Well, Thomas avoids falling into the trap of predictable plot developments this issue. He’s adapting Howard’s The Tower of the Elephant, which gives the issue a somewhat different Conan than usual. As opposed to being a really active force in the story, Conan’s more an explorer here. Yes, at the end he’s responsible for bringing about the change, but he does it unknowingly.
In some ways, it might be the least compelling of the issues so far. It’s full of information, but not serialized information. Conan’s sidekick this issue lasts a few pages and makes little impression. The big reveal at the end has nothing to do with Conan, just its own thing. Conan’s a little sprog in an overwhelming preexisting situation.
Windsor-Smith’s art is solid, though he doesn’t get to do much–the story’s very dense, his panels are often tiny.
It’s all right, but it doesn’t connect.
Leave a Reply