This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on December 4, 2024.

The Savage Sword of Conan #5

By Jason Aaron (Writer), Geof Isherwood (Artist), Jim Zub (Writer), Roberto De La Torre (Artist), Michael Kogge (Writer), and Dan Parsons (Artist) – Titan Comics – October 30, 2024

Review by Robin Marx

While previous issues have included at least one entry spotlighting a different Robert E. Howard character, the fifth issue of Titan Comics’ bimonthly magazine The Savage Sword of Conan delivers three stories exclusively focusing on Conan at different stages in his life.

The issue opens with “The Ensorcelled” by Jason Aaron, with art by Geof Isherwood. Bearded King Conan is visiting the chaotic Brythunian borderlands, trying to help the local royalty secure their demesnes, lest their upheaval affect Conan’s neighboring kingdom of Aquilonia. While hunting with the foppish King Fabiano Conan encounters the infamous Witch of Graaskal, blamed for a host of misdeeds including child-murder. While Conan witnesses her powerful sorcery firsthand, he soon grows skeptical of the litany of crimes of which the witch is accused. King Conan intervenes on the witch’s behalf, even though it brings him into conflict with King Fabiano. “The Ensorcelled” features some interesting twists along the way, and Isherwood’s detailed artwork is pleasantly reminiscent of the classic Hal Foster Prince Valiant comics. Frustratingly, however, “The Ensorcelled” is just the first half of a two-part story. At 53 pages in length, “The Ensorcelled” dominates this issue’s 64-page page count, yet readers are still expected to wait two months for a resolution. This reviewer believes strongly that serialized stories are best left to the primary Conan the Barbarian title; The Savage Sword of Conan is at its best when it delivers standalone narratives that can be enjoyed fully by occasional readers of the magazine.

Next is a two-page vignette entitled “Damn Thing in the Water,” by Jim Zub and illustrated by Roberto De La Torre. Conan is set upon by a tentacled beast when stopping for a drink at a watering hole. While De La Torre’s John Buscema-inspired artwork always pleases, the story feels like an abbreviated retelling of Alan Quah’s “Lure of the Pit Creature” from The Savage Sword of Conan issue #3. Overly familiar seeming, perhaps the space for this micro-story could have been better occupied by a Jeffrey Shanks essay or additional full-page pin-up illustrations.

The final story is “Forged,” by Michael Kogge and Dan Parsons. Where “The Ensorcelled” depicts an older Conan, “Forged” presents Conan as a child, apprenticed to his blacksmith father in their Cimmerian village. The story shows young Conan chafing under his father’s strict guidance, but treachery by visiting Zingaran entertainers gives Conan an opportunity to prove himself. My complaint with this story is identical to my criticism of Conan the Barbarian #16: young Conan tales are profoundly uninteresting compared to those featuring the fully-fledged barbarian. Seeing Conan as a boy learning harsh life lessons does not enhance the character’s mystique. Much like a meal, Conan is better with some seasoning. Artist Dan Parsons is also capable of better artwork than what he turned in for this story.

The standard cover for this issue features amazing new Joe Jusko artwork of Conan and a panicked companion struggling to avoid being devoured by a “dragon” (likely some type of dinosaur, in classic Sword & Sorcery tradition). It was disappointing that no such scene appears within this issue. Way back in the first issue, Jim Zub’s editorial gave the impression that the creative team would endeavor to ensure that the cover artwork would reflect the contents of the magazine, and it’s unfortunate that, just five issues in, that loose assurance to the reader no longer holds. (In the interest of fairness, the alternate cover by Alex Horley DOES depict a scene from the opening of “The Ensorcelled.”)

While it’s nice to see a return to original, non-event stories after the Battle of the Black Stone prelude issue, The Savage Sword of Conan #5 doesn’t quite match the standard set by the series’ first three issues. Less devoted Conan fans might be better off waiting to see the reception to issue #6 and the conclusion of “The Ensorcelled” before going out of their way to pick up this issue.

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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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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on June 2, 2024.

Conan the Barbarian #11

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – May 22, 2024

Review by Robin Marx

At the conclusion of Conan the Barbarian issue #10, Kull led Conan, Brule, and the Red Slayers to his homeland in Atlantis, only to find that the village of his birth has been replaced by a yawning abyss. As the party descends into the chasm, Conan flashes back to his conversation with Yag-Kosha (in Conan the Barbarian issue #9), a pachyderm-headed alien god who he slayed a decade ago in his own life (during the events of the 1933 Robert E. Howard story “The Tower of the Elephant”), yet encountered alive and well just days ago in Valusia. Yag-Kosha emphasizes that Conan’s soul has been “set adrift” in time, but that his fate is entwined with Brissa, a Pictish warrior woman from his own era (missing and presumed dead as of the conclusion of Conan the Barbarian issue #4) and her distant ancestor Brule.

Upon reaching the bottom of the pit, Conan and Kull discover a series of ancient cyclopean chambers that—judging from the arms and armor left behind—appear to have once been inhabited by giants. The situation quickly becomes deadly as the explorers inadvertently release a horde of hostile subhuman creatures. Even accompanied by the elite Red Slayers, Kull and his companions face a difficult struggle.

Rob De La Torre’s artwork is a visual feast, as always. His John Buscema-inspired character artwork and dynamically staged combat scenes receive a great deal of justified praise, but his backgrounds are also worthy of attention. His oppressive monolithic architecture and craggy, menace-filled subterranean passages create a real sense of place for the events of the story. Diego Rodriguez’s color work in this issue was also effective. Whether an intentional reference or not, the bluish-white coloration of the subterranean attackers brought to mind the Morlocks from the 1960 film adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine.

Jim Zub’s storytelling continues to excite, with the issue’s climax leaving this reader full of questions and wanting more. The flashback to Conan’s conversation with Yag-Kosha felt a little lengthy and redundant, however. By this point it should be abundantly clear to both the reader and Conan himself that the barbarian is outside of his natural place in time and space. Additional, talk of “fate” and “destiny” in Conan pastiche never sits well with me. While there was occasional foreshadowing in the Howard stories that Conan would one day become a king, I’ve never had the sense that outside forces were in play or that his claiming the throne was in any way preordained. Much of the appeal of Conan is that he is a self-made hero who uses his wits, skills, and physique to accomplish his objectives. He’s no “chosen one”; Conan forges his own destiny.

On the other hand, while Howard purists may balk, I appreciate that Zub has been incorporating elements of the 1982 Conan the Barbarian film into the comic. While originally created by Howard as an antagonist for King Kull, Thulsa Doom was the memorable movie villain and has been an “off-screen” presence in this comic since the first story arc. Movie fans will also doubtless appreciate the appearance in this issue of a certain instantly recognizable sword.

This issue features not one but two essays by Robert E. Howard expert Jeffrey Shanks. The first goes into detail about Thulsa Doom. In addition to listing Thulsa Doom’s appearances across Howard’s body of work, Shanks also suggests that the skull-headed sorcerer was an inspiration for both the lich monster in Dungeons & Dragons and Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe franchise. The second, briefer essay examines the Nemedian Chronicles epigraph (i.e., “Hither came Conan…”) that accompanied Conan’s debut in “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932) and has been a popular inclusion in Conan films, comics, and novels ever since. The premise of the essay boils down to “Some versions of the quotation begin with ‘Know, oh prince…’ and others ‘Know, O prince…’; which is correct?” This sort of pedantry is real “inside baseball” stuff, unlikely to be noticed or remarked upon by any but the most hardcore Conan fan, but the essay both informed me and made me grin.

With Conan the Barbarian issue #11, Zub has laid the groundwork for an epic showdown with the potential for repercussions throughout both the Thurian Age and Conan’s own distant Hyborian Age. While it feels like there may be too much plot remaining to neatly resolve in a single issue, I look forward to seeing where Zub takes us.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on May 4, 2024.

Conan the Barbarian #10

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – April 24, 2024

Review by Robin Marx

After inexplicably and violently turning on his most loyal companion Brule (Conan the Barbarian issue #9), a prophetic dream returns King Kull to his senses. He rescinds the death sentences placed on Brule and Conan, and after apologizing for his episode of “mania” he urges both men to accompany him on an immediate ocean voyage to stamp out the threat posed by the black stone. An experienced pirate, Conan returns to shipboard life with gusto: rowing, drinking, sparring, and even dallying with an alluring archer in Kull’s employ. As Conan’s spirits improve, however, Kull’s mental state darkens. The closer Kull and his band of elite Red Slayers come to their destination the moodier Kull becomes. Brule and Conan worry that Kull may be “courting darkness” and becoming susceptible to the black stone’s corrupting influence.

This issue was a transnational one within the current story arc, mostly dominated by the ocean voyage. The cancellation of Conan and Brule’s executions and the speed with which any hurt feelings on their behalf melted away seemed abrupt. The sudden reversal makes the Conan vs Kull battle at the end of Conan the Barbarian #9 feel forced and artificial in retrospect, as if it were wedged in to give the previous issue a shocking climax rather than as a natural development within the story. It also could have been made more explicit that the seafaring expedition’s ultimate destination was revealed to Kull in his dream. How Kull knows where to head is under-explained, and the other characters seem remarkably pliant, signing on for a vaguely proposed ocean journey under a capricious, mentally unwell king.

On the positive side of things, the contrast between Conan and Kull is handled skillfully. Conan is significantly less morose than he was during the “Thrice Marked for Death!” storyline. While it’s not stated outright, perhaps seeing Bêlit one last time (Conan the Barbarian issue #8) gave the barbarian a sense of closure, helping him move past his grief. King Kull, on the other hand, is depicted as someone constantly feeling the immense weight of his royal position. Amusingly, given Conan’s eventual destiny to become king himself, Conan views Kull’s court as a “gilded cage,” quickly concluding that he would rather live and die a free man rather than accept the demands and responsibilities that come with the royal crown. True to his depiction in the original Robert E. Howard short stories, Kull is a more cerebral individual than Conan. Where Conan’s depression throughout the “Thrice Marked for Death!” arc is unusual for him, readers are given the sense that Kull often tends towards melancholy and self-imposed isolation. It will be interesting to see if Jim Zub manages to communicate that Kull’s dark moods and ambivalence to the throne are inherent to the character and not just due to the warping corruption of the black stone.

This issue’s essay by Robert E. Howard scholar Jeffrey Shanks provides additional background for King Kull and the publication history of stories featuring him. While the Kull stories were never as popular as the ones starring Conan, they have their ardent defenders. Howard’s Weird Tales contemporary H. P. Lovecraft is noted as being particularly fond of Kull among his friend’s creations, preferring him to Conan.

Instead of the usual letters page, the issue concludes with a brief interview with artist Rob De La Torre. None of the questions are particularly deep or penetrating, but as De La Torre’s art has been a highlight of Titan’s Conan the Barbarian comic readers may appreciate the insight into his influences and hopes for the future.

This was a solid issue that effectively contrasts Conan with his literary predecessor Kull. Conan may have been thrown millennia into the past, but as a barbarian-turned-conqueror Kull is also foreshadowing for Conan’s own future as king. Conan the Barbarian issue 10 ends on a strong note and I look forward to the next issue, but I am also growing slightly uneasy at the weight Zub is giving to the ongoing black stone storyline. I wouldn’t mind seeing Conan’s adventures embark on a different direction after the current arc concludes.

#ReviewArchive #ComicReview #SwordAndSorcery #JimZub #RobertoDeLaTorre #TitanComics #ConanTheBarbarian #GrimdarkMagazine #GdM

This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on April 13, 2024.

Conan the Barbarian #9

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – March 27, 2024

Review by Robin Marx

As the “Thrice Marked for Death!” story came to its sudden conclusion (Conan the Barbarian issue #8), Conan had found himself under the sway of a trio of specters that had invaded his body and mind. Rather than allow himself to be reduced to a mindless puppet for their master Thulsa Doom, Conan marshaled one final burst of strength to turn his ancient Pictish blade on himself. The instant the sword pierced his flesh lightning struck, transporting Conan 80,000 years into the past. As issue #9 begins, a groggy and injured Conan immediately comes face to face with the fierce Pictish warrior Brule. While Conan and Brule once shared a brief otherworldly encounter during a desperate moment (Conan the Barbarian issue #4), neither have any memory of each other beyond a vague sense of familiarity. Unsure of how to handle the dangerous stranger, Brule escorts Conan to see his king in Valusia. While another familiar face awaits in Valusia, City of Wonder, so does a deadly confrontation with an unexpected opponent.

Conan the Barbarian issue #9 launches a new story arc, “The Age Unconquered,” and also marks the return of artist Roberto De La Torre. While Doug Braithwaite’s turned in solid work for the “Thrice Marked for Death!” story arc, I suspect many readers from the Marvel Comics era of Conan the Barbarian will be pleased to see the return of De La Torre’s more classic style. Jim Zub’s narration meets the high standard set in his previous issues, but without drawing too much attention to itself this time around.

Appropriately, this month’s companion essay by Robert E. Howard scholar Jeffrey Shanks details the ancient Thurian Age in which Conan has found himself, epochs before his own native Hyborian Age. Home to Howard’s King Kull and Brule the Spear-Slayer, the Thurian Age is a pre-cataclysmic era dating back to before the fall of Atlantis. Shanks covers both the setting and its inspirations, and also provides a brief introduction to the King Kull cycle of stories. While not as widely known as Conan, King Kull was actually an older character. As Shanks points out, the very first Conan story was actually a re-written version of an unpublished Kull tale.

The abrupt and inconclusive finale to the “Thrice Marked for Death!” story arc left a sour taste in my mouth, but this issue left me feeling more optimistic about the direction of the story. It has been a pleasure to see Zub introducing references to other works by Conan creator Robert E. Howard, with cameos or dialogue relating to non-Hyborian heroes and villains. Readers who enjoy Conan’s adventures are likely to enjoy Howard’s other literary creations as well, perhaps they just need a slight push. In fact, Conan the Barbarian issue #9 feels like a “backdoor pilot” to a stand-alone King Kull comic title. That being said, part of me feels it is still a bit early in the Titan Comics run to dwell so much on other Howard characters and settings when new readers have spent so little time with Conan and his Hyborian Age. Crossovers, throwbacks, and referential Easter Eggs are fun for veteran readers, I just hope new fans aren’t overlooked in the apparent push towards a Robert E. Howard-based Titan/Heroic Signatures comic universe. That concern aside, Conan the Barbarian issue #9 delivers the thrills, plunging Conan into a desperate new situation in a vibrant and exciting setting.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on November 13, 2023.

Conan the Barbarian #4

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – October 25, 2023

Review by Robin Marx

Our hero is already in dire straits at the opening of Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian #4. The struggle between Conan and the high priest of the Black Stone cult has plunged them both into the deep emerald-green waters at the core of the temple. Tentacles rise to meet the barbarian as he sinks into the murky abyss, and he pledges to slay the cult’s misshapen deity, even if it costs him his own life. As he begins to drown, however, he sees a vision of an ancient Pictish chieftain. This echo from the past provides Conan (and the reader) with some welcome backstory. Conan learns more about the mysterious black stone that has had such a malign influence on the countryside, and how he has become embroiled in a hidden struggle against the occult dating back tens of thousands of years. While his ghostly benefactor is unable to provide Conan with direct aid, the brief conversation steels his resolve, and—lungs bursting—he swims down to meet his godlike foe.

Conan the Barbarian #4 is the conclusion of “Bound in Black Stone,” the first story arc in this latest Conan comic. Jim Zub’s narration was solid and evocative as usual. The ancient Pict is a figure that will be instantly recognizable to those who have read “The Shadow Kingdom” (1929) or Robert E. Howard’s other King Kull stories. Kull’s Thurian era is the distant past of Conan’s own Hyborian Age, and it was fun to see Zub link these two distant epochs. The essays by Jeffrey Shanks at the end of each issue go to great lengths to point out the connections between various corners of the Howard literary universe and, like Thulsa Doom being name-dropped in issue #3, it appears that Zub is very intentionally laying the groundwork for future cross-pollination between Howard’s heroes and settings.

De La Torre’s artwork maintains the high standard of quality seen in the previous issues. The forceful and dynamic posing of characters during the combat scenes was especially noticeable in this installment.

While I found Conan the Barbarian #4 largely successful, I was left baffled by some of the creative choices. The Pict warrior woman Brissa was one of the most talked-about elements of the new series, but she was completely absent from this issue. Mentioned briefly, but not shown. The tropes of comic storytelling being what they are, it’s painfully obvious that we haven’t seen the last of Brissa (Zub has hinted as much in interviews), but it felt like an unfair and anticlimactic way to handle an exciting supporting character.

The battle between Conan and the tentacled aquatic creature felt like another missed opportunity. Generally, in this situation a Conan the Barbarian reader would expect to be treated to some particularly impressive artwork, perhaps even a two-page spread revealing the blasphemous alien god in all its glory. Somewhat disappointingly, De La Torre delivers an unexpectedly subdued combat against a mostly hidden monster.

While my enthusiasm for Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian remains high, the finale of “Bound in Black Stone” didn’t quite attain the heights of preceding issues. The creative team have demonstrated their formidable capabilities, but this time it felt like they weren’t operating at full strength. I’m excited about the foundation Zub seems to be constructing for future stories and even upcoming titles featuring other Robert E. Howard heroes, but it seemed like the story’s immediate present was underserved. And Conan is a character that lives in the moment.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on September 6, 2023.

Conan the Barbarian #2

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – August 30, 2023

Review by Robin Marx

The second issue of Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian begins in the ashes of Aquilonian frontier outpost Hauler’s Roam. Conan and the Pictish scout Brissa watch from hiding as the undead “Tribe of the Lost” wordlessly gather together the bodies of their savaged victims. Loading the corpses into a net they drag behind them, the rotting horde heads north, crossing the border into Conan’s homeland of Cimmeria. Sole survivors of the supernatural raid, Conan and Brissa follow in pursuit, hoping both to warn Cimmerian warriors of the encroaching threat and learn the location of the larger army of zombies. Along the way Conan and Brissa learn more about one another, with initial mistrust eventually giving way to camaraderie.

The artwork for this issue is the best seen thus far. For Conan the Barbarian #1 I commented that the reader’s viewpoint often felt a bit too distant from the action, obscuring facial expressions and other fine details. Issue #2 displays a marked improvement on that front. Not only are we given a clearer look at character’s faces, they are good faces as well. As to be expected given the situation, Conan mostly wears an expression of grim determination throughout the issue, but Roberto De La Torre avoids stone-faced monotony through subtle attention to Conan’s eyes. Now that we’re able to get a better look at her face, we can see that Brissa is rendered in a style that would not be out of place alongside Belit, Valeria, Red Sonja, and other warrior women and love interests from the 1970s issues of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian, rather than a more modern standard for comic book heroines. This consistency with the classic artwork is appreciated. While the characters and fight scenes take center stage, De La Torre’s art also does a quietly effective job showcasing the rugged wilderness of Cimmeria.

There’s more narration than dialogue in Conan the Barbarian #2, but Jim Zub continues to take a light hand with the text. He mostly lets the artwork speak for itself, using brief and evocative language as needed to communicate the less visual aspects of the story. Most of this issue is taken up by overland travel, but there are some nice character moments as Brissa and Conan—thrown together by circumstance—gradually feel each other out. The Tribe of the Lost and the unseen power commanding it remain mysterious, but some intriguing hints are revealed.

There has been a small amount of grumbling from canon purists about the coziness of comic book Conan’s relationship with the Pict Brissa. In “The Black Stranger,” one of the original short stories by Robert E. Howard, Conan takes considerable umbrage at another character’s suggestion that he has been living among the Picts: “Even a Zingaran ought to know there’s never been peace between Picts and Cimmerians, and never will be.” The comic book Conan is much younger than the one depicted in “The Black Stranger,” and I’m curious to see if this long-standing feud between Cimmerians and Picts will be reflected in the plot developments of subsequent issues of Conan the Barbarian.

Conan scholar Jeffrey Shanks’ brief article for this issue takes no position on “Pictgate”; instead he draws a connection between Zub’s comic character Brissa and the lineage of Howard’s Pictish characters Brule the Spear-slayer and Bran Mak Morn. The issue concludes with a letters column, in which Zub reiterates a statement he has made in interviews, that his intent for Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian is to focus on creating new tales, rather than retell classic adventures. A laudable goal, in this reader’s opinion.

Enthusiasm remains high regarding Conan’s comic revival, with Conan the Barbarian #1 reportedly outselling all Titan Comics releases to date. A third printing of the first issue is in the works, and Titan reports that this second issue is already back at the printers for a second run. Conan the Barbarian #2 maintains the high standard of quality seen in #1 and the Free Comic Book Day issue #0 and is an easy recommendation for fans of dark fantasy comics.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on August 12, 2023.

Conan the Barbarian #1

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – August 2, 2023

Review by Robin Marx

This first installment of Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian is set eight years after the debut Free Comic Book Day issue. Still just 24 years old, Conan is already a veteran of numerous battles and brushes with supernatural horrors. Since putting his homeland of Cimmeria behind him, he’s ranged from Asgard to Nemedia, Corinthia to Zamora. As a teenager he left the burned-out outpost of Venarium curious about the outside world, only to discover dishonorable men at every turn. Tired and embittered, he has come full circle, to the northern Aquilonian frontier town of Hauler’s Roam, not far from both Venarium and Cimmeria. After a violent altercation with the incompetent and cowardly leader of his most recent employer, a mercenary band, Conan pauses to consider his next move. His respite is short-lived, however, as an enigmatic Pictish horsewoman gallops into town warning of the Army of the Lost: a horde of undead raiders. As the sky is plunged into an eerie darkness, Conan must once more take up his sword against a preternatural threat.

In this first full-length issue, Robert De La Torre’s artwork continues to display a strong (and pleasing!) John Buscema influence without slavishly aping the fan-favorite Marvel artist. The artwork is dynamic and gory, with a surprising number of decapitations for a single issue. There’s also a single panel with bare breasts on display, perhaps signaling that this series will hew closer to the more adult-oriented Savage Sword of Conan magazine of the 1970s than the all-ages Marvel Conan the Barbarian comic that ran in parallel. My only complaint with the artwork thus far is that sometimes the “camera” feels a little too distant from the action, making faces indistinct.

Jim Zub’s writing is punchy but restrained. Quite frequently comic authors seeking to emulate Conan creator Robert E. Howard’s “blood and thunder” prose end up cramming too much text into the panels, paradoxically slowing the reader down with wordy, breathless narration. Zub wisely lets the artwork do the heavy lifting, highlighting and emphasizing the action with his text rather than unnecessarily repeating it.

As with the Free Comic Book Day issue, Conan the Barbarian #1 closes with another brief article by Conan scholar Jeffrey Shanks, this time entitled “Robert E. Howard and His Ages Undreamed Of.” As the Pictish people feature heavily in this issue, Shanks discusses how Picts, Atlanteans, Lemurians, and other antediluvian races reappear across Howard’s non-Conan work, resulting in a sort of greater shared universe. Shanks’ essays provide useful context for the original stories that inspired the comic and are kept brief enough that they’re unlikely to intimidate newcomers. Intriguingly, both this and the previous essay seem to hint that Titan Comics and Howard Estate rights-holders Heroic Signatures are planning to gradually expand their collaboration to non-Conan characters. Perhaps King Kull of Atlantis and the vengeful Puritan Solomon Kane are due for a comeback.

Titan’s Conan the Barbarian #1 starts off with a bang, very clearly setting expectations for the series to come. We’re introduced to Conan, given a quick demonstration of the rough honor code this barbarian lives by, and then see him pitted against a rapidly escalating otherworldly menace. The stage has been set for a compelling original Conan adventure and I look forward to seeing the creative team ramp up the excitement in subsequent issues.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on July 21, 2023.

Conan the Barbarian – Free Comic Book Day 2023

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Roberto De La Torre (Artist) – Titan Comics – May 6, 2023

Review by Robin Marx

The 2023 Free Comic Book Day issue of Conan the Barbarian is set deep within the grim, hilled land of Cimmeria, Conan’s homeland. After crushing three Cimmerian villages in the process, the expansionist Aquilonian empire has established the frontier outpost of Venarium. The Cimmerian barbarian tribes’ internecine feuds have left their lands ripe for colonization, or so the arrogant Aquilonians believed. Now the barbarians—temporarily united by their hatred for the foreign interlopers—scale Venarium’s palisades. Among their number is Conan, just fifteen years of age and already more impressively built than most fully grown men. It is at Venarium where Conan first bloodies his blade. Picking through the outpost’s loot he also, unexpectedly, finds himself afflicted with an intense curiosity about the outside world.

This Free Comic Book Day issue marks the first installment of Conan the Barbarian from UK publisher Titan Comics. It may sound strange to say this about a comic starring a bloody-handed barbarian, but it feels like this introduction to the new Conan the Barbarian series is about reassuring fans. While Conan is one of the most venerable fantasy characters in comics, his publication history has been rocky in recent years. The fledgling Titan Comics line appears to be an attempt to provide some welcome stability.

Excitement surrounded the return of the Conan the Barbarian comic book to Marvel in 2019. Conan’s 15 year stretch at Dark Horse was largely successful, but to long-time comic fans the original Marvel run beginning in 1970 is still the first incarnation of the character to come to mind. The one penned by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith and later John Buscema, with all of them operating at the height of their formidable powers. To many, the relaunch of the Conan the Barbarian and companion Savage Sword of Conan series felt like a homecoming.

It didn’t take long for cracks to appear, however. The flagship Conan the Barbarian series was well-received, but Marvel’s editorial decision-makers also wasted no time incorporating the venerable character into the greater Marvel universe. The Avengers: No Road Home (2019) story line saw him join forces with Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch. Conan also took on a primary role in the subsequent Savage Avengers series, alongside Wolverine, The Punisher, Venom, etc. While crossovers such as these were not unknown during the classic Marvel era, they were largely confined to the non-canon What If…? title. Many readers—not limited to purist fans of Robert E. Howard’s original literary Conan, but also including fans from the crossover-light Dark Horse Comics era—opposed this sort of crossing of the streams.

Far more damaging, however, were the production and publication days that accompanied the pandemic. After the conclusion of Jason Aaron’s “The Life and Death of Conan” arc, writing duties on the core Conan the Barbarian title passed to fantasy comic veteran Jim Zub. Just two issues into Zub’s “Into the Crucible” story line, production was halted, with supply chain issues cited as the cause. There was a seven-month gap between issues, stunting the momentum the plot had accumulated. The mainline Conan the Barbarian series lasted ten more issues, and a six-issue King Conan miniseries followed, but by mid-2022 Marvel announced they had declined to renew the Conan character license.

With the Marvel experience still fresh in public memory, Titan Comic’s Free Comic Book Day issue of Conan the Barbarian seems like an attempt to satisfy and reassure three segments of the audience: neophytes, existing Conan comic fans, and fans of the original pulp fiction character.

Newcomers to the character are given an easily digestible origin story; they’re introduced to Conan during his very first battle and learn the motivation for his wandering life of adventure. There’s no exposition info-dump or dense setting lore, we meet the hero when he’s just starting out, see him in an action-packed situation, and receive some tantalizing hints about future adventures.

Readers already familiar with earlier comic book incarnations are given an immediately familiar-looking depiction of the character: Roberto De La Torre’s lines are strongly reminiscent of John Buscema’s classic Marvel portrayal of Conan. Jim Zub has been given another chance to write the character, and even the colorist and letterer (Jose Villarrubia and Richard Starkings, respectively) are veterans of the Dark Horse Conan series. When Conan’s future love interest Belit is glimpsed in a brief foreshadowing sequence, she appears in her classic Marvel furs. When Conan leaves Venarium behind in search of adventure, he even picks up and dons a horned helmet vaguely similar to the one given him by original Marvel artist Barry Windsor-Smith. The message seems to be that this is the comics Conan you know and love, delivered by people you can trust.

Finally, while they might not be the largest audience or the most impactful on comics sales, fans of Conan creator Robert E. Howard’s original pulp stories are also given some attention. The sack of Venarium depicted in this issue is adapted from a few lines in “Beyond the Black River,” a short story that appeared in a 1935 issue of Weird Tales magazine. When the reader is given a glimpse of Conan’s future exploits, situations from Conan’s other pulp appearances (“The God in the Bowl,” “The Tower of the Elephant,” “Rogues in the House,” “The Queen of the Black Coast”) are shown. The issue even concludes with a brief essay by Howard scholar Jeffrey Shanks that highlights the character’s long literary history and explores why Conan’s stories still resonate today.

While the Free Comic Book Day issue of Conan the Barbarian is only a brief taste, this fan has been duly reassured. De La Torre’s artwork is gorgeous and dynamic, and it hearkens back to some of the most beloved depictions of the character. Jim Zub has been vocal about his enthusiasm for Conan for many years, and there’s no other active comic writer I trust more to do the barbarian justice. Conan the Barbarian Issue #1 can’t come soon enough.

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