Written by: Jim Zub
Art by: Doug Braithwaite
Coloring: Diego Rodriguez
Lettering: Richard Stockings
Cover by: Nick Percival
Published by: Titan Comics
Summary:
We pick up where the story left off, at the end of issue 31, with the woman that Conan saved during the brawl between the Son of the Tooth, named Emida. Emida tends to his wounds as it’s implied that Conan’s not fully rested from the battle. They are resting at the Khoraja inn, where the innkeepers keep their charges as thanksgiving for the barbarian slaying the Son of the Tooth.
A woman with a head covering approaches the barbarian, asking for his assistance, as he is at the inn, playing cards with Emida and a few residents. She asks to hire him for a certain purpose: as a bodyguard. The woman calls herself Aroya, and she explains that she needs a special man to help her travel across the eastern desert to return back home. She promises Conan with a hefty reward.
The two leave on horseback the night of the talk, and a day later they are in the middle of the desert when a pack of hyenas attack the horses. Conan fights them off, as Roya’s steed dies in their presence. The two land at the crossing between the plains of Mardeh, as Aroya tells Conan that her people have fought against their kind for generations.
The issue hits the climax as Conan defeats a horde of undead soldiers, rising from the desert sands. The two run across a shrine that holds a divine power yet to be discovered. Aroya finds an urn in within the shrine, and her presence disappears into the wind, as she tells Conan that his job is finished.
Lovely end to this issue, as the plot started in one point and unexpectedly ended in another angle that will surprise readers. Another issue that should be picked up by many.
Overall: 10/10
India Williams is a comic writer and reviewer based in Florida. She is a lifelong comics fan, with favorites including Thor, Conan, G.I. Joe, and Speed Racer. When she’s not writing comics or reviewing them, she enjoys toy photography.
