Zub Tales

Conan the Barbarian #24, the intense snake-sent climax to our Nest of Serpents arc, arrived in stores this week. What did critics think of it? Let’s see-

• 9 Panel Grid: “Top Comic of the Week…Dagnino does an absolutely stunning job. Each scene is just staged perfectly. This is a big action-packed storyline and it just delivers every single time. There are jump scares, there’s moments of brutality, there’s moments of kineticism and action, and he gets to deliver on all of them.”

• Comic Book Corner 2.0: “This book just does not disappoint, right?…Top pick for me, A+. Conan is an awesome, awesome comic book.”

• Comic Book University: “Consistently excellent…This is a story arc you’re not going to want to miss. This is a finale you’re not going to want to skip.”

• Comic Culture: “It’s a really compelling story overall and I love how it’s branching over to Savage Sword as well. There’s just a great vibe with the story in general…I’m really interested to see where this whole Serpent arc is going.”

• Comical Opinions: 9.5/10 “This issue proves that even after all these years, Conan’s ‘gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth’ are just what sword-and-sorcery fans deserve. Next time someone asks for epic fantasy, hand them this comic.”

• Cool Thunder: 10/10 “The combination of storytelling, artwork, lettering, and overall production makes this series shine like one of the gleaming cities of the Hyborian Age. This issue proves once again that Conan the Barbarian is modern sword and sorcery at its finest.”

• Eternal Crusader: “I was pleasantly surprised by Zub cleaning up some loose plot threads that made me question the narrative’s coherence in my last review. But the revelations presented here do make sense, hark back to #20, and bring new tensions into Zula’s and Conan’s already tense comradeship.”

• Evan the Architect: “I can’t wait to see where Jim Zub takes all this because I’m really enjoying it. Of course, fantastic artwork by Dagnino…I come on here every month and I can’t recommend this book enough.”

• Gaming Trend: 9/10 “With plenty of action and no shortage of high stakes, Conan the Barbarian #24 is a fun rollercoaster ride carrying us at a breakneck pace towards a heavy conclusion that carries a promise of something more ahead.”

• Goodreads: 10/10 “The art speaks for itself, but between that and the writing, the Hyborian Age is brought fully to life as always, and the last page in this episode has left me more excited than I thought I was capable of.”

• Grimdark Magazine: “Jim Zub has managed to pack quite a bit of story into a single issue, and his narration work is appropriately breathless…a strong conclusion to one of the best storylines in Titan Comics’ two-year run.”

• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “Man, just banger after banger with this book!…The story had an incredibly heartbreaking moment that I didn’t see coming. The art continues to excel in action and drama. Must read!”

• Lord Samper’s Library: “This story has it all and signs off in style with man-serpents, a burning city and promises of revenge all round…Conan The Barbarian continues to go from strength to strength, long may it continue.”

• Major Spoilers: 9/10 “I love that Jim Zub is able to craft a story you can step into and understand right away what’s going on and I think Fernando might be my one of my new favorite artists…If you are even slightly interested in Conan, what Titan Comics is doing with the series is really cool.”

• Mighty Thorngren: “This issue is just a pleasure to look at. Really cool creatures. Great fights and the pacing is wonderful.”

• Nerd Initiative: 10/10 “For two years now, 24 issues, this series can stand alongside classic Conan stories. Jim Zub is knocking it out of the park on this book. It is great stuff, and the art from Fernando Dagnino is amazing.”

• Old Man Hyborian: “Overall, issue 24 was well done…Zub’s still cranking out good stories and the artwork is really solid.”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: “It’s old school mixed with new school and it works so well. This is the best modern Conan book I’ve ever read…This is the s**t and if you’re not reading Conan the Barbarian, you’re not reading one of the best comics on shelves every single month!”

• Stygian Dogs: “From the eerie subterranean nest to Conan’s harrowing loss. Man, I just love this arc. It was great…Issue number 24 delivers a rousing finale, both the peak of the series’ second year and a fitting sword and sorcery capstone to two stellar years of Conan comics.”

• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: “We’re back at the best position that Jim usually has. He has a great artist with him to support his endeavors and ready to jump into the Scourge of the Serpent…Very, very good stuff. I can’t wait to read more.”

• Thinking Critical: “Pick of the Week…The final battle in this issue – the setup, holy crap, it is creepy. It is so well illustrated. And the ending to this issue, it is straight up heartbreaking. I completely loved it.”

• Two Guys and A Stack of Comics: “This is a classic in the making and people are going to love it. If you love comic books, this is one to pick up. I thought this was the best issue of the series so far.”

• Void City Reviews: “The art’s incredible. The writing is phenomenal. I loved every second of this…This is what I want from Conan on a month in, month out basis.”

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #10, a roaring anthology issue with three stories all written by me, arrived in stores as a lead in to our Scourge of the Serpent event. What did critics think of it?

• 9 Panel Grid: “Braithwaite’s unpolished original pencils, inks and ink washes are on full display, considering this is Savage Sword and it’s a magazine format book, and they look awesome…I have to say, seeing it here and seeing what we’ve had in Conan the Barbarian, I like both experiences but this was something outside the norm and really made me appreciate it. “

• Brother Lore: “Jim Zub is really replicating the style and writing of Robert E. Howard very well. Much better than many other authors throughout the years who have tried to write Conan stories either in comic book or prose form….This is an absolutely great read.”

• Comic Culture: 10/10 “Artistically, this book is awesome. There are so many cool things happening in here. Every artist is just spectacular. The black and white art, the newspaper quality, the magazine size is incredible…Conan is absolutely killing it for the past like couple years now. I would say one of the most consistent exciting books that’s on the shelf right now.”

• Comical Opinions: 10/10 “a mesmerizing accomplishment in Robert E. Howard reverence and a demonstration of joy for the pulp era of storytelling. Every short is a winner, from the writing to the art, that showcases why those who follow Howard’s example will reap the rewards.”

• Eternal Crusader: “A slam-bang dose of serpentine goodness. Usually, I have a clear favorite artist for a given issue, but this time it’s a three-way tie. The whole creative team delivered their A-game, resulting in an almost cocky showcase of their talents.”

• Evan the Architect: “It looks fantastic and it’s a fun read. If you haven’t been picking up Savage Sword of Conan, I highly recommend it.”

• Gaming Trend: 8.5/10 “Whether you’re a fan of Jim Zub’s ongoing works with Conan the Barbarian and other Robert E Howard stories or simply a fan of action-packed stories of good versus evil, there’s sure to be something you’ll enjoy in this book.”

• Goodreads: “It is indeed good to see a humorous tale with Steve Costigan, with De La Torre’s art giving it that pulpy action that works well.”

• Mighty Thorngren: “This was a great book. I had a real good time reading through this. The main Conan story was fantastic…I’m having a blast with this series. I hope it never stops.”

• Nerd Initiative: 10/10 “These are great books. This reads just like the Savage Sword from back in the day. I feel like I’m 10 years old again…These comics are absolutely fantastic.”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: “I loved it. I thought it was great. This was a super solid issue of Savage Sword of Conan. And guess what? It gets the smell of the week cause it smells like nostalgia, freshness, and badasserie.”

• Stygian Dogs: “I’ve got to say, all in all, this issue made me happy…We get a full Conan feature from a most-deserving Doug Braithwaite in a story with satisfying connections to the recent issues of the monthly series and enough mystery to carry us into the Scourge of the Serpent event series.”

• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: 9/10 “I think Jim did a great job with all these stories. I think all of the artists did great as well…I think my favorite story here was the Sailor Steve Costigan story.”

• Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “Book of the Week…it’s such a joy to read a book that has things plotted out, has the events that matter, and has building blocks in there. It really seems like Conan is playing chess when everyone else is playing checkers…The art is top notch. The storytelling is top notch.”