Conan the Barbarian #5

"The Argos Deception," Part Two
written by Brian Wood
art by James Harren
colors by Dave Stewart

We are all of us—civilized and barbaric, spectator and champion alike—bloodthirsty.  Wood's Hyboria is no easy political or social allegory, but the familiar echoes of privilege and affluence, of a desperation for attention and acclaim, of the violent covetousness of wealth and power is ever-present:  the invisibility of Messantia's mighty political and economic machine that maintains the comfortable, easy lifestyle of the city's rich citizens; the imposing shadow of the monolithic fortress housing the city's criminals and prisoners; the large, casual crowd gathered at the gallows for Conan's unceremonious execution; the city guard's undisguised lust for the beautiful, unapologetic lady eager for a blood-soaked circus; and the aging, herculean thug still greedy for praise.

Conan's possessed of a willful and dangerous myopia.  Ignoring the warning from the Tigress's shaman N'Yaga, premonitions of loss and death, Conan persists in his affair with Bêlit.  His mood is as changeable.  At the side or in the bed of his wild lover his humor soars; as she fades, locked and chained in Messantia's prison, he falls into despair.  And when he despairs, his ignorance of the pirates' plan to take the city is increasingly evident.  Conan only hopes for rescue...until he doesn't.  He is as surprised as anyone to find Bêlit and N'Yaga in the crowd at his execution, and he is grateful to her for providing him the opportunity to fight for his freedom, perhaps for good, and to him for the small dagger.  But he, like we, cannot anticipate the explosions in the ships at the harbor.  Whether they be part of Bêlit's plan or another obstacle to their escape, he cannot be sure.