Conan The Barbarian #3
Script by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Cover Art by Massimo Carnevale and John Paul Leon with Dave Stewart
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 11, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

Conan The Barbarian #3 features the third part of the eagerly anticipated, by many Conan fans, Queen of the Black Coast. One of the most beloved Conan short stories that Robert E. Howard ever wrote about the world’s favorite barbarian. Conan’s first meeting with the Pirate Queen Belit is epic in every sense of the word, and thankfully, this comic is too.

Brian Wood creates, with help from Robert E. Howard, a very bittersweet tale in this issue. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is SO unlike any other Conan comics before it. Totally different storytelling style, totally different art, and a totally different feel to the book. While I won’t go into story details for spoiler reasons, this is NOT your typical Conan story. This is more about Conan the MAN than Conan the BARBARIAN. In fact, there’s little to no sword play or action at all, and that’s OK. Very well done, all in all.

Becky Cloonan was the perfect choice for THIS Conan story. I don’t know if her art would work on the typical Conan tale, but this is more of a character piece, so it fits like a glove. Between her artistic storytelling and Wood’s verbal storytelling, you don’t have to look much further to find the perfect comic. And who says licensed property comics are all bad? This book proves them wrong. Her character moments are fantastic and her love scenes are some of the most R-rated PG art I’ve ever seen.

You REALLY can’t go wrong with this comic!!! A rare third issue that you can read and enjoy without having picked up the first two. If you’re looking for some Conan that’s not so barbaric, here’s your chance to jump on board. An extremely pleasant surprise. Pick it up, NOW!!!