KING CONAN #3, from Marvel Comics on February 16th, 2022, introduces the shipwrecked Conan to a mysterious woman who’s survived the zombie horrors of this dead isle for many a night.
The Details
- Written By: Jason Aaron
- Art By: Mahmud Asrar
- Colors By: Matthew Wilson
- Letters By: VC’s Travis Lanham
- Cover Art By: Mahmud Asrar (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: February 16, 2022
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Was It Good?
In all honesty, Jason Aaron continues to impress with a darn fine Conan story in KING CONAN #3. For all the muscles and mayhem, Conan stands apart from most barbarians because he’s as shrewd and cunning as a viper. In this issue, we get to see Conan embroiled in his fair share of combat, but we get to see him use his brain as well as his brawn.
To be clear, the majority of the action in this issue is told through snippets, montage style. Therefore, set your sword-slashing expectations accordingly. In return, readers are treated to more background on Conan’s parting moments with his son, the events that led Conan to the deserted island, and plenty of background on the mysterious woman seen only from the shadows in the prior issues.
Again, there’s not much action in the present but plenty in flashbacks and montages.
Asrar’s art, again, proves to be a perfect match for the material and the characters. All the panels have a superb amount of detail. Asrar plays up the brooding, heavy shadows to create a grim air in every scene. And, Wilson’s colors are gorgeous. We’re fans of Marvel’s original Conan B&W zines, but if you’re going to Conan in color, this is the right way to do it.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
By CROM! Don’t read another word until you’ve refreshed your memory by reading our KING CONAN #2 review.
We begin with a montage flashback touching on the assorted challenges Conan and his shipmates faced since he left his homeland. The memories return to him once he sees that his dead shipmates are among the zombie hordes attacking him now.
When Conan sees the red apes enjoying safety on a cliff above, he decides to take his chances with the apes rather than fight zombies all night. After he climbs to the lofty perch, a woman greets him from the shadows of a cave mouth. she explains she’s trapped on the island like him. The caves, however, provide her safety because they contain vast treasures and part of the island’s curse is that the dead may not look upon the gold kept at its heart.
Conan presses the woman to explain how she got on the island, and we’re given a detailed flashback to her life as a princess, destroyed by a forbidden love that nearly destroyed her people. We conclude the issue with an offer to escape, a trap, and a ransom.
Final Thoughts
KING CONAN #3 is short on action but more than makes up for it with plenty of character development and world-building. The art is pitch-perfect for a Conan series, and the writing is one of the better works turned in by Aaron in recent memory.
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