Conan has wandered his way around the comics industry, and some terrific creators have told his tales. If at this point that feels overwhelming, then the occasional freebooter rebooting at Titan should be where you start. Because Conan the Barbarian #1 gives you everything you need to know. More importantly, it moves beyond what the average newcomers might think they know of Robert E. Howard’s creation. Before officially hitting stores on August 2, it’s already proven to be a big success, giving Titan Comics its highest numbers ever with a 2nd printing already confirmed after an initial run of 80,000 and a 3rd printing likely.
Writer Jim Zub collaborates with artist Roberto De La Torre to focus on a younger Conan. He’s only recently left his people, a tribe notoriously insular. With Conan acting as a hired sword, Zub and De La Torre waste no time getting to action. Angry at his hirer’s lack of ethics toward his own group, Conan stands up for his own code. He may be a barbarian, but he’s not without morality.
The narrative allows for quieter moments for world-building, which allows De La Torre to show off his terrific storytelling skills. His art is reminiscent of the legends who worked on the original Marvel years such as John Buscema and Alfred Alcala. However, De La Torre can take advantage of better art reproduction to allow for more texture and variation. Revel in the firelight that offers Conan moments of calm and introspection — and the darkness that holds terrors just beyond.
Sure, stories could be told of Conan just sitting around drinking, but we all know that three things make everything they touch better: cheese, monkeys, and zombies. And Conan just might be lactose intolerant. (He’s probably okay with monkeys.)
At any rate, it’s no surprise that this book has already sold out at the distributor level. You’d do well to ask your local comics shop to hold a copy for you, no matter which printing. It’s a good read.
And… there’s more to come. Announced on Sunday at Comic-Con, Titan and Heroic Signatures (the rights holder) will bring the black and white magazine Savage Sword of Conan back in 2024! Watch the trailer first (with art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Buscema, and Alcala), then read the details.
From Titan:
Announced at San Diego Comic-Con today, global publisher Titan Comics and entertainment studio Heroic Signatures are excited to reveal the long-awaited return of The Savage Sword of Conan in 2024 – with all-new gritty and gruesome tales from the world of Conan the Barbarian; presented in its original black-and-white, magazine-sized format.
Originally published in 1974, The Savage Sword of Conan featured Robert E. Howard’s iconic Conan the Barbarian untethered from the bounds of the restrictive Comics Code Authority. A darker and more mature title than the flagship Conan the Barbarian comics, The Savage Sword of Conan delved into more gritty and bloody storylines and art, quickly becoming a cult classic publication. The Savage Sword of Conan featured writing and art from legendary creators such as Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Walter Simonson and much more.
Launching in comic shops in 2024 during the 50 year anniversary celebration, the brand-new The Savage Sword of Conan magazine will be written and drawn in its original black-and-white style by a murderers row of writers and artists including John Arcudi, Frank Tieri, Patch Zircher, Howard Chaykin, Rafael Kayanan, Cary Nord, Rebeca Puebla, Dan Panosian, Richard Pace, Gerardo Zaffino and many more!
“Ever since we announced the launch of this new comic book line, fans and creators alike have been clamouring for the return of this iconic title – ONLY if it was in its original B&W anthology magazine format,” says editor Matt Murray. “It’s been a really tough secret to keep that we at Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics have actually been planning on that all along, but it can be a tough skull to crack on a few levels. We hope that we can live up to the expectations, as well as the legacy of the classic book, and think that with the writers and artists we already have on board (and those we’re still talking to) we can forge a new and exciting chapter in CONAN’s savage story.”
Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics new Savage Sword of Conan joins the new ongoing Conan the Barbarian comic series written by Jim Zub, with art by Roberto De La Torre, as well as the continuing archival publishing of Conan the Barbarian: The Original Comics Omnibus and the Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Comics Omnibus. Fans can look out for Volume 9 of the original Savage Sword of Conan series this November.
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