King Conan The Phoenix on the Sword #2
Script by Tim Truman
Art by Tomas Giorello
Colors by Jose Villarrubia
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Cover by Andrew Robinson
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: February 29, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

I really REALLY wanted to like King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword #2. Honestly, I did. But, for a variety of reasons, I just couldn’t.

First off, let’s get this outta the way. Tim Truman is a legend in the business. That being said, everyone has an off day. The biggest problem that I had with this issue is that Conan is hardly in it. He doesn’t show up until the last quarter of the book, and then it’s just for a reveal that really doesn’t mean that much. This issue will probably read better in trade than it does in single issue format.

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.