unusual for Conan, just as Brian Wood’s writing is. Azaceta’s style is interesting, presenting characters and places with realistic features doing so by providing minimal details in rough lines of ink littering the page.

As for the events in this issue, I’m not really going to talk about them any more than I already have. This issue is the start of a new subplot in Conan’s ongoing travels with Bêlit, but there isn’t much aside from the artwork to make this issue stand out, for better or worse. If you’re already following Conan the Barbarian, you can pick up this issue for the cover price of $3.50. If you’re not reading this series but what I’ve said intrigues you, start with Queen of the Black Coast. This is a Conan series that differs significantly from previous comics, and so far the results have been mostly positive. I just hope that the ending stays close to Howard’s original story.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He wonders why people think it’s such a great idea to poke around in cursed villages. You can follow his raids along the western coasts on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: The Savage Sword of Conan – Volume 14

The Savage Sword of Conan – Volume 14 is a collection of ten stories from Marvel’s Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian series, that ran from 1974 to 1995. This book in particular includes issues 141-150, comics that were originally published in 1987 and 1988. The stories in this collection were written by Charles Dixon and Don Kraar, and the long list of artists includes Gary Kwapisz, Ernie Chan, Geof Isherwood, Val Mayerik, Tom Grindberg, and Bob McLeod. This collection is a bit difficult to review, not just because of the age of the comics, but because the book is more than 500 pages long! A few pages are spent on titles and covers of the original magazine; the rest is classic sword-and-sorcery. Conan fights monsters of all shapes, along with Picts, brainwashed cultists, gladiators, and even zombies. And of course there are plenty of scantily-clad damsels for Conan to rescue from all these dangers.

I suppose the biggest selling point for a collection like this is that the included comics have been out of print for years, so it’s the first time some readers – myself included – can easily find these stories. But these days, we’re spoiled with great Conan comics. Dark Horse’s monthly Conan series has been consistently excellent, and King Conan is generally similar in that regard. Those comics are mostly adapted directly from Robert E. Howard‘s stories, with a few original story arcs to fill in the gaps in Howard’s chronology.

While some issues of the Savage Sword of Conan are adapted from Howard’s stories as well, the issues included in this volume are not. That by itself doesn’t make these stories bad, but they’re missing the qualities that Conan such a great character. Instead of drawing from Howard’s work, these comics are original stories that end up bearing only a surface-level similarity to Howard’s Conan. He shouts, “Crom!” a lot, but there’s not much substance to his character in these comics. He’s depicted as heroic and impeccably honorable, saving innocent women and children without compensation, but there’s not much depth to him beyond that. Not to say that he isn’t violent though; that part’s still there. The bad guys in these comics die in pretty gruesome ways.

The artwork is decent. There are several artists in this volume, and the style varies a little from story to story, though there are some common elements. The book is all in black and white though, as is the entire Savage Sword of Conan series. That might be an issue for some people, but the inking and detail in the illustration is good enough that I don’t mind it not being in color. After all, that’s how these comics were originally presented. Then again, adding color worked pretty well for Humanoids’ Armies collection. But in this case I think the comics are better off in black and white. It shows a style of artwork and inking that isn’t often seen in newer comics.

taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

The stories included in Volume 14 are occasionally interesting, but they’re missing the qualities that make a Conan comic stand out. Of course I say that having only read the issues included in this volume. The Savage Sword of Conan was a very long-running series that was pretty popular in its heyday. For many readers, the early issues were their first experiences with Conan, and there’s still some lingering nostalgia from people who read this series in the 70’s. The first Conan comic I read was Dark Horse’s recent adaptation of the Frost Giant’s Daughter, and the Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord run remains my favorite comic version of the Cimmerian. But I’ll have to read the first volume of the Savage Sword of Conan; maybe that nostalgia has its roots in some really great comics.

In any case, Volume 14’s cover price of $19.99 includes ten stories that add up to more than 500 pages. It’s a good deal for that many comics, but as I said earlier, there are so many great Conan comics these days that you might be better off choosing a different one. The stories in this volume are generally unconnected episodes, and there’s not much to each story past the set-up followed by a climactic battle, with variations in that formula to set the stories apart. These comics have only a passing resemblance to the character created by Robert E. Howard, and they’ve been eclipsed by all the great new Conan comics. Buy this volume if none of that bothers you, or if you want to see what Conan comics were like in the late 80’s, but there are many better comics out there today.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He left his savage sword at home, but at least he brought a barbaric blade. You can follow his aimless wanderings across lands unknown on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: King Conan – The Hour of the Dragon #3

While Hour of the Dragon #1 and #2 seemed somewhat slow-paced, issue #3 goes from one action scene to the next, with a few brief pauses for exposition in between. Conan still hasn’t found out exactly why Zenobia is helping him, but the comic does show a glimpse of King Tarascus’ plans. Xaltotun appears only briefly in this issue, but his role in the story is far from over. I shouldn’t really say more than that, but it’s difficult to discuss this issue without spoiling the plot. Well, Robert E. Howard’s original Hour of the Dragon has been in print for decades now, but for those who haven’t read it, here’s a spoiler-free review: Timothy Truman, Tomás Giorello, and José Villarrubia have created another good issue. King Conan: Hour of the Dragon #3 is full of action, and there are a few significant plot developments. If the first two issues intrigued you, pick this one up, but one more thing I should mention is a poorly-adapted scene in this comic, that I’ll spoil below. My full review, with spoilers, follows after the jump.

As far as the story goes, perhaps the most interesting scene in this issue is when Tarascus finds the magic gem that appears to be the source of Xaltotun’s power. This story won’t just be Conan against the sorcerer; Tarascus knows he can’t trust such a powerful wizard, so he needs some leverage for the likely betrayal. Or maybe Tarascus just wants Xaltotun out of the way now that he’s served his purpose: capturing Conan and defeating the Aquilonian army. 

But thanks to Zenobia, that first goal has backfired on the Nemedians, as Tarascus soon finds out, in what is perhaps the weakest scene in this comic. Conan attacks, but fails to kill Tarascus with his first stab, and has to fight off the king’s bodyguard. After this, he doesn’t go after the king, but decides to run away from the rest of the guards with Zenobia. The way the comic is drawn, Tarascus seems only a few feet away from Conan, running for his life and screaming for the guards. A few pages later, Conan kills Tarascus’ bodyguard by throwing a dagger into his throat, from at least a few feet away. Couldn’t he have done the same to the fleeing king?

In Howard’s original novel, this scene makes a bit more sense. The bodyguard isn’t present in the original, and the room is lit only by a candle on the table. Conan slips and knocks the table over, putting out the candle. Tarascus manages to escape in the darkness, as Conan does not know the layout of the palace. 

taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

Maybe it would have been difficult to draw Tarascus and Conan fumbling in the dark, but the way the scene changes from the original just makes Conan seem cowardly. In the original, he fails to finish off Tarascus because he doesn’t know which way the king went; in this comic it’s not as clear. Sure, Conan is wounded from the fight with the ape earlier, but that’s never stopped him from vengeance before. It seems more like he’s afraid of the palace guards. “Instead of settling my score with Tarascus, I’d kicked up a hornet’s next,” King Conan narrates. “To save my hide, I had no choice… but to run!” 

The rest of the issue is pretty good though. There’s plenty of action, and the artwork is just as good as previous issues. There’s also a clever flash-forward near the end of this issue, using Conan’s face to frame the shift in time. The aging King Conan looks very different from the young King, but he’s still recognizable. This issue is well-done for the most part, but there just isn’t that much to talk about except for the point when the storytelling falls flat. If you’re already following this series, the $3.50 cover price and that one disappointing scene probably won’t keep you away. 

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He wouldn’t let a few guards stand between him and vengeance. But hornets, maybe. They’re nasty. You can follow his escapes from monster-infested dungeons on Twitter at @Augustusing.