My Rating
“The Conquering Crown – Part 03: The Unlikely Sovereign”
“A man may be called king, but to be worthy of such power requires more than a mere crown.”
Through unforeseen alliances and a belated rebellion, Conan – the Hero of Poitain, lays siege to the city of Tarantia. There he must face one final obstacle, the Black Dragons. These men are the elite upper echelon of King Numedides. They will fight to the death, no matter how insane or despot their ruler may become. To betray their oath is to live without honor; something Conan knows well enough.
As the remnants of the royal court squabble over their right to the crown, the man with no bloodlines, no lineage to the throne pushes forward into breach. To be king by thy own hand it must be. Conan the Barbarian has come to fulfill his destiny.
Will King Numedides kneel to a Cimmerian from the north or be consumed by a dark force from beyond the stars? Can Baron Phineas of Turan be trusted alongside his allies in battle? Who or what is Shuma-Gorath – The Woeful Eye? Collect the series to find out!
“By His Own Hand – The Trials And Triumph Of Conan The King”
In this narrative, writer Jeffrey Shanks pieces together the literary works in which Conan would become King of Aquilonia. To no surprise, Robert E Howard spread the accounts over five separate storylines: The Phoenix on the Sword, The Scarlet Citadel, The Hour of the Dragon, the Miller-Clark letter, and the unfinished tale Wolves Beyond the Border. As disjointed as it would seem, writer Jim Zub was able to craft a completed storyline from start to end. For more information, I would suggest reading this article.
Review
“And unto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow.”
For those who have seen the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, it becomes clear by the end of the movie that Conan will become king of Aquilonia. Yet there is no further explanation for this proclamation. Unless, of course, those with knowledge of or access to Howard’s original stories would even know where to begin.
My hats off to Jim Zub and Titan Comics for finally providing this crucial piece of the puzzle. The Conquering Crown story arc is a must-read for any true fan of the character (both literary and/or film versions). I give issue number twenty-eight a rock solid four out of five stars.
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