Jim Zub's The Conquering Crown part 1 (of 3): The Implausible General
A CAPITAL, BRAND-NEW CONAN ARC BEGINS NOW!
Poitain, Aquilonia's southernmost province is under siege by the soldiers of King Ferdrugo de Ramiro III of Zingara.
Count Trocero of Poitain and his knights get ambushed by Zingaran archers.
Captain Prospero of Poitain (King Conan's future right-hand man) is defending Culario (capital of Poitain).
Tarantia (capital of Aquilonia). Numedides the Mad King of Aquilonia, whose subjects are starving in the streets, wants his army and his knights (The Black Dragons) to stay by his side... he will send a lesser, more expendable force to assist Trocero... the Mercenaries.
The leader of the Westermarck Wolves, Sumner (an homage to Andrew Sumner, COO of Titan Entertainment Group) rouses his sellswords, including Conan and Ular.
Conan & Co arrive in Poitain to meet with Count Trocero.
Count Trocero and his knights + the Westermarck Wolves fight the Zingarans, Sumner perishes. Outnumbered, our heroes retreat, unable to reach the besieged city of Culario (still the Poitainian capital).
Conan is made the new leader of the Westermarck Wolves, he leads a small infiltration unit around the Zingaran blockade and they cross the Alimane river into Zingara.
Conan beheads Zingara's General Duran, frees a female prisoner and kills two guardsmen. Conan and friends kill more Zingarans, Ular dies.
Count Trocero and his knights break though the Zingaran blockade and meet up with the militia (allies from neighbouring villages).
Captain Prospero and his Poitainians join Count Trocero's army to repel (under the crimson leopard banner of Poitain) the Zingaran invaders.
Kordava (capital of Zingara). With his attempt to take possession of Poitain thwarted, Ferdrugo de Ramiro III flees his throne.
Conan and the Westermarck Wolves salute their fallen comrades. Count Trocero thanks Conan for his help.
King Numedides receives word that Count Trocero has made Conan, a Barbarian, his new General (to command his army).
The mad monarch wants to invite the Cimmerian to his castle, to meet this new General.
Is the unstable tyrant in the thrall of THE BLACK STONE!?
À suivre!
What I did like:
Spanish penciller, Fernando Dagnino is back and he's better than ever!
Dale Rippke (The Darkstorm Conan Chronology) gets a special shout-out.
Belverus (capital of Nemedia) mentioned.
"The Road of Kings" by Karl Edward Wagner mentioned.
Mitra mentioned.
Nice variant covers by Gerardo Zaffino, Simon Bisley, Rob De La Torre, Bart Sears and Jorge Molina.
Female characters appear... and one actually speaks.
Archaeologist Jeffrey Shanks talks Zingara, Rafael Sabatini, Alexandre Dumas, Walter Scott, The Pool of the Black One and The Black Stranger/Swords of the Red Brotherhood/The Treasure of Tranicos.
What I did not like:
No one puts on Commando (1985 film) camouflage.
Princess Chabela (daughter of King Ferdrugo) is a no-show.
Women do not appear on any of the covers. Pathetic!
No Thoth-Amon!
No Thulsa Doom!
No Shuma-Gorath!
No humour.
The female mercenary is not named and doesn't utter a single word. Incredibly lame!
The editor is not doing his job.
It is KordAva not Kordova.
I give it an 8/10. Based on current events? Was Robert E. Howard prescient? You decide. Is this a Prince Valium or a Prince Valiant inspired comic? Definitely Valiant. Trivia from the 1980s: Put the "Prince Valiant" haircut on Conan and you'll get He-Man (Masters of the Universe).
