Conan as Highland Rogue
After a long hiatus, Kurt Busiek and Greg Ruth return to Conan with the first of a two part story that will round out the back story of Conan's youth.
Unlike so many other Conan storytellers (notably Harry Turtledove who wrote a novel about this same period in the barbarian's life), Busiek manages to make the story seem real in a pseudo-historical sort of context - evoking the struggles of Celtic tribes against Roman expansionism.
A number of subplots tie this issue together with the other chronologically early Conan stories by Busiek and Ruth, including the story of Donal the fellow tribesman crippled by Conan, and Alcibiades, the wizard offended by Conan, as well as the noteworthy event in Cimmerian history known as the Battle of Brita's Vale.
While the art seems less polished than past Ruth issues, his color choices (mostly greys and desaturated colors) are excellent giving the first part of the Venarium storyline the bleak look of a calm before a storm.
By issue's end, you can't wait for the conclusion.
(by E.Tragedy - Comicvine's original back issue reviewer)