Category Archives: IDW

Zubby Newsletter #46: Definitely On Board


Last week, the latest Kickstarter campaign for the Conan Board Game by Monolith launched, based on Red Nails, one of the finest Robert E. Howard Conan tales, and it’s been crushing its way through stretch goals aplenty. Although the campaign has a bunch of new material available, they also have a ‘New Recruit’ pledge so you can get the original game flush with extras as well.

Obviously, I have a vested interest in all things Conan right now but, honestly, I think the board game is great on its own merits, and I enjoyed playing the heck out of it even before I started writing Conan on a regular basis. This isn’t a sponsored thing. I’m not being paid for this and Monolith doesn’t know ahead of time that I’m putting this ramble together.

Let me tell you why I think it’s good stuff-

The Conan Board Game has a Rich Thematic Feel

Conan is a skirmish-style board game for 1-5 players. In the base game, one person takes on the role of the Overlord and controls the creatures, traps, and other trouble in the game. The other players are heroes of the Hyborian Age – usually Conan and his allies – on a mission to stop the Overlord’s machinations. After the initial release, Monolith released rules that can automate the Overlord role allowing full co-op and even solo play if that’s something that interests you.

The game design, rules, and different scenarios do a wonderful job at creating a proper atmosphere for big bloody adventures in a world where survival or slaughter are a sword stroke away.

Each turn, players have to decide if they’re going to store up their energy or go for broke with bold movement and attacks. Instead of being stuck with arbitrary turn order and sometimes not knowing what your allies are doing until after you get to go, player actions happen in any order. That means you can send a character into a dangerous situation, see how it goes, and then adjust strategy based on how the dice roll. This keeps everyone at the table engaged as they look for ways to play off each other and assist instead of players feeling disconnected as they take their turns.

The best defense tends to be a strong offense, but you also need to hold some energy back to protect yourself because damage taken equals energy lost. Getting hurt doesn’t just tick down a pool of hit points, it lowers the overall pool of energy your character has access to for the rest of the game (unless you find healing, which is few and far between). The push and pull of offense vs defense, when to unleash brutal attacks and when to back off or protect your allies, keeps things dynamic as each mission plays out.

The Game Variety is Fantastic

There are a bunch of different missions in the Conan base game, a lot more free ones online, and even more with expansion material released since the game launched in 2015. Some missions are assaults where the players attack the enemy in their lair. Others are defensive, with the players protecting a location from invading hordes, assassins, or creatures. There are escort quests, treasure hunts, creature ambushes, bar brawls, and a lot more.

The base game started with missions that were all done-in-one play session, but now there are also missions that link together to tell a larger story. I’ve run scenarios for board game enthusiasts and friends who aren’t into TTRPGs and they had an absolute blast kicking down doors, gathering items, and slaying evil.

The Components Look Great

The artwork is top notch, the boards and counters are evocative, and the multitude of miniatures are really high quality. I’m obviously crazy-busy right now, but I’m looking to carve out some time this summer to start painting the characters, creatures, and bad guys aplenty so my set has even more ‘table presence’.

That said, even if you’re not up for painting, the sculpts look sharp. When you put a Giant Snake or Dark Demon on the table, it gets a great reaction.

Alright, hopefully that overview gets you pumped for Hyborian Age adventures at the table. If you need more info on how the game plays and what it looks like, check out these videos – one and two. I’m excited to crack open the new set when it arrives.

There’s only one week left to back the campaign and get a Conanza of extra stuff.


Conan Previews Aplenty!

Speaking of Conan-
• Kabooooom has preview pages and an advance review of CONAN THE BARBARIAN #7 (and they gave it a 5/5!).

• Newsarama revealed advance artwork for CONAN THE BARBARIAN #8 with interior pages by Doug Braithwaite and covers by Ashleigh Izienicki, Patch Zircher and Greg Broadmore.

• Popverse revealed cover artwork for CONAN THE BARBARIAN #10 by Rob De La Torre, Alan Quah, Erik Gist, and David Aja.

Patch Zircher spoke to David Brooke at AIPT all about working on Solomon Kane as part of the new Savage Sword of Conan series, and in that same interview they revealed fantastic new cover art for SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #2 by Dave Dorman and Nick Marinkovich.


The Thief Many Things Arrives in April!


I thought Fortune Finder might be my last D&D comic for the foreseeable future, but in April there’s one more in the mix.

Ellen Boener (writer of the recent Feast of the Moon D&D movie tie-in story) and I came up with a wild one-shot story with D&D’s infamous Deck of Many Things, a magical artifact that can create or destroy in an instant. Ellen took that core and has scripted up a tale of bombastic adventure and breathtaking betrayal. Eduardo Mello, who absolutely crushed it on the D&D: Mindbreaker mini-series I wrote, is back illustrating this one and delivers the best pages of his career so far.

Look for it in April. Solicit info below-

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE THIEF OF MANY THINGS
STORY: ELLEN BOENER & JIM ZUB
ARTIST: EDUARDO MELLO
COVER A: MAX DUNBAR
COVER B: JESSE LONERGAN
68 Pages • $9.99 • APRIL 2024

The Deck of Many Things is the most infamous item in the Dungeons & Dragons canon. Any one of its cards could throw the world into chaos or, in the wrong hands, end it all together. This mega one-shot reveals fresh lore tied to the Book of Many Things Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook and brings the legends of the Deck to life.

Our quest follows two ex-romantic rivals who team up to steal the cards, risking everything for the chance to save the lover they lost.

Dungeons & Dragons icon Jim Zub (Rick & Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, Uncanny Avengers, Conan) joins forces with up-and-coming writer Ellen Boener (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves—The Feast of the Moon) and artist Eduardo Mello (Dungeons & Dragons: Mindbreaker, DC vs. Vampires: All-Out War) for this new Baldur’s Gate tale.


Oshawa is…Gone?

For years, Ed Brisson and I have joked about which of us was the more ‘famous’ comic creator from Oshawa, Ontario, “The City That Moto-vates Canada”. Ed’s now put his thumb on the scales in a way I can’t match by making Oshawa the core of his latest creator-owned series.

Well played, Brisson.

As always, Ed delivers a compelling story, grounded characters, and a killer hook, and the art by Luca Casalanguida and Dee Cunniffe looks great…I’m not jealous at all.

Pre-order cut-off on The Displaced #1 is Monday, January 22nd, so let your local shop know you want one…even if you’re not from Oshawa. 😉


Links and Other Stuff

• Who is the most popular American to ever work in comic books? Matttt has the answer and it’s ridiculously compelling. This guy’s YouTube Channel doesn’t have many videos, but every single one of them is a banger.

• This CBC News report on the ways food companies pass along costs to customers summarizes a lot of good info. With grocery costs on the rise, it’s good to keep an eye out for these manipulative changes so you can make more informed choices.

Have a wonderful week,
Jim

Zub Comics Arriving January 2024


CONAN THE BARBARIAN #7
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Doug Braithwaite
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
COVER A: Alex Horley
COVER B: Patch Zircher (Connecting Cover)
COVER C: Jessica Fong
Publishers: Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics
$3.99, On sale January 24, 2024

WARRIOR. THIEF. PIRATE…

After adventures on the high seas, CONAN returns to shore to find himself haunted by his memories of BELIT, captain of the Tigress and Queen of the Black Coast. Can a high-stakes heist draw him out of his tortured past, or will it plunge him deeper into the chaos that has always been waiting for him?



DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER #3
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Joe Jaro
Colorist: Adam Guzowski
COVER A: Max Dunbar
COVER B: Joe Jaro
Publisher: IDW
$3.99, On sale January 24, 2024

Finder is now a Herald of the Dust and still has amnesia, but that’s far from his biggest problem. A series of corpses found around Sigil have traces of a strange magical energy that’s tearing the fabric of reality itself, and if the murderer isn’t stopped soon, Finder won’t have a chance to find out who they really are before the end of everything. The mystery deepens in the series inspired by the new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook!

Zub Comics Arriving December 2023


CONAN THE BARBARIAN #6
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Doug Braithwaite
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
COVER A: Jae Lee
COVER B: Patch Zircher (Connecting Cover)
COVER C: Dan Panosian
COVER D: Joey Spiotto
Publishers: Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics
$3.99, On sale December 20, 2023

WARRIOR. THIEF. PIRATE…
After adventures on the high seas, CONAN returns to shore to find himself haunted by his memories of BELIT, captain of the Tigress and Queen of the Black Coast. Can a high-stakes heist draw him out of his tortured past, or will it plunge him deeper into the chaos that has always been waiting for him?


DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER #2
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Joe Jaro
Colorist: Adam Guzowski
COVER A: Max Dunbar
COVER B: Joe Jaro
Publisher: IDW
$3.99, On sale December 27, 2023

After the shocking conclusion of last issue, Finder finds themselves undergoing some big changes, but there’s no time to dwell on the past when they must test their luck against a group of assassins in Sigil’s most famous casino! Will Finder escape with their life, or has their luck run out?

Find out in the second issue of the series inspired by the new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook! Written by Dungeons & Dragons fan favorite Jim Zub with art by Jose Jaro.

Arriving in October – D&D: Nights of Endless Adventure!

Almost as soon as the first Dungeons & Dragons comic omnibus, called Days of Endless Adventure, arrived in stores, I had readers asking me if the later volumes of the series would also be collected in the same format.

This fall, the wait is over – D&D comic volume 4-6 (Evil at Baldur’s Gate, Infernal Tides, and Mindbreaker) will be collected in a second omnibus, called Nights of Endless Adventure!

Make sure you pre-order from your favorite comic shop or bookstore.

Dungeons & Dragons:
Nights of Endless Adventure Compendium

(collects Dungeons & Dragons vol. 4-6)

The Heroes of Baldur’s Gate, led by fan-favorite characters Minsc and Boo, risk life, limb, and dignity to protect the city they love. Whether fending off the devilish forces of Avernus, rooting out a takeover of the city’s elite by sinister mind flayers, or confronting their abundant personal problems, Minsc, Boo, Delina, Krydle, and the others never stop adventuring! Collects Evil at Baldur’s Gate, Infernal Tides, and Mindbreaker.
PRE-ORDER
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop
Chapters-Indigo
Powells

Dragon Talk: Young Adventurer’s Guides, D&D Comics, and the Ultimate D&D Pop-Up Book!

I spoke to Greg Tito and Shelly Mazzanoble at Dragon Talk all about my upcoming Dungeons & Dragons projects – new D&D comics, the sixth D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide, and the Ultimate D&D Pop-Up Book!

The interview starts at the 25 minute mark of the podcast. Check it out!

If you want to check out my previous Dragon Talk interviews, here they are:

September 2018: Pat Rothfuss and Jim Zub Talk Rick and Morty VS D&D
March 2019: Talking the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides
November 2019: Talking the Rick and Morty VS D&D RPG box set
September 2020: Jody Houser and Jim Zub Talk Stranger Things and D&D

Dungeons & Dragons Annual Arrives in June!

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ANNUAL 2022
Writer: Jim Zub
Artists: Eduardo Mello, Kyler Clodfelter
Cover A: Max Dunbar
Cover B: Eduardo Mello

The Witchlight Carnival is a traveling circus filled with wild wonders aplenty, but its sensory splendors bring deep danger as well! Fan-favorite D&D writer Jim Zub explores the Feywild realm in this special self-contained issue that’s perfect for new readers and gaming fans alike!

Dungeons & Dragons has never been bigger, and The Wild Beyond the Witchlight adventure sourcebook that inspires this issue has been a sales smash hit.
• This issue includes a brand-new magic item for gaming fans to use in their own tabletop adventures!

IDW Publishing
In Shops: Jun 08, 2022
SRP: 7.99

Arriving in April – Best of Minsc & Boo

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: BEST OF MINSC & BOO
Writer – Jim Zub
Artists – Max Dunbar, Nelson Dániel, Dean Kotz, Francesco Mortarino
Cover – James Biggie

Get ready for the third installment of the legendary Baldur’s Gate video game with these adventures featuring some of the series’ most beloved characters: the ranger of dubious sanity, Minsc, and his miniature giant space hamster, Boo!

After decades spent in magical stasis, Minsc and Boo awaken in a Baldur’s Gate that is very different from the one they knew, but there will always be evil in need of smiting! SMITING! And while they’re perfectly capable of kicking the butt of badness to the Spine of the World and back on their own, it never hurts to have a little help from their companions, the rest of the Baldur’s Gate heroes.
Now, say it with us: “Go for the eyes, Boo!”

(Reprinting Minsc-centric stories – Legends of Baldur’s Gate #1, Shadows of the Vampire #2, Evil at Baldur’s Gate #1, and Evil at Baldur’s Gate #5)

Arriving February 2022 – Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventure


RICK and MORTY VS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE MEESEEKS ADVENTURE
Story – Jim Zub
Artwork – Troy Little and Leonardo Eto
Cover A – Mike Vasquez
Cover B – Troy Little
Cover C – Character Sheet

The creative team behind the bestselling Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons and its snappily titled sequel, Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons II: Painscape, are back!
“Look at me!”

The worlds of Dungeons & Dragons have their share of blue, wish-granting djinn, but none is as desperate to please, persevering, or unstable as Mr. Meeseeks! Watch what happens when a pair of hapless rogues stumble upon the ultimate magic lamp.

In Shops: Feb 09, 2022
SRP: 5.99

Zub Comics – January 2022

AVENGERS: TECH-ON AVENGERS #6 (OF 6)
Written by JIM ZUB
Art by JEFFREY “CHAMBA” CRUZ
Cover by EIICHI SHIMIZU
Variant Cover by PEACH MOMOKO

The Marvel sentai spectacular comes to a climactic finish! With one of their own controlled by the enemy and the Red Skull imbued with energy of the infinite, the Iron Avengers must assemble one last time or all will be lost!

AVENGERS TECH-ON is an action-adventure series produced in partnership with Bandai Namco of Japan, written by Jim Zub (UNCANNY AVENGERS, CHAMPIONS) and illustrated by Jeffrey “Chamba” Cruz (VENOM: THE END)!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

AVENGERS: TECH-ON TPB
Written by JIM ZUB
Art by JEFFREY “CHAMBA” CRUZ
Cover by EIICHI SHIMIZU & TOMOHIRO SHIMOGUCHI

Here come the Iron Avengers! When the Red Skull unleashes a strange new force that strips heroes of their powers and threatens the entire world, the Avengers must turn to Tony Stark’s experimental new technology to save us all. Sleek, high-tech power suits bristling with energy and amped-up attack capabilities face off against super villains enhanced to match! Venom is super-sized, super-charged and out of control, Loki is imbued with Infinity Shard energy, an army of Ultrons descends on Japan and a Kaiju-scale Scream symbiote goes on the rampage!

It’s mechs and mayhem in the mighty Marvel manner! AVENGERS TECH-ON is a sentai-inspired action-adventure series produced in partnership with Bandai Namco of Japan, written by Jim Zub (UNCANNY AVENGERS, CHAMPIONS) and illustrated by Jeffrey “Chamba” Cruz (VENOM: THE END, Street Fighter)! Collecting AVENGERS: TECH-ON #1-6.
136 PGS./Rated T …$17.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-92444-7
Trim size: 6-5/8 x 10-3/16

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: MINDBREAKER #4 (of 5)
Story – Jim Zub
Artist – Eduardo Mello
Cover A – Max Dunbar
Cover B – Max Davenport

The prelude to Baldur’s Gate III and newest adventure in Jim Zub’s acclaimed D&D saga continues! Catch up with the missing Baldur’s Gate heroes as an already chilly reunion takes a gruesome turn! With disaster looming, does our merry band have what it takes to save the city and themselves?

WAKANDA: WORLD OF BLACK PANTHER OMNIBUS
Written by EVAN NARCISSE, ROXANE GAY, TA-NEHISI COATES, YONA HARVEY, REMBERT BROWNE, NNEDI OKORAFOR, AARON COVINGTON, DANIEL KIBBLESMITH, VITA AYALA, BRYAN HILL, JIM ZUB, GEOFFREY THORNE & MORE
Penciled by PAUL RENAUD, JAVIER PINA, ALITHA E. MARTINEZ, JOE BENNETT, BUTCH GUICE, MACK CHATER, ANDRÉ LIMA ARAÚJO, MARIO DEL PENNINO, ALBERTO ALBURQUERQUE, OLEG OKUNEV, RICARDO LÓPEZ ORTIZ, LEONARDO ROMERO, PAUL DAVIDSON, RACHAEL STOTT, JUAN FERREYRA, LAN MEDINA, SCOT EATON, GERMÁN PERALTA & MORE
Covers by SANFORD GREENE & PHIL JIMENEZ

The wondrous nation of Wakanda is full of stories — whether they star the Black Panther, his staunchest allies or his fiercest foes! Relive the rise of T’Challa through tragedy and triumph! Join his sister, Shuri, as she balances her spiritual side with her technological genius! Discover how the boy named N’Jadaka became the deadly Erik Killmonger! See the Black Panther battle Deadpool, assemble the mighty Agents of Wakanda and tackle a Harlem murder mystery along with his Crew — Storm, Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Manifold! Plus: action-packed tales featuring the Dora Milaje, the Midnight Angels and more from the world of Wakanda!

Collecting RISE OF THE BLACK PANTHER #1-6, BLACK PANTHER: WORLD OF WAKANDA #1-6, BLACK PANTHER & THE CREW #1-6, BLACK PANTHER: LONG LIVE THE KING #1-6, BLACK PANTHER ANNUAL (2018) #1, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WAKANDA FOREVER, X-MEN: WAKANDA FOREVER, AVENGERS: WAKANDA FOREVER, BLACK PANTHER VS. DEADPOOL #1-5, SHURI #1-10, KILLMONGER #1-5, BLACK PANTHER AND THE AGENTS OF WAKANDA #1-8, KING IN BLACK: BLACK PANTHER and THE LAST ANNIHILATION: WAKANDA — plus material from VENOMVERSE: WAR STORIES, MARVEL COMICS (2019) #1000, MARVEL’S VOICES #1, MARVEL’S VOICES: LEGACY and BLACK PANTHER (2018) #23-25.
1376 PGS./Rated T+ …$125.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-94627-2
Trim size: 7-1/4 x 10-7/8

Dungeons & Dragons: Mindbreaker #1 Reviews

Comic Book.com: 9/10 “This is a fun opening issue and can be enjoyed by readers of Zub’s past D&D series or newcomers to the long running story. I’m curious to see where this particular adventure goes as it doesn’t have any obvious parallel to a previous D&D campaign adventure.”

Comic Book Resources: “Mindbreaker #1 sets the stage for an exciting series…Fans of the Dungeons & Dragons Universe are sure to be delighted by this debut issue.”

Lyle’s Movie Files: 8.5/10 “Dungeons & Dragons: Mindbreaker is an easy to follow, enjoyable issue for longtime fans and newcomers alike…Mindbreaker is off to a very promising start and looks to be a title worth following each month.”

Major Spoilers- Dueling Reviews: “It’s good, it’s solid. Zub puts together an interesting group and there’s always nicely plotted stuff to be done…If you want a story set in that D&D world, this is a good one.”

Multiversity Comics: 8/10 “Jim Zub has been writing these characters enough to have them down to an art. Right from the first lines of dialogue, their personalities shine through…A fantastic new chapter in the ongoing adventures of the heroes of Baldur’s Gate, carrying on plot points introduced in Infernal Tides and tying the characters in to the Baldur’s Gate III video game.”

Reading With a Flight Ring: “This is a classic superhero book set in a Dungeons & Dragons setting, which is basically how it has always been as long as I’ve played. I love the way that this is being written and how we see the characterization along with these stunning interiors make this as much fun as it can possibly be.”