Conan The Barbarian (TB) – Volume 01 Issue 34

My Rating

“Cursed Shores Beyond – Part Two: An Isle Of Dread”

The obelisk stood above the beach at the edge of a dense jungle canopy. Was it evidence of some previous civilization, or a warning to anyone foolish enough to seek refuge here? Judging by its construction—a sickly green crystalline stone infused with human skeletons—Conan and Valeria quickly settled on the latter. The shipwrecked crew continued past the grisly relic with more than a little unease. For now, however, their greatest concern was finding fresh water and food to replace the supplies lost aboard the Briney Wren.

Conan wished to push forward alone. His instincts and experience were better suited for scouting dangerous terrain than those of a band of mariners stumbling through an unfamiliar jungle. Captain Quinn Corvaxis and most of the Red Brotherhood disagreed. There was safety in numbers, they argued. The Cimmerian begrudgingly remained with the group.

Twenty minutes later, a clearing appeared through the tangled vegetation ahead. As Valeria quickened her pace, movement in a nearby thicket caught her attention. Something was pushing through the leaves toward her position. The Aquilonian sailor drew her cutlass and prepared to bring the blade down upon whatever emerged from the underbrush.

Then the dull sunlight filtering through the canopy glinted across a pair of reptilian eyes.

The creature was some type of lizard, roughly the size of a Zingarian dog. A curse to Kyala came next.

Conan Knows

Before the castaways could make sense of their discovery, Rodriguez spotted several more of these strange “dragons” in a clearing to the northeast. Those specimens were much, much larger. Conan compared their size to that of an elephant—whatever those were.

Amid the commotion, the smaller reptile darted between the legs of the castaways and raced toward the enormous beasts.

“It was one of their young,” Valeria surmised.

Suddenly, that strange crystalline obelisk on the beach was beginning to look like very good advice.

What other surprises await the shipwrecked crew of the Briney Wren? Will Valeria continue to parry the amorous advances of her shipmate, Morley? Has Conan the Barbarian made any sense of the ghostly attack he suffered during the fatal storm that destroyed their ship? Collect the series to find out!

“The Hyborian Age That Time Forgot”

This is part thirty-four in Jeffrey Shanks’ ongoing exploration of the Hyborian Age and the many influences that helped shape the writing of Robert E. Howard. In this installment, Shanks digs into the history of dinosaurs in early science fiction and pulp literature, revealing how these prehistoric beasts helped inspire Howard and his fantastic worlds.

These features continue to be one of my favorite parts of Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian. Shanks always seems to uncover another fascinating piece of history connecting Howard to the writers, discoveries, and popular culture of his era. For a fact-finding junkie like myself, this is great stuff!

Review

This issue has a little bit of everything I want from a Conan the Barbarian adventure. Ancient elder gods, bloodthirsty pirates, dinosaurs, supernatural mysteries, and simmering tensions between characters are all thrown into the same Hyborian melting pot. Somehow, Jim Zub makes every ingredient work without allowing the story to become overcrowded. This is why he continues to be such an amazing writer for the Cimmerian.

What I particularly enjoy about this storyline is the sense of discovery. Conan and the surviving crew of the Briney Wren have washed ashore in a place where nobody knows what waits beyond the next patch of jungle. Strange crystalline monuments filled with human remains are bad enough. Throw giant prehistoric reptiles into the equation, and suddenly this pirate adventure begins to feel like Robert E. Howard crossed with The Lost World. Sign me up!

Fernando Dagnino’s artwork is another major reason this issue works so well. His jungles feel dangerous, his creatures have weight, and Conan looks exactly like a Barbarian who belongs in this savage environment. Combined with Zub’s writing, the artwork gives Titan Comics another winning chapter in what has become one of my favorite modern interpretations of Conan.

If Titan can maintain this level of storytelling and artwork, I see Conan the Barbarian continuing far into the future. Issue #34 delivers sword-and-sorcery, horror, high-seas adventure, and prehistoric monsters in one beautiful package. What more could a Conan fan ask for?

Five out of five stars from the Digest!