“A DEMON IN ARGOS! After witnessing a heinous crime, CONAN hunts down a mysterious demonic sect. But whatever his intentions, Conan may well doom the nation if he doesn’t solve the mystery in time! An epic quest across the Kothian Hills and a surprise twist! Plus: The final chapter of Scott Oden’s “THE SHADOW OF VENGEANCE”!

By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor

It was with much trepidation that I opened the latest – and final – issue of Savage Sword of Conan. Topping Roy Thomas’ and his predecessor, Jim Zub’s takes on the Cimmerian would be a tough thing to accomplish. And given Marvel’s track record on Conan since January, if it’s not Jim Zub or Thomas at work, I am leery.

Sadly, writer Frank Tieri keeps the presentation problems ongoing with a great plot and some of the worst dialogue I have ever read in a Conan comic book. What’s even sadder is that a book that began on tenuous ground at the onset ends with a whimper and another missed opportunity to tell a good Hyborian tale.

I am not certain whether or not whether this was Frank Tieri’s writing or a script mashed up by editorial. Either way, the end result is an issue that leaves you wondering how a good idea can be so problematically assembled.

But there’s some good to be had – the final chapter of Scott Oden’s compelling novella “The Shadow of Vengeance” is a treat and Andrea De Vito’s pencils, coupled with the inks and colors of Scott Hanna and Java Tartaglia, are first-rate.

REVIEW: Savage Sword of Conan (Vol. 2) #12

Conan travels the land, in pursuit of…someone or something…in the Kothian hills. Then the story flashes back to the City of Argos, days earlier.

Conan has just ended a tavern brawl and is angry that he spilled his drink. He asks the barkeep if he will be reimbursed, but the barkeep says he’s more worried about the tavern the Cimmerian just trashed than reimbursing the barbarian for a mere ale spill.

After a terse exchange in which Conan gives the barkeep a mere coin for his troubles, Conan spies a child with a harness around its neck. We learn the little girl’s name is Tama, and she is supposedly on the run from her “family”.

Soon Tama’s “family” arrives and they capture the child, with seemingly nefarious intention. Conan is in hot pursuit, facing off with the would-be familial kidnappers. He dispenses most of them, leaving one alive to reveal a surprising truth. Is there more to this “child” than our Cimmerian knows?

CAPSULE REVIEW: In the first pages of this issue, we see a Conan who is so rude that he flips a bartender a coin for trashing his establishment and then takes it back when the innkeeper says it’s not enough. A few panels later, he’s worried about a peasant girl who can’t afford food. These are odd choices here from Conan – he’s always had a strange morality, but the transition in this story is poor from one interaction to the other.

The art by Andrea De Vito is overall very good, and the colors are bright when necessary and subdued in other panels. The backgrounds, when not minimized, are enticing. Conan’s face is good on some pages, yet distorted on others. Ultimately, the artwork is enjoyable and I’d like to see more from De Vito.

Its the dialogue here that’s disconcerting. Conan is like a warrior-poet in this issue. “Serves me right for dispelling you earlier with but a glancing blow,” he tells one cultist as he engages his enemy. In another panel, he snarls at a menacing demon, “What’s happening is this is actually going exactly as I thought it would. Mayhap I’m actually nothing more than a distraction.”

The demon at one point tells Conan, “And since I have use for you no longer, you’ll excuse me as I now proceed to devour your face.“

Good grief. Who writes this garbage? I sure hope it’s not Frank Tieri. My wishful thinking is that it’s an editor who totally missed the boat. What’s saddest is that the plot is actually good. It’s the dialogue that is a mess.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 6. If the script contained good dialogue, it’d garner a 7.5 or an 8 based on the interesting plot and good artwork.

So long Savage Sword, we hardly knew ye.