Conan & Dragonero - Volume 01 Issue 04

My Rating

“Part 4: Ice & Flames – Chapter One”

Dragonfire erupts all around Conan and Dragonero, yet the power of the sword Saevasechta shields both men with a magic barrier. This is the sword of the ancients! A weapon forged by the ancestors of Ian Aranill in a time long forgotten. No Dragon has ever stood against it and survived. Dragonero must not fail the generations of slayers who wielded the sword before him!

Conan charged into battle, giving the monster no time to draw another flame-filled breath. This ends today! The magic gems of Aquilonia must be returned to his world before their power can be used to destroy this one. Dragonero races to the Cimmerian’s side. The barbarian is without equal, however, without the magic of Saevasechta, Conan would not be able to thrust the killing blow. To battle!

Will the two hunters be able to stop the king of dragons without the aid of an airship? Where are the magical gems of Aquilonia located? What is the dragon slayer code of Erondàr? Collect the series to find out!

Review

Conan and Dragonero continue to slug it out with the ancient Dragon of Earth, and there is certainly no shortage of swords, scales, and destruction. Unfortunately, this issue feels a little light on meaningful story progression. The battle rages on, our heroes remain neck-deep in danger, but by the final page I was left wondering how much ground we had actually covered.

Thankfully, Lorenzo Nuti’s artwork gives readers plenty of eye candy along the way. The massive dragon battles and fantasy landscapes look fantastic, and the action carries enough visual weight to keep the pages turning. When you have Conan battling an ancient dragon, you damn well better make the creature look impressive. Nuti delivers.

For me, though, each issue needs to push the adventure forward in a significant way. I enjoy a good knock-down, drag-out monster fight as much as the next Conan fan, but I don’t want an entire issue to feel like an extended scene from the previous book. Still, the gorgeous artwork and sheer spectacle make Conan and Dragonero #4 an entertaining read.

I give this issue four out of five stars.