This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on February 12, 2026.

Conan the Barbarian #26

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Fernando Dagnino (Artist) – Titan Comics – October 8, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

In Conan the Barbarian #26 by Jib Zub (W) and Fernando Dagnino (A), the once-mighty nation of Aquilonia is declining under the harsh misrule of “mad king” Numedides. With the monarch largely withdrawn from daily affairs, vassals in outlying holdings have become uneasy, especially in the southern province of Poitain. Emboldened by the brewing strife across the border, the neighboring realm of Zingara launches an offensive into Poitain while the province’s count is away petitioning King Numedides. When news of the invasion reaches Numedides, rather than dispatch the full military might of Aquilonia, he instead elects to send a single expendable mercenary company: the Westermarck Wolves. Already a seasoned adventurer by this point, Conan the Cimmerian follows his sellsword brethren into the fray. When the leader of the Westermarck Wolves falls in battle, Conan instinctively assumes command, turning what could have been a disastrous rout into a more ordered retreat. Outnumbered and with no reinforcements from the royal army forthcoming, Conan must join forces with Poitain’s beleaguered Count Trocero to expel the invaders.

Conan the Barbarian #26 covers a massive amount of ground in a single issue. While battle scenes take up much of the page count, Jim Zub manages to incorporate some nice character work and set up the chess board for events to come. While Conan has either been solo or in a subordinate role for much of the Titan Comics Conan the Barbarian run (e.g., serving as Bêlit’s second-in-command, or with the Aesir reavers in the frozen north), here we see Conan smoothly and naturally assume the top leadership role during combat and have that battlefield promotion immediately made permanent by his comrades. Conan also wastes no time distinguishing himself in other ways; where chivalrous Count Trocero hesitates to stoop to “dishonorable” measures even despite the massive imbalance between the Aquilonian and Zingaran forces, Conan has no such compunction against “uncouth and unorthodox” (dare I say barbaric?) tactics and executes his plan with ruthless efficiency. Readers of the original Robert E. Howard stories or the Marvel and Dark Horse comic adaptations are accustomed to seeing the Cimmerian commanding various mercenary companies, ship crews, and bandit mobs, but between the King Conan story last issue (Conan the Barbarian #25) and his new generalship in this issue, Conan the Leader is becoming a more prominent element in the main Titan Comics Conan the Barbarian title.

While the invading Zingaran army serves as the primary enemy for this particular issue, Zub heavily foreshadows conflict between Conan and King Numedides. Conan is presented as a leader who puts himself at the forefront of every skirmish, whereas Numedides is an aloof tyrant unconcerned for the plight of his subjects. Longtime fans know where this is headed. What realm does the future King Conan rule? Aquilonia. The ruler immediately prior to Conan? King Numedides. While Conan’s ascension to the throne is only covered by Howard in passing—first in Conan’s debut story “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932), then later in “The Scarlet Citadel” (1933) and The Hour of the Dragon (serialized 1935-1936)—it appears Zub is setting us up for a much closer look at the forging of King Conan. Pastiche novelists L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter offered their own take on the Cimmerian’s rise to power in Conan the Liberator (1979), but de Camp and Carter’s additions to the Conan canon are viewed less enthusiastically now than in decades past, so I suspect Zub will ignore Conan the Liberator (and its unpopular satyrs).

Artist Fernando Dagnino’s return so soon is a surprise, seeing as how his last issue was Conan the Barbarian #24. Given how artistic duties have been rotated in the Titan series thus far I would have expected either Roberto De La Torre or Doug Braithwaite to handle the new arc, but since I rate Dagnino highly his return is a welcome one. Facial expressions remain Dagnino’s strong suit, but his montage-like battle depictions also stand out. The breakneck pacing of this issue leaves little space to cover multiple combats, but Dagnino manages to communicate both the desperation of the fights and Conan’s gory heroics. The storytelling economy on display is impressive. Also be sure to note the banner above King Numedides’ head on the final page for a fun visual hint.

Conan the Barbarian #26 is packed, from start to finish. While its breathlessness means some of the supporting characters’ deaths do not quite have the emotional impact they would in a less compressed story, the stage has been set for exciting and turbulent times ahead.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on January 11, 2026.

Conan the Barbarian #25

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Alex Horley (Artist) – Titan Comics – October 8, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

In Conan the Barbarian #25, after untold leagues of single-minded solitary travel, a cloaked stranger presents himself at the city gates of Tarantia, capital of Aquilonia, demanding to speak to King Conan. Initially rebuffed as a vagrant by the city guards, the anonymous visitor simply sits in the dust and waits patiently outside the gate until Conan finally gives in to curiosity and grants him an audience. Revealing himself to possess bone-white hair and the pallor of a corpse, the stranger claims to bear a great gift for Conan, but one that will only be bestowed after receiving three days of the king’s hospitality. In the days to follow, Conan’s queen and closest allies each approach him with their misgivings, but the king remains determined to stay the course even despite the visitor’s unsettling demeanor. At the close of the third day, the so-called “nomad” springs his trap, drawing Conan into a phantasmagorical realm where the barbarian-turned-king must survive a series of life-threatening ordeals to win “a prize akin to immortality.”

Entitled “The Nomad,” this special extra-long one-shot issue commemorates two full years of Conan the Barbarian at Titan Comics. While the barbarian has appeared as ruler of Aquilonia before in the ongoing The Savage Sword of Conan title, this issue marks the first King Conan story in Titan’s main Conan the Barbarian title and the first one penned by Jim Zub himself. But what makes this issue so remarkable is the artwork by Alex Horley. Over the course of a year, Horley rendered every page of the artwork as oil paintings. Horley has consistently delivered some of the most eye-catching covers for Titan’s The Savage Sword of Conan, so seeing an entire issue of the main comic receive such deluxe treatment is impressive.

Appropriately for an anniversary issue, with Conan the Barbarian #25 writer Jim Zub delivers a retrospective of Conan’s career that simultaneously does double duty as an approachable introduction to the character. Through flashback-like visions the reader is treated to a series of pivotal scenes in Conan’s adventures, some of which have been covered in the Titan comic run (Conan’s encounter with Atali’s frost giant brothers), and others which have as yet only appeared in the original Robert E. Howard fiction or previous comic adaptations (e.g., we see the ape-like Thak, from “Rogues in the House,” and Conan’s crucifixion in “A Witch Shall be Born”). Conan’s opponents are mocking, talkative specters, and through the dialogue Zub demonstrates both the aging Conan’s philosophy and his indomitable spirit. In the end, Zub brings it home by neatly tying the story in with one of the most recognized and quoted passages in the Conan literary canon.

Alex Horley’s artwork is truly gorgeous throughout. Horley offers up dynamic combat, excellent depictions of favorite Conan the Barbarian monsters, and the most alluring portrayal of pirate queen Bêlit seen in the Titan Comics titles so far. While never obtrusive, the texture of the canvas is occasionally visible through the artwork, a pleasing reminder of the care and workmanship that went into this issue. Even in a series blessed with talented artists, the work here is something special.

Conan the Barbarian issue 25 is perhaps the best single issue of the Titan Comics incarnation to date. Not only is it visually gorgeous, but the story is also an eloquent summation of the appeal of both the character of Conan and Sword & Sorcery fiction in general. If I knew a comic reader who wanted to know what this whole Conan business was about and why people are still excited about this nearly century-old character, this is the issue I would hand them.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on September 29, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian #24

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Fernando Dagnino (Artist) – Titan Comics – September 10, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

While Conan and Zula emerged unscathed from their audience with Thoth-Amon, master of the Black Circle of Sorcerers and an important figure in the insidious snake cult of Set, they learned of “Set’s brood gathering beneath Keshatta.” With the coming of dawn, Zula’s magic disguise has expired, however, and Athyr-Bast has escaped her bonds. An alarm is raised city-wide, but Conan and Zula remain committed to disrupting Thoth-Amon’s insidious plot to destabilize Stygia’s neighboring kingdoms. The pair venture into the tunnels below Keshatta, where curses and darker threats await.

Concluding the current Conan the Barbarian story arc, this issue is entitled “The Nest Beneath.” Jim Zub has managed to pack quite a bit of story into a single issue, and his narration work is appropriately breathless. Zub also incorporates a fun reference to Robert E. Howard’s original Conan tales by having the children of Set growing beneath the city take the same form as the monster from the story “The God in the Bowl.” A brief flashback in this issue reveals that the encounter in “The God in the Bowl” has already taken place in the Titan Comics Conan the Barbarian continuity, although not “on-screen.”

Fernando Dagnino delivers some more great expressions in this issue. Faces twisted in rage during combat, dumbstruck through mesmerism, panicking when confronted by supernatural horrors, etc. And while he had some opportunity to briefly show off some monster artwork in Conan the Barbarian #23, this issue’s Man-Serpents offer him an opportunity to really let loose.

In the final pages of the issue, Jeffrey Shanks delivers another informative essay on serpent-haunted Stygia, this time profiling the villains of Stygia. I was surprised to learn that scene-stealing sorceress villainess was not an original Zub-created character, but instead one who first appeared in Marvel’s Savage Sword in Conan in 1993, late in the original magazine’s run. Cheers to Zub’s archaeology work; his dedication to repurposing entertaining motifs and characters from the full body of Conan the Barbarian canon is laudable.

Conan the Barbarian #24 delivers a strong conclusion to one of the best storylines in Titan Comics’ two-year run. Newcomers to the title have been given a thorough grounding in Stygia, its snake cult, and power players like Thoth-Amon, meaning a firm foundation has been laid for the upcoming “Scourge of the Serpent” miniseries. While it’s unlikely that readers will be surprised to see Thoth-Amon and Athyr-Bast escape to plot another day, the fates of Livia and Zula are less predictable and should provide some exciting fuel for future stories.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on September 6, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian #23

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Fernando Dagnino (Artist) – Titan Comics – August 13, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

Having failed in his attempt to strike down his captor, the ruthless sorceress Athyr-Bast, Conan finds himself struggling to resist her mind domination magic. Zula, a shape-shifter Conan previously encountered in the jungles of the southern Black Kingdoms, appears in the nick of time, knocking Athyr-Bast unconscious and freeing Conan from her influence. Still indebted to Zula after their previous encounter (Conan the Barbarian #20), Conan agrees to help the magician sabotage his Set-worshipping Stygian enemies, provided they return to rescue Livia once their mission is complete. Zula uses his magic to disguise himself as Athyr-Bast and Conan dons the armor of one of the sorceress’ slain bodyguards. Together they set out to uncover the aims of Thoth-Amon, leader of the sorcerous Black Circle and an influential figure in Set’s snake cult.

Part III of A Nest of Serpents, this issue is entitled “Power and Influence.” Finally, Jim Zub delivers the much-teased first encounter between Conan and Thoth-Amon. While Thoth-Amon and Conan never actually meet in the original Robert E. Howard short stories, Conan only indirectly comes into contact with Thoth-Amon’s malign magic, Thoth-Amon is a fan-favorite antagonist from the pastiche novels and comic adaptations. Finally seeing the two characters together in the current Titan Comics Conan the Barbarian run was a long-awaited treat. Zub makes their meeting a tense one, showcasing Thoth-Amon’s great mystical powers while also depicting him as an embattled leader, beset by enemies both distant and within his inner circle. As one potential threat Thoth-Amon namedrops Natohk the Veiled One, who Howard fans will recall as the antagonist from the 1933 Conan tale “Black Colossus.” Thoth-Amon also demonstrates how well-informed he is when he recognizes the name Amra, Conan’s current nom de guerre; Conan hurriedly claims that he is a DIFFERENT Amra, not the notorious Black Coast pirate of which Thoth-Amon has heard.

Fernando Dagnino continues to showcase his strength and versatility as an artist in this issue. The architecture in this issue particularly stands out. Dagnino makes the teeming slums of Keshatta come alive, and Thoth-Amon’s Temple of Set is appropriately monumental and imposing. Thoth-Amon himself also looks “right,” maintaining the sinuous build and vaguely reptilian aspect popularized by Cary Nord in the 2004 Dark Horse Comics Conan title. In an interview in Conan the Barbarian #21, Dagnino laments that Conan’s face is tricky to perfect: if the bridge of his nose is even slightly too short, he ends up looking like the Incredible Hulk. True enough, in this issue there are some borderline Hulk-faced Conan depictions. But that’s less a critique of the artwork on my part than an amused acknowledgment of the two characters’ resemblance.

Conan the Barbarian issue #23 gives readers the Conan and Thoth-Amon encounter they have been waiting for. Zub and Dagnino deliver a briskly paced issue packed with tension and spectacle.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on August 7, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian #22

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Fernando Dagnino (Artist) – Titan Comics – July 9, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

Conan, his band of Bamula warriors, and Princess Livia have been drugged and imprisoned in the Stygian border town of Keshatta by the ruthless enchantress Athyr-Bast. She and other members of a sorcerous clique known as the Black Ring pit captives against each other in gladiatorial combat as a means of entertaining the unwashed masses while simultaneously jockeying for position and prestige within the Ring. Given no opportunity to prepare, Conan immediately finds himself thrust into the arena with the reigning champion, a giant brute named Krum-Va the Carver. Despite the formidable odds, Conan emerges alive but not unscathed. Further victories under the nom de guerre Amra the Annihilator earn Conan special treatment among the gladiators, and Athyr-Bast basks in her pet warrior’s triumphs. However, thoughts of liberating himself and his comrades are never far from Conan’s mind.

Conan the Barbarian issue #22, “Diamond in the Dirt,” borrows many recognizable elements from Spartacus and every other gladiator movie and TV show you’ve ever seen. Grossly mismatched opponents, triumphant underdogs, friends pitted against friends, slaves elevated to celebrity, privileged women dallying with their gladiators, etc. The tropes and story beats may be familiar, but they remain entertaining. While pit fighter was never a vocation undertaken by the barbarian in the original Robert E. Howard stories, it’s exciting to see the exploits of Conan the Gladiator in a more expanded capacity than the ruthlessly edited taste viewers were shown in the 1982 Conan the Barbarian film.

Fernando Dagnino’s artwork continues to appeal. Gladiatorial combat appears frequently throughout the issue, and Dagnino delivers melee depictions that feel not only dynamic and forceful, but rhythmically paced as well. Outside of the arena, Dagnino proves himself adept with the quieter moments. Athyr-Bast remains an alluring and well-dressed femme fatale, and women’s faces and costuming haven’t always been shown this much attention and care under previous Conan the Barbarian artists.

The Jeffrey Shanks essay accompanying Conan the Barbarian #22 explores the ancient Egyptian-themed land of Stygia, an isolationist land dominated by sorcery and snake cults. In addition to the current “Nest of Serpents” story arc, Stygia is set to figure heavily in the upcoming “Scourge of the Serpent” event miniseries, and the essay offers newcomers some welcome grounding in one of the Hyborian Age’s most evocative and mysterious locales.

While this reader hopes the much-teased antagonist Thoth-Amon will take a more prominent role in the next issue, Conan the Barbarian issue #22 is a fun and fast-paced gladiator montage.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on July 17, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian #21

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Fernando Dagnino (Artist) – Titan Comics – June 11, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

Emotionally adrift after the death of his pirate queen Bêlit, Conan wanders his way aimlessly through the jungles of the Black Kingdoms. An encounter with a pampered princess from Ophir once again gives him purpose, however. After rescuing her from an attempted human sacrifice, Conan and his loyal tribe of Bamula warriors journey northward, hoping to deliver Princess Livia from the jungle and into the hands of someone who can get her safely home. As they reach the border town of Daynt, nestled between Kush and serpent-haunted Stygia, the party receives an astonishingly gracious welcome. Naturally, Conan is instantly suspicious. In the dead of night, he sets out to uncover the darkness lurking behind the villagers’ obsequious smiles.

In terms of the Titan Comics Conan the Barbarian chronology, the “A Nest of Serpents” story arc that launches with this issue takes place after “The Age Unconquered” (Conan the Barbarian issues #9-12). For readers of the original 1930s short stories by Robert E. Howard, it’s interesting to note that this issue takes place immediately after the events of “The Vale of Lost Women.” Never published during the author’s lifetime (and possibly never even submitted for publication by Howard), “The Vale of Lost Women” occupies an uneasy place in the Conan canon. Not only is it a lesser effort creatively, the casual racism endemic in 1930s America is more prominent here than in the lion’s share of Howard’s work, and there are hints of sexual violence as well. The Conan appearing in “The Vale of Lost Women” is uncharacteristically brutish, and the dismissiveness with which he regards the African-coded inhabitants of the Black Kingdoms also doesn’t make sense if the story takes place after Conan’s extended tenure among the majority Black crew of Bêlit’s pirate ship.

Rather than go through elaborate contortions to salvage “The Vale of Lost Women,” Conan the Barbarian scribe Jim Zub simply uses the events of the short story as a launching pad for his own original tale: Conan is deep in the jungle, surrounded by local warriors, and has a delicate princess that he must escort to safety. The climactic bat-winged “devil from the Outer Dark” is shown in the opening pages of this issue, so readers do not miss out on anything by not receiving a full adaptation. Masterfully handled, Zub!

Conan the Barbarian #21 brings aboard a new artist for the monthly title, Fernando Dagnino. A DC Comics veteran, Dagnino’s work previously appeared in The Savage Sword of Conan #4. I rated his art highly then, and he continues to impress in this full-length issue. While he cites several other Conan artists as influences in the post-issue interview, Dagnino’s depiction most reminds me of Ernie Chan’s. He captures the brawn and ferocity of Chan’s classic representation while avoiding slavish imitation. His costume work in this issue is also worthy of note; newly introduced Stygian sorceress character Athyr-Bast is particularly impressively outfitted.

While the “Scourge of the Serpent” event miniseries doesn’t begin in earnest until September (excepting the Free Comic Book Day prelude), the dark Egyptian-inspired land of Stygia and the snake cult of Set have figured prominently in this year’s Conan the Barbarian issues. As the story arc title “A Nest of Serpents” suggests, this issue continues the trend, also reintroducing a fan-favorite villain previously teased at the conclusion of Conan the Barbarian #18.

Issue #21 takes the best elements of a forgettable Conan short story and sets to work making something more interesting out of them. Fernando Dagnino also makes a strong addition to the stable of Conan the Barbarian artists.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on June 9, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian – Free Comic Book Day 2025: Scourge of the Serpent

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Ivan Gil (Artist) – Titan Comics – May 7, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

The 2025 Free Comic Book Day issue of Conan the Barbarian is set shortly after the beginning of his adventuring career. Though the Cimmerian is only 17, already he has participated in the Sack of Venarium and then fallen in with a raiding party in the frozen north. After an uncanny close encounter with the divine (as seen in the “Frozen Faith” storyline, concluding in Conan the Barbarian issue #16), the youth ventures south towards warmer climes and his earliest encounters with the “civilized” world. He promptly becomes a thief, using his remarkable muscle and agility to enrich himself at the expense of the soft city-dwellers of Numalia. His latest heist turns out to be a bust, however, when he breaks into the manor house of Aztrias Petanius, nephew to the city-state’s governor. Not only is he caught in the act, but it turns out Petanius doesn’t have any gold to steal: the dissolute fop has run up massive gambling debts and been cut off by his uncle. Just as Conan is about to cut his losses and withdraw, Petanius attempts to sweet-talk Conan into another burglary, one that promises to both mollify the frustrated barbarian and wipe out Petanius’ debt.

Like the 2024 Free Comic Book Day issue, which acted as the prelude to last year’s Battle of the Black Stone miniseries, this issue sets the stage for this autumn’s “Scourge of the Serpent” spin-off. Hints about another epoch-spanning crossover involving other characters penned by Conan creator Robert E. Howard are dropped in the final pages of the issue, and in his closing essay pulp fiction scholar Jeffrey Shanks helpfully lays out the plan for the event. As fans familiar with the original source material have likely recognized, the Conan story will be an adaptation of “The God in the Bowl” (the climax of which was glimpsed in Conan the Barbarian #20). Interestingly, that tale will be interwoven with a comic book treatment of “The Shadow Kingdom,” a classic 1929 Sword & Sorcery adventure starring King Kull and Brule the Spear-Slayer. Finally, the “Scourge of the Serpent” will also incorporate “The Haunter of the Ring,” a 1934 occult horror tale featuring Professor John Kirowan (last seen in Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone #4). While Jim Zub’s repeated tendency to shoehorn crossover events into Conan the Barbarian still feels like a storytelling device better left to superhero comics, the story choice here is admittedly intriguing. “The God in the Bowl” is a fun story, but one of the weaker Conan tales; augmenting an adaptation of that with additional material seems like a wise decision. “The Shadow Kingdom” is perhaps the best Kull story, to the extent that which I’m surprised they would use it here, rather than reserve it for a future standalone King Kull comic title. Finally, “The Haunter of the Ring” is one of the more obscure Howard stories, but even in its original form it includes a built-in connection to Conan’s Hyborian Age. While simultaneously weaving together three adaptations feels ambitious, the more limited cast of characters should help “Scourge of the Serpent” avoid the overstuffed feeling of “Battle of the Black Stone.”

Artist Ivan Gil is a newcomer to Conan the Barbarian, but I look forward to seeing more Conan material by him. His character work in this issue is superb. His Conan is brawny, but he captures the panther-like agility that so many other artists regrettably deemphasize. His Conan also looks appropriately young; hardened by his barbarian upbringing, but still youthful and new to the ways of the civilized world. Gil’s supporting cast is likewise strong. While avoiding caricature-like exaggeration, the guards in Petanius’ manner are delightfully ugly in a characterful way. His background work with the furnishings in Petanius’ manor is intricately detailed, which gives me high hopes for the riches we’ll be shown within the vault of antiquarian Kallian Publico during “The God in the Bowl.”

For those who were unable to acquire Conan the Barbarian Free Comic Book Day 2025: Scourge of the Serpent from their local comic store, a digital edition is available directly from Titan Comics. This issue is an enjoyable read for current fans of the series, but it’s also an excellent place to pick up the series. There’s no encumbering backstory to absorb, just a young barbarian with a sword looking to hit it rich and ominous hints of sinister forces lurking in the background.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on May 15, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian #20

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Doug Braithwaite (Artist) – Titan Comics – April 16, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

Confronted by a hostile shapeshifter, Conan has no choice but to defend himself. Mystified by the invective hurled at him by his assailant, he spares his foe’s life in an attempt to learn the reason for the unprovoked aggression. Zula, as the stranger is named, accuses Conan of being a “servant of the serpent.” In other words, an agent of the cruel Stygian snake god Set. Despite his misgivings, Zula offers Conan the means to cleanse his soul of Set’s influence. He orders Conan to present himself at an ancient monument, where a risky ordeal awaits. As Conan pushes through the dense jungle, it gradually dawns upon him that the stab wound he incurred from a Stygian artifact called the Fangs of the Serpent during his botched heist with the thief Tarnasha (Conan the Barbarian #18) must have marked him with Set’s malign taint.

Part IV of the “Twisting Loyalties” story arc, this issue is appropriately titled “Purged.” Conan the Barbarian #20 both concludes “Twisting Loyalties” and provides more resolution for the two-issue storyline Jim Zub worked on with artist Danica Brine. It also leads directly into the upcoming “Scourge of the Serpent” event. While I prefer self-contained episodic storytelling in the Sword & Sorcery genre and don’t feel a title like Conan the Barbarian demands epic events, crossovers with other heroes, and ongoing continuity, I do think Zub is adept at this sort of comic book storytelling. He drops hints and plants seeds that bear fruit several issues down the line. On the other hand, the “shadow” Conan that appears in this issue feels a little too close to the Black Stone-influenced Conan seen in the “Thrice Marked for Death!” storyline (e.g., Conan the Barbarian #8). Mind control and possession have appeared frequently across multiple arcs in this series to date, affecting both Conan and King Kull (e.g., Conan the Barbarian #9), and perhaps that particular device could use a rest.

Artist Doug Braithwaite continues to shine. From both a narrative and art perspective, the “Frozen Faith” storyline was a disappointment, but these past two issues have given me a much greater appreciation of Braithwaite’s talents. His jungle scenery and wildlife depictions are ultra-detailed and bring the Black Kingdoms to life in a way that wasn’t as pronounced with the Nordheim tundra setting of “Frozen Faith.” His one-on-one fist fights in this two-parter also felt more dynamic and impactful than the mass battles he depicted in “Frozen Faith.”

From a plot perspective, issues #19 and #20 of Conan the Barbarian serve as “the prelude to the prelude,” laying the groundwork for the Free Comic Book Day 2025 issue and the “Scourge of the Serpent” event miniseries to follow. That being said, these two issues benefit from having the right artist paired with the right material to showcase his strengths. A fun story well told.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on May 7, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian #19

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Doug Braithwaite (Artist) – Titan Comics – March 19, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

Two years have passed since Conan’s ill-fated heist with the unreliable thief Tarnasha. He and his pirate queen Bêlit terrorized the high seas, but their journey together has come to an end. Bêlit and her crew is dead (a story originally related in the 1934 Weird Tales story “Queen of the Black Coast”), the beached vessel The Tigress serving as their funeral pyre. Conan finds himself alone in the hostile jungles of the Black Kingdoms. He is left little time to grieve, however, as danger lurks behind every primeval tree. Hornets nearly chase him into the waiting maw of a crocodile, and the human life he encounters is nearly as unfriendly. Suspicious villagers rebuff his attempt to barter for water and directions, flatly stating that he brings danger and is tainted by death. Forced back into the jungle, Conan is stalked by a supernatural presence, its hostility apparent but its motive unknown.

Entitled “Hunted,” this issue is listed as the third part of the “Twisting Loyalties” story arc that began with Conan the Barbarian #17. Interviews with series writer Jim Zub had given the impression that the previous two issues with artist Danica Brine would comprise a two-part storyline, with this issue and next making a second two-parter with Doug Braithwaite handling art, but the Part III suggest more of a connection than is apparent just yet. Conan’s present jungle survival saga is separated by a significant amount of both time and distance from the events of issue #18, but more than enough unresolved plot threads remain to complicate his current situation.

While I haven’t always been the biggest booster of Doug Braithwaite’s artwork—I find his female characters insufficiently alluring compared to Zub’s breathless prose descriptions, and his depictions of young Conan look prematurely aged—this issue finds Braithwaite firmly in his element. Bereaved and beset, his barbarian looks appropriately haggard. The relentless animal attack scenes also play to Braithwaite’s strengths. And while background art is often overlooked, the dense jungles of the Black Kingdoms looks fantastic here. Diego Rodriguez also deserves special mention for the fine color work. Not only is he working with a vivid, vibrant palette, but his colors effectively communicate the temperature of every scene, from steamy heat to midnight chill.

While I won’t reveal his identity, this issue reintroduces a supporting character created by Roy Thomas in a 1978 issue of the original Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian. While my memories of this character were foggy, in his essay Jeffrey Shanks helpfully gives readers a detailed profile. Throughout his run on Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian, Zub has both proven himself loyal to Conan creator Robert E. Howard’s legacy while simultaneously demonstrating an eagerness to draw inspiration from post-Howard adaptations. Sometimes these references appear as visual Easter Eggs (like the Atlantean Sword first introduced in the 1982 John Milius film), other times in a more involved fashion. Here we have a non-Howard character that originated in a comic book, but he’s being used in a novel way: where originally he journeyed alongside Conan and Bêlit, here his first encounter with the barbarian is after Bêlit’s death. This sort of remixing is commonplace in superhero comics, but it’s fun to see Zub embrace the entirety of the Conan mythos.

The end of the issue suggests that plot threads introduced in previous issues will become more prominent in Conan the Barbarian #20, but issue #19 is a sleek survival tale that features some of Doug Braithwaite’s best artwork on the title to date.

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This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on March 7, 2025.

Conan the Barbarian #18

By Jim Zub (Writer) and Danica Brine (Artist) – Titan Comics – February 19, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

Having decided to spare the life of Tarnasha, the foolhardy thief that invaded their bedchamber in Conan the Barbarian #17, Conan and Bêlit allow themselves to be talked into a plan to rob a local antiquarian of a priceless treasure of Stygian origin. Conan has misgivings, as his last encounter with Stygia and its Set-worshipping snake cult was an unsettling one, but he’s swayed by his pirate queen’s talk of riches and her eagerness to pull one over on the hated Stygians. The trio immediately begins plotting a daring heist. Once their hastily assembled plan is put into action, however, bloodshed and betrayal ensue.

This issue concludes the two-part “Fangs and Foolish Thieves” storyline. All previous arcs in Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian series have run across four issues, so it’s perhaps inevitable that this particular story feels abbreviated. Indeed, the pacing felt rushed the first time I read through this issue, with several elements introduced late into the story and left unresolved. That feeling lessened upon revisiting the issue, however. Tarnasha will doubtless reappear in a subsequent plotline, as will the other dangling threads established herein. The 2025 Free Comic Day Issue of Conan the Barbarian is set to launch an event called Scourge of the Serpent, and a Solomon Kane series entitled The Serpent Ring is scheduled to arrive even before that, so it appears that readers have a decidedly reptilian year ahead of them. Appropriate for the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Snake.

Issue #18 includes some entertaining references for knowledgeable Conan fans. The Stygian episode Conan flashes back to in the opening pages is, of course, a nod to the original Robert E. Howard prose story “The God in the Bowl.” The Stygian relic at the heart of the story is unmistakably the same intertwined serpent dagger wielded by James Earl Jones’ villain Thulsa Doom in the 1982 Conan the Barbarian movie. The cinematic Atlantean Sword and Thulsa Doom himself (despite being King Kull’s foe in Howard’s work) have also appeared in previous issues of this comic, demonstrating Jim Zub’s fun willingness to embrace the Conan the Barbarian body of work in all its forms and expressions, rather than limit himself to strict Howard purism.

Judging from online commentary, Danica Brine’s artwork in the previous issue was a point of contention for some readers. While admittedly the art style does feel a tad on the “cute” side for Conan—Tarnasha and her truly outrageous pastel outfit would fit right in with Jem and The Holograms—I’d rather see a variety of representations of these characters than witness Conan the Barbarian stagnate and settle into dead-end “John Buscema Über Alles” conservatism.

While our reunion with Conan and Bêlit is regrettably a brief one, Conan the Barbarian #18 caps off a whirlwind caper. The shorter storyline and fresh artwork show that Jim Zub is still willing to experiment with the Titan Comics series, even as the title sprints towards its second anniversary.

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