King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel
Written by Timothy Truman
Art by Tomas Giorello
Colors by Jose Villarubia
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
Chapter-Break Art by Darick Robertson with colorists Dave Stewart and Richard Clark
Cover by Gerald Parel
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Cover Price: $14.99

By Crom, finally a tale worthy of a king! King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel is a compilation of the four-issue mini-series of the same name. This is a story from Conan’s later years retold in glorious fashion. And for the first time we hear the tale directly from the Cimmerian himself.

We start the story with Conan relaxing on his throne as the King of Aquilonia. A young scribe, Pramis, is tasked with chronicling the exploits of the famous monarch for the kingdom’s libraries. Once convinced to share some of his history, Conan settles in to tell the story of his capture by the evil sorcerer, Tsotha-Lanti. Imprisoned beneath the Scarlet Citadel, the captured barbarian is quick to realize that he is not meant to survive his stay in the dungeon.

Star Wars: Episode I Adventures
Written by Henry Gilroy, Mark Schultz, Timothy Truman, and Ryder Windham
Art by Chris Chuckry, Steve Crespo, Martin Egeland, George Freeman, Harold Mackinnon, P. Craig Russell, Galen Showman, Howard M. Shum, Lisa Stamp, Robert Teranishi
Cover Art by Hugh Fleming
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: December 21, 2011
Cover Price: $7.99

With the Star Wars 3D Movie logo on the cover of Dark Horse’s Star Wars: Episode I Adventures, it is clear that the comic company (along with many other licensees) is now gearing up for the 3D Re-release of The Phantom Menace scheduled to be released on February 10, 2012. Despite the negative outlook on the prequels by vocal movie fans, I am sure there are some, almost 13 years after its first release, nostalgic enough and looking forward to the 3D screenings — and prequel fans will undoubtedly be excited too. However, this collection of Episode I-related narratives isn’t quite for everyone, although there are some positive elements to the book.