Zub Tales

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.”