After a brief hiatus writer Timothy Truman and artist Tomás Giorello are back showcasing King Conan in all his flashback story delivering glory. Their last arc was so-so with some very big highs and some very meh lows. A new arc begins today and we get a chance to peruse its pages to let you know the answer to our usual question, is it good?
King Conan: The Conqueror #1 (Dark Horse Comics)
Once again we open on an old King Conan as he recounts his tale to a humble servant. This story recaps the entire last arc nicely in a beautiful two page spread so if you’re tentative you’ll be lost, don’t be worried. Come to think of it, the recap is in many ways more interesting than the entire previous arc, partly because of the mosaic Giorello draws; it’s epic and beautiful and a nice representation of Conan and how much stuff can happen in a single adventure. This story revolves around the MacGuffin of a rare jewel with magical properties. Conan is after the jewel and so are a group of magic wielding dudes in black robes. In the last arc we learned Conan is no match when facing magic directly, so how does he have any chance here?
The funny thing is writer Truman doesn’t need magic to show Conan get his ass whooped in hand to hand combat. It’s a rare thing to see, but of course Conan takes out a whole lot of dudes in said battle. This sequence is exciting and bloody as heck, so those of you looking for the ultra violence shouldn’t shy away from this issue. There’s also some magical wonderment afoot with plenty of mysteries to keep your attention.
Tasty though, you have to admit.
Unfortunately a lot of this comic is recap and exposition. Conan spends four or so pages asking around and posturing, then more pages are spent when the black robed dudes show up and ask similar questions. Aside from the action sequence the issue’s prattling and dialogue go nowhere and do little to tell an interesting story.
Fortunately though, Giorello continues to do great work. He utilizes an illustrated style that you could see used in a novel every 30 or so pages. The richness and detail is so great it captures your attention and you don’t want to pull yourself away.
Stop prattling and get to the point!
Is It Good?
Almost, but not quite. The action sequence is great and keeps your attention, but so much of this book is going to be recapped in a single panel next issue you might as well not bother.
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