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Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: Jan. 1, 2014
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Ariel Olivetti
Cover: Ariel Olivetti
Purchase at Amazon
In part three of this early Robert E. Howard tale, Conan has Yasmina, a princess everyone calls the devi (she used to be a goddess), and is on the run from Wazulis. They think the Cimmerian killed their chieftain and they of course are out for his head. He of course didn't kill the man, he's Conan and he doesn't do that sort of thing. Dressing her in peasant clothes, they make way on his horse through the mountains where they encounter a problem: some skeletal-faced wizards. And guess who they want?
After losing Yasmina to the wizards, he teams up with an unlikely ally to work together and get Yasmina away from the wizards, and then they can fight over her afterward. Sounds good to Conan. We all know who will win that contest. And what of Yasmina? She is now with the Master of Yimsha, the one who killed her royal brother, and he has plans for her too. That plan? Maybe some enslavement, a bit of torture, lots of torment. You know, see what happens.
This retelling of Howard's story is actually a re-re-telling as it also was told in The Savage Sword of Conan, originally published by Marvel Comics, and then reprinted by Dark Horse a number of years back. So if you know the story, you know how it will end. But even so, it's a great yarn and Van Lente's take on it is faithful, but with his own voice of course. Dialogue reads well and Conan comes across as brutal and sexist as ever. Olivetti's painted artwork is gorgeous and Conan's Bruce Dickinson haircut looks as fantastic as ever has before. Olivetti paints great facial expressions which really set the mood for the scene at hand, be it humorous or be it ominous. His monsters are awesome and he sure can paint the curves on the ladies. And his cover for this issue is classic Conan. What a great book.
