In “Conan: Iron Shadows in the Moon” the barbarian marks his trail in the jungles of the mysterious “Devil Island” with the blood of all who stand in his way. Upon protecting and guiding the female captive, Olivia, to safety, Conan fights viciously through ravaging pirates, the deadly and lethal creature of the forest and forces of evil manifesting itself within the island– armed only with his broadsword and little else.
The comic opens with the narration from Olivia, a former captive of the tyrannical Shah Amurath, in which she has been chased out to the marshes. Eventually the Shah catches up to her, but to her relief a hulking shadow appears before him and slashes him to pieces. The story of the typical hero saving the damsel in distress is given a solid foundation of suspense and mystery with initial description of the dark vengeful spirits that are restless on the island. Additionally, the hack-and-slash panels within the comic are accompanied by a balanced form of character development, a credit to Olivia’s steady narration throughout.
The comic is brilliant in the essence of brutal sword battles and nail-biting action sequences. Although it becomes evident that Conan is a monstrous fighter, the rivals that he faces seem to give him enough struggle to make things interesting. From the battle between Conan and the pirate captain, Sergius, to the battle with the ferocious gray ape, there is an aura of intensity that rises off of the pages. With every slice, slash and brutal blow the battle becomes an entangling series of captivating scenes.
The greatest feature of “Conan: The Iron in the Shadow” is the woven compound of both bloody and engaging battle sequences and a suspenseful plot-line. The story of the mysterious statues that lurk in the dark sanctuary of the forest are depicted in a violent and climactic light. In accordance with only touching on what’s to come, the depiction and outright slaughter at the hands of the enchanted evils entails a sign of caution for the barbarian. Overall, the journey through the forest is full of excitement, suspense and foreboding.
“Conan: The Iron in the Shadow” also contains two bonus comics that feature Conan the Barbarian in other breathtaking and exciting battles. “Conan and the Mad King of Gaul” focuses on Conan on his own journey in search of power and fortune, in which he attains it from the King of Gaul and wages bloody wars. Through this rise to power, Conan is defined as a ravaging ruler with violent retribution, until he realizes that there are some conflicts that violence cannot solve. The two comics serve as a continuous story and are great additions that equal in action and development.
