Conan The Barbarian (TB) – Volume 01 Issue 33

My Rating

“Cursed Shores Beyond – Part One: Perilous Waters”

Crested waves spill over the deck of the Briney Wren, pushing sailors violently toward the forecastle. One turns to catch a glimpse of their newest recruit, Conan of Cimmeria. The Barbarian appears to be grappling with something much larger than himself. A man, perhaps. If the rain and seawater were not assaulting them from above, the outline of the creature attacking Conan would be completely invisible.

Valeria of the Red Brotherhood yells out to the First Mate, Morley. Whatever that thing is, Conan will need their help. Both sailors turn into the wind and shuffle toward the fight. The pirates of the Brotherhood have survived worse storms than this one. But if the crew hopes to survive a battle with the supernatural, they will have to fight together.

Is Captain Quinn seasoned enough to pilot the Briney Wren through one-hundred-foot waves? What lurks upon the upper decks of the ship? Will the crew survive the storm long enough to spend their Zingarian gold? Collect the series to find out!

“Valeria: Blade-Woman of the Red Brotherhood”

Valeria is one of the few women known to Conan who could match blades with his great love, Bêlit—the Queen of the Black Coast. In this issue, Jeffrey Shanks delivers another excellent character dossier for fans starving for more details about Howard’s heroes. Robert E. Howard created many memorable female characters, and Valeria remains one of his finest.

Review

Writer Jim Zub moves the story forward to a time when Conan has taken to the Western Sea as a pirate. Valeria of the Red Brotherhood joins the adventure alongside a colorful crew of cutthroats, as Zub launches another voyage into the darker corners of Conan’s life. Whether every member of the Brotherhood comes directly from Howard or later adaptations matters little once the swords are drawn and the storm begins to rage.

Artist Fernando Dagnino proves to be an excellent addition to Titan Comics’ growing stable of Conan talent. His artwork gives the raging sea, supernatural menace, and brutal action the weight this story deserves. I certainly hope we see more of his work as Conan’s adventures continue.

Four out of five stars from the Digest.