“NEVER DWELL ON THE HAND YOU’RE DEALT – EVEN IF IT’S DEATH! In the second part of Conan the Gambler, Conan’s job as a bodyguard in Shadizar lands him in a deadly game of SERPENT’S BLUFF! But if the cards are in Conan’s favor, will this absolve his debt or land him in further danger? It’ll take more than luck to win the prize this time! PLUS: The next chapter in the all-new CONAN novella ‘THE SHADOW OF VENGEANCE’!”

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

The return of Conan the Barbarian to Marvel Comics has largely been a muddy mess with some scattered points of true creativity and talent mixed in the pot. Savage Sword of Conan #8 is one of these few highlights, and it’s a shame editorial at the House of Ideas didn’t kick off the barbarian’s re-launch with this particular creative team.

This issue resumes immediately where Savage Sword of Conan #7 had left us – Conan is seated at a table, preparing to engage in a game of Serpent’s Bluff (like Hyborian Black Jack) with Kero, a powerful merchant from Shadizar. The body of Conan’s employer, Maraudus Mathir, lies at his feet. If Conan wins, he lives and is free and Mathir’s debts are settled. If he loses, the barbarian bears the weight of Mathir’s unresolved obligations.

Conan performs poorly at Serpent’s Bluff, and all seems to be doom and gloom until Conan focuses on “The Godsend,” a massive emerald in the gambling hall that losers pray to when they are losing all hope.

The tide begins to change, and Conan takes all, much to the amazement of the patrons. All eyes are on the Cimmerian walking away with the mother lode, until Kero makes the ultimate offer – one more hand, and everything he owns belongs to Conan if he loses. If he wins, Conan’s future looks very bleak. What will the Cimmerian do?

CAPSULE REVIEW: Jim Zub is an excellent writer, and one of the few in Marvel’s latest outing that grasps the nuance of the Cimmerian’s character. This is the Conan long-time readers have known since the days of Roy Thomas – and it’s the Conan that will get new readers invested in the stories. There is no soft-soaping here and no touch of modern social or political niceties in the barbarian’s words or actions.

Patch Zircher’s art is dynamic, realistic and accentuates the tale. Things that aren’t said in dialogue (and that’s not much) are revealed in the artwork. The title page struck me particularly as clever – the artwork shows Conan and Kero facing off at the card table, and Maraudus Mathir’s body is shown under the table at Conan’s feet. It’s an effective reminder of what is at stake in this no-holds-barred game of cards. This is also the kind of artwork that shows what can be done when a good creative team is in synch and on the same page.

It’s obvious that at some point Marvel or a licensed company will be selling a Serpent’s Bluff deck of cards, and that’s OK. While the game is heavily promoted in the previous issue as well as this one (and the deck is a free download at the moment), it’s not an overbearing promotion and works perfectly in the story. Kudos to the entire creative team for not turning Serpent’s Bluff into an obnoxious promotion like Marvel’s dual hologram, laser etched, limited edition, variant covers.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue an 8.5. Compared to the other Marvel Conan releases since January, I’d rate it even higher. Make sure this issue is on your pull list this week.