KING CONAN #2, from Marvel Comics on January 12th, 2022, finds Conan and Thoth-Amon fighting for their lives on a desolate island filled with flesh-eating zombies. Meanwhile, Prince Conn is given a harsh task from the harshest of teachers.
The Details
- Written By: Jason Aaron
- Art By: Mahmud Asrar
- Colors By: Mahmud Asrar, Matthew Wilson
- Letters By: VC’s Travis Lanham
- Cover Art By: Mahmud Asrar (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: January 12, 2022
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Was It Good?
Okay. This is good.
Scratch that. This is a great Conan story.
The first issue kicked off two mysteries. The first, of course, is the mystery surrounding the barren island infested with black magic in which King Conan finds himself marooned. The second surrounds why King Conan was out in the middle of nowhere in the beginning.
In KING CONAN #2, Aaron seamlessly introduces a third mystery regarding the fate of Conan’s son, Prince Conn. From a lesser writer, two mysteries would be too much to execute and integrate organically into the plot. Here, Aaron adds a third and doesn’t miss a step in keeping the mysteries separate while all moving in the same direction.
Aaron does an excellent job capturing the stoic voice of the legendary Cimmerian through the narration and now showing how the ultimate barbarian struggles to rule a kingdom at peace. Conan’s still the most formidable opponent, but there’s a sadness to him because he doesn’t know what to do with himself when there’s nothing left to fight. As a father to Prince Conn, his anxiety (if that’s the word to describe Conan) is projected onto his son. Beyond the mystery inherent in the plot, Aaron has created a Conan that feels familiar but has changed with age and fatherhood in a way that feels relatable.
Asrar’s art style is perfect for a Conan book. Every panel is crystal clear while infused with an excess of deep, dark, brooding shadows for maximum drama. The linework is super detailed, and Asrar and Wilson play on the shadows by using color for highlights only where it amplifies the impact of the panel. The best Conan at Marvel has always been the original B&W zines, but the coloring work in this book demonstrates how good a Conan comic can look with the right approach to color.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
If you don’t recall how King Conan wound up on a Crom-forsaken island, first read our KING CONAN #1 review.
We begin immediately with the cliffhanger from issue #1. Thoth-Amon and Conan stop fighting each other long enough to defend themselves against hundred of flesh-eating zombies who’ve risen once the sun sets on this mysterious island. while they fight Conan seizes an opportunity to take the high ground at Thoth-Amon’s expense.
We then flashback to King Conan tending to wounded men during a campaign to drive raiders back over the Aquilonia borders. His rage has convinced him to push over the border, turning defense into an invasion, and his generals beg Prince Conn to intervene. Later, father and son talk about the next steps, and Conan seems almost manic in his need to pursue an enemy to fight. Conn counters each suggestion with information confirming the threat has already been dealt with.
King Conan is a fighter with nothing left to fight. Prince Conn worries his father doesn’t know how to accept peace. Privately, Conan worries his son will never be ready to succeed him as King if he’s never been sharpened by the same life of battle and trials that made Conan the man he has become. A few days later, Conan takes a path to ensure his son becomes the man Conan needs him to be.
We conclude the issue with a troubling proclamation, Conan showing a rare moment of mercy, and the reveal that there are more dangerous forces on the island than zombies.
Final Thoughts
KING CONAN #2 is an excellent character piece showing how an aging Conan, burdened with kingship and fatherhood, struggles to reconcile his old ways with his new life. Aaron organically weaves in a third mystery into the two introduced in the first issue while keeping the narrative clean, straight, and thoroughly engaging. The excellent writing is buoyed with excellent art, particularly through the use of dramatic shadow and accent coloring.
Score: 9.5/10
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