Conan the Barbarian #18 -> Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #3
There’s a grand plan for the Conan the Barbarian series through to issue #50, using many of the original Robert E. Howard prose stories as pillars to build a larger mythic arc about men, gods, courage, sacrifice and storytelling. Each year we also have a 4-issue event mini-series that exemplifies and extends ideas from the monthly series, putting a button on broader themes and showing how adventures the Cimmerian has been part of echo outward, interacting with other characters in the ‘Howardverse’. My first Heroic Signatures editor Matt Murray and I generated this concept in brainstorming sessions long before the series launched, hopeful we’d get the chance to see it through and, as year 3 continues, it feels amazing to slowly unveil each major moment along the way.
Scourge of the Serpent #3 reveals the reality of a flashback first shown in Conan the Barbarian #18, built around the REH story God in the Bowl. Conan’s memories of that moment are hazy and I love the way artist Danica Brine‘s flashback version has a dreamlike quality while Ivan Gil‘s reality of that moment is more textured and horrific, even while both compositions are identical. Getting to plan all this out and see it executed so incredibly well by our team is a thrill.
With holiday shipping and distribution all jammed up, Scourge of the Serpent #4 has slipped to first week of January, but I promise that you won’t want to miss what gets revealed there, a big piece of the broader mythic puzzle.
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #3 arrived in comic shops. What did critics think of our penultimate chapter?
• 9 Panel Grid: “I’m really enjoying Gil’s approach on the artwork here – We get different flavors of artistic choices between Conan, Savage Sword of Conan, and this event, but each one continues to be a feast for the eyes.”
• Brother Lore: “This entire venture into Conan has been my favorite thing written by Jim Zub…A very pleasing read especially for me, an old English literature major.”
• Comic Culture: “Even for somebody like me, a bit of a novice with Conan at this point, I’m having such a great time with this book…If you see anything Conan that’s come out in the last couple of years – Scourge of the Serpent, Conan proper, Savage Sword – it doesn’t matter what it is, pick it up. You’re going to love it.”
• Comical Opinions: “The writing keeps character motivations clean and easy to follow, which matters when reincarnation charts and serpent cult lore start stacking up. The art backs that up with strong visual storytelling”
• Cool Thunder: 10/10 “Jim Zub continues to prove why his storytelling is unmatched…Ivan Gil’s artwork and Jao Canola’s coloring elevate everything even further, creating an enthralling and atmospheric experience from start to finish.”
• Cupcake Comic Reviews: “The artwork is amazing with Ivan Gil on the art and Jim Zub writing, so you can never go wrong. This feels like an event book in the Conan universe.”
• Fanlight Zone: 10/10 “One of the best books on the shelves every single month and it just keeps going…The art is fantastic and storyline is cool as hell. I’m loving the action across three timelines.”
• Gaming Trend: “Scourge of the Serpent #3 is exactly what I’d hoped the previous issue would be. It pushes the plot forward both for the individual storylines and the overarching threat without leaving any character’s plotline feeling like an afterthought.”
• League of Comic Geeks: 8/10 “The interweaving of these stories is fantastic. I wasn’t sure for a minute where it was going but it all connects right toward the end.”
• Old Man Hyborian: “I’m anxious to see how Jim Zub’s going to wrap up this story arc. So far, so good…If you are a Robert E. Howard fan, I would strongly recommend this.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “Jim Zub working on Conan is a revelation. It’s so good, so amazing and I think that this is the best Conan’s been since the 80s. I really do.”
• Stygian Dogs: “Ivan Gil delivers exceptional work in Conan Scourge of the Serpent #3, some of the best Conan art under Titan Comics…It’s sharp, respectful storytelling that hints at bigger things to come.”
• Thinking Critical: “I think Jim Zub continues to knock it out of the park this arc with Conan…It’s a unique story and unique style of event storytelling and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
• Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “Just a great homage to all of Howard’s genius and characters. I’m loving it…A great book with great art on it that continues to be the best comic on the market.”
Settling back in at home after our trip to the UK has been good, but last night was the first proper night’s sleep I’ve had since we returned. For days I was getting hit with waves of exhaustion in the early evening and waking up before dawn, but hopefully I’ve finally made the switch back to Toronto time.
This week is all about getting back into the groove – writing stories, proofing pages going to press, responding to emails and a multitude of meetings. Late November into December is always crunchy with tighter deadlines to make room for holiday time at the end of the year.
A Taste of Vengeance Begins in February
Conan the Barbarian #29 cover art by Martin Simmonds.
AIPT has the first look at solicits and covers for CONAN THE BARBARIAN #29, arriving February 2026, kicking off our eighth (!) story arc, which is called A Taste of Vengeance. The incredible Doug Braithwaite is back on art and we’ve created a brand new villain named The Son of the Tooth, a supernaturally-enhanced assassin sent to slay our favorite Cimmerian.
Doug’s character design for the Son looks great and the variant covers illustrated by other artists really hit the mark too. I can’t wait for all of you to dig in on this one in the new year. I think it’s one of our most visceral stories yet.
Between rounds of D&D in a Castle I met up with Doug when he and his wife toured me around Tynemouth, a coastal town about half an hour’s drive east of Newcastle. It was wonderful getting to wander with them and chat about storytelling, art, the comic industry and life in general. Whenver I talk with UK creators, they always mention Doug’s phenomenal drawing skills, but even more than that they talk about him as the kind of professional they aspire to be – kind, thoughtful, focused, and hardworking. He really is a legend, even if he doesn’t want to believe it.
Team Conan in Tynemouth.
Here’s a sneak peek at a panel from issue #29 – beautiful on its own and even more haunting in the context of the story we’re buidling.
Doug Braithwaite artwork from Conan the Barbarian #29.
At Thought Bubble, I spoke to Comic Talk Netherlands all about working on Conan the Barbarian, month after month. This was recorded on the second day of the festival, after two weeks of D&D gaming at the castle, so my voice is pretty hoarse and you can tell that I’ve been on the road a bit too long.
2026 convention announcements begin! Shows seem to be getting booked further and further out. I’m already talking about late summer 2026 possibilities, which feels extra weird with winter weather starting to take hold here in Toronto.
After 20 days on the road, Stacy and I are finally home. A double round of D&D in a Castle in Newcastle and then the Thought Bubble comic festival in Harrogate was one heck of a marathon. I had a wonderful time, but I’m also worn out and need some serious downtime to reorganize and recharge.
Last November when I completed my first D&D in a Castle DMing adventure, I mentioned that I wasn’t sure if I would go back or not. It was an incredibly intense experience, 26 hours of gaming over 4 days plus being “on” even when you’re not running an adventure, and with my current workload and obligations I honestly didn’t know if I could carve out the time to do it again. I also feared that part of the joy might have come from the “newness” of it all and that if I did it again it wouldn’t have the same impact.
Stacy knew I was going to return to the castle before I did. Every time my friends or colleagues asked about how it went and I started regaling them with stories about the amazing people and adventure I ran she could see that it sparked something special in me.
So, wanting to see if that gaming magic was repeatable and also wanting to intensely playtest a new adventure I was cooking up, I signed up for two campaigns in a row – two weeks at the castle with two different groups going through the same adventure…well, “same” in the sense that major set pieces and enemies were reused, but a big part of the adventure was woven through character backstories given to me by the players, so each one ended up having around 30-40% different material and, even when something similar happened, the motivation behind it was quite different.
I’m happy to report that D&D in a Castle once again delivered the goods. Two very different groups, each with their own approach, but both were there to game up a storm and we had a blast!
Moments before Round 2 introductions, the Dungeon Masters gather.
The first group of six players skewed older, with most of them having started D&D with first edition the same way I did. They were, in the best way possible, “old school” gamers who wanted to dungeon delve and kick ass, laughing out of game even while their characters were enduring harrowing experiences in game. It reminded me a lot of gaming in high school, but with better focus and decidedly higher production values at the table. Friendships formed fast and everyone seemed comfortable right from the start. The one younger player in this group (who received this vacation as a high school graduation gift from his parents and came on his own) was ‘adopted’ by the whole crew and they made sure his experience was so fun that he ended up staying on for a second round at a different table.
Round 1 Group: Roark, Erik, Clint, Kevin, Chris #1, and Chris #2.
The second group of six had a decisive split – three players who skewed toward strategic play and three who were there to role-play scenes to the hilt. One of them had barely ever played any TTRPGs at all but had been at the castle last year, saw how much fun her husband had and wanted to be part of it this time. Two of the players were last minute additions when another Dungeon Master had to bow out, and thankfully they were solid additions to the team dynamic.
Round 2 Group: Dan, Roger, Kerry, Nina, Ashley, and James.
The adventure I put together, called Darklords’ Gambit, took place in the Ravenloft campaign setting. I kit-bashed some enemies, NPCs, items and locations from old sourcebooks and modules (while avoiding anything from Curse of Strahd, the most famous adventure in the setting) but made a new core plot that was all its own so players wouldn’t be able to guess what was coming next, even if they recognized some of the classic material.
Running the same adventure back-to-back meant I could immediately learn what worked (or didn’t) with the first group and lean into the strengths of it while also trying different beats and encounters. Finishing both playthroughs, I now have a solid adventure to use in the future if I ever want to run it again.
Last time I wrote about D&D in a Castle, I mentioned the concept of “emergent storytelling”, the unexpected narrative that forms through character choice alongside the randomness of dice rolls and I was able to test out ideas around promoting that again here in a much more deliberate way. Each character received a Tarokka card (the Ravenloft version of a tarot deck) and a few lines of horoscope-like verse I custom wrote based on their backstory that they received early in the adventure. Some of them immediately leaned into the ’prophecy’ they were given while others railed against it with all their might – either way, it helped drive storytelling at the table and kept them motivated even as they worked to unravel the overall mystery of the adventure.
Sneak peek at a couple Tarokka cards and poetic bits of prophecy.
Although I planned out quite a bit, I wasn’t afraid to improv as well. Some enemies became unexpected allies, some throwaway NPCs became important fixtures in the adventure, and many moments became surprisingly poignant based on a particularly strong or weak dice roll at the ‘right’ time. Eight hours of gaming per day is an intense narrative exercise that kept me on my toes, problem solving in real time while trying not to let players see too much of the duct tape and happy accidents that held it all together.
Last year I played a one-off game with Jason Azevedo and was impressed with the elaborate soundscapes he used to pull players into his game, but worried that setting up something similar would take a ridiculous amount of time and require me to act like a “DM DJ” at the table, constantly cueing up sound effects and music instead of paying attention to the game itself. Jason showed me how to use Syrinscape, an RPG-specific sound application, to build simple atmospheric sound loops I could tee up and fade between without needing a lot of babysitting. It’s not the kind of thing I would have thought to do for a home game, but the deluxe castle environment pushed me to work with it and I’m really happy I did. I don’t think I’ll ever go whole hog with specific battle/creature sounds and spell sound effects, but even just atmospheric sound running in the background helped to set scenes and make it clear to players that we were diving back into the game after each break.
Some of my Syrinscape Custom Moods.
Being way more comfortable with the staff, location and overall format and heading to the castle before Thought Bubble meant I was way less stressed than last year (when I did MCM Expo London and multiple comic shop signings before slamming into Castle Days) and better able to appreciate how amazing everyone on the Castle team really is. There were eleven Dungeon Masters on hand each round with six players at their table, plus support staff and the actual castle-hotel staff as well – almost a hundred people in total (along with Poppet, the Castle Cat) all working and playing together. From the outside it might seem a bit outrageous but when you’re in the thick of it, the event is impressively all-encompassing and I can see why around a third of the players attending are repeat customers.
Stacy and I had a few nights in the Queen Anne Suite, which was pretty posh.
I didn’t want to commit myself to any 2026 Castle dates until I finished this experiment and that may mean I miss out entirely next year. The castle team has booked dates further out than before and most of their Fall 2026 calendar is already locked in, but with a bit of luck I’ll be back for another campaign at some point and, when I do, I’ll let all of you here know about it.
Reversing the order of operations this year by going to a comic event after a double dose of castle time meant that I arrived in Harrogate pretty wiped out, energy-wise. Thought Bubble was a great time and I got to meet a ton of UK friends and fans, but there were times when I thought I was going to fall asleep at the table as my energy level crashed. By Sunday night and festival wrap up, Stacy and I had dinner with old friends and then crawled into bed at the hotel, barely able to keep our eyes open until 9pm.
Thought Bubble’s Redshirt Hall.
That said, I signed a lot of comics over those two days and had wonderful conversations with established pros and young creators alike. Like TCAF, Thought Bubble is comics and creator-centric and that meant books and art were at the forefront of every interaction. It’s obvious why so many UK creators say it’s their favorite show of the year.
After Thought Bubble, Stacy and I took a train to London. Despite our overall exhaustion, we managed to see some engaging exhibits at the British Museum and had a couple good meals before heading to Heathrow airport and making the trek home.
Finally back in my studio, I have a ton of catching up to do but thankfully I don’t have any more trips planned for 2025. I burned hard attending so many events this year and have enjoyed almost all of them, but next year I need to be more careful about how filled up my calendar gets.
A Little Milestone
Epic artwork from line artist Fernando Dagnino and colorist Diego Rodriguez.
While we were on our whirlwind UK adventures, Conan the Barbarian #26 arrived in comic shops and the response to the first part of The Conquering Crown has been amazing. Between rounds of D&D in a Castle I visited with Conan artist Doug Braithwaite and at Thought Bubble Doug, letterer Richard Starkings and I had a wonderful breakfast meet up. I know I keep saying it, but everyone involved is so proud of the work and motivated to deliver their best and it really does show through when we meet in person.
Issue 26 is also a little milestone for me. When I was writing Conan the Barbarian at Marvel my run ended at issue 25, so it feels extra-good to push past that barrier and keep sprinting onward, month after month. This is the kind of long run I’ve always wanted to create in comics and, despite the intensity of the monthly deadlines, I enjoy the process and the momentum. I know at some point it will come to an end, but for now it feels good to collaborate with such an incredible team and have it recognized by both readers and retailers.
Breakfast before Thought Bubble Day 2, with Richard Starkings and Doug Braithwaite.
• A conversation about old video games from my youth prompted me to look up a video of BARBARIAN from 1987. My brother and I had this game on our Commodore 64 and played the heck out of it. Imagine if I could have told young Zub what a barbaric future he had in store. Jim
• 9 Panel Grid: “Conan continues to be spectacular. This issue is really setting up something that I’m really excited for because I want to see King Conan’s ascent.”
• Brother Lore: “I read through it so quickly because the pacing is so great, the writing is so engaging and there is the perfect balance between narration, exposition and action that it really doesn’t let you breathe for one minute.”
• Comic Book Corner 2.0: “The art is fantastic, very brutal, very gory…it looks so nice and I absolutely love reading this book. It’s always so detailed and Jim Zub does a wonderful job at describing the story. That’s what makes this such a solid read.”
• Comic Book University: “The art in here is beautiful, fantastic…Great book. I’d highly recommend it.”
• Comic Culture: “Another amazing issue of Conan the Barbarian. If you need more reason to get this book, this is it right here…There’s layers and layers of drama, plotting, scheming and infiltrating. It’s all really compelling and very interesting.”
• Comical Opinions: 8.5/10 “The comic’s greatest strengths lie in its measured pacing, dialogue that immediately immerses, and art that makes every battle and brooding council scene visually memorable…a sword-slash of value for the discerning reader, balancing chaos, cunning, and a glimmer of wit in a battered bronze world.”
• Comic Patrol: “Another fantastic issue. Gorgeous art, colors, story. Everything is top notch…Just perfectly Conan in all the right ways. I just love this book.”
• Cool Thunder: 10/10 “At a time when many long-running series start to wane, Conan the Barbarian just keeps getting better. If you’re not reading this run, you’re missing one of the greatest modern interpretations of the Hyborian Age.”
• Eternal Crusader: “Zub has managed to cram a lot of plot into a mere 22 pages…The battle scenes in particular are well done, and Dagnino demonstrates how creatively he can use panels to support and strengthen the impact of his art. This comic book remains a visual treat for adult readers.”
• Gaming Trend: 8/10 ” Filled with subtle-yet-powerful worldbuilding and more than enough action to please long-time Conan fans, this issue offers us a hearty taste of what is to come over the course of this arc that will lead to him becoming king of Aquilonia.”
• Goodreads: 10/10 “Zub’s tale in this issue easily echoes modern attitudes by those who have nested into their pampered positions of power…Good art from Fernando Dagnino to partner Zub’s eloquence.”
• Kabooooom!: 10/10 “It is rare that a comic so steeped in lore can prove to satisfy established fans yet be accessible to new readers as well. Conan The Barbarian #26 is such a rare treat. Violent and visceral, this is a perfect introduction to the world of one of most famous heroes of fantasy.”
• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “Probably my favorite art of the whole series so far and the writing was peak, per usual. I don’t know how Zub does it book after book.”
• Old Man Hyborian: “Overall, I really enjoyed this Zub story leading up to when Conan becomes king. This is actually one of my favorite stories so far…Overall, an excellent issue.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “Jim Zub has been writing the hell out of Conan. Whether it’s Conan the Barbarian or spearheading Savage Sword of Conan, these are some of the best comics out there of the modern era. I would encourage you to check them out.”
• Sci Fi Pulse: 9.6/10 “a brilliant job of setting up the new story arc. The looming war between the two kings is established cleanly, giving the conflict real weight right from the start. Conan’s rise into a position of leadership within the Westermarck Wolves is also handled really well — it feels organic, earned, and completely in character.”
• Stygian Dogs: “a strong cinematic start to this new saga. It’s a thoroughly satisfying read and an ideal jumping on point for new readers and it comes with my highest recommendation.”
• Thinking Critical: “Pick of the week and it’s starting to feel like Conan might be the front runner for best comic book series of 2025.”
• Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “I think Fernando Dagnino’s art here is fantastic…Conan continues to be the best book on the market.”
• Void City Reviews: “Everything about it is awesome. The politics, the action, the art, even the lettering. I enjoyed all of it.”
It’s my first time attending THOUGHT BUBBLE, an independant comic festival in Harrogate, England on November 15-16, 2025. I’m really excited to be there and will be set up at
Stacy and I are south of Newcastle (1) at Lumley Castle (2) in the midst of D&D in a Castle (3)! As I type this, I’m setting up my Dungeon Master area for my second campaign and guests will be arriving at Lumley in about ninety minutes, so it’s a bit of a scramble, but exciting as well.
The amazing staff are all zipping around, dropping off terrain, miniatures, or handouts we’ve requested, setting up mood lighting and testing speakers for music while I double check my adventure notes and get dressed up for opening ceremonies. Round one went really well so I’m feeling weirdly relaxed despite the chaos.
Artwork from Conan the Barbarian #26 by Fernando Dagnino. Colors by Diego Rodriguez.
This week sees the release of CONAN THE BARBARIAN #26, part 1 of a 3-part epic we call The Conquering Crown, showing how Conan earns the crown of Aquilonia amongst political machinations, armed conflict, and rebellion. I’m excited for readers to dive into this War of the Roses-esque Hyborian tale.
Heroes Journey
On the CBR Heroes Journey Podcast, I spoke to Sean O’Connell and Sierra Nutkevitch all about breaking into comics, writing stories for iconic characters, research, theme, and Conan the Barbarian in prose, comics and movies. It’s a really fun chat, so check it out!
The second part of Scourge of the Serpent, our snake-sent epic mini-series, arrived in stores last week. What did critics think of it? Let’s find out…
• 9 Panel Grid: “Gil is kind of like the next in line for the great Conan artists. I’ve been pleasantly surprised and arguably absolutely shocked at how consistent Conan has been, getting these really cool artists to take over the book, one after another…a really fun issue here. Definitely make sure you’re checking this out.”
• Amazon: 10/10 “A perfect fusion of Robert E. Howard themes, characters, eras and actual stories…in this issue in particular we have Ivan Gil demolishing my expectations by giving some of the coolest bloody action, unique angles and character poses suiting the danger of the situation.”
• Brother Lore: “It’s one of the best you can get today in the graphic novel or comic book medium…You don’t even have to be a Conan the Barbarian fan or fantasy fan. It’s just a very good action-packed read.”
• Comic Culture: “Gil’s artwork in here is extraordinary. We’ve got epic battle scenes, more modern looks and creepy crawly dungeons happening here too…Jim Zub is doing an incredible job curating the entire line at this point. I’m loving this book.”
• Comic Patrol: “It reads really well and it’s a lot of fun…It’s a really entertaining read.”
• Comical Opinions: 10/10 “Razor-sharp dialogue, sprawling action, serpentine twists, art that brawls right off the page, and a clever structure that never drops a thread. If every sword-and-sorcery comic swung with this much confidence, the genre would be king of comics.”
• Cool Thunder: 9.5/10 “Jim Zub continues to craft a phenomenal tale with endless imagination, while Ivan Gil’s art and Jao Canola’s colors make every panel burst with life.”
• Dennis Turner: “If you’re a Conan fan I really think this is going to be a must…Get it on your pull list.”
• Eternal Crusader: “Gil’s art speaks for itself. The impressive splash page of the ancient battle between Serpent Men and humankind alone justifies his place in Titan Comics’ already remarkable roster of talented artists.”
• Goodreads: 10/10 “It isn’t just a simple retelling of Howard’s events…The three chosen tales make for a good intermingling adventure as they all lean into a pulpy detective’s tale, all with dark and menacing reveals.”
• League of Comic Geeks: 8/10 “Outstanding blend of three stories across time to create a mystery worth reading…I enjoyed it quite a bit.”
• Mighty Thorngren: “Fantastic artwork in this issue with wonderful action and the writing is always good…I’m really excited for the next one and it just can’t come soon enough.”
• Old Man Hyborian: “I’m enjoying this mini-series by Jim Zub and liking how he’s weaving all the characters together through a common theme. Interested to see where Zub takes it and how he wraps up the story.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “Jim Zub is able to take what we expect and want from a Conan book and give us exactly that, but also make it fresh and exciting…It works so well and the art is great.”
• Stygian Dogs: “Ivan Gil continues to shine. It’s as if he’s reaching directly into my imagination, plucking imagery at will, then manifesting and augmenting it for the larger audience. It’s just great, and Jao Canola’s colors nail the nuance of setting and mood. Jim Zub’s measured yet faithful approach to Robert E. Howard’s original works build towards a crescendo, hinting that issue three will finally pull back the mask to reveal his full creative vision for this event series. And personally, I can’t wait.”
• Sword and Sorcery Book Club: “Ivan Gil’s artwork shines and it’s really phenomenal. I really like how he represents all these stories that are so classic.”
• Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “What I’m really impressed with Zub is how he’s putting these timelines together seamlessly throughout the story…There’s some really good action and art in this as well.”
Conan the Barbarian #28 cover art by Gerardo Zaffino.
This week sees the release of CONAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT #2, as Set’s grand plan coils its way across time (and I would post some interior art here, but almost every page is a story spoiler), but there’s also a lot to talk about in the flagship monthly series as we charge forth into year three.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #26-28, arriving in stores from November 2025 to January 2026, is our seventh story arc and it’s called “The Conquering Crown”. These issues will show how our legendary Cimmerian earns the crown of Aquilonia and how it changes him forever. It’s a wartorn epic with clashing kingdoms, political intrigue, and armed conflict on a scale we haven’t shown in the series before, like Conan the Barbarian by way of Prince Valiant, and artist Fernando Dagnino and colorist Diego Rodriguez have gone above and beyond the call of duty illustrating it all.
A few fans have asked me why the Titan series jumps around the timeline instead of starting at the beginning of Conan’s journies and moving forward from there. Both Marvel and Dark Horse took a chronological approach (with occassional mini-series or specials that popped out of sequence), so I felt like that had been done before and done well. Our approach is more like the original Conan prose stories in Weird Tales magazine, with stories instead arriving in dramatic order.
Readers get information they need when they need it as we move back and forth through the Cimmerian’s legendary life. The team and I keep track of the timeline, locations and sequence of events, you just need to settle in and enjoy each tale as it unfolds across the Hyborian Age. Each story arc is its own entertaining adventure that also adds to a broader tapestry we’re slowly weaving. The more you read, the more you’ll see how it all fits together, thematically and symbolically. It’s a fun challenge for me and keeps each arc fresh for our whole creative team.
My event schedule is finally slowing down as we move closer to the end of 2025. Stacy and I fly to the UK later this week for our last trip of the year.
• This interview with professional gamer/Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan shows how thoughtful and appreciative he is while riding out a surge of popularity. Three years ago I had the chance to play with Brennan during a charity stream, along with a slew of other incredible gamers who you will probably recognize if you’re into online TTRPG shows, (PART 1 and PART 2) and was blown away by how great he was, both in character and out. Jim
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #28
Story – Jim Zub
Line Art – Fernando Dagnino
Colors – Diego Rodriguez
Letters – Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith
On Sale January 14, 2026
YEAR THREE OF THE TITAN/HEROIC CONAN LEGACY CONTINUES!
ALL-NEW CONAN STORY ARC CONCLUDES!
THE CONQUERING CROWN: The King of Aquilonia has gone mad, or so the rumors say. A tyrant sits upon the throne and all will suffer until he is deposed or dead. Conan the Mercenary cares nothing for these royal rumors and petty politics, but the Cimmerian’s skill in battle is about to put him in the path of a mad monarch, and his life will be forever changed.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN VOL. 6: A NEST OF SERPENTS
Story – Jim Zub
Artist – Fernando Dagnino
On Sale January 7, 2026
The Great Serpent’s influence twists and turns, pulling Conan into their deadly coils as the Cimmerian and his allies are lured into Stygia…And what they find on this journey will make their blood run cold and set the stage for a conflict beyond their wildest imagination!
Collects – Conan the Barbarian #21-24
COVER REGULAR: DAN PANOSIAN
COVER DIRECT MARKET: GREG STAPLES
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