In Conan the Slayer, Conan has found himself leading a group of warrior Kozaks. So far, the story has dealt with family intrigues on par with something biblical: brother against brother, son against father, and dark demons. In Issue #7, Conan finds himself with his fellow Kozaks crossing the sea. A Conan story wouldn’t be Conan without a little violence – he is “the Slayer” after all – as they come across a ship full of pirates.

This issue is, for the most part, a poetic aside, but with a writer like Cullen Bunn, the riff isn’t wasted. In fact, there is a moment in the script that pulled at my heart and points to the torture that passes through Conan’s memories about the people he’s lost, the people he’s loved. It’s an inspired moment. It’s the moment that gives reason for this issue to exist. It’s honestly beautiful and will probably make this one of my favorite issues of the run so far.

Although Sergio Dávila doesn’t draw this issue, Admira Wijaya does a superb job of bringing these moments to life and letting these instances resound. Michael Atiyeh‘s colors are excellent.

This is the Conan that deserves to exist. This is the Conan that has been through so much that he’s no longer completely hardened by it. This is a Conan that inhabits a larger-than-life appeal while still having those quiet, introspective moments. This is the work of a poet storyteller. Bunn is more than simply interested in giving Conan people to kill; from the very first issue, he’s been more interested in the stakes of having killed someone or the general loss of life caused by his hands. This is a Conan who is showing cracks in his veneer, and to me that’s exciting!