That's because the original ending doesn't quite work as well in the comics as it does in the novel.
In the novel, the finale has Conan leading a vast army of supporters against an equally-vast army of his enemies, while on a nearby mountain the evil sorcerer behind the uprising is opposed by wizards working with Conan's forces.
But in the comics, it means that Conan is lost in the crowd - he's busy hacking and slashing while the big bad guy is being confronted by someone else.
But for King Conan, writer Tim Truman and artist Tomas Giorello just use a bit of creative license to make it work, bringing Conan to the mountaintop to confront the ultimate evil - and then sending him downhill to join the final battle.
A bit of a stretch, but it's easily forgiven, considering the fiery conclusion to the adventure. They even manage to bring Conan's future wife Zenobia into the story. But those changes are all relatively minor and do nothing to hurt this powerful tale of kings and thrones and dark sorcery.
With wonderful, amazing, gritty, lush artwork - just perfect for this series - and terrific scripting, this is a series you should be buying! If you missed the individual issues, grab the collections - you can thank me later.
Conan's been appearing in comics for a long time (44 years!), and the work by this creative team is among the very best ever. Don't miss it!
Grade: A
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