Written by: Gerry Duggan
Art by: Kim Jacinto, Tamra Bonvillain, and VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 2, 2019

I really enjoyed this book…until the last issue. The whole first story ended in such a forced way to continue getting Kulan Gath as the big bad and after so much build-up, Jhoatun Lau went down like a little B****! Top that off with a forced way to keep the team together and boy, was I disappointed. Of course, every new issue is another bowl of cereal just waiting to make you all happy again. So, is this one Rice Krispie Treats or just plain old Rice Krispies? Let’s find out…

The issue opens with Frank Castle and Conan still dragging the coffins containing Frank’s family through the Savage lands and while it took me a little to get used to Kim Jacinto’s art, once I did I started to really like it. However, the rinse repeat nature of the action here did not have me pumped up, though I did like seeing Conan shooting a gun like a barbarian Rambo! Even after that, though, Gerry Duggan does take care to show that Conan isn’t all muscles and swords…he’s also a hell of a knitter as well. It’s a good thing, too!

The issue has a whole lot of narration boxes and usually, that is a bad sign for me, but I kind of liked most of the narration here. It came off more as a tale being told around a campfire and that sort of storytelling fits Conan in my opinion. Now, if only more was going on…

The two eventually make it to Antarctica proper and then find a ship to get them back to civilization…and have a little food and drink on the way. Probably more drink than food, actually! The worst part of the issue is that near the end, Conan and Frank part ways. Why???? Now we have a really scattered team and that’s not the first thing I look for in…you know, a team book! Oh well, the issue ends on a high note as we get a pretty cool cliffhanger that gives us a more traditional badass for at least one of our heroes (for now) to tangle with.

I am worried about this book. Up until the cliffhanger, there was nothing of note going on here and while I wasn’t fully bored, I wasn’t excited or invested either. As I said, once I got used to the art, I dug it, but there was just no story here and that’s what I was specifically looking for after last issues forced ending.

Final Thoughts:

After the last issue ended the first story arc in a bit of a dud, I was hoping this book would rebound here. It didn’t. I did like Kim Jacinto’s art, though some may find the change from Mike Deodato a bit jarring, but there was just no real story to latch onto here. I’m willing to give this book a chance going forward, but the leash is starting to get real short.

5.5/10