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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on July 12, 2024.

Conan the Barbarian #12

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – July 3, 2024

Review by Robin Marx

At the climax of Conan the Barbarian issue #11, the nefarious skull-headed sorcerer Thulsa Doom burst from his crypt, dealing King Kull a devastating sword blow. Master of the alien Black Stone that has been the catalyst for the deathly magic hounding Conan’s steps through the entire first year of the Titan Comics series, Thulsa Doom stands poised to not only topple Kull’s kingdom of Valusia, but also to establish “a new age of Doom”: an immortal empire of evil capable of subjugating humanity well into the distant future of Conan’s own Hyborian Age. Cosmic power floods into Doom as Kull lies writhing in a pool of his own blood. The only obstacle to the would-be tyrant is Conan, a barbarian of humble origin, lacking any noble lineage and displaced in time. Wielding his Pictish blade, Conan leaps into the fray.

Entitled “Terror Undreamed Of!”, this issue marks both the conclusion of the current “The Age Unconquered” storyline and the culmination of the first year of the Titan Comics incarnation of Conan the Barbarian. While the narrative itself is straightforward—consisting of the duel between Conan and Thulsa Doom, with a brief flashback to the sorcerer’s mortal life and rise to power—it feels like the creative team have pulled out all the stops for this issue.

Roberto De La Torre’s artwork has been a highlight of the eight issues he handled, but in addition to the dynamic battle sequences readers have come to expect De La Torre is also given license to let loose with his depiction of Doom’s sorcerous might. The issue is packed with impressive full-page spreads showing Doom reveling in his magical powers, monologuing maniacally on backgrounds crackling with mystical lightning. While invariably exciting and action-packed, De La Torre’s artwork hewed towards gritty realism in previous issues, giving the over-the-top cosmic, sorcerous scenes of this issue even more visual impact.

Jim Zub likewise seems to have had a great deal of fun scripting this issue. Thulsa Doom’s dialogue is both arrogant and unhinged in classic pulp villain tradition. It’s also possibly a bit on the verbose side for someone engaged in a desperate sword battle with an opponent like Conan, but not having to breathe presumably allows Doom to expound at length about his superiority and wicked plans while trading blows with the barbarian. Zub’s narration matches Doom in its gleeful breathlessness, occasionally unleashing bursts of alliteration (e.g., “…the necromancer’s scornful soul merges with the star-splashed sorcery of the stone and its source.”). Lettering in comics tends to be unobtrusive, but Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Tyler Smith take the opportunity to punch up Thulsa Doom’s grave threats and dire pronouncements with eye-catching typefaces and splashes of bold color.

With issue #12, Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian ends its first year on a high note. Personally, I would have preferred the series spend less time on long-form storytelling and the Black Stone plot device; Conan isn’t a character that demands a great deal of established continuity. In this initial year I also wish the series had focused more on delivering solid solo Conan adventures rather than using time-traveling crossovers to soft-launch a Robert E. Howard comic universe on behalf of rightsholders Heroic Signatures. While Jim Zub has taken Conan the Barbarian in a different direction than I predicted, the artwork remains fantastic and the stories engaging. The Battle of the Black Stone event miniseries teased with this year’s Free Comic Book Day issue makes it clear that Zub isn’t yet done with the Black Stone and character crossovers, but issue #12 leaves Conan in an exciting situation ripe with possibility. Conan the Barbarian Year Two is full of potential.

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