Conan: Battle For the Serpent Crown #2: Luck Turns Sour

Issue two is an action-packed romp through the streets of Las Vegas. Our titular barbarian and his new friend Nyla find themselves on the wrong side of Imus Champion and chasing Black Cat. With several prominent characters making cameos, and the comic ending in a very prominent setting, the comic unfolds over twenty-three pages of beautifully illustrated pages. Artist Luke Ross brings all the dark colors of Las Vegas to life as Conan and Nyla make their way across the glitzy landscape and even with such a muted color pallet it manages to bring their high jinx to life.

My only real concern with Serpent Crown is the story.

Saladin Ahmed is a talented writer who seems to have a firm foot in the Conan universe and there was nothing wrong with his story. It was engaging and by the end of the story, the conclusion was fairly satisfying. It’s a little jarring sometimes to see Conan in our world, his own often being such an alien place, and to see him duke it out with some of Marvel’s best is often a little strange. I’m all for Marvel flexing its properties but the story seems a little shaky this time around because of it, and the foundation wasn’t very sturdy to begin with.

That being said I cant wait to read the next one and see how Mephisto’s plans unfold as he draws the barbarian in deeper.