Conan: The Spear and Other Stories (Conan: Dark Horse Collection #4.5)

Collecting all of the Conan and Conan the Cimmerian comic-book collaborations between acclaimed storyteller Timothy Truman (Scout, Grimjack, Jonah Hex) and veteran artist Paul Lee (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spider-Man), Conan: The Spear and Other Stories is a tribute to Robert E. Howard's tenacious King Conan.

Beleaguered by attempts at his crown and sickened by political maneuverings, Conan is the sort of king who takes matters into his own bloody hands. Truman and Lee's "They Shall Be Lords Again" and "Silent to the Sea" -- from Conan issues #35 and #36 -- work together as a sequel to "The Phoenix on the Sword," a beloved Howard story. "The Tale of the Head," from Conan #40, immediately follows Howard's "The Scarlet Citadel" and pits Conan head-on against the powers of evil wizard Thoth-Amon. In "The Sorrows of Akivasha," Lee fully paints and Truman fleshes out the sad plight of a seductive, centuries-old vampire from Robert E. Howard's only Conan novel, The Hour of the Dragon. This collection also includes the Truman/Lee Conan short from the Free Comic Book Day 2006 Special, a Paul Lee sketchbook section, and colors on most stories by Eisner Award-winner Dave Stewart. Brutal battles on Pictish soil, scheming sorcerers, false prophets, a lust-filled vampire, and a little bit of humor -- this is an excellent introduction to Dark Horse's Conan universe for both entirely new fans and well-read, seasoned fans!