Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2 Review
Writers: Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti
Artist & Colorist: Lorenzo Nuti
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Editor: Chris Butera
Cover Artists: Roberto De La Torre, Lorenzo Nuti
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $4.99/$14.99 Foil
Release Date: June 10, 2026
When Conan landed in a plain of ash, one glance at the sky
told him that he had traveled to another world. One of his soldiers spotted a
distant wall aglow with lights. But then the white-skinned savages arrived. The
silent throng forced Conan and his troops back. And although they extracted a
heavy toll, one by one, Conan’s soldiers fell.
Then a rain of arrows, unlike anything Conan had ever seen,
ended the battle in an instant. Who are the troops who rushed out of the wall
and imprisoned Conan? And what happened to the dragon that the Cimmerian and
his men were chasing? Let's grab our swords, shout "Hail Crom," leap
into Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2, and see!
Story
After chaining Conan in a cell, Commander Deymar regards the
Cimmerian and wonders what trouble the stranger has brought to his border
outpost. His sorcerer placed a spell on the Cimmerian, but it has done little
to subdue him. At least the amulet he placed around the stranger's neck allows
the men to understand each other. But Conan has lost the men under his command.
He’s angry at being imprisoned. And he insists that they let him pursue the
dragon.
Then, in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2, another
stranger enters his cell. Ian Aranill tells Conan that he will dispatch the
dragon. His legendary dragon slayer feats have earned him the title Dragonero.
Ian also mentions that his flying ship will enable him to pursue the creature
that sent many soldiers to their deaths. Then he turns his back on Conan and
walks away.
In Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti’s story, Conan and
Dragonero don't know each other. Nor do they have any reason to trust each
other. Conan has brought danger to Ian's land. Yet this "Dragonero"
seems as full of himself as most "civilized" warriors. Still, Conan knows
how dangerous the dragon can be. And he refuses to let anything get in the way
of fulfilling his responsibility.
Although he inhabits another world, Conan’s predicament
evokes Robert E Howard’s classic tale, Queen of the Black Coast. And although
he meets a beautiful female warrior, she seems unlikely to rival his beloved
Bêlit. Still, Conan demonstrates his worth, and both heroes recognize they stand
a better chance together than apart in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2.
Art
A scar runs down his face as Ian Aranill smiles. Yet his
eyes narrow as Conan yanks at his chains. As the stranger yells at him,
determination overtakes Ian’s features as he turns and leaves. Ian climbs atop
the wide stone wall, where soldiers prepare the armaments that let them slay
the Algent horde. More soldiers pull on ropes, restraining the vessel beneath
an enormous balloon.
As Lorenzo Nuti enlivens this gray world with bright colors,
Myrva urges Ian to hurry aboard in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2. Then
the blonde replaces her goggles, as she grips the wooden steering wheel beneath
a purple-pink sky. In the cells below, Conan strains at the gray chains
tethering him to the gray stone wall. Soldiers stand by the bars to his cell,
clad in silver helmets. Silver chainmail coifs protect their necks. The red heraldic
flags draped on the walls link with each soldier’s Coat of Plates, and the
blood flying through the air.
Richard Starkings and Tyler fill white balloons with
uppercase black dialogue. Letters grow bold for intonation and occasionally
turn red. Raised voices swell words and turn balloons into stars. As air
currents scream past the airship, the clang of chains, the shouts of the
guards, and the sounds of fighting and death echo through the jail. Thanks to
Titan Comics for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Conan didn’t ask to leave Tarantia. But when a dragon
appeared, he fought to defend the Aquilonian capital. Now he's in a land where
people regard him as a savage. And as Ian and Myrva yearn to pursue the dragon
endangering their land, their unwanted visitor insists his world also hangs in
the balance in Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #2.
Rating 9.8/10
For how this series started, see my review of Conan The Barbarian & Dragonero #1.