"And so came to pass the Hour of the Dragon". This mini is finally over. My thoughts of it? I kind of reckon it to a diesel engine. This one started real slow... pumped out a lot of black smoke early, and was a little bit stinky. Somewhere though, as it barreled down the road. It built on something and began to get better and better. Yeah, that is exactly how this mini ran. It was a diesel. For all the ups and downs, I am real glad that I stayed with this one until the end. I was very frustrated early, but kept seeing something that made me want to remain. Mostly, it was Tomas Giorello's unbelievably good art. The man can draw and I definitely want to see more. There is also another part. I didn't really fault Tim Truman's writing. I put it more to Robert Howard's writing as this not being one of his best Conan works. The man had some duds. This story was not a complete dud, but it just wasn't that mind-blowing either. Still, it followed a formula that put it back at least into the realm of success.
With Issue #6, the final battle is at hand and we see Conan battle to regain his kingdom. Those who conspired to destroy him are trying to fight back using those elements that helped them usurp Conan's throne in the first place... a little bit of black magic. But Conan, recognizing this has some tricks up his sleeve as well as one seriously powerful artifact that might just ensure that he takes the day. I enjoyed reading this issue.
As far as wrap ups go, King Conan the Conqueror #6 hits it. They stuck the landing perfectly. It simply is a shame that they tanked the program until the landing. I think the elements were there that could have made this one extraordinary. But alas, it did not. And though I was able to really enjoy this one (and the last two issues). The first three issues were just lacking.
Tim Truman did write a solid story. His portrayal of Conan was a nice mixture of barbarian and king. We hae a witty, crafty leader of men who is rough around the edges, very fitting to Howard's portrayals and much, much better than those writers who like to portray Conan more like a Neanderthal with a sword. Truman's Conan has smarts and wits, but misses a few social graces. Not a bad combination I would say.
Giorello's artwork has been awesome throughout. I desperately want to see more from this guy as he thoroughly impressed me. I simply wished that the story matched his art. Had that have happened, then I would have been beaming. As it is though, I can only give this issue a four, even though this was the best of the issues. Overall, the entire mini can only maintain a three. I am real glad that things improved. I just wished they could have started stronger and remained there, rather than wallowing in mediocrity with a nice finish.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Tim Truman Artist: Tomas Giorello Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 7/30/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital