The Cimmerian: Iron Shadows in the Moon #2

The Cimmerian: Iron Shadows in the Moon #2

Ablaze Publishing 2021

By Virginie Augustin

Adapted From the Work of Robert E. Howard

Lettered by Dezi Sienty

Conan and Olivia escape to a remote island, attempting to flee their oppressors. But as they take refuge inside an ancient temple, avoiding the dangers that lurk in the nearby jungle, they may have awakened an ancient evil that humankind has yet to comprehend. Will they find a way to escape before they are overcome by threats inside and out?

A young woman in danger is pursued by her vile master. Conan, whose family has just been wiped out by this same master, puts an end to the beauty's pursuer, and saves her with a blow of his sword. Bound by fate, the couple decide to hit the road together. Their journey takes them to an island where they discover strange ruins inhabited by dark magic. Their paradise-like refuge soon turns into a suffocating nightmare where shadows lurk. Who knows the extent of the dangers that lie there? They will quickly learn that on an island, the biggest threat does not always come from the outside...

I love this so much better than what we see elsewhere because this feels so much unadulterated Conan and that’s priceless. There is nothing off the table with this and it shows in the quality of storytelling that we see. I love mix of horror, fantasy and adventure in this story and it really makes the story pop and it is what makes Conan Conan.

I love the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see is phenomenal. The dialogue with the character interaction alongside how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter really continue to flesh these characters out. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way we are pulled into this story even further.

How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen is how we see these various aspects of the story make themselves known. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved magnificently.

The interiors here are gorgeous. The linework is beautiful and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work is sensational. The way backgrounds are utilised and how they expand and enhance the moments while working within the composition of the panels to create the depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a brilliant eye for storytelling. The creativity and imagination in how we see the statues, the wildlife and the jungle is simply divine work. A lot of that has to do with how well we see the colour being laid down. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a wonderful eye for how to utilise colour.

​

The creepy factor that comes with where they have to take shelter and how they are running from one crew and then to see the new obstacle all conspires to really create such a magnificent read. Virginie really has a love and passion for this story and how she’s translated this to the page which then comes through to the reader is utterly spectacular. There are no little imperfections here everything is as it should be for the maximum impact and that’s the beauty of one person having this kind of talent, skill, verve and chutzpah in doing all them-self. It is a labour of love and in return that love is share tenfold within how the reader sees this book.