TITLE: King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword #1 (0f 4)
AUTHOR: Timothy Truman
PENCILLER: Tomas Giorello. Cover by Andrew Robinson
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASED: January 25, 2012

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Well this is interesting. Last week we took a look at Tarzan’s origins getting the comic book treatment from Dynamite. Now this week we see Robert E. Howard’s first short story about Conan the Cimmerian getting the same deal. It’s always nice to see the classics revisited, so long as it’s done well. Rest assured, it’s going to be tough to find a take on Conan that’s much better than this. Suck it, Jason Momoa.

The Phoenix on the Sword tells the story of Conan’s attempts to rule the kingdom of Aquilonia, whose evil king has been slayed by our hero. But as we know, Conan is fighter, not a ruler. The kingdom of Aquilonia turns against their former savior, and a band of rebels seeks to kill him.

Truman and Giorello aren’t new to Conan and his world. They previously collaborated on King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel. Those who enjoyed their work in that series should be happy with what they see here. The first thing that really struck me about this issue, and Scarlet for that matter, was the art. Giorello’s characters look so vibrant and real. The older version of Conan we see at the beginning of this issue has a face that’s so convincingly ravaged by both time and war. Later, when we see his youthful counterpart, it’s such an amazing regression. Couple that with the Earthy, “used universe” sort of tones that Jose Villarrubia brings to the table, and this book would almost be worth it’s price without any dialogue.

Fans looking for some of those trademark Conan action scenes will have to wait a bit longer, as this issue sets everything up. But I have no doubt they’ll deliver. We’re introduced to Conan’s future arch enemy, Thoth Amon, who also looks lovely thanks to Giorello and Villarrubia.

All in all, if you’ve never read a Conan story before, this is likely as good a place as any for you to dip your toe in the water. And even if you’ve read them all, the classic never dies.

Front page image from omnicomic.com. Interior image from comicsbulletin.com.