Review - King Conan: Hour of the Dragon #2.

Review by Paul Fiander
Writer; Timothy Truman
Penciller; Tomas Giorello
Colours by; Jose Villarrubia
Cover by; Gerald Parel
Published by; Dark Horse Comics Inc
King Conan: Hour of the Dragon is part one of a two part adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Hour of the Dragon Novel. It will be appear in six parts, with a second series to be released at a later date. This is the second issue released on the 26th June 2013. You can read the review of issue 1 here.
Our entry into the second part of this story is guarded by a cover designed by Gerald Parel and it helps put across one of the main themes of this story. The vulnerability of a hero is an often overlooked idea in modern story telling. This is one of the biggest problems with invincible characters like Superman, you never truly believe they are in peril unless Kryptonite is around.

So after the first issue we have found that the mighty King has been laid low by a Sorcerer and another took his place at the head of the Army. The battle between might and magic has often been told in fantasy tales with battles generally being won or lost on account of geography. By this I mean the act of spell casting takes a great deal of concentration, so a Sorcerer will need protection or distance from their intended foe otherwise they can be struck down before casting is finished. Obviously for the warrior it works in reverse with proximity generally being their key to victory. 

Thanks to this mechanic you actually fear for Conan' s survival as he faces someone that even his brute force can not overcome. This makes the story more engaging, even though you know he survives as the story is being told in retrospective. Its the how, that is the intriguing part to me and that brings us to the main subject of this series his relationship with Zenobia. 
Picture
The Font Cover of the Comic
The same team that produced the first issue were also responsible for this issue barring a new cover work artist, so you are getting the same level of story and art that were present in the first issue. Unfortunately the visuals at times especially during the King's combat scenes do not look as strong. This is more noticeable due to the general high level of art that is on display. The story is great as it allows you to believe the King's decisions at the end.

The King Conan series continues to impress and we will be continuing over reviews in the near future.
The Comic is available in both print and digital from Dark Horse comics. Follow this link for more details.

Wrap Up

The Good  - Seeing the great King in true peril,
The Bad   - Some visuals of the King during combat

Score - 4.5/5
Images courtesy of Dark Horse Comics and SCEE
Comic - Reviewers own copy