Despite our best intentions to be open-minded and give a new series a chance, it can be pretty intimidating to pick up a comic midway through a story arc–especially one that is “Number 85 in a series.” Luckily though, entertainment website IGN writes that this issue is perfect for new readers wanting to jump into the series.

For the uninitiated, be warned that there will be a deluge of unfamiliar names and places. The plot is as follows: Tarantia is under siege, and Conan wants to leave town but stays on, lured by the promise of a reward. The Cimmerian finds himself drafted into an assassination plot and becomes part of the struggle over who will rule Aquilonia. To complicate matters, he must also protect a mother and child entrusted to his care. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of a palace dragon–an ugly, squat, green monster rather than delightfully quirky companion from “Mulan” or “Shrek”.

For a “Conan” newbie such as myself, this issue is worth reading, even as a low-key thought experiment meant to provoke some reflection on what we accept as believable in comics and what we question–interestingly, I do not bat an eyelid at epic battles in outer space or ridiculously curvaceous superheroes in costume, but the sudden announcement of a human-guzzling “royal dragon” elicits a chuckle. And yet, Conan the Cimmerian is not all that unfamiliar–quite like good old Wolverine, in fact, with his impressive abs and tendency to tell it like it is, even when “it” is bad news to be delivered to a little girl with a big name (ah, Albiona).

Despite our best intentions to be open-minded and give a new series a chance, it can be pretty intimidating to pick up a comic midway through a story arc–especially one that is “Number 85 in a series.” Luckily though, entertainment website IGN writes that this issue is perfect for new readers wanting to jump into the series.

For the uninitiated, be warned that there will be a deluge of unfamiliar names and places. The plot is as follows: Tarantia is under siege, and Conan wants to leave town but stays on, lured by the promise of a reward. The Cimmerian finds himself drafted into an assassination plot and becomes part of the struggle over who will rule Aquilonia. To complicate matters, he must also protect a mother and child entrusted to his care. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of a palace dragonan ugly, squat, green monster rather than the delightfully quirky companion from “Mulan” or “Shrek.”

For a “Conan” newbie such as myself, this issue is worth reading, even as a low-key thought experiment meant to provoke some reflection on what we accept as believable in comics and what we question–interestingly, I do not bat an eyelid at epic battles in outer space or ridiculously curvaceous superheroes in costume, but the sudden announcement of a human-guzzling “royal dragon” elicits a chuckle. And yet, Conan the Cimmerian is not all that unfamiliar—quite like good old Wolverine, in fact, with his impressive abs and tendency to tell it like it is, even when “it” is bad news to be delivered to a little girl with a big name (ah, Albiona).

There is also plenty of art to look at, even if you know next to nothing about the plot. Prolific guest artist Dan Panosian, whose previous credits include “Ultimate X-Men,” “Heroes,” and “Harry Potter,” imbues his inks with a certain energy, bringing freshness to a world that is ostensibly meant to be old. His rendering of female faces, in particular, is highly reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art work: all angular eyebrows, sharp eyes, and sexy red lips. These are women not to be messed with. Suffice it to say I will definitely be looking out for Panosian’s work from here onward.

Would I keep up with this series? Probably not, because the world of “Conan” is simply not my cup of tea. But IGN’s assessment of “Road of Kings #10” is not inaccurate; if you’d like to briefly escape into a well-rendered and mildly entertaining, albeit predictable, story of good (aforementioned impressive abs) triumphing over evil (some baddies, but more entertainingly the aforementioned palace dragon) in the span of 26 pages, you should check this out.