This is pretty much an exactly average Conan story. It probably won’t stand out in my mind, but I don’t think there’s anything I didn’t like. It just felt a little like Conan with the volume at 6. Turn that shit up to 11! My suspicion is maybe a little too much reverence for Howard? 

Besides wanting more of all the fun stuff, I think the pacing was off. This could have been told in 2 or 3 issues instead of 4.5, and I think I’d like it better. If you’re gonna decompress, use that space to do more exciting shit. I’m sure there were 10 panels per issue that did nothing to move things along. Cut those for more action. Or a backup story. Or something else entirely.

The essay at the end about why stories of Barbarians are compelling was pretty good. The other one that masturbated over pure Pict bloodlines was gross. The cover gallery was worthless, reproducing covers at postage stamp size. A gallery’s purpose is to show art. Print that shit no smaller than 1/4 of a page, or leave it out.