It's a step backward, but I haven't lost faith in the series. The main problem here is the entirety of the first issue is dedicated to launching a Conan tale separate from the Savage Sword series, which was allegedly supposed to be dedicated to standalone stories from an ever-changing lineup of writers and artists. Sure, you get introduced to most of Howard's other famous protagonists, but I'd rather follow a single one of their tales per every couple issues, as was the case with Solomon Kane in the first volume.
You get two Dark Agnes tales in volume 2, the first of which features truly atrocious artwork. Mix c-tier anime with Zenescope and you get an unintentionally voluptuous horse's backside. Something like that will take you out of the story real quick. To be fair, the story on this one will also take you out of the story real quick. The other Dark Agnes story improved the art, but it wasn't a good choice for black & white with thin but plentiful long lines adorning each panel from top to bottom. The characters and the story get lost in those lines.
Despite the three stars, this still gets a high recommendation. The sorcery side of sword & sorcery is in fully effect with a stellar and lengthy Jason Aaron tale that makes up for every downside of this collection. But that horse booty removes a full star. You gotta see it to believe it.