I was both surprised and delighted to see this latest adaptation of Robert E. Howard's stories about King Conan.Delighted because it marks the return of writer Tim Truman and artist Tomas Giorello, both of whom turned in outstanding work on the recent "Scarlet Citadel" series (among others).
They're a perfect match, with Truman delivering hard-hitting action and Giorello providing amazing, lush artwork.
I was somewhat surprised, though, to see the Howard story "The Phoenix on the Sword" is the basis for this mini-series, because the original story is very short one.
But to their credit, the creative team has expanded on the story (so far) without it feeling bloated or padded. We meet the older Conan, now King of Aquilonia, as he relates the story of an early attempt to take away his throne. It also features Conan's oldest and most dangerous enemy.
It's always been a favorite of mine, and surprisingly enough, it's actually the first Conan story published (in 1932). Howard retooled a King Kull story, added a supernatural element and cast his newest creation, Conan, in the lead role. The result is a classic!
The series is off to a rousing start, and if you're any kind of Conan fan, don't miss this series!
Grade: A
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