Jim Zub's A Nest of Serpents part 2: Diamond in the Dirt
It's Conan the Worm vs Krum-Va the Colossal. From his skybox, The Master of The Black Ring, Thoth-Amon and his buddies are barely being entertained.
Conan discovers that Krum-Va's ankle is his Achilles' heel. Conan kills Krum-Va and thus becomes the new slave-champion of The City of Magicians.
The power-hungry Athyr-Bast is pleased, finally one of her savage slaves is triumphant. The Lords of Kheshatta are taking notice too.
To pass under the radar of the sorcerers, Conan uses a brilliant pseudonym: Amra from the Shemite city of Akbitana/Akbatana.
Thoth-Amon wants to purchase the impressive Cimmerian, but Athyr-Bast prefers to keep the barbarian in her stable.
Conan is not returned to his prison cell, he's told to "shower" for his mistress. In Athyr-Bast's chamber, the enchantress calls Conan her Diamond in the Dirt.
Off panel, Conan receives Weapon Training (just like he did in the 1982 Conan the Barbarian film!).
Over many weeks, a cloaked figure watches (a Rocky III homage) as Conan of Cimmeria, now pit fighter: Amra the Annihilator/Unstoppable, kills dozens of slaves in the arena (just like in the 1982 Conan the Barbarian film!).
Conan's success makes Athyr-Bast famous and mucho important. The other wizards become envious.
Athyr-Bast buys Livia (from The Vale of Lost Women (1967)) for Conan. The Cimmerian reassures Livia that he wants to escape with her and his Bamula allies.
The next day a cloaked figure looks on as Conan murders off panel his Bamula brothers in the arena.
During a soirée, a cloaked figure sees (another Rocky III homage) Conan exhibited like a bronze sculpture, sitting cross-legged, restrained by chains (you guys remember the 1982 Conan the Barbarian movie, right?).
The Barbarian is sent to Athyr-Bast's chamber, Conan kills Athyr-Bast's guard, but is no match for the sorceress' sorcery, the Cimmerian is forced to kneel. Suddenly, a cloaked figure knocks Athyr-Bast out.
Who is the cloaked figure!? Who could it be!? Zoinks! It's Zula the Shapeshifter from Conan the Barbarian #20!
À suivre.
What I did like:
Spanish penciller, Fernando Dagnino Guerra is doing a fantastic job. His style is a mixture of Alan Davis and Mark Texeira.
Auguste Rodin's The Thinker homage.
Female characters appear... and three actually speak.
Athyr-Bast pops up on two of the variant covers (Riccardo Federici + Jason Shawn Alexander)!
Archaeologist Jeffrey Shanks talks Stygia, Set (the serpent god), Khemi, Luxor and Thoth-Amon.
What I did not like:
The Bamulas were able to survive in the arena for weeks without any training or decent food? Doubtful.
It's Zula once again that is hiding under the hood and not the Queen of Thieves. Disappointing!
Zub's Conan fantasizes about killing a woman. Lame.
Conan forgets that Athyr-Bast is a powerful magician (he felt her might just last issue).
The editor is not doing his job.
Athyr-Bast is a no-show on Dan Panosian's variant cover! The point is to sell more copies of Conan, not less.
It is "Make its move" not "Make their move".
It is "streaked" not "strode".
Zub really likes to remind the reader that the ladies find Conan extremely irresistible. Conan is not Thunderlips!
What is Thoth-Amon's big plan? Will we ever know?
No letters page!
I give it a 7/10. We get plenty of gladiatorial fights, which is great... but we never get to know Conan's trainers or his opponents and a training montage never materializes. To enhance your reading enjoyment, I recommend wearing a Frazetta hoodie while listening to Basil Poledouris' complete score to Conan the Barbarian and/or to the Gladiator soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard.
